“MERHABA"
Aug. 13
Sadly but with some excitement and anticipation we departed Egypt after 2 months (less 10 days).
Sadly but with some excitement and anticipation we departed Egypt after 2 months (less 10 days).
Landing in the largest city
in Turkey, Istanbul is no longer the capital but still the heartbeat of the Turkish spirit.
Upon arrival and warned by the Aussies we paid $240 usd for our Turkey Visa’s…ouch!! Getting to our accommodation was a challenge taking a train into the city where we switched to another train, which took us to a ferry that we boarded for Kadikoy. Luckily we met a family from France who were going the same direction so we just followed them!
It was amazing how many Mosque's we passed.
The Aussies were waiting for us in the apartment we rented together and were on the balcony when they spotted us walking up the street with all our luggageJ
Upon arrival and warned by the Aussies we paid $240 usd for our Turkey Visa’s…ouch!! Getting to our accommodation was a challenge taking a train into the city where we switched to another train, which took us to a ferry that we boarded for Kadikoy. Luckily we met a family from France who were going the same direction so we just followed them!
It was amazing how many Mosque's we passed.The Aussies were waiting for us in the apartment we rented together and were on the balcony when they spotted us walking up the street with all our luggageJ
Although very small, our
apartment was perfect. The kids shared a
room and all decided to sleep in the one room even though there was an extra
bedroom. It had 4 bedrooms, 2 bathrooms,
a teeny tiny kitchen and balcony with a tiny table and a couple chairs. Not sure where we were supposed to eat but we managed. The great thing about travelling with another family is sharing...... sharing accommodation costs, cooking the food, vehicle expenses and Blog writing. My new friend Katherine is a talented writer and with her permission I have copied some of her Blog. You will know it's her and not me by the Italics.
Right below our balcony and across
the street was the best bakery ever and we were blessed with the smell of fresh
bread 24/7. Also, we joined the locals
in sending a basket down from our balcony to the bakery below and up came fresh
bread. How cool was that?!
Billboards that cover entire buildings!
Delmar and Lachie getting a kick start with a mudlike texture of Turkish Coffee!!
Tianna enjoying apple tea
Metro transit travels right through the busy streets of Istanbul
We took several ferry
trips(transportation to various sections of the city) on the Sea of Marmara,
past the Topkapi Palace and numerous mosque domes that line the shoreline. 
We all squealed with delight at spotting a
school of dolphins swimming and diving next to our ferry. All the boats, ferries and cruise ships make
for a very a congested maritime highway.
The two impressive Bosphorus Bridges link the city and two continents.
The only city in the world to span two continents, Europe
and Asia, it is home to over 20 million people. We spent 10 days living on the
Asian side and visited Europe by ferry. The city is a fabulous mix of culture
and cuisine, easy to get around and a perfect introduction to Turkey.
Right below our balcony and across
the street was the best bakery ever and we were blessed with the smell of fresh
bread 24/7. Also, we joined the locals
in sending a basket down from our balcony to the bakery below and up came fresh
bread. How cool was that?! 
Billboards that cover entire buildings!
Delmar and Lachie getting a kick start with a mudlike texture of Turkish Coffee!!
Tianna enjoying apple tea
Metro transit travels right through the busy streets of Istanbul
We all squealed with delight at spotting a
school of dolphins swimming and diving next to our ferry. All the boats, ferries and cruise ships make
for a very a congested maritime highway. 
The two impressive Bosphorus Bridges link the city and two continents.Highlights of the week included celebrating Lachie’s 11th birthday at the park next to the Sea, where we got in trouble for running through a sprinkler!
Men washing their feet prior to entry into the Mosque
The underground Basilica Cistern included huge stone statues of Medusa’s head upside down and her sister’s head sideways?!
The Basilica Cistern was built in 1453 by the Romans as an underground water storage. Now it is a quiet and peaceful place, beautifully lit and tourists can listen to relaxation music and watch the thousands of carp which breed in the shallow water. There are over 336 columns and the I'm sure the Romans would get a bit of a surprise to see a cafe and a gift shop are now part of the place!
Eating copious amounts of baklava and other unpronounceable
Turkish sweets, succulent shwarmas and kebabs, fresh bread straight from the
bakery across the road and enjoying many cups of Turkish tea, served in tiny
tulip shaped glasses.
We then hiked up to a castle for a
birds eye view of the Black Sea (which was a deep blue and not black).
The view of where the Sea of
Maramar meets the Black Sea was magnificent but an even better site was watching Tianna and Darcy bond while sitting on the huge walls with the wind blowing through their hair.
We all cooled off with a swim near the Black
Sea prior to the Ferry ride back home.
Aug.19
All aboard another ferry with
hundreds of other tourists and locals we sailed an hour and a half to the
Buyukada Island which we were hoping would be a nice quiet place to swim. There was no shortage of people or horse and
buggies and crazy boys riding bikes but we chose to walk instead. Somehow between stopping to buy bread and
bits for lunch we lost JC and didn't see him again until it was time to leave the
island despite putting signs on posts to direct him to the beach we chose to
swim at. Although there was no
negotiating on the price to enter the beach area we reluctantly paid it and the 
kids braved the cold water while Katherine and I found a sheltered pool to chill in.
Finding JC back at the
ferry terminals was a relief for all of us but especially for him since he had
no water, food or money all day! Just
like I suspected he stopped to talk to someone and didn’t see which direction
we walked.
kids braved the cold water while Katherine and I found a sheltered pool to chill in.
Finding JC back at the
ferry terminals was a relief for all of us but especially for him since he had
no water, food or money all day! Just
like I suspected he stopped to talk to someone and didn’t see which direction
we walked.
In the evening we completed
our final packing and were off......picture this.....2 families, 8 people, 19
packs and bags, walking down a busy street to the shuttle pick up spot, we had
lots of eyes on us and surely thoughts of "those people are crazy"
After a brief drive through
Istanbul at night we waited in a circle around all our luggage waiting for our
bus. 
When it arrived everyone was very
excited to see that each seat had its own TV screen but the excitement
was short lived since every channel including the movies were in Turkish. The service on the bus was the best we've had,
with ice cream, snacks, water and other drinks offered free of charge.
playing his guitar outside of the bus station. Finally, 4 hours later our van arrived but
what's this...it only has 7 seats, looked like it belonged to someones cousin and was clearly not the 9 seater we booked
online?!? Discussing details with someone
who speaks very little English was a challenge but at last we came to an
agreement to take it for one day only and all piled in to drive the 1.5hrs. to
Ozdere. Ozdere was supposed to be a village by the sea but in fact,
it's an overcrowded popular holiday mecca. The beach was so crowded that when
we went for a swim, we couldn't find where we had left our towels!
On the first day Landon & Tianna made
friends with a local girl and played with her for hours despite the language
barrier, play is definitely a universal language. Our two families claimed "The Time(Dirty Bit)" as our theme song and had fun lip syncing and
dancing to it in our living room complete with us ladies in dead sea mud masks while the neighbours next door were either entertained or shocked we're not sure which.
When it arrived everyone was very
excited to see that each seat had its own TV screen but the excitement
was short lived since every channel including the movies were in Turkish. The service on the bus was the best we've had,
with ice cream, snacks, water and other drinks offered free of charge.
playing his guitar outside of the bus station. Finally, 4 hours later our van arrived but
what's this...it only has 7 seats, looked like it belonged to someones cousin and was clearly not the 9 seater we booked
online?!? Discussing details with someone
who speaks very little English was a challenge but at last we came to an
agreement to take it for one day only and all piled in to drive the 1.5hrs. to
Ozdere. Ozdere was supposed to be a village by the sea but in fact,
it's an overcrowded popular holiday mecca. The beach was so crowded that when
we went for a swim, we couldn't find where we had left our towels! 
On the first day Landon & Tianna made
friends with a local girl and played with her for hours despite the language
barrier, play is definitely a universal language. Our two families claimed "The Time(Dirty Bit)" as our theme song and had fun lip syncing and
dancing to it in our living room complete with us ladies in dead sea mud masks while the neighbours next door were either entertained or shocked we're not sure which.
Day trips from Ozdere included Seven Sleepers, unimpressive, Church of the Virgin Mary which was voted down by our family of 8 and then to the ancient ruins of Ephesus which turned out to be a hit despite how hot it was. There was so much to see that we persevered the scorching temperature and had a great time walking through the ancient ruins. The trouble with being a tourist is all the tourists you encounter especially the dreaded tour groups. Shockingly Katherine was hushed by a tour group leader!!
wandered through another roman theatre, crumbling columns and headless statues. But, there were some magnificent buildings and carvings to be seen
We ended the day at
sunset with Turkish pizza's on a somewhat quieter beach with olive trees on the
shoreline and where the kids took turns casting the fishing rod and exploring
the rocky cliffs along the shore.
wandered through another roman theatre, crumbling columns and headless statues. But, there were some magnificent buildings and carvings to be seen
We ended the day at
sunset with Turkish pizza's on a somewhat quieter beach with olive trees on the
shoreline and where the kids took turns casting the fishing rod and exploring
the rocky cliffs along the shore.
The next day we drove more
than 3 hours east to Pamukkale, a sight unlike anything we've seen
before!!
The shallow pools are supported
by stalactites of white and filled with warm, calcium rich mineral waters. Above all the pools at the top of the hill is
the ruined city of Hierapolis. It was a
cure centre founded about 190 BC by Enmenes II, King of Pergamum. Just when you think you've seen it all....along comes
Pamukkale! One of the most surreal places we have seen, it is a series of aqua
blue swimming pools and hot springs set amongst a startling white mineral
mountain. The whole place looks like a gigantic theme park, but it is actually
totally natural. We swam and paddled and marveled at the uniqueness of the
place and the kids loved playing in the squishy, chalky white mud. The place
was so crowded, but there are so many pools that everyone can find their own piece
of marshmallow to hang about in!
Here is how each of us described the
experience:
Darcy - I liked in the water
the slime and weird white mud
Tianna - All the white rock
looked like sugar, marshmallows, or vanilla ice cream and each pool was a
different temperature.
Lachlan - Amazing how white
it was with all the normal countryside around it
Katherine - I couldn't stop
giggling, it looked so artificial and the pictures we saw couldn’t compare to
being here
Shelley - I loved the soft
mud squishing between my toes and rubbing it over our bodies and feeling the
coolness of the water on such a hot day
Landon - Only one word to
describe it......AWESOME
JC - is was like a constant
mind game since the environment looked like we were in the snow but in contrast
was the heat, brilliant colors, the light, blue sky and green grass landscape
that surrounded us. It was a great
example of God's sense of humour.
Delmar - an amazing
experience swimming amongst cave like structures while out in the open.
Laying in the water, playing in the mud and standing next to the smooth, white washed walls while being showered with the mineral water was spectacular and the whole experience has quickly moved itself up into the top 10 list of remarkable moments of our trip. Not wanting to leave but feeling a bit parched we hit the grocery store for a typical dinner on the road....yoghurt, crackers dipped in peanut butter, lemonade, and sparkling juice. Tianna and Darcy were just so cute sitting together and falling asleep using each other for a pillow!
Aug.25
Getting a family of 8 packed
up and ready to go can be done and once again we boarded the van for the long
drive to Canakkale which became even longer because the GPS took us an hour
further than we were suppose to go and we had to turn around, stop and ask for
directions several times. 
We drove back
to a small village with no street signs, very vague directions and a house number?! We arrived in the little village of
Pasakoy (population 430 and 99% muslim) and found our house with the help of a local lady who
hopped into our van with us. Turgay met
us and gave us the tour of his remarkable stone house he built himself. The kids were exited and quickly claimed
their beds and were off to see the cows and explore the village. There is a tiny village surrounded by fields and paddocks,
high on a hill overlooking the Agean Sea. Home to just over 400 people, it is a
picture perfect place that rarely sees westerners. The people are curious and simple, and we
were welcomed with open arms during our time there. The houses are made of
stone, there are hardly any vehicles and the men spend their day sipping tea in
the town square whilst the women gossip in the doorways. The children play care
free and they were very keen to make friends with the 'tourists in town'.
Sipping on wine and savoring some delicious chocolate both families ended the day together on the roof top patio with a breathtaking view of the castle in Assos, and the Agean Sea with some Greek islands in the distance. Waking to the crow of many roosters the next day the kids were up very early first to see the cows being milked, bringing some home for us to enjoy, and then kids just being kids exploring and building forts. It reminded me of when we were growing up although they can’t seem to be engaged all day like we did when we were their age, too many electronics at their disposal “I reckon”! In Turgay's house we took turns experiencing a Turkish Bath, a big marble basin in the corner of the bathroom filled with water and a smaller copper bowl used to pour water on yourself…get wet, lather, rinse…very water conservative. Today we’ve been invited to take part in a village celebration for one of the young boys that was recently circumcised. A street was closed off and turned into a banquet hall where we were treated to the most delicious, authentic food.
Chickpeas in sauce, a
dish similar to porridge with chicken broth cooked over night in a huge pot,
salad, beef, rice and a yummy dessert of softened sugared raisins and sweet
groundnuts. After the feast Turgay
guided us to an all-stone beach on the Agean Sea. The water was cold but refreshing and so
clear you can see to the bottom even in the deep water. 
The kids were running, jumping and diving off the wharf, while the Aussie and Canadian parents enjoyed a cold beer or two. Back just in time to change our clothes and we were on our way to the street for our very first circumcision party!!
Skipping rope with all the local kids was fun, as was watching Landon
play his guitar while the little ones looked on. 
Another wonderfully delicious meal, same as
lunch, before the party continued in the school courtyard. We were lucky to be invited to the town's celebration......a
circumcision party.....yep, that's right, we celebrated a 14yr old boys journey
into manhood! (thankfully the operation took place a few weeks prior, so we
were spared any unpleasant surprises). There was a gigantic feast, followed by
an evening of dancing. The entire town turned out in their finest clothes and
we were swept onto the dance floor for hours of Turkish dancing.
The girls in their fancy dresses with their
hair professionally styled wouldn’t leave Tianna alone and soon we were dancing
to the traditional music and style, in a circle all going one direction, trying
to keep in step. Lachie and Landon met
some cute girls but I think the language barrier was a challenge for them.
We drove back
to a small village with no street signs, very vague directions and a house number?! We arrived in the little village of
Pasakoy (population 430 and 99% muslim) and found our house with the help of a local lady who
hopped into our van with us. Turgay met
us and gave us the tour of his remarkable stone house he built himself. The kids were exited and quickly claimed
their beds and were off to see the cows and explore the village. There is a tiny village surrounded by fields and paddocks,
high on a hill overlooking the Agean Sea. Home to just over 400 people, it is a
picture perfect place that rarely sees westerners. The people are curious and simple, and we
were welcomed with open arms during our time there. The houses are made of
stone, there are hardly any vehicles and the men spend their day sipping tea in
the town square whilst the women gossip in the doorways. The children play care
free and they were very keen to make friends with the 'tourists in town'. |
| Landon entertaining some local girls on our door step |
 |
| The local ladies & I sharing a moment |
Sipping on wine and savoring some delicious chocolate both families ended the day together on the roof top patio with a breathtaking view of the castle in Assos, and the Agean Sea with some Greek islands in the distance. Waking to the crow of many roosters the next day the kids were up very early first to see the cows being milked, bringing some home for us to enjoy, and then kids just being kids exploring and building forts. It reminded me of when we were growing up although they can’t seem to be engaged all day like we did when we were their age, too many electronics at their disposal “I reckon”! In Turgay's house we took turns experiencing a Turkish Bath, a big marble basin in the corner of the bathroom filled with water and a smaller copper bowl used to pour water on yourself…get wet, lather, rinse…very water conservative. Today we’ve been invited to take part in a village celebration for one of the young boys that was recently circumcised. A street was closed off and turned into a banquet hall where we were treated to the most delicious, authentic food.
Chickpeas in sauce, a
dish similar to porridge with chicken broth cooked over night in a huge pot,
salad, beef, rice and a yummy dessert of softened sugared raisins and sweet
groundnuts. After the feast Turgay
guided us to an all-stone beach on the Agean Sea. The water was cold but refreshing and so
clear you can see to the bottom even in the deep water. 
The kids were running, jumping and diving off the wharf, while the Aussie and Canadian parents enjoyed a cold beer or two. Back just in time to change our clothes and we were on our way to the street for our very first circumcision party!!
Skipping rope with all the local kids was fun, as was watching Landon
play his guitar while the little ones looked on. 
Another wonderfully delicious meal, same as
lunch, before the party continued in the school courtyard. We were lucky to be invited to the town's celebration......a
circumcision party.....yep, that's right, we celebrated a 14yr old boys journey
into manhood! (thankfully the operation took place a few weeks prior, so we
were spared any unpleasant surprises). There was a gigantic feast, followed by
an evening of dancing. The entire town turned out in their finest clothes and
we were swept onto the dance floor for hours of Turkish dancing.
The girls in their fancy dresses with their
hair professionally styled wouldn’t leave Tianna alone and soon we were dancing
to the traditional music and style, in a circle all going one direction, trying
to keep in step. Lachie and Landon met
some cute girls but I think the language barrier was a challenge for them.
The sounds in the village are
so different from Istanbul and Ozdere and in the middle of the night when I couldn’t
sleep I was treated to an orchestra of a donkey, cows, dog barking, birds, crickets, roosters, the call to
prayer of course and saw 7 shooting stars, several satellites and even the big
dipper was visible from here.
Not everyone was interested in seeing the Temple of Athena situated between our village and the beach but Katherine, Delmar and I were so we toured while the rest of the Zachest/Colvin clan went to swim.
Not everyone was interested in seeing the Temple of Athena situated between our village and the beach but Katherine, Delmar and I were so we toured while the rest of the Zachest/Colvin clan went to swim.
Funny though, Delmar made a very quick exit once we were done and he heard the word “shopping”. Just as well since Katherine and I took our time stopping at every stall that lined the street heading down from the temple in Assos. 
Katherine buying just one more necklace....as you do!!!
The next day we were on a
mission to see the historical site of Troy (TROIA).
Directed to take the scenic route along the
seashore we drove for a long while, came to some ruins recently discovered and
being excavated by some university students but still no Troy so we drove some
more and then some more, missed the turn off twice, turned around and finally 4
hours later we arrived!!
Pretty cool but
not worth quite as much as our anticipation of it.
Directed to take the scenic route along the
seashore we drove for a long while, came to some ruins recently discovered and
being excavated by some university students but still no Troy so we drove some
more and then some more, missed the turn off twice, turned around and finally 4
hours later we arrived!! 
Pretty cool but
not worth quite as much as our anticipation of it. 
The morning we parted ways
was full of tears and a very difficult farewell for all of us, especially for
Katherine and I who’ve become really close!! We're so happy that we were able to share Turkey with their family and spend
as much time as we did. I think it was
pretty cool that we did the big city, beach life, and village stay together. Their family is off to India and we are
heading to Greece.
Our family drove our rental
van back to Izmir to pick up our computer getting fixed and also to collect
some money the first rental car company owed us!! Stressful times though driving through a big
city during rush hour traffic and just to ensure the stress level remained high
we ran out of gas on our way to the ferry in Cesme!! God came through for us though as JC hitched
a ride into town and back with enough diesel to get us the final 20 km’s and to
the ferry with a few minutes to spare.
