P.S. One lost blog found

My entry from 5/8 didn't publish but it was a highlight day at Ephesus so I'm sending some pix on.
It's a "must" on your bucket list.
Pix: Roman Library; men's restroom :-); cat on a capital; arena where Paul preached

Farewell to Turkey

As all good things must come to an end, we are making the most of our one day in Ankara before saying our good-byes to Country and friends. The first of our two highlights today was the Ankara (Geological) Museum, which just reopened this week after a two year restoration project. Even if you are not a museum fan, this one was amazing, covering from the Stone age through the Classical period.
This is a holiday weekend (Children's Day tomorrow) so we joined the "natives'" pilgrimage to the mausoleum of their national political hero, Ataturk (1881-1936), the founder of modern Turkey, who led a secular movement in a Muslim country. He is still sacred to the people for his ideas on separation of church and state.
A bit of "down time" this afternoon at our beautiful Hilton  before we have our farewell dinner at a special restaurant tonight.
A word about the tragic mine accident in Sono his past week. We are geographically  far away but now, in the capital city, are hearing of the demonstrations here against the government's lack of support and their lax attitude toward the community of these 300 lost souls and their families.
Our guide has let his opinions about the prime minister be known to us along the way! Sadly, we have  felt part of this history-making experience.
Thanks to all of you who have hung in there these past two weeks, following along on my journey. Feedback is welcome as I continue to learn.
Home Monday (tomorrow) night.
Love to all!
Lainey
Pix: the Mother Goddess giving birth (especially for my daughter-in-law, Melissa!); gateway to Ataturk Mausoleum; Mausoleum; Hilton lobby

On the Road Again!

Time to leave the arid landscape of Cappadocia for our day's drive through greener  pastures toward Ankara, the capital city of Turkey.Two UNESCO sites for the price of one today. We arrived in ancient Hittite country, first visiting a sacred two-chambered outdoor sanctuary of natural rock, with carved deities dating from the 2nd century B.C. The main feature, however, was "down the hill and across the road". Hattussas was the capital of the empire, (enemies to the Egyptians). This city site covers a huge hillside of leftover stone foundations to what were  once 40 foot tall cedar wood  private and administrative buildings, temples, and the like. The Hittites were among the first cultures  to provide  written records offering details about their culture.
A great Mediterranean lunch awaited us at the "new" Hattusas village restaurant before our last leg of travel (napping on the bus?). We arrived late afternooon at Ankara, the very modern, upscale, university and political center of the country. Our high-rise Hilton is next door to the Iranian Embassy, but Salih tells us we can have all the bacon we want here in the morning ;-). Upon arrival we  had a guided walk on the "main drag" before being turned lose for our own evening's explorations. The Saturday night scene is jam packed with young folks in this university  city (7 million population).
Pix: rock art; jadite alter in the the temple where we sacrificed a few virgins today (just checking to see if you're still reading); another picture for the "foodies".

Up, Up in the Air...

Awoke to the 4:30 Muslim call to prayer this morning. Ten of us piled into vans and road the bumpy roads to the site of our "beautiful ballon" for the highlight adventure of our trip. Moon setting, sun rising, we lifted off in our 16 person vehicle and soared over the strange and magical tufa landscape of Cappadocia's hills, valleys, and towns explored by foot yesterday. This amazing hour long ride was truly a "high", followed by champaign, certificates, and t-shirts.
After breakfast we gathered the whole group for the day first visiting a beautiful, upscale carpet school, where we watched women hand-looming, from the silk worm on and were tempted to spend thousands on magnificent Turkish Oriental rugs.Open air lunch break and more to our budget shopping at a panoramic viewpoint above the conical formations in the valley below.
This afternoon we visited our Grand Circle sponsered school. We joined a 4 - 5 grade class of children eager to show us their work and introduce themselves in English. We exchanged songs and when we each, in turn, announced our professions they responded, in kind, with their career dreams. Turkey's school system is not dissimilar to ours. We visited the new science lab that we GCT travelers helped pay for.
Turkey has some beautiful pottery and Cappadocia is home to one of its well-known potters, who hosted us in his studio in a cave with a demonstration of this artestry. Of course, the cave opened up into a beautiful showroom  :-)
It was a hot, long day of activities today and we were getting weary, but Salih had one last surprise for us -a delicious Mongul style dinner in a "cave" restaurant. A sunset drive home to pack up tonight for the next adventure. We are nearing the end now, so Ankara, here we come.

Highlights of Cappadocia

Cappadocia is a geographical region unlike any other place in the world! It is a limestone plateau of volcanic ash and lava from millions of years ago. When mixed with water it produced a mud-like substance that slowly hardened into soft rock called tufa. Centuries of erosion by wind, rain, flooding shaped the tufa into a  surreal moonscape of cone-shaped pinnacles (and they are particularily impressive with tonight's full moon). In the 4th century private dwellings and churches were carved into the rock as dwellings. The homes were occupied till the 20th century! Modern construction with bricks made from this tufa are slowly replacing these residents with cute tourist towns. Prior to the building of these homes there existed 110 underground cities, man-made caves dug down as deep as 14 stories in some cases, built for people to escape persecution from invading tribes. We were able to explore just one of them, only going down three stories into the labarynth. Not for the claustrophobic.
Along the way we made an unscheduled "learning and discovery" stop at a secondary school where the 8th graders were holding a science fair outdoors on their grounds. It was great fun strolling through their exhibits and encouraging them through our limited English/Turkish exchange. Salih says it was a wonderful opportunity for them to actually see Americans, changing stereotypical impressions of us as seen through TV ("John Wayne" movies, etc.).
We spent the afternoon at  the Goreme  Open-Air Museum, an amazing UNESCO World Heritage site, home to Medieval Christian monks who carved 12 churches out of the volcanic tufa. Beautifully painted New Testiment frescoes have still survived after 700 years.
Lots of steep climbing today in 86*, sun- drenched weather. Our optional activity came this evening on the way home. We attended a performance of the Whirling Dervishes (the sect of Sufi Muslims) at a beautiful caravanserai.
Pix: Tufa pinnacle homes; our rock cave lunch stop; monastery rock "church", Whirling Dervishes

On the road again - to Cappadocia!

Leaving the Turquoise Coast we head to the interior of Turkey, climbing over the Taurus Mts. (the first of their 3 ranges). A long day's drive allowed Salih to field many topics of  further discussion about this country, it's history, customs, religion... These mountains, unlike the Rockies, are in strata which absorb the snowmelt, soak down to underground rivers leading to the sea. Once there the waters mix with the salt ocean, thus creating the turquoise color. We also saw one of the last remaining Lebanese cedar forests.
Two special stops today: After learning a bit about Mevlana Rumi, popular 13th century mystic and poet, we visited his mosoleum in the holy city of Konya.  Rumi founded the Whirling Dervishes. He was not an orthodox Muslim, but preached tolerance towards all peoples and religions. A gourmet lunch followed with Turkish ice cream - goat's milk and honey, thick enough to cut with knife and fork. Heavenly!
Our second stop was to explore Sultan Han, the largest Seljuk caravanserai (camel "motel") in Turkey. These rest stops were popular from around 100 - 1200  A.D. Run by the state, they provided safe passage every 19 miles for the many camel-laden murchants following the Silk Road from China, Afganistan, Syria.
Arriving in the large region of Cappadocia tonight we see that a strange new landscape awaits our exploration for the next few days.
Pix: rock strata; Rumi's tomb/ mosque; pilgrimers drinking from the sacred fountain; Sultan Han caravanserai

In and around Antalya

Making the most of our last day in Antolya we began with a side trip for a short peek at  another Hittite-to-Roman city (ruins), Perge. Paul preaches here, too. He got around!  Other than the theater and stadium, I think it is most famous for all the little old Turkish ladies selling "tchotchkes" to us tourists.
Today was our cooking lesson from a Turkish chef, still going at 91. Great entertainment and tasting! This afternoon free to return to Old Town, go to the beach, take a Turkish bath, nap...or pack. Off to Cappadocia early tomorrow.
Pix: Perge stadium (167 meters long); my 85 year old seatmate bartering with the Turks; cooking demo.

Losing their "Marbles"

Enjoyed a sunny, 78* day in this beautiful city by the Mediterranean's Turquoise Coast, surrounded by  the Taurus mountain range. (I hear Colorado got snow! Just watched Denver's mess on CNN.) Lots of ex-pats make this city in Anatolia their home. The city, Antalya, hosts the most beautiful museum, which we visited at length his morning. We are beginning to get a grasp on one of GCT's assigned "controversial topics", the pros and cons of repatriation (returning antiquities to their original country). Greece and Turkey have, indeed, lost their marbles.
Free time for lunch on our own near Old Town. I had an outstanding lamb gyro topped with tsasiki (yoghurt, cucumber, olive oil, spices). The Mediterranean diet is the healthiest in the world!
Pix: Antalya scenes

Another Day in "Ruins"

A misty morning as we left the Valley of the Wolves for more mountainous country. This morning's "walking history lesson" found us at the archeological "digs" of Aphrodisias, the Pre-Christian era, turned Roman city (boy, did those Romans get around!) to honor the goddess  of love, Aphrodite. The site has a very impressive museum, as well. Huge marble quarries  made this town the largest despensory of sarcophogae (tombs). We are finding the restoration stories almost as interesting as the historical facts.
Our lunch was at a delightful indoor/outdoor restaurant where I had the most delicious trout, baked in a clay dish. Food has been excellent, in general, especially the buffet, make-your-own salads. Lentil soup seems to be the standard starter here, and we compare it at each stop :-)
Traveled through real Colorado type mountains this afternoon, on-again off-again rain, to return to the sea to sophistocated Antalya, a city of one million. Back to the upscale hotels, this time a "designer" hotel on the waterfront, listed in the WorldHotels book. Funky almost '50's-ish, complete with hot pink shower curtain! I'm on the 17th floor! You could skate across the diningroom.
Pix:  marble sarcophogae; symbollic gate to Aphrodesias, lentil soup with hot, out of the oven bread, baked trout (for you "foodies").

Pamukkale - Turkey's Mystery

High above the fertile valley below sit two wonders - the world's largest natural travertine formations, formed 14,000 years ago, and the ancient Roman Holy City of Heirapolis, built as a luxury health resort for its healing thermal spas and pools. Pamukkale means Cotton Castle, as its cliffs pour out the deposits of white travertine for bathers to enjoy. Coming out of the earth from 3000 feet below, the water loses its carbon dioxide and heat, and washes warm calcium-rich water down over the cliffs to make a white wonderland (similar to the much smaller Mammoth in Yellowstone). People in ancient times came "on their last leg", hoping for miracles, thus the large cemetery downhill! It didn't always work.
Lunch this afternoon and a stroll through the little town of Buldan, known for its textiles made from Turkish cotton (major export). Our more modest hotel in the rural section of town boasts its own 2 thermal pools which were quite a welcome sight this later after the extensive walking o
the past few days. Tonight's entertainment - a belly dancer.
Pix: Scenes of Pamukkale

Biblical and Archeological History

Our optional tour today took us from Izmir to the ancient ruins of Pergamum, one of the most important cities of the Hellenic era. It was referred to as " the seat of the Devil" by St. John in the first millenium, then willed to the Romans. A full day of hiking followed a cable car ride up to the Akropolis, high atop the mountain overlooking present day Bergama. One of the first libraries, it housed 200,000 books, following the invention of parchment. Next came a hike to the Temple of Isis (Greek), and finally, the Asklepion, the spiritual and medical center (sanatorium). We walked a real Roman road! 
Pix: Scenes around Pergamum

Living well in Izmir

We have been treated to  a 3 night stay in the luxurious Hilton Hotel, overlooking the Bay of Izmir. This city, third largest in Turkey, at 7 million, is very cosmopolitan and, while Istanbul is conservative, Izmir is called the "big easy" of the country, people enjoying life and an upscale lifestyle overlooking the bay. After a bus tour through the city and a brief walk through a fashionable suburb we were turned loose to explore the huge Farmers's Market - what colors and aromas! Everything organic, from fruits, vegetables, eggs, cheese, olives, nuts, breads and fresh fish to clothing, shoes, and kitchenwares.
A free afternoon found some of us at a neighborhood ice cream cafe for an al fresco lunch and attempt to get on our wifis. Lots of walking the city and along the waterfront today and again tonight. My "puppies" are tired!
Pix: baklava at the market; walking the seaside promenade; historic clock tower at night.

From Troy to Izmir

Troy is not a mythical city/state, as told in Homer's Illiad. It was authenticated in the 20th century and we visited it yesterday, despite the fake Trojen horse out front! A city built 3,000 years ago, it was built and rebuilt in layers by the prevailing dynasties from the bronze age on. We then rolled along through grazing farmland, olive trees aplenty, into mountains and along the edge of the Agean till we reached the mountain town for our home hosted lunch. No English/Turkish spoken except for the good graces of the 19 year old daughter  :-) By early evening we arrived at our new home for the next 3 nights - Izmir. Life is good! My 14th floor room looks over the Bay of Izmir.
Pix: ruins of the religious center at Troy; lunch with friends and our hostess; sunset on the Bay of Izmir

From Europe to Asia via the Dardenelles

Though Ankara is the capitol city of Turkey the financial epicenter is Istanbul, as demonstrated by the glass high rises woven in among the antiquities. Our guide describes  it as " a separate country within the boundaries of Turkey". Our last "must see" was the Spice Market this morning before boarding our luxury coach, our "home away from home" for the next two weeks. Heading along farmland on the European coastline we headed to the Dardenelle Strait, where we visited the Gallipoli Cemetery, site of the bloody battle between the Allies (mostly Australian and NZ soldiers) and the Turks during W.W.I.  A tragic waste of young men on both sides! Crossing the Dardenelles by ferry to the Asian side, we are now in the lovely university city of Canakkale, our modern hotel rooms facing the waterfront. Salih, our trip leader, is excellent - a fountain of knowledge, comedian, AND a seasoned organizer, thinking of every detail. It makes our group of 35 seem like a family.
Pix: Spice Market; Gallipoli Cemetery, Crossing the Dardenelles