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Western
Turkey (Istanbul, Izmir, Pamukkale, Konya, Cappadocia & Ankara)
This is one of the rare occassions we went on a "packaged
tour". The return airfare to Istanbul return was Rm2,100 compared to
the standard 10 days tour which cost Rm2,400 including full board, guided
tours and 4 star hotels. It was such a bargain that we opted for this. We
later extended our stay for another 20 days or so and travelled to Jordan
and Western Turkey via Syria
.
Topkapi Palace & Bhosporus cruise / Ephesus amphitheatre
Istanbul was, for many centuries, the capital of the civilised
world It was and is still the land link between Europe and Asia. The standard
tour took us to the Topkapi Palace, residence of the sultans, and the Aya
Sofya or Church of the Divine Wisdom, which later became the Blue Mosque.
Also included was a cruise up the Bosphorus straits. Istanbul is good for
at least two days but we were constrained by time during the tour. We even
missed the Grand Bazaar of Istanbul.
The journey to Izmir took up the whole day but they stopped
in the town of Bursa for lunch and some sightseeing. We arrived in coastak
Izmir in the evening and walkabout the town esplanade and the active nightlife. Next morning, we were off to Ephesus, which is the
grandest and best preserved of Turkey's ancient cities and classical ruins.
This city flourished during the Greek and Roman eras and one can still see
much of the way life was in those days, as the town is pretty much intact,
with its marble paved streets, libraries, public toilets and brothels.
Gorame Town in Cappdocia / Thermal Pools of Pamukale
We left for Pamukkale after lunch and had an hour "look" at the famous white travertines and natural thermal pools.. By the time we
got to the hotel, most of the group were already too tired to enjoy a good
soak in the thermal pools, which are found all over this district.
Our next stop was Konya, which is a very strict religious
town. After a short visit, we were off to Capadocia, which again took up most
of the day. By the time we arrived in Capadocia, there was just enough time
to check in the hotel and call it a day.
The Library of Ephesus / Cobbled Steet Ephesus
The tour of Cappadocia took up the whole day. Its also called
the Valley of the Fairy Chimneys because of the collection of strange volcanic
cones topped by flattish, darker stones of harder rock which sheltered the
cones from the rain which eroded all the surrounding rock. These cones are
also used as residence for the locals, who excavate the naturally made flats.
After Cappadocia, it was another long journey to Ankara.
Only had time for Ataturk mausoleum and a short drive through this capital
of Turkey before departing for yet another long journey to Istanbul. Woke
up the next morning and walkabout the area around the hotel for two hours
before returning to the hotel for the journey to the airport and Amman Jordan.
This was the base of our further journeys into the rest of Jordan and Eastern
Turkey via Syria.
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