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Jason and Dana Kunzman
Turkey

The Land of Carpets and Apple Tea

Wednesday - 14 Jun 2000
Istanbul - Turkey

A City Well Worth the Wait

Ironically, we spent our first day in Instanbul planning our departure from Turkey. We went from travel agency to travel agency looking for a good deal on a flight from Istanbul to Tel Aviv. Also on the agenda was renewing Dana's International Student ID Card (ISIC). This proved to be a bit tricky without any proof of her student status on hand. As luck would have it though, we managed to kill 2 birds with one stone at the Florida Holidays Travel Agency. As a bonus, Phyllis asked me where I went to school and issued me an ISIC as well. Phyllis explained that up to the age of 31, a travel agency does not require proof of student status in order to issue an ID card. As "students", Dana and I were able to book a one-way flight to Tel Aviv for only $136 each. This was certainly better than the alternative of spending up to one full day if not more on a ferry from Turkey to Rhodes and onto Haifa.

We made our way to the Blue Mosque for a free sound and light show at 9pm. While waiting for a show that never happened (due to a Muslim holiday celebrating the prophet Mohamed's birthday), we met Sarah & David Allen - a couple from Victoria, Australia on a 5 week honeymoon. They accompanied us to Doy Doy for some amazing and authentic Turkish cuisine and lots of great travel talk. We exchanged information in hopes of a reunion this same time next year in Australia.

Our remaining 3 days in Istanbul were dedicated to taking in the sights and sounds of this exciting city. The exquisite Iznik tiles in the Harem (the residence of the Sultan, his wives, mother and numerous concubines) at Topkapi Palace and the dome that appeared to be suspended in mid-air of the Aya Sofia (a thousand year old church converted into a mosque) were the highlights of our second day. We ended the day at the Egyptian spice market stocking up on fresh cherries, bananas and apples for our cruise along the Bosphorus the next day. The incredible smell, tight quarters and open aired stalls were very reminscent of the Medina in Fes.

Our cruise along the Bosphorus gave us a chance to escape from the heat. Our 1 ½ hour tour took us to the Asia shore where we made the climb up to a castle for a magnificent view of the Black Sea. This was a welcomed change of pace from the hustle and bustle of the 4 major cities we had visited back to back.

Our last day in Istanbul was a wet one! We dodged the rain all day finding shelter first inside the Blue Mosque, a nickname given to the Sultan Ahmet Camii because of the magnificent collection of Iznik tiles decorating the interior. We were still in awe of the Blue Mosque when we arrived at the Grand Bazaar where the constant harassment of shopkeepers quicky grew tiresome. Having broken the bank on our Kilim (woven carpet) in Morocco and not wanting to schlepp anything with us through Turkey and onto Israel (We all know who does the schlepping!), Dana and I had an agreement not to buy ANYTHING. However, by the time we left the Bazaar that arrangement was null and void. Dana conned me into purchasing a set of 4 Iznik tile coasters and then forced me to buy a brass tea set by haggling the price down 50% - a deal tooooo good to pass up.



From Shopping to Ecstasy

We concluded our time in Istanbul with a Turkish Bath at the Cenberlitas Hamami. For $11 we were scrubbed clean of dead skin, massaged and soaped up from head to toe. I was twisted and tangled into positions I didn't know existed and every conceivable joint was cracked and streched to its limit. Although Dana's experience was not as severe as mine, we were both very relaxed and ready for our 12 hour overnight bus ride into central Turkey.


Turkey's Grand Canyon

Dana and I struggled over the decision to do Cappadocia on our own or as part of a guided tour. The one major detriment of the tour of course was the expense. On the flip side, all of our arrangements from transportation to accomodation and meals would be taken care of for us - hassle free. In the end, the convenient way won out. Our arrival into the Cappadocia region was anything but easy. We were kicked off the bus a city too early and Dana's backpack was soaked through - not what we had in mind at all!!

After finding our hotel and drying out Dana's pack we spent 2 days taking in the highlights of the 400 square km area know as Cappadocia. Our guide, Mesut (Turkish for "HAPPY"), a native to Cappadocia, was very patient and informative. We saw amazing natural rock formations (the result of volcanic eruptions and erosion), an underground city about 80 - 90 meters below ground, the Ihlara Valley and a stop along the famed silk route. The various shades of pink, yellow, green and brown throughout the region reminded us of the Grand Canyon back home.



Land of Ruins

Dana and I made the trek back to the Western Coast of Turkey to Selcuk/Ephesus. We heard rave reviews of the Roman ruins here, but quite honestly we were very underwhelmed. As Dana put it, "It's not my thing to walk around a bunch of old rocks." Among the best preserved ruins were the Library of Celsus as well as the Great Theatre and the Sacred Way. Perhaps we would have been able to better appreciate Ephesus if we had a guide to explain exactly what some of the poorly preserved piles of rubble were back in the day. Adding to our disappointment of the area was the Temple of Artemis located a stone's throw away from our hostel. It is impossible to believe that the ruins among the swampy land were once a part of one of the 7 wonders of the ancient world.

Certainly the highlight of our time in Selcuk/Ephesus was the Australian-New Zealand Pension. We spent a great deal of time relaxing, playing cards and watching soccer. In addition to the local sights in Selcuk (Isa Bey Cammi and the St. John Basilica), the friendly staff and patrons at the ANZ Pension really made our time there memorable.



Journey to the Holy Land

With only 10 million Turkish Lira (approximately $14), we boarded an overnight bus to Istanbul at 11pm on 6/21. We had been told that a taxi from the central bus station in Istanbul would cost no more than 5 million Lira, so we budget appropriately. Much to our dismay, the cabbies insisted on a fee of anywhere between 6-8 million Lira. Having not eaten since early the previous evening, Dana and I were extremely hesitant to leave our selves with only 2 million Lira ($3.30) for food at the airport. We asked around for some alternatives to get to the airport and found the combination of a Tram and taxi to be the most fiscally prudent. 2 ½ million Lira later, we arrived at the airport with just over $11 to spend on lunch. We finally boarded Turkish Airlines flight #1188 to Tel Aviv looking forward to some TLC from family and friends.

A very smooth and uneventful flight turned chaotic literally 4 minutes prior to landing. Almost as soon as the pilot lowered the wheels, we began to gain speed and altitude. Over the loudspeaker, the pilot advised us that "we have a fuel problem." Whatever the problem, it forced us to turn back for Antalya, Turkey - the southern most city in Turkey with an airport. I immediately thought the worst and envisioned large amounts of fuel spilling out of the plane. I did not understand. What kind of fuel problem would make a pilot decide to cross back over the Mediterranean Sea instead of landing at a host of nearby airports. Thirty minutes later, the pilot filled us in with some additional information. As it turned out the workers at Ben Gurion airport in Tel Aviv were on strike making it impossible for our plane to receive the fuel it required for its next flight. As a result, we had to make the U-turn for our plane to refuel. Three hours late we were met Ben Gurion airport by Anat, Scott and Smadar's cousin and our limited time in Israel began.



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A Bumpy Ride
  Jason and Dana Kunzman - Bio and Journals
  Turkey - Intro Average Rating of 6 Viewers
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