Straddling between Europe and Asia: Turkey

It was a long journey, but Bruce managed to make it to the gateway between Asia and Europe - TURKEY!  A country of 70 million.

At the Hagia Sophia Museum, with the beautiful mosaic art work:

The Sultan Ahmed Mosque (Blue Mosque)

It was a long journey to Ankara.  At the Museum of Anatolian Civilizations: 

The Mausoleum of Kemal Ataturk was an impressive monument commenorating the founder and first President of the Turkish Republic.  If you are not keen on museums or mausoleum, it may not be worth the long journey trekking to Ankara.


Taking a balloon ride at Cappadoccia

Taking a break...getting used to the Turkish coffee and did not find that the yogurt with poppy seeds was that special...

However, the thin and crispy pizza near Konya, served at a former caravan ,was tasty.

Generally, Bruce found the food in Turkey rather creamy and saltish for his liking.

The Mevlana Museum at Konya is the mausoleum Melvana, also known as the whirling dervishes.



Having a good time at Pamukkale (Cotton Castle)

Thermal Pool	Do spend time visiting the amphitheatre

Bruce found that a good way to beat the afternoon sun is to visit the Meryemana (House of Mary, where it was said that Virgin Mary accompanied St John to Ephesus when he was on the way to Palestine.

The House of Mary is very close to Ephesus.

 

There was a queue but it was fast moving	You can see that the area is shady

Down the stairs, Bruce stopped by the fountain to taste the spring water.






And next to it, there were many people putting up their wishes along the wall.

And the highlight of the day (or the trip) was the visit to Ephesus:

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	The toilet

The famous landmark  - The Library

The following day, Bruce went to Akropolis.  There was cable car ride up, saved the time of trotting up the hill.  While Akropolis is not as grand as Ephesus, it still has its charm and the views from the top is beautiful.

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As for Troy, Bruce found that you need a guide to tell you about the hoistory and significance of this place, or do some study first before your visit.  If not, you just look at stones and ruins, and of course the replical horse.





The trip was generally enjoyable.  Journey between cities are long, so for those planning the trip, some trips by plane would be recommended.



(This trip was taken in Sep 2011)