Our trip to Turkey was everything we dreamed about and so much more. Feedback from the group indicates it was the “best trip yet” and I do believe they are right, it was amazing. Turkey is considered to be one of the richest countries in terms of archaeology and is by far the biggest “open air museum” of the world. We were very fortunate to be able to see the marvelous remains of many ancient cultures and thanks to our amazing tour guide Tansu we embraced ancient history, acquired cultural insite and political and religious doctrines.
Our adventure commenced in Kusadasi, on the Aegean coast of Turkey and it is one of the most famous holiday resorts of the country. We loved our beautiful beachfront hotel where we could jump into the Agean from the sun bathing deck and watch the cruise ships, and see the sun set from our balconies. Kusadasi’s proximity to many of the old historic sites made it a great place to start. The ruins of the Greco-Roman city of Ephesus, has to be seen to be believed, we walked where prophets walked and saw the chariot ruts in the roads, unbelievable. In addition, the House of the Virgin Mary, one of the most sacred places for Christianity, was spiritualy and visually uplifting.
Then there was our first round of golf at the Kusadasi Golf Club. On our drive to the course I am sure we all wondered where we were going as we climbed, and climbed and climbed. Wow, what an awesome location a 360º view and our first experience with call to the pray off in the distance. It was a difficult round, everything rolled out of site and it certainly was a ball eating course but absolutely beautiful and worth every lost ball.
We experienced the Temple of Aphrodite at amazing Aphrodisias on our way to Pamukkale and were seduced by the collection of sculptural treasures, We saw the gleaming white travertine terraces of Pamukkale. We marveled at the tea-cup shaped pools of this ‘Cotton Castle’ cascade with light blue water which covered the hill side in a waterfall of white and ice blue. While we were here we also experienced The Sacrifice Feast, a four-day religious festival. The Sacrifice Feast traditions in Turkey include sacrificing an animal in a special ritual, visiting relatives and helping the poor. Helen and Donna were invited to share the meal with locals but they graciously declined.
We then drove over the Taurus Mountains towards the Mediterranean and our all-inclusive golf resort where we stayed for the next eight days. The resort was wonderful, excellent accoomadation, great food, awesome golf and lots of sea and sun, who could ask for more. But there was more, we visited a Turkish bath, the Hellenistic or Roman city of Perge to visit the extensive ruins, including the great Theatre at Aspendos, the Stadium, and the gate-towers leading into a street where ancient chariot ruts can still be see. Last but not least was an amazing day at sea frolicking in the crystal clear waters of the Mediterranean.
Our golf here was wonderful, stunning courses in close to pristine shape, challenging but forgiving and very enjoyable.
Our next destination, Cappadocia, was spectacular with the amazing rock formations, painted cave churches and underground cities. It was even more spectacular when seen from our hot air balloon, what a WOW moment that was. We drove through valleys crowded with surreal volcanic pillars and pinicles and enjoyed an entertaining pottery making demonstration. Our cave hotel experience just added even more to another wonderful experience.
Last was Istanbul with the beautiful Blue Mosque and the Hippodrome where Roman chariot races were held. We also marveled at the splendor of St Sophia, the Topkapi and Dolmabahce Palaces. We cruised the Bosphorus, the waterway that separates the Asian and European continents and connects the Black Sea with the Sea of Marmara, a very busy and important waterway. We savored the aromas of the Spice bazar and practised the time-honored ritual of bargaining in the Grand Bazar.
It was a fantastic trip, a wonderful group and certainly exceeded my expectations thanks to the knowledge and organizational skills of our tour guide Tansu, and also, not to be forgotten our fabulous bus and great driver Mehmet who keep us all safe.