Turkey – Going Underground in Cappadocia

Today we headed to the Kaymakli underground city, a fascinating labyrinth of underground tunnels, rooms, churches and hideaways built underneath a seemingly normal and non-descript village above. Residents started tunneling into the soft tufa stone as far back as the 2nd century in order to create defensible cities underground to withstand the frequent attacks by the various empires across Asia Minor. Excavators have discovered rooms some 8 stories below the surface and have found tunnels 6 miles long connecting different underground cities. The entire city population could go underground and wait out the sieges, as the caves had storage facilities, ventilation shafts and critical access to the water table. Fires were only lit at night so as to avoid giving away their location underground. Residents would wall off entire sections underground with giant stone wheels that were rolled across small stone passageways, and many well placed booby traps would keep their would-be captors “in the dark”, so to speak! We spent the rest of our trip visiting different nature sites and fortresses in the valleys and cliffs of the Cappadocia region, exploring the many caves and bizarre stone structures. The kids seemed simply happy to run around in the outdoors and pick wildflower bouquets for Suzanne and Dee. One of our favorite and most spectacular areas was the troglodyte city. A troglodyte in this case refers to a type of religious hermit who lived in these cave structures. They often had cult-like status amongst the area residents, and it was considered good luck to have a troglodyte in your neighborhood. The “city” was set in a series of 3 connecting valleys and the caves were all wide open for exploration (save for the ones that were collapsing due to erosion). A few of the passageways went deep into the cliff, but since we had no lights, Scott and I thought it would be better to stay within sight of our families, so as not to become inadvertent troglodytes. I’m not so sure the family would be up for us spending the rest of our adventure year in a cave… On our last day, we packed up our belongings and said our goodbyes to the Andrews. We were all a bit sad and nostalgic, as we had been through so much together, and it was hard to believe our shared experience was actually coming to a close. They were on their way to meet some good friends in Greece, while we would be heading back to Spain to give Seville a try for the month of June. As hard as it was to say our goodbyes, we were excited about the possibility of seeing them sooner in Boulder. More on that later.

Turkey –Hanging with the Troglodytes in Cappadocia

It was amazing how fast time went by on the gullet trip, given how little we actually did. But it was a much-needed break, which gave us energy for exploring the lunar landscape and underground cities of Cappadocia. Cappadocia is a fascinating region in the very center of Turkey, somewhat resembling the vast open planes of Wyoming coupled with the spectacular scenery of Canyon Country in Utah. With one key difference – people have lived in the rocks here for thousands of years. The region is characterized by Tufa stone, which was formed by layers of compressed volcanic ash. Tufa is extremely soft and easy to carve, allowing residents to build cave dwellings right into the cliffs and under their homes. We pulled into the Gamirasu Cave Hotel late at night, so we didn’t have a full appreciation of the countryside. Things started out auspiciously, as the kids were carsick from the ride and complained about funny smells (we were dropped off in a very impoverished part of the village, as the van could not go down to the hotel). But the hotel turned out to be a welcome surprise and our 3-room place was built directly into a huge rock. It was well-lit and even had full internet service – for the next few days, our emails would lead with; “I am writing to you from inside a cave in the middle of Turkey”! We met Yashar, our guide for the next two days, and we embarked on a fascinating tour of this region. Of particular note was the Goreme open-air museum, a cliffside network of 4 monasteries, which each housed over 350 residents during the Byzantine era. There were a number of hidden churches built into the rock, with well-preserved frescoes dating as far back as the 9th century. The irony was not lost on the kids that although I had promised we were done with museums and churches for a while and would be out in nature, here we were in a site that was both a museum AND a church! Who could have known?... We later went to another spectacular site with Dr. Seuss-like mushroom cap rock formations. It was hard to ignore that many of these are extremely phallic in nature, but it all started to make sense when we noticed a small shack selling various herbs as “natural Viagra” nearby – talk about an effective marketing campaign! We also got a big rise at the ceramics studio in Avanos, where the kids got a chance to throw their own clay pots on a giant foot-powered potting wheel. Of course, afterwards we were paraded through their display section and there were a few tense moments as Suzanne was eyeing a $2,000 ceramic bowl (although she asserts she was never serious about it). I had no problems playing the bad cop with the dealer and we got away clean. However, I couldn’t claim the same success the following day at the artisan jewelry center. There is only so much a man can do when his lovely wife sets her mind on a fine piece of native turquoise! At the end of the day, we were taken to an historic palace - which once served as an overnight outpost on the silk route - to see a religious rite performed by real live whirling dervishes. I always thought the term “whirling dervish” was cool, but I must admit I had no idea what it meant. As I now understand, dervish is a type of monk, and they get their name by spinning in a very spiritual dance ritual, which apparently puts them in a trance-like state and brings them closer to God. The music, chanting and spinning was quite mesmerizing (I got dizzy just watching) and seemed to put Dee in trancelike state, as we caught her nodding off at the end of the ritual!

Turkey – Living the Good Life on the Nirvana 2

Scott Andrews has always been a huge sailing fan and had been lobbying hard with his family to charter a boat and do the famous “blue cruise” on the Agean. Suzanne practically grew up on the water on family vacations and was interested in doing an all-inclusive trip. Plus, I had fond memories sailing in Turkey for a day (with my friend Athar during our post college EU whirlwind trip). So we decided to go in together to rent a Turkish yacht and live large. As long as we were already this close, we might as well splurge – for who knows when we might get another opportunity?!? Today was the day we had most been looking forward to; embarking for a 5 day Agean cruise on board a Turkish Gullet (a double-masted wood yacht that resembles a schooner). We had selected a beautifully preserved 30-meter (over 90 feet!) boat called the Nirvana 2, which came with a crew of 4 and had 8 private cabins. All meals were included and we had them stock plenty of beverages to keep our thirst quenched out on the water. As we arrived in the port of Marmaris and boarded the boat, we were speechless – this boat was huge, with plenty of cushions, outdoor dining areas, and decks for serious lounging. Plus, when the kids were playing up front, we could hardly hear them. The crew immediately took care of us, providing a great meal of pasta and turkish salads and plying us with plenty of cold beers to get us in the right frame of mind. As we left the harbor, all the previous fatigue of sightseeing and traveling left us immediately and we had no trouble adapting to the 24:7 service of a full crew. while we’ve certainly had relaxing trips before, this one was over the top! Basically, our 5 days on the gullet went like this: We would awaken in the morning at leisure with a cup of coffee on the deck. The crew would lay out a huge breakfast spread (homemade bread, fresh jams, cheeses, olives, tomatoes, cucumbers) and we would eat before embarking to a new cove or inlet. There, we would anchor and swim, snorkel, sunbathe and play in the kayaks while the crew prepared lunch. The kids especially enjoyed hosting their own version of survivor and would build tribal camps at various beaches along the coves every place we anchored. After downing a few beers, we would have a big lunch and then the crew would pull anchor and head to our final cove for the day. This was then followed by more swimming, reading and exploring until tea-time at about 5 pm. After a few more hours of diving off “the plank”, racing kayaks at sunset, and several very competitive games of hearts, we’d have a late dinner and finish off the night with a few bottles of Turkish Red. It seemed that we were eating the whole time, but the food was so tasty and healthy, we always seemed to be hungry. And of course, we were never too far from “beer thirty”… I especially enjoyed the sounds of the water lapping against the boat as we shared stories and eventually drifted off to sleep. Then the process would start all over again the following morning. Ahhh…now THIS was the life! While this was certainly one of the most expensive vacations we have taken, it was perhaps the most enjoyable and relaxing. I think we are now forever spoiled!

Turkey – Ephesus and Kusadasi

We caught the morning flight to Izmir and headed out to Ephesus to explore the roman ruins of this major archeological site. This once was a thriving port town, with a covered market, palaces, library and 24,000-seat ampitheater, which had been remarkably restored. After all the sightseeing in Istanbul, however, the kids were getting a bit frustrated and they clearly needed some down-time. We had a wonderful vegetarian lunch in the small mountain town of Sirince, just a few kms outside of Ephesus. They are supposedly known for their local wines, but I found them a bit lacking. I did, however, break down and buy a dessert wine made from mulberries. As we came to learn later, it wasn't great, but it certainly did not suck. Fortunately, we were almost through with the sightseeing and everyone was ready for some serious relaxation. Our next leg of the trip brought us to Kusadasi, a scenic port town on the Agean. We stayed at the Kismet hotel, which had a Cape Cod beach feel to it. The kids collected a whole bunch of rocks down by the water and decided to set up a rock shop in the front driveway of the hotel. They then proceeded to badger every single patron who showed up at the hotel. It was fascinating to watch them work out their business model on the fly as their confidence picked up. Casey and Grace were the greeters and would not take no for an answer. The rocks were pretty ugly, so they relied on 99% charm and 1% product. Emma and the boys would handle the actual negotiation and transaction, ultimately netting the team several hard earned euros after netting out the cost goods for the display (a very dirty hotel towel). It was a great diversion, allowing the adults a chance to enjoy the waterfront view and have a nice quiet meal while the kids honed their newfound business skills. The hotel staff was great with them and did not run them off the property, in spite of their somewhat aggressive sales tactics. Made the shopkeepers in Morocco look pretty tame by comparison – at least in Morocco you could enjoy a tea during the bargaining!

Turkey – City Slickers in Istanbul

Our trip started in Istanbul, home of the Blue Mosque and the Hagia Sophia – some of the most important historical/religious icons in the Arab world. Istanbul is an amazingly cosmopolitan and westernized city– located on the Bosphorus peninsula, it reminded us of San Francisco in many ways. With a population of 13 million, it was also quite crowded and lively –the pedestrian Istikal street at night reminded me of the crowd at a Michigan-Ohio State football game –an endless sea of people as far as we could see. We were immediately struck by the quality of the food here – delicious grilled kebabs, flavorful yogurt sauces with mint and dill, fresh tomato/cucumber salads and wonderful vegetarian dishes. I think it was probably the freshest and healthiest cuisine we have eaten all year. We awoke early to meet Khan our guide and then off we went to reconnect at the Hagia Sophia with the Andrews, who were flying in from Athens. The Hagia Sophia is the 4th largest religious structure in the world – a fascinating blend of byzantine and muslim influences. Built in the 6th century by the Byzantine Empire, it is stunning in its size and simplicity. Then we were off to the Basilica Cistern, a spectacular underground palace created to store water for the entire city during the Byzantine Empire, allowing it to withstand the many sieges upon the city. The cistern was constructed with columns of previous Greek structures and contains many interesting (and decidedly non-Byzantine) symbols to ward off evil spirits, such as a column of “evil eyes” and a giant medusa head turned on its side. While these features were never intended to be seen (the entire complex was under water), it is speculated that they were put there just in case the Byzantines were wrong in their new choice of religion. Whatever the reason, the kids seemed to enjoy it. Our last highlight was the Blue Mosque – a fully functioning religious site and the primary icon of Istanbul. While not as dramatic as the Hagia Sophia, it was worthwhile to be allowed into a mosque of this magnitude. And I guess our trip to Istanbul would not have been complete without an obligatory stop to the Grand Bazaar. Somehow, we managed to escape with our pockets lighter by only a few Euros, probably because everyone was tired from a long day and looking forward to a siesta back at the hotel. We finished our day with a huge fresh grilled fish washed down with some Efes beer and girded ourselves for a very unreasonable 5 am wakeup call the following morning.

Segovia and La Granja de San Ildefonso

What I had originally envisioned as a 4 day immersion in Segovia turned into a quick half-day side trip, as Suzanne was recovering from the flu and the kids were still threatening revolt from any further sightseeing. Segovia is an amazing city – quintessentially Spanish and stunningly beautiful, with a fairy tale castle, roman ruins, a gothic cathedral and a maze of narrow winding streets to explore with very interesting architecture on the surrounding buildings. It seemed to be a very vibrant cultural city as well, with lots going on around town. Hands down, the most amazing site was the roman aqueduct, built in the 1st century to bring water to the town. It is considered to be the finest example of roman engineering still standing today and it almost looks surreal as it towers high above the town. This is one of the few man-made features I have seen that left me with my jaw dropped to the floor. Suzanne and I would have liked to spend more time exploring the town, particularly the Alcazar, as well as the surrounding area but we were happy to at least have gotten a chance to spend some time here. Maybe next time we’ll do it without kids… Earlier in the week, we also managed to get out for an afternoon to La Granja de San Ildefonso, the site of a beautiful palace and gardens built by Philip V. Philip was the grandson of Louis XIV, and he built this site as his own personal retreat after spending his childhood in the gardens of Versailles. La Granja sits at the base of the Sierra de Guadarrama, which is still covered with snow in some spots (note to self…beautiful, but very cold in the winter!). The gardens are filled with tree-lined avenues and hidden squares with bizarre baroque fountains, which seemed a bit over the top when juxtaposed against the natural surroundings. At the end of the day, a number of the fountains were turned on, sending huge plumes of water into the air. Much to the kids’ delight, the winds had picked up and would blow the water into the crowds of people, who ran for cover. Most people cleared out quickly and soon, the only people left standing under the torrent were our three little knuckleheads. But they were having so much fun that we just let them be kids for a while. Fortunately we had a few jackets packed which came in handy as they emerged from this unexpected “water park” absolutely soaked to the bone!

Chillin’ out at San Lorenzo de El Escorial

Although for the most part, we locked in our travel plans for the remainder of our adventure year, we did have this open question of what to do with our 5 days before Salamanca. For a while, I’ve had my sites set on Segovia, about an hour north of Madrid. Coming out of Morocco, we were tired, dusty and suffering from a lingering GI distress. We were desperately in need of clean clothes and a good night’s sleep (2 hr. time difference meant sunrise at 5:30 am!). Unfortunately, we would be traveling during a two day Spanish national/provincial holiday weekend, so our housing options were limited. Plus, with a car packed to the gills, the thought of dealing with the logistics of a crowded city center was a non-starter. After a bit of on-line wrestling with an Arabic keyboard at an internet café, I was able to book a townhouse in San Lorenzo de Escorial, site of the royal monastery built by King Philip V. It seemed close enough and at least gave us a place to unpack and regroup. When we got there, it was perfect on many levels - a huge place by European standards, and bright, roomy and comfortable. It sat at the base of a national park, with a great terrace view of the plateau and Madrid below. We were all wiped out from the rapid-fire itinerary and chaos of the last 9 days and it was a treat to chill out for a bit and just relax for a while. Plus, by this point, the kids were on the verge of mutiny from being dragged any more historical monuments. I officially resigned for a few days as family tour guide – which was received quite well by my family! We took a few days off and broke several rules in the spirit of recovery (e.g. Burger King for lunch, and plenty of movies/cartoons for the kids). Suzanne came down with the flu, so the kids and I toured the area around the monastary, went out to the local parks for a picnic, some fresh air, hikes, and good old fasion hide n’ seek. The surrounding area was beautiful and green this time of year and it reminded me of Chataqua Park in Boulder, CO.

Morocco – Giving Marrakech One Last Try

Coming back in to Morocco, we immediately felt more at ease, as our Riad was located in a more central part of town heavily traveled by tourists. It just felt more “friendly”, although there were certainly people all around us urging us to part with our money. However, we did have one scare after a quick dinner at a small cafeteria, when we returned to the Riad and Suzanne realized that she left her purse there – something she has NEVER done since I have known her! I had flashes of panic, wondering how we were ever going to cancel all our credit cards and important documents from a foreign country where we don’t speak the language and our phones weren’t working! Fortunately when I arrived, her purse was sitting on the table and the owner had been keeping an eye on it, awaiting our return. I thanked him profusely and returned to the Riad relieved, feeling the adrenaline still coursing through my veins. Over the next few days, we enjoyed several of the major palaces in the city, which interestingly were not well preserved and paled in comparison to the Alhambra and the Mezquita in Spain. It had always surprised me to hear people say “if you want to see the finest examples of Moroccan design, go to Spain”, but now I get it. In the spirit of cultural experience, I got sucked into one shopkeeper’s lair, ostensibly to enjoy a cup of mint tea and discuss life in America. Of course, this quickly degraded into a “perhaps you would like to look at a few carpets while you are here” marathon, where he must have brought out over 50 carpets for me to look at in spite of my countless protestations. What ensued was a painstaking review of which carpets I MIGHT find somewhat interesting. After rejecting 49 outright, I hesitated on one and that was enough to start the bargaining process. He drew out 2 columns on a sheet of paper and asked me to name a price. At first I refused, telling him we had absolutely no room to take home a carpet under any price, but he would not back down. Ultimately this ended with an offer so low, he was insulted and demanded a tip for his “hospitality”. It was worth a euro to pay for his pot of tea and get out of there! We later wandered through an amazing distribution center of Moroccan hand crafted furniture and brightly colored home decoration items. Suzanne called this her version of “torture” - being amongst all these amazingly beautiful pieces without buying anything! Particularly since we had no room in our luggage and no clear idea of what to buy for (as you may know, our house has been on the market all this time and we still don’t know exactly where we will end up after the summer). So she had to suck it up, bite her lip and somehow get through the next several days empty-handed. I must say I could not relate completely to her struggles, but it certainly looked like she was in a lot of pain… One of the most fascinating places was the Jmaa el Fnaa plaza – the central square in Marrakech. As the sun got low in the sky, the square came alive, as the food stalls were set up for grilled meats, stews, sheep’s heads, boiled snails and all sorts of other interesting things. With all the smoke and flames from the grills, the square almost looked on fire every night. In the background, small bands would form in the plaza, playing flutes and drums and people were out everywhere, congregating around fortune tellers and street performers. It was a mesmerizing experience and was a microcosm of the amazing intensity of this country – the sights, sounds, and smells – all at a level that was both exhilarating and overwhelming. Kind of like Vegas without the kitsczh! It seemed at times our kids were in a state of sensory overload and it will be interesting to see what they recall from this trip when they look back.