Ipek Pasha Hotel Sanliurfa

... 10 minutes of heavy, stomach-hurting laughing a garbage bag was placed on the seat to form a swimming platform on which a blanket was put to soak up the water of Manuel`s wet pants and provide some kind of comfort without alerting the bus personal of the accident. Naturally, the remaining time in the seat wasn`t too pleasant for our clumsy fellow.

In fact we didn`t actually arrive to Sanliurfa until 1pm although the bus ...

... Cappadocia's tourist hub.

Arrive on an overnight bus at dawn. Weave down into the valley through fairy chimneys and homes hacked and hewed into fantasy mountainsides, and be distracted by different coloured blobs scattered across the sky.

A squadron of hot air balloons floats gently overhead, the serenity of the soft, slow morning sun only interrupted by the rude roaring bursts of hydrogen thrusting through the burners as the pilots attempt to maintain ...

... Behind this carpark I saw a few buses but that area was blocked by some trees. So I wasnt sure if it was the otogar but I knew I was already in Urfa. So just in case I stepped out with the people who were getting off. Once I was outside the steward actually signalled me to get back inside. I was then thinking maybe the carpark I saw was not the otogar but just a minibus station, and that the bus will stop next at the real otogar. It would be preferable for me to go ...

We have enjoyed a day ın thıs beautiful city where Hıob and Abraham have been living long time ago. This ıs a melting pot of Arabs, Turks, Kurds, etc. all living in this place that has been the home of 3 world religions (abraham is being recognized as the ...

... by the Assyrıan kıng Nımrod. Abraham was on a funeral pyre when God turned the fıre ınto water and the coals ınto fısh... after Abraham was thrown from the Kale down to Urfa, a bed of roses sprang up for safe landıng. Hence the Gölbaşı features a large rectangular pool fılled to the brım wıth carp, set agaınst a golden stone arcaded wall, and an ınsanely gorgeous rose garden dırectly to the west. Absolutely stunnıng and definitely the most ımpressıve ...

... everywhere. For a while I felt like I was walking down ST Catherine street in Montreal which was a welcoming feeling. The first major item that came to mind was to get something to eat. I ended up finding a sandwich shop and bought a doner. They gave me the sandwich to go which was a problem as I still couldn't eat in public because it was Ramadan. In this part of Turkey the people seemed to be very conservative so I knew I couldn't just eat out on the streets. The best I ...

... mainly because I was in Iran and alcohol is illegal there. I will definitely find a beer tonight. When I got to the Old Town, I ran into Miles and Fran. It was a nice surprise. The were in Mardin for the day. We chatted for a bit and then I walked around the Old Town for a few hours. The highlight was the bazaar. I really enjoyed it / especially seeing the Kurds in their traditional clothes. I really find their clothes interesting / especially those of the Kurdish men. They were ...

... our very fırst Turkısh bath - before stoppıng off ın Selçuk for three nıghts. There we stayed wıth the wonderfully quırky Selamı, whose hospıtalıty extended far enough that we were able to pıtch our tent ın hıs garden for the entırety of our stay. Efes, or Ephesus, was the reason behınd our slıghtly scenıc route. Wıll and I thoroughly enjoyed explorıng the ancıent ...

... he smiled very big-repeating---America. I paid for the water and then gave him a Celebrity Attractions pen. He smiled very big and handed me some candy coated nuts-which were wonderful. I went back to the hotel and another of our group ended up going to the same shop for water. Apparently the shopkeeper said Armenian again-to which he replied American and the shopkeeper showed him my pen. When I heard this I went back and took an Oklahoma state ...