TravelStream™ news feed for member smyth on TravelPod's free travel blogs service http://www.travelpod.com/syndication/rss/smyth en-us Copyright ©2009 TravelPod.com Wed, 08 Jul 2009 13:03:26 -0400 http://www.travelpod.com http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/smyth/4/1247072465/tpod.html http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/smyth/4/1247072465/tpod.html#comments Travel Blogs http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/smyth/4/1247072465/tpod.html Wed, 08 Jul 2009 13:03:26 -0400 The Trail is the Thing 2010: Southern India, Morocco, Portugal and Spain

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Toronto, Ontario, Canada

We have begun planning our next big adventure! So once again, the innoculations will begin and the guide books will become dog-eared.  We think we will head to Southern India in February and then go to Morocco, Portugal and Spain after that.Please join us!
]]> http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/smyth/t_cubed_2008/1209651960/tpod.html http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/smyth/t_cubed_2008/1209651960/tpod.html#comments Travel Blogs http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/smyth/t_cubed_2008/1209651960/tpod.html Tue, 06 May 2008 10:30:03 -0400 The Trail is the thing! Trinidad, Tobago & Turkey 2008

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Niagara Falls, Ontario, Canada

As much as we loved our travels, especially Turkey...we are thrilled to be home.  The Easy Jet flight from Istanbul to Luton was interesting..and not in a good way.  We were surrounded by drunk Aussies and Kiwis returning from ANZAC day...nothing more required.And then when we left London, Gatwick was a zoo and we had many delays.  By the time we got back to our beloved farm, it had been 18 hours since we left Tony and Helen's in North London...so boy, were we happy to be home!Now we begin to plan our next big adventure...where to next?  Any and all suggestions are welcome!
]]> http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/smyth/t_cubed_2008/1209217260/tpod.html http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/smyth/t_cubed_2008/1209217260/tpod.html#comments Travel Blogs http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/smyth/t_cubed_2008/1209217260/tpod.html Tue, 06 May 2008 10:26:19 -0400 The Trail is the thing! Trinidad, Tobago & Turkey 2008

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Istanbul, Turkey

Today we head back to London for the last leg of "The Trail is the Thing...T cubed...Trinidad, Tobago, Turkey).We have just Sunday to spend at Spitalfield's, all the other markets, and enjoying a last pint at The cheese before we fly home.  And as much as we have loved every minute of it...we are looking forward to getting home!
]]> http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/smyth/t_cubed_2008/1209156960/tpod.html http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/smyth/t_cubed_2008/1209156960/tpod.html#comments Travel Blogs http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/smyth/t_cubed_2008/1209156960/tpod.html Tue, 29 Apr 2008 05:50:05 -0400 The Trail is the thing! Trinidad, Tobago & Turkey 2008

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Istanbul, Turkey

We are ending our time in Turkey back in Istanbul, haggling in the Bazaars for a few things to bring home.  Simple things such as a few objects with the hazar and some kebap spice.  What fun!Our five final thoughts on Turkey would have to be summed up as follows:1. Without a doubt our first thought is Turkish hospitality!  Everyone has been incredibly friendly and helpful.2.  Food! We knew it would be great but it is beyond great!  Our mouths will water for cheesy butter on hot flat bread and doner kebaps for years to come. All the food has been stellar!3.  Ground transportation:  Getting around was quite straight forward. Busses and trains were comfortable and efficient and even had black and white tie service...what a nice change from our last few trips in Tobago, Central America and SE Asia where hours on local chicken busses left us sore for weeks!4.  Everyone told us to beware of the relentless touts and the scams and the carpet salesmen, but we found that a few jokes and a firm "hayir, tesekkur ederiz" worked well.  5.  Again, turkish hospitality...the Turks may well rank up there with some of the friendliest and most helpful people we have been hosted by world-wide.Turkey has been a very rich and rewarding travel experience for us.  We experienced amazing acts of kindness right across the country.  The families in the small guesthouses in which we stayed were awesome.  And of course we would be remiss if we did not mention the couch surfing community and our hosts there...in England and in Turkey.  Turkey has such an outstanding array of sites and kind people that we found one month was simply not enough!
]]> http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/smyth/t_cubed_2008/1208724120/tpod.html http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/smyth/t_cubed_2008/1208724120/tpod.html#comments Travel Blogs http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/smyth/t_cubed_2008/1208724120/tpod.html Tue, 22 Apr 2008 00:32:57 -0400 The Trail is the thing! Trinidad, Tobago & Turkey 2008

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Goreme, Turkey

Some places are just magical and this is one of them.  The village of Goreme is set amid towering fairy chimneys and cliffs, with the stunning backdrops of the hills and valleys surrounding it.  It is difficult to articulate the way this place actually looks. So far it seems to be a very friendly and close-knit village eventhough tourism has obviously grown.It is said that it's one of the best places in the world for a hot air balloon ride.  We have to say that we did a sunrise ride with our good friends Connie and Terry a few years ago (we gave it to them as a wedding gift and we got to go along!) and it was great so we did not bother to do it again here...but we have heard people say it was the highlight of their trip.  We loved our ride in Ontario so we can imagine how great the scenery would be here!Some people say that for fascination and mystery you just ca'nt beat these cave cities of Cappadocia.  They have identified 36 different underground cities in this area and most have been dated back 4000 years and some say they were occupied as early as the 7th century BC.  When invaded, the people took to their troglodyte dwellings where they could love safely for months at a time.We had the best hike of our lives yesterday when we hiked from Goreme to Çavuºin through the Rose Valley...just exceptional.  And we went last night to a restored caravanserai from 1249 to see the whirling dervishes and it was spectacular!  There is so much more to tell about Cappadocia but words and even photos do not do it justice!  We will do our best with photos for when we get home.  Add to all of this that we stayed in a fantastic hotel (it felt like a vaction from travelling...) and we were made to feel like members of the family...who could ask for anything more?
]]> http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/smyth/t_cubed_2008/1208094180/tpod.html http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/smyth/t_cubed_2008/1208094180/tpod.html#comments Travel Blogs http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/smyth/t_cubed_2008/1208094180/tpod.html Tue, 22 Apr 2008 00:30:19 -0400 The Trail is the thing! Trinidad, Tobago & Turkey 2008

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Kas, Turkey

We are loving Kaº...a bit more our speed than Bodrum and Kalkan.  We have a great place to stay and we are exploring the local beaches.  This is where we have to point out that these are not beaches like we know and love.  What they call a beach here may be just a small expanse of rock and most spots are very pebbly at best.  We have learned that this is why when you hear of a beach such as Patara it is a big deal...because there they have about 20 kms of actual sand!  Boy...will we ever appreciate the beaches at home that much more.Having said that...we are still enjoying exploring the Mediterranean coast and love Kaº as a base for doing so.
]]> http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/smyth/t_cubed_2008/1207661940/tpod.html http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/smyth/t_cubed_2008/1207661940/tpod.html#comments Travel Blogs http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/smyth/t_cubed_2008/1207661940/tpod.html Tue, 22 Apr 2008 00:25:38 -0400 The Trail is the thing! Trinidad, Tobago & Turkey 2008

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Pamukkale, Turkey

Pamukkale is our base for exploring the travertines and the ruins of Hierapolis... and boy did we ever luck out.  After an awful day at Efes we could not have asked for a nicer day in Pamukkale!  The sun was shining all day and the temperature has been just great after lots of cold and rain...The travertines may well not be what they used to be but they are still a wonderful site...they look like cotton castles in the sky and actually reminded us of the Columbia ice fields.  And if you are disappointed with the state of the travertines...then Hierapolis makes up for it.  Ýn some ways we enjoyed it even more than Efes.  One great thing is that we have been avoiding the crowds...everyone said we would never get any pics without hordes of people at either place..but you will see that we were able to be the get photos looking like we are the only ones there!  For Efes in the wind and rain and for Hierapolis even in the sunshine.  We are at a nice guest house with a great family so we may even stay another day...otherwise we will head to Bodrum tomorrow.
]]> http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/smyth/t_cubed_2008/1207056960/tpod.html http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/smyth/t_cubed_2008/1207056960/tpod.html#comments Travel Blogs http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/smyth/t_cubed_2008/1207056960/tpod.html Tue, 22 Apr 2008 00:15:17 -0400 The Trail is the thing! Trinidad, Tobago & Turkey 2008

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Bursa, Turkey

We are in Bursa, a sprawling metropolis set against the backdrop of  Uludag (the Great Mountain).Bursa is well known for steel production and cars and the silk trade.  We visited the Koza Han which is the silk market that has been there since the times of the silk road...very interesting to see the cocoons and the various stages of silk production.It is quite conservative and religious so you see most of the women in head scarves and many people observing the call to prayer.  We visited both the major mosques (Ulu Camii and Yeþil Camýý) and it is very interesting to see the history.  We went to a madrasa as well and even to a lodge of the whirling dervishes (Mevlana)...more on that later shen we catually go to a sema!We are now headed to Çanakkale to learn more about Troy...there are apparently actually nine Troys and no one seems to know which is the real city or if there is even any truth to the legend.  We will see...
]]> http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/smyth/t_cubed_2008/1206580140/tpod.html http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/smyth/t_cubed_2008/1206580140/tpod.html#comments Travel Blogs http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/smyth/t_cubed_2008/1206580140/tpod.html Tue, 22 Apr 2008 00:11:44 -0400 The Trail is the thing! Trinidad, Tobago & Turkey 2008

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London, United Kingdom

London has so many great places to see, it's hard to know what to do...so as Paul always says, when in doubt, have a beer!  And this is the place to do it...more later on some of our best pub finds...The city is truly one of the best in the world for walking and we have spent the past couple of days doing just that.  Of course, we have hit all the requisite spots:  Buckingham Palace, Tower of London, Trafalgar Square, Houses of Parliament, Big Ben, the British Museum,  (sadly, we'll have to leave the Natural History Museum and the V & A for next time) The Tate Modern, and assorted pubs along the way.  As many of you know, treasures at the British Museum include the Rosetta Stone, the Easter Island Statue, and the earliest known image of Christ. There are also a lot of Ancient Greek and Egyptian treasures including the Elgin Marbles. Should they be given back? We'll let you decide... One of the great things about London is not only is it easy to do some great walking tours, but you have the busses and the tube as well.  At Liverpool Street we hopped on the Number 11 bus and it took us through the city, past the Bank of England, St. Paul's, Fleet Street, The Strand, Trafalgar Square, Whitehall, past 10 Downing Street and the Horseguards, Westminster, past Parliament and the Abbey, then through Victoria, including Westminster Cathedral, close to the Palace, through Pimlico to the Chelsea Hospital, Sloane Square, King's Road through World's End and finished up on Fulham Broadway.  Whew!  Did you get all that?  And all on a bus pass.Then we just did a quick connect via the Number 28 bus to Olympia where we caught the 9 back into town.  This way we followed Kensington High Street, past Kensington Palace and Gardens, Hyde Park, Knightsbridge, up Piccadilly through Picadilly Circus, to the Strand.  We could have then taken the 15 down to the Tower of London but by then we needed a beer!  More to tell later about Ye Olde Cheshire Cheese!!!!When we return from Turkey at the end of April we will look forward to hitting Spitalfield's and do some of the things we missed doing this time.
]]> http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/smyth/t_cubed_2008/1208895600/tpod.html http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/smyth/t_cubed_2008/1208895600/tpod.html#comments Travel Blogs http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/smyth/t_cubed_2008/1208895600/tpod.html Tue, 22 Apr 2008 00:08:08 -0400 The Trail is the thing! Trinidad, Tobago & Turkey 2008

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Ankara, Turkey

Ankara, Turkey's capital is a real international city with a modern air of sophistication.  The streets are wide open and brimming with cafes.  It was here where Ataturk (considered to be the Father of modern Turkey) set up his base of operations back in the 1920's and after the war of independence he declared Ankara the new capital.  The Turks have a huge devotion to Ataturk believing that the Turkish state is a result of his energy and vision: that without him there would be no Turkey! And this devotion is evident everywhere in the entire country...his image is on stamps and bank notes, there are many, many statues, and his name is everywhere.  Kids can recite facts about his life and achievements and it is even illegal to say anything about him that might be construed as insulting.Of course here in Ankara, he is anywhere and everywhere.  The main street is named Ataturk Bulvari, there is a large statue of him in the main square, and his monumental mausoleum is here too.  It gives you a good idea of how much the people adored him.  As you approach the tomb there are two towers with information about the building of the tomb and photos of his funeral.  Then there is a massive courtyard, framed by colonnaded walkways and within this are the museum rooms that display Ataturk memorabilia, personal effects, and official automobiles.  Then you get to an enormous marble cenotaph, cut from a single piece of stone and weighing 40 tons.  I guess the actual tomb is in a chamber beneath it.Then there is the requisite gift shop which has Ataturk posters, plates, ties and height charts?  Just what you always wanted to bring home from your trip to Turkey...But Ankara is also home to the Museum of Anatolian Civilization which is the perfect place to try to sort out the complex weave of Turkey's ancient past...it has artefacts from just about every archaeological site in Anatolia.  We will spend today at the Museum and report back later!
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