July 18th
Trip Start
Jul 09, 2008
1
11
13
Trip End
Jul 21, 2008
Istanbul,
Turkey
Tuesday, July 22, 2008
We left the hotel and drove to the underground city, passing women who were leading donkeys laden with items on stone streets, through fertile valleys, past people carrying loads on their heads wearing long pants and long sleeve shirts, by 2 children riding their bikes carrying plastic bags filled with loaves of bread, by low flat mountains into a small town where men were seated at tables drinking tea. Everyone in the village stared at us.
We descended into the underground city. It was built down 8 levels and had a six mile tunnel connecting it to the next city. It had an air ventilation shaft also used to raise and lower items from the city.
In the 7th and 8th Centuries AD Christians greatly expanded these cities to use them as defense against their enemies. The rock was soft and easy to carve away. But as it oxidized it became harder.
The top levels were where the animals were kept, along with storing food and supplies. They also carved out large wheels which could be rolled into place to block entrance to the different levels, blocking access. There were tunnels that required us to bend over to navigate as we walked through. It was an amazing structure.
After touring the underground city we headed to the Nevsesehir airport and flew to Istanbul.
We arrived at the airport and boarded our new van for the remainder of the trip- The Ghost Rider. Shag carpeting, neon lighting, Playboy Bunny logo on the Air vent, a solid sound system and a TV on the passenger side visor. We drove to the Golden Hill hotel and checked in. The one disappointment with the hotel was that none of us could ever access the wireless Internet network at the hotel.
We then boarded a boat and took an extended tour of the Bosphorus Sea (The Golden Horn) which was both breathtaking and relaxing.
We finished the day going to a local family's home for dinner.
The Kepek family were told we would be coming for dinner at 2:30 p.m. that afternoon. The wife summoned her mother and sister and they prepared a 3 course meal plus dessert from scratch. We had lentil soup, followed by a stew like dish with very tasty large peas. The usual salad of tomatoes, cucumbers, olive oil, and herbs was followed by an entree that included rice, stuffed peppers, lamb and potatoes. There was also a sesame seed cracker to accompany the bread. For dessert we were served baklava.
The husband was an attorney. The wife had her BS in Economics and had worked in a firm doing retirement planning until their very energetic 2 year old son had been born.
The neighborhood was composed of high rise condo like apartments along a narrow stone street. The street was filled, even when we left, with children playing who greeted us in English as we got off and on the bus.
Our after dinner conversation centered on family values. The husband had wondered about them and the movie he remembered the most was "American Beauty".
After exchanging gifts, (I got a tie), we bid good night to our gracious hosts and returned to the hotel having walked only 1.3 miles that day.
I had awoke this morning with diarrhea. I immediately took medicine and continued to through the day. I had two waves of nausea and cold sweats. While tired by the time we returned to the hotel, I had not missed anything and was starting to feel better.
