Turkey

Istanbul: Showing up in Istanbul was fantastic, I was coming in off nearly a year in asia and i was ready for somthing different. getting off the airplane an landing in a western country was not culture shock but a shock none the less it was a change i was ready to make. Heading to the subway i hoped on two connecting trains and was in Sultan Hamet with in an hour and wondered up to Old City Hostel where i stayed for the next week. Istanbul was a great city filled with both ancient and modern sights. Bazaars and Markets were fantastic and the food and restaurants endless. I spent a small part of every day wandering through the Spice Bazaar talking to vendors and learning a little more about local flavors. Eating in Istanbul turned out to be more expensive than expected, although it is easy to get through a day on a budget, when surrounded by new flavors i found it nearly irrisistable and was putting down about 4 to 5 meals aday.

Pamukkale: is a small town about 8 hours south of Istanbul with two major attraction situated right on top of each other. the roman runes and the calcium hot springs. I met up with a group of Italians who were traveling together and tagged along, hiking up the calcium deposits and lounging in the warm water was a great way to spend the morning, exploring some of the runes was also a fantastic afternoon. the town was small and it could have been turned into a day trip but lounging around and being in the country side is not a bad thing, so i enjoyed my day in Pamukkale.

Ephesus: is a very large roman ruines, it is quite impressive, but nothing that got me overly excited, i stayed in the costal town close by instead of staying close to ephesus, it was a better spot for a friend who was leaving the next day for greese (via boat), Selcuk is the closer location.

Fethiye: is a port town and a pretty nice place to lay low and relax, coffee shops, restaurants, and waterfront property all come together to make a nice city. an easy place to make day trips if heading by boat to the blue lagoon, butterfly valley or any other near by water front attractions. It is also a place to organize a 3 night 4 day boat tour to olympus which i did via the V-GO company.

On the Boat: The boat stopped in the blue lagoon, butterfly valley, kas, sunken city, st. nicks island, along with a couple other locations. it was a beautiful way to spend 4 dys, relaxing, drinking, listening to music and enjoying the mediterannean, it was a nice part of my trip.

Olympus: A very Chill city with a ton of low key hostels, i stayed at Bayrams and it was a great place for a great dorm room and a fantastic breakfast and dinner included in the room cost. being close to the beach and the ruins was also a huge plus. i wondered around the ruins for 1.5 days and did my fair share of sitting on the beach. Climbing to the top of Mt. Olympus to see the ever burning flames was unique but nothing overly special, just a fire burning out of gas vents, the flames were relatively small and constant but a nice thing to see at night, unfortunately many people feel the same and it can get a bit crowded up there (30min. hike to the flames from the bottom).

Capadoccia: my favorite part of turkey, my first day i hiked the red and rose valley, the second day i did pigeon and love valley, the third and fourth day i spent on a scooter riding around from sun up to sun down. the town of Goreme and the surrounding towns and areas were simply magic. I was in awe with the landscape and beauty of this part of turkey. I fell in love with capadoccia and could have spent more time here with out a doubt.

Nemrut Dagi: was a 6 hour bus ride that left me and a friend spending the night on a bus station floor, a 7am bus to town, 9am tourist information opened and by noon we were on our way up the mountain to see the remains of the 36BC ruins. the sight was stunning and the history behind the sight was interesting to see and hear about. the trip to and from the location will be almost as memorable as the stunning sunrise that i witnessed on top of the hill. it was along way to go for a small national icon. i enjoyed it though.