Pamukkale and Cappadocia

My Turkey portion of this adventure is coming to a close. And I think it ended it on a pretty good note. Earlier in the week I made my way to Pamukkale to check out the hot springs and travertines on the "cotton mountain". And it was pretty cool. I wish the weather was a bit nicer on the day I went, but I still spent the entire day going in the different travertines, exploring Hierapolis (another ancient city) and just sitting reading my book. Just kind of a lazy day. If you count all the walking around of course. Some of the travertines were dried up which was too bad. I'm not sure why, so this is something I would have to look into. 

Pamukkale travertines.

I had another day in the small town, but there wasn't much else to do. So I just wandered around before my overnight bus to Goreme. Since it's so small, I kept seeing the same people over and over. They noticed me more than I noticed them of course. Oh and one thing that stood out were all the Asian tourists. It was unexpected to see so many people from China and elsewhere. Seems like a pretty popular destination. Before I headed out of town, I had an impromptu dinner with a girl from Colombia (who's currently living in Florence). We were both at this restaurant and were the only patrons, so decided to eat together. She was actually traveling with her sister, but they weren't getting along at the moment. And since I have 5 sisters, I could totally relate. I also took it as an opportunity to do some intel for the South America portion of my trip.

It was time to head to Cappadocia. Not surprising, I did not sleep well on that overnight bus. According to my fitbit, I didn't sleep at all. But I know I dozed off a few times. For some reason we made many stops at rest areas. And for long stretches of time. Not sure why. I had just wanted to get to the Goreme so I could brush my teeth.

Since I arrived early morning and my room wasn't ready yet, I went for a run. I made my way up the hill from my cave hotel and got some pretty amazing views. You could see for miles around and the landscape is pretty incredible. The town is built into these rock formations, hence the cave hotel. You have to look twice to realize that some of the rocks are actually dwellings. I'm glad I stayed in one of the cave hotels, but I am looking forward to more lit accommodations.

Goreme.

In the last couple of weeks I've been getting better at doing some research on where and what to eat. I try to stay away from the higher-priced tourist spots, but sometimes that's a challenge. Firin Express was recommended, and I had the most delicious bread. Their pide (flatbread) was also very good. A nice couple from NYC who were on their honeymoon sat down next to me, so of course we chatted throughout dinner. It was nice to talk a little about home.

I was going back and forth whether I was going to do a balloon ride in Cappadocia. I've seen pictures and it looked amazing. However, I'm on some sort of budget, and I've been on a balloon ride before (outside Amsterdam). After getting up early Thursday morning to watch the balloons, the decision I made to book was confirmed. What a sight it was. And I knew going up in a balloon would be even better. So Friday morning at 4:40am, I was ready for my pick-up. We went to their location to have some breakfast and then made our way to where the balloons were going to be inflated. I learned that about 150 balloons go up whenever the weather is permitting, which is most of the year. We stood by as the crew prepared the balloons. While I was waiting, I met a guy from India and got some more intel for my trip. I still have to do a bit more research, but I think I have a general idea of what I'm going to do for the Sri Lanka/India leg.

Anyway, back to the balloons. Since I'm solo, I found myself on a balloon with a tour group from Korea. I definitely expected to not being able to understand Turkish, but Korean? Forget about it. At least the tour leader was a Yankees fan. Or maybe he's just visited NYC once. We finally made our way up and away! And the views were even more amazing than from the ground. We spent an hour going through the different valleys in the region and made our way up to 900 meters! Normally they get up to 650, but it was pretty clear yesterday morning. I couldn't stop taking pictures (as evidence to my facebook album). And neither could the Koreans. I made friends with the 3 girls in my basket and we all got photos taken with each other. They actually started it as one girl wanted a photo with the American. Who says that you need to speak the same language to be friends? After landed in a horse pasture, we celebrated with the typical champagne toast. However it was the Turkish version of a mimosa and was mixed with cherry juice. No worries,I also got a taste of the champagne alone. 

Balloon ride over Cappadocia.

Besides the balloon ride and eating, I also hiked around a bunch and went to the 3 local wineries. According to my fitbit (yes that again), I hit over 40,000 steps on Thursday. That is a record for me. All that hiking makes one very thirsty. The first winery I visited was the Kocabag Winery in Uchisar. I did 3 tastes (a white, a rose, and a red), but it was a quick visit as the guy working didn't know much English. The wine was pretty good. Yesterday, I made my way to the 2 wineries in Urgup, Turasan Winery and Mahzen Sarap Evi. I got a tour at the first location and tried 4 different wines. I did have to pay for the tour, but at least the tastes were generous. I then made my way down the hill to the next location. Again, this was a somewhat quick experience. Here I tasted a white, a red, and a cherry aperitif. Once I was done though, I sat down in the garden and had a full glass of red with some cheese. Very enjoyable.

I spent my last night in Turkey attending a dinner at my hotel. The hosts cooked dinner for all the guests, which was very nice of them. I relaxed and enjoyed the company of the people who work there, and the other guests.

Overall, I've really enjoyed seeing Turkey. I do have a few parting thoughts as I wait for my flight to Tel Aviv.

• The country was the perfect start of my world trip. A little bit of European and a little bit Asian. Some city, some beach, and some amazing landscapes
• I decided that I really like Cherry juice and will be on the lookout for this back home (lemonade is too sweet here). This is one of their juices offered everywhere
• I'm still a little freaked out about all the cats roaming around the entire country. There are also a lot of dogs, but you don't see many cats out and about in the US. I did make friends with some of the dogs as I ran in different cities. 
• I don't think I've seen as many selfie sticks as I did in this country. However, stay tuned
• Every mosque has a loudspeaker to announce when it's time for prayer. I also believe they use it to communicate big news. They start as early as 5am and have them throughout the day
• Cappadocia was probably the highlight of Turkey and so glad I made it there

Overall, the Turks have been pretty nice and I've had a great time seeing their country. Not only did I see some really great things, but also enjoyed their food and drink. I hope to come back again someday.

Next stop: Israel

Running in Turkey

It's been a couple of weeks since I left NYC and of course I've been running almost every day. I mean, I am training for a marathon.  This is one part of the adventure. Run everywhere I go and prepare for the Chiang Mai Marathon on December 20th. Plus that is what I do. I run. And it's such a great way to explore. I get to see so many neighborhoods I wouldn't otherwise see. Especially on those 15 and 17-milers. 

And since this is my 10th marathon, I did want to make it pretty good. Since Thailand has been on my list of places to visit for such a long time, it seemed like a good choice. People have also been recommending the city as well, so that's even better. And it's the 10th anniversary of this race. Even more fitting. 

So how has running in Turkey been you may be wondering. Well besides the obvious challenge of finding routes, tracks, and people to run with, it's the same. The one good thing about running, is you can truly do it anywhere. 

So far I've run in every city I've visited in Turkey. And since I'm in my last city before I head to Israel, now is a good time to comment on my running experience. 

Istanbul

I got a few solid runs in and a 15-miler shortly after I arrived. Fortunately since it's a city, there were some recommendations on where to run. I got to see more of the city, outside of the touristy parts. However, even with the recommendations, there weren't that many people out there running. I think I saw a total of 15 people in the 3 runs I did. And only like 3 females. I also got the sense that I was getting a lot of looks from people. I tried not to focus on that as I don't want to call additional attention to myself. I'm not sure if it was me, or the traffic, but I felt like I also got a lot of honks. Again, I pretended that it wasn't for me, as I don't want to be cursing at them for being inappropriate. Plus since I can't understand Turkish, I have no idea what they are saying. Except with the occasional, "go go".

View of the Bosphorous Strait and downtown Istanbul.

Bodrum

Running in Bodrum was a bit more pleasant. Not as much attention. But I could have done with less hills. Since I'm training, I want to get in as many tempo and speed workouts as possible. Which will continue to be a challenge. When running isn't a part of the lifestyle, it's nearly impossible to find a running track nearby. And no easy place to do tempos. I was definitely spoiled with Central Park being in my back yard and having tracks at my disposal. You have to be a bit creative, like doing laps on a basketball court, when you want to get speedwork in. I do have to say my 17 miles around the Bodrum Peninsula was quite enjoyable, even with all the hills. I still got a lot of honks and didn't see another runner during the entire time, but the views were spectacular. 

One of the many bays of Bodrum.

Pamukkale

I only got one run in Pamukkale, but it was a good one. Again, no other runners (and when I told the owner of the hotel I was staying in what I was doing, he was confused), and more honks. But I did get to see more of the Turkish landscape. 

Cotton Castle.

Goreme

Goreme is my last stop before heading to Israel. I have a couple of more runs here, but the one from this morning was quite lovely. I took an overnight bus in and my room wasn't quite ready. So I figured, let's go explore. Hilly of course. Shockingly. But man the rock formations are amazing. And I got to run on some trails, which were quite nice. I would like to get some sort of tempo run in tomorrow, but maybe I'll do some sort of hill workout instead. Take advantage of what you have, right?

Cappadocia.

I'm glad I've been able to run in each place so far, and it's definitely interesting to see the reactions. This is only the first country I've visited so far, so I imagine each place will be a bit different. And if you are reading this and have any running recommendations for Israel or beyond, please share. 

Bodrum

I made it to Pamukkale. My next stop. I've spent all last week in Bodrum, which was been pretty nice. Well except for those thunderstorms the first day.  Bodrum is a coastal town in Southwest Turkey. It seemed like a pretty popular place to visit, so I figured why not. And really I'll take any excuse to get to the coast. So after a short flight from Istanbul, and a bus into Bodrum, my Airbnb host picked me. Which was really nice of her, especially as I was late due to a flight delay. And she she took me the long way home in order to give me a quick tour of the area. She took me to her home, gave me the lowdown and then headed out. She was actually going on holiday for a few days with her kids, so I had the house to myself. Which was a nice change of pace from the smallish apartment I was staying in Istanbul.

And it was even better when I spent the first day watching the rain pour down from her living room. Of course, I go to the beach and it rains. But not just rain, thunderstorms. So I decided to relax for the day. But once the power went out, I decided to catch the Dolmus (shared minibus) to town. Which may or may not have been a good idea. Water was just gushing down the hills of Bodrum, and the house I was in, wasn't the only place that lost power. It didn't seem like this was a regular occurrence. So just tried to go with the flow. Good thing I brought my rain jacket.

Dolmus going down a flooded street.

The following day was definitely better, so I went to explore the area. I walked around the various bays that make up Bodrum, including Gumbet and Bardakci, and of course the marina. So many hills. They make for great views and pretty pictures. And strong calf muscles. Inn my wanderings, I visited some of the older parts of the town, including the windmills and castle.

windmills.

Bodrum Castle.

On Thursday, I finally thought I had a beach day. However, the weather was still not cooperating. I decided to make my way to Yahsi Beach, which is in Ortakent Bay, regardless. Once I got there, I walked along the boardwalk and then planted myself at a cafe right on the water to have some Turkish tea. With cover from the rain of course. The sun eventually came out and I went to have some meze (cold appetizers) for lunch. I had some stuffed peppers and eggplant in yogurt, which may be one of my favorite dishes. I also tried the Raki, but I wasn't really a fan. The liquor was a bit too sweet for my liking. I think I'll stick with Efes beer from now on. After my food digested a bit, I took a dip in the Aegean Sea. The water was very nice. Not cold at all. Not like the Atlantic Ocean in the Northeast. Even though liked the warmth of the water, I wasn't a fan of all the rocks. I do like my sandy beaches. You do need to be careful when going in as to not slip and hurt yourself. They actually have ramps that go down into the water to avoid injuries. 

meze and raki.

The following day was the perfect day to be on the water and good thing I waited to take the boat trip I was thinking about. We departed from Bodrum marina in the morning. The weather ended up being fantastic as we explored all these coves on the coast. Again, the coast is very rocky, but it was much prettier away from all the touristy bays. We would anchor in a cove and just swim for a while.The water was so clear and beautiful. Every chance I had, I was in the water swimming around. And I actually got somewhat of a tan. My runner's tan is still prominent, but hey, progress.

all the boats enjoying the coves.

My last full day in Bodrum was spent taking a day trip to Efes (Ephesus). It was quite a journey, but definitely easier than I expected. I took a nice coach bus to Soke. From there I took a dolmus to Kusadasi, and then another one to Selcuk. I feel like a pro at the dolmus now. Especially as the first driver, just stopped in the street, flagged down the 2nd driver to let me on. I figured out very quickly what was happening and I ran across traffic to hop into the other dolmus. And I was on my way. 

After a short walk (1 kilometer), I found myself at the lower gate entrance. The day was another beautiful beach day, however, I tried to stay cool as I wandered around the ancient Roman town. It was very cool walking around imagining what it was like back in the day. A day a very long time ago. There were some pretty cool spots, like the different stadiums (which I had to climbb to the top of course) and the Library of Celcus.  

Efes.

My last day in Bodrum was spent running 17 miles around the peninsula and eating. Oh and packing up my bag. Which I think I'm getting quicker at, but probably not. 

After spending way too long on a bus, I made it to Pamukkale last night. Even though I'm not a fan of buses (who is?), I can appreciate the Turkish making it as comfortable as possible. It's almost like you are on a plane.They come by with beverages and snacks. Which I did need when the ride turned into 5+ hours. 

Now to go check out Pamukkale. 

Istanbul

I'm on Day 5 of my adventure. I'm counting the first day as it was the day I left. But it was only a travel day. I guess I had some champagne at JFK, which could be seen as exciting. I mean for me it was. Bubbly to kick start off the trip for $14? Yes please. After a quick layover in Russia, I eventually made it to my first destination on Day 2. 

In the last 72+ hours I've been able to cover a lot of Istanbul. I can't help feeling like a tourist. Well I guess I am. But there seems to be a lot of them, so I don't stand out. Too much. And going from NYC to another city actually bodes well for me as that is where I fit in most. Hustlers can't get anything on me. It's a nice transition to a new country, and I can acclimate myself a bit before heading to more remote areas. 

So what have I done so far you may be wondering. I explored the neighborhood I'm staying in (Beyoglu) and went up the Galata Tower my first day (all after taking a much needed shower of course). The tower had some pretty good views of the city, which I caught right at sunset.

View from Galata Tower, looking at Suleymaniye Mosque.

On Day 3, I wandered around the other side of the city and visited both the Suleymaniye and Sultan Ahmed Camii (Mosque). Both were pretty cool and a little bit different. Of course it's quite warm here (still summer-like and not too different from NYC except way less humidity), and I was wearing shorts. I did have a scarf with me to cover my head and shoulders, but they provided a skirt for me to wear. A long skirt did not make the cut when I packed. Actually I guess I have to own one first before it could make any sort of cut. 

Outside Suleymaniye Mosque.

Inside the Sultan Ahmed Mosque.

Yesterday was a bit of a lazier day. I guess after a 15-miler, I deserved it. I took a nap. Longer than I anticipated. Then decided it was a bit too late to do anything else but get some beer. So that is what I did. I found myself at a nearby "urban garden" bar. One of the things I love about this city, are all the hidden side streets. You can turn down any one of them and find a restaurant or bar. So that's what I did. I'm on a mission to try all the different Efes beers that Turkey has to offer. I've tried 3 of them so far: the pilsner, the dark one, and the malt one. I like the dark one the best as of now. I then decided to do a Turkish bath. But I'm going to come back to you on that one. I'd like to do one more before leaving Turkey and will provide a review then. 

Today was more of a touristy day. After my very humid run (did I mention it's not humid here?), I made my way to Gulhane Park. This was a suprise find. I didn't realize it was there and went through the gates and was pleasantly surprised to find all this greenery. As much as I love the side streets, I wish there was more green space here. I didn't realized I missed it until I came across this park. I know I spent most of my time walking around the urban jungle known as NYC, but I did get my almost daily dose of Central Park. Which does make a difference. 

Gulhane Park.

After that I checked out the Basilica Cistern and the Hagia Sophia. Both pretty cool spots if you get a chance to get to Istanbul. 

Basilica Cistern.

Hagia Sophia.

That's it for now. I'm going to pay my bill at this lovely outdoor bar and head to bed.