April 15, 2008

"Merhaba Turkey!"

Being in Turkey was a special experience for several reasons...

It was our last full port.
It was my last little TSS adventure with Amanda.
And it evoked a strong feeling of pride and connection with my (as Dad would say) Persian roots, given its geographic proximity to Iran and some cultural similarities.

The highlights…

Day 1:
*Took a little walking tour around the city. It feels very liberating to just lose myself in a new city. And Istanbul is just amazing, with reflections of both Europe and Asia uniquely integrated together. I spent most of my time walking around the the European side of "Old Istanbul".

*Was mesmerized by the beauty and history of the monuments:

1. Yen Mosque: Built between 1597 and 1663. Located in Eminonu. "An elegant fountain for ritual ablutions stands in the large courtyard and the sultan's section is decorated with marvelous Iznik tiles." Flooded by pigeons, which I thought added a very European city-like touch. The Yen Mosque was also right next to the Spice Bazaar, also referred to as the "Egyptian Bazaar," where the air is "filled with the enticing aromas of cinnamon, caraway, saffron, mint, thyme, and every other conceivable herb and spice." They also sell lots of little snacky treats made with nuts, dried fruit, honey, and marshmallow. A perfect place to try the infamous "Turkish Delights."

2. Sultanahmet Imperial Mosque (Blue Mosque): The elegant, imperial, six-minaret mosque of Sultanahmet I. Built between 1609 and 1616. It's known as the Blue Mosque because of its "magnificent interior decoration of blue Iznik tiles." The blue lights are particularly magnificent at night.

3. Ayasofya Museum (Saint Sophia): Ancient basilica built by Constantine the Great in the 4th century and reconstructed by Justinian in the 6th century. Its immense dome rises 55 meters above ground and is 31 meters in diameter. The decoration includes Byzantine mosaics. Located right across from the Blue Mosque. It was incredible to stand in between these two architectural wonders.

*On this first day, I also noticed a nice healthy proportion of beautiful Turkish men! As my friend Brandon would say, a "talented" crowd.

Day 2:
*Took a ferry ride with Sarah, her friend Joy (who was visiting from California and actually sailed with my friend Danelle on SAS!), Amanda, and Christy down the Bosphorus strait, zigzagging across the European and Asian shores. We had great views of Dolmabahce Palace, Beylerbeyi Palace, and Rumeli Fortress. We stopped for lunch in one of the little villages on the Asian side and hiked up to see a spectacular view of the Black Sea, where we enjoyed a nice lunch before re-boarding the ferry.

*After the ferry excursion, we stopped to buy a sampler of nut and honey baklava-like sweets (so many variations of walnut, pistachios, etc.) and ate them in a little plaza by the Yen Mosque and Spice Bazaar.

*Amanda and I parted from the group and began our last little TSS adventure. True to tradition, we had no transportation booked; just knew that we wanted to head towards central Turkey to Konya and Cappadocia.

*Met many friendly people along the way. Many of the stores and restaurants have people standing outside to recruit customers. The hook is "Hi, where are you from?" We got all kinds of guesses, especially Amanda. I got Spanish a lot. But the quote of the week: "Don't break my plastic heart." Part of the Turkish hospitality is also to invite people in for tea--Everywhere you go: restaurants, cafes, carpet stores, hotels, etc. I drank more tea in one week than I have in my entire life. Good tea. And there were options: Turkish Tea and Apple Tea.

*Stopped at train station--Spent about 30 minutes talking to the guy working at the Tourist information office. Actually, we mainly just listened to his philosophies on life and helped proofread a schedule he had written in English for his two kids (of whom we saw pictures). Eventually found out that the next train to Konya was not until after 11:00 pm and that it was about 14 hours. Time to check flights.

*Booked an 11:00 pm flight to Konya (1-hour flight versus 14-hour train/bus ride)--Easy decision.

*Spent some time trying to book hotels, with which we were unsuccessful.

*Had dinner at a little restaurant recommended by Cuma, a man from one of the carpet stores. Were personally escorted by the guy from the restaurant to the tram (hospitality I tell you!), which we took to the metro station and then to the airport.

*Arrived in Konya; Took a very expensive cab ride into the town center, with a taxi driver that spoke no English. And Amanda's and my Turkish is a little rusty (or non-existent), so it was an amusing experience trying to look for a hotel. Bless his heart, though, because the driver literally walked us in the hotel to ask for a room, and when he found out the hotel was booked, he found us another one at Otel (As in "hotel" without the "h") Mevlana. It was midnight by now, so this was very much appreciated. The funniest part of the cab ride was that the cab driver was doing what many of us do when communicating with someone who doesn't understand your language--He would just repeat what he said but louder.

*Checked into Otel Mevlana, which was very fitting, given that we had come to Konya to visit the Mevlana Museum. Chatted with Mustafeh, the sweet Hotel Manager, and then headed off to bed in our red satin-decorated room.

Day 3:
*Awoke at 5:30 am by a that voice that rung throughout the town--It was a call to worship ("ezan") from one of the mosques. This happens 5 times a day, and is so embedded in the culture and religious practice of Muslims that when we asked later what it was, people didn't know to what we were referring. The call is the melodic voice of a religious leader from one of the mosques, whose voice is transmitted through mosques all around a particular region. I don't know quite how to describe the singing, but I'll never forget it--rich, ancient, hypnotic, comforting, beautiful.

*Visited the Mevlana Museum, where Mevlana Jelaleddin Rumi was buried. Rumi is a Persian poet who is widely recognized for his Sufi poetry, which conveys messages of divine love and unity. The profundity, spiritual depth, and lyrical beauty of his work in indescribable. And the layers captured in each line of rhyming couplets leaves an emotional imprint even before conscious interpretation. Visiting Konya and this museum in particular was special to me because my parents have been studying Rumi's work for over a year now and have been so moved and inspired by it. I also feel drawn to the Sufi philosophy and want to learn more, as I explore my own spiritual path. My parents had sent me an English translation of Rumi's work called Masnavi. On the airplane ride, Amanda and I read through the Introduction and the first piece called "The Song of the Reed." One of the most significant moments for me was when Amanda and I walked into the museum, past the front foyer, and into the room where Rumi and his family members' tombs were, at which we both instantly and simultaneously felt this sensation, this spiritual energy, run through our bodies. We walked up to Rumi's tomb and stood in silence for a few moments, enamored by the magnetism in the air, when this woman walked up beside us, emotion brimming in her eyes, and speaking in Turkish, which we interpreted to be something like "Can you believe we are actually here?" It was like an enchanting dream.

*One of the messages I distinctly remember by Rumi, which was displayed at the museum and written in the museum publications: "Either seem as you are; Or be as you seem." Upon first reading it, we had to stop for a moment and let the words sink in. We smiled to ourselves as the profundity of the message before concluding with some comic relief, "If Rumi were a rapper..."

*Side note: I think you have to be an attractive Turkish man to work at the Mevlana museum. Seriously.

*After leaving the museum, met this older retired Turkish man on the street, who wanted to show us around the town and practice his English. Bless his heart; He even went with us to lunch, where he just sat, smoking his cigarette, and offering up any information he could provide us about Turkey, it's history, politics, etc. After lunch (which was delicious, by the way), he took us on a little tour of a museum (filled with bones, rocks, clothing, etc. Just a little random but cool.) and then the Alaaddin Mosque, the oldest historical building in Konya of the Seljuk period.

*Ate some delicious Turkish sweets and hot tea at a little pastry shop --On the house!

*Invited to the tea "central station" by a man that looked like he stepped out of the show "Dynasty" from the 80's. I'm not kidding--the hair, the sweater vest; He had it all! This was the place where people called in for their tea orders. There was a group of men inside, with whom we chatted about football (soccer) and a few other random things given our limited Turkish vocabulary and their limited English vocabulary. Hilarious.

*Went to a hookah cafe, where I officially smoked my first nargile (i.e., hookah)--apple flavored. Smoking is not my thing, but it was fun to just try it. And it's flavorful--not like the nicotine flavor in cigarettes.

*Goal was to have 10 cups of tea today. Mission accomplished.

Day 4:
*Hopped on bus to Cappadocia. Dropped off in Nevsehir, without a plan really.

*Guys from bus station's tourist office put us on a shuttle to Goreme. An amazing place. The landscape looks like a movie set--the result of volcanic explosions and years of erosion. The shuttle dropped us off right in front of Gumus Cave Hotel, where the rooms are actual caves! It was great. Caves have definitely been one of the themes for Amanda and me during these last 7 months.

*Enjoyed a late Turkish lunch of Testi Kabob (vegetables baked in a pot, which is cracked open right in front of you) at Cafe Turca.

*Had a wonderful Turkish bath--sauna, scrub down, and relaxation.

*Walked around the little town. Had a very meaningful and thought-provoking spiritual discussion about Rumi's work with a store owner named Sayed.

Day 5:
*Hiked through Pigeon Valley--Again, the rock formations were incredible. Every few steps was a new picture.

*Hiked to Uchisar, where we visited a "typical Turkish house". The family had lived there for years and had now turned their home into a bed and breakfast and allowed tourists to walk through to see the cave rooms. The owner Ishtar and his son Adnan gave us a tour. And two cups of tea, of course.

*Saw what are referred to as "pigeon houses"--tall cone-like cave-like formations. People used to live in them hundreds of years ago. Apparently the name was derived from a time when pigeons would do their thing on the window sills, and the waste was collected as fertilizer.

*Side note: Words are not doing these places justice right now--I will just have to show pictures.

*Had lunch overlooking the amazing valley of rock formations. Met a girl named Malak from Canada who joined us.

*Hiked back to Goreme.

*Booked a flight back to Istanbul through Nomad Travel with Hassan.

*Ate dinner at a traditional home-cooked restaurant called Dibek. A "dibek" is a traditional container used for mixing meat, tomatoes, and herbs and spices. We sat around a low table on these big floor cushions and enjoyed some homemade wine, delicious soup, and this dish that looks a little like a quesadilla with feta cheese and thin bread. It starts with a "g", but the name escapes me right now. The restaurant itself was a 475-year old house. Mohammed, the owner, was the 5th generation living there.

*Listened to live music while sipping tea at the Goreme Restaurant. It was beautiful--drums, the saz (Turkish guitar), and singing. There was only a handful of people at the restaurant--It felt like our own little "Turkish Night" (a popular dance performance event).

Day 6:
*Flew back to Istanbul. Ran into Nancy at the Nevsehir airport! She had her own little fun adventure in Cappadocia.

*Came back to the ship, got ready, and went out with Amanda to Taksim--an area with lots of little restaurants and bars. Found a cute little place with live music and a big family celebrating what seemed like some kind of special occasion--with lots of dancing and singing. We just had to join. Sis, you and Mo would have been right there dancing with us!

*Met up with TSSers at a bar called Deniz (which means "sea) for Kim's birthday. I think most of the ship was there! Great last port night out together.

Day 7:
*Woke up early and went out for breaky with Amanda, T.J., and Lorna.

*Found a cute little local spot, where the owner was this older (older) man--Court, you would have loved him. We didn't understand each other but were somehow able to communicate and enjoy a great Turkish breakfast of fresh bread, honey and cheese, and a hard-boiled egg. And tea. Always tea.

*Lorna, Amanda, and I then dropped TJ back off at the ship because she had to work and headed to the Grand Bazaar of more than 4,000 shops, with each trade having its own area--goldsmiths arts and crafts, ceramics, Turkish Delights and spices, etc.

*Visted the Basilica Cistern near Hagia Sophia. Founded by Byzantine Emperor, it is called "the Sinking Palace" by the public owing to the great number of marble columns arising out of the water. Two of the columns are resting on Medusa heads, and it is not known from exactly where the two heads came. The place is very dim and cool, with ancient-sounding music playing in the background, creating an enchanting, almost mystical-like atmosphere.

I think that wraps it up once again. I really enjoyed my time in Turkey and would love to go back some time and see more of the country. Definitely one of my favorite ports. Have I said that before? Probably.

It's now almost 7:00 am on April 15, and we are just pulling into Lisbon. For us returners, we have just made "the loop" around the world! I can't believe we were here 8 months ago. Actually, we officially made the loop when we passed by Greece and celebrated with a special "loop party" in Sarah's cabin. Sarah loves loops. It's great.

So, I will end with a "serefe!"...Turkish for "cheers", or in other words, "to good health!”