long way out: turkey

25 to 27 august 2007, Istanbul

before taking a night bus to bulgaria, we took a photo with the boss at Hostel Zeugma and also my korean friends... this hostel is very popular with Koreans. it was filled with Koreans at the time of visit and they were all very friendly. Yongjin, whipped up delicious curry rice and noodles for all of us on both days...

i liked this mosque too

Yeni (New) Mosque

let me have a jai shot first.

most Turks drink a few cups of jai in a day. with one jai, put in 1 or 2 cubes of sugar. taste like "teh-o gao"

Grand Bazaar - it is easy to get lost here

one of the many food stalls near the ferry terminal.
sk had bbq fish sandwich (usd 2) while i had coconut rice with lentils (usd 0.75). thumbs up!

there were more on the bridge... poor fishes

many Turks fishing along the coastline

Tokapi palace

although there were thousands of tourists inside this mosque, the atmosphere was pretty calm and serene

the Blue Mosque

tram

noticed someone snorkelling

23 to 24 august 2007, Ephesus in Selcuk

local children

a night bazaar where i got one top for usd 1.50 only

"only 50 cents is enough to feel ... the magic atmosphere"

... only if one feels the urgency

the famous library of Ephesus

where had the head gone?

this was once a Great Theatre that could hold 24,000 people

the Ephesus - a feel of the Roman Empire...

since they were no longer the 7 wonders, the birds started to build a nest on it

the ruins of Artemis temple was one of the 7 wonders of the world but it was taken out long time ago - honestly, i cant remember if they were.

in turkey, when you order a soup (about usd 1.50) from the local shop, they usually provide unlimited servings of bread. for me, it was a thrifty way to survive.

21 to 22 august 2007, Gorome in Cappadocia

there were always old men here playing chess games every evening

a cute little van

the same old man called me over to take a photo together. i labeled him a lecher because he groped one side of my breast before this photograph was taken. argh and why am i still smiling?

sk with an old man

a view of Cappadocia rocks formation

more aliens

an alien in the UFO museum

a picture of our dormitory room in Emre Cave Hotel. it was nice to sleep in here. the weather outside was 40 degrees celcius but our cave's temperature was only 15 degrees. there was no aircon nor fan in here. it could have been the material used to build this room

the cave hotels

part of a walkway in the underground city.

Derinkuyu underground city was expanded from natural caves in the 2nd century, linking them together and in addition to dwellings, creating chapels, churches and whole monasteries. Cappadocia was frequently invaded, raided and looted and to protect themselves, the ancient people took to living in the region's caverns and grottos where entrances could be concealed. these dwellings eventually included sources of water, places to store food, kitchen, wineries and temples. Cappadocia was a place where different faith and philosophies met and influence one another.