Cross Road since Prehistoric times...Turkey: We wore our guide out, all there is left of him is puddles of sweat

2013-09-25

I have eight hours to spend at Istanbul airport, so get ready for the long blog. After a 3 am start, we drove an hour to the nearby airport for an hour flight and the breakfast ( provided by Turkish airline) to Istanbul. Guess what? Buck’s luggage, after travelling the world for 14 days was waiting for him at the airport . Now he can change his clothes after 14 days.

We are sitting in the Istanbul airport terminal for the airline counters to open and some of us are getting very anxious to check in and to get home and think that making trips to the counter will make them open them quicker.

Many hours have passed now, thanks to the bank priority plus lounge card, I am sitting very comfortably with internet, comfortable chairs and plenty to eat and drink. Everyone is gone now (from our group) so I am alone in Turkey. (feel free to send me emails)

· Here are the highlights of the trip:
Food: Aubergines , Figs, Bean Soup, Beet sugar and all kinds of Kebabs.
Synchronized swimming in Agean sea. Darkest skin person got severe sun burn.
Temples that changed to churches that changed to mosques.
Home hosted lunch, home stay and wonderful people.
Terrance houses ( hill terraces) at Ephesus.
Hot air balloon over the planet Tatooine.
Backpacks over loaded with souvenirs.
Amazing cliff caves of Myra.
Graffiti fountain as Hittites water well.
Magnum a day kept the doctor away.
Buck losing his glasses, flip flops and bags.
Look on Jackie’s face at the Hamam.
Village and lady giving farewell with water spilling.
Mohamet feeding us on the boat and captain catching fish with Judith.
Satellite dish and solar heater at the goat herders hut.
Short Short wearing Russian teenagers at St. Nicholas.
Inclusiveness and openness of Islam at its core.
Turkish coffee and Chai.
Santa Clause is a Turk and lived here at Myra.
Cleanliness and infrastructure ( roads, water and power) everywhere.

In general, Turkey has been a major power in Europe and probably in the world and is a very well run place so far ( unless it gets messed up by the fundamentalism). I also think that we Americans have a news media induced paranoia and honestly are too arrogant about “our” way of living.

Trip was a big success because of our guide( Behlul) and the wonderful group of people.