Click any headline to read that story.
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 CAPPADOCIA (added 7-25-2010)
In Turkish it's pronounced "Kapadokya" and there have been people living in Göreme since the roman times. This absolutely stunning, scenic area in the center of Turkey is a must for today's explorers of this historic, fascinating country, and it is one more reason for us to be jealous of Fred and Carol Moore who live so close to Turkey's antiquities! Cappadocia is easily available to the Moores, and tourism there is growing as people realize it is a wonderland of caves, underground cities, churches, monasteries, museums, and - oh yes! - shops and stores galore! Enjoy the Moores' most recent tale. |
EPHESUS & PAMUKKALE (added 5-16-2010)
We've said many times, "you haven't been transported to another world until you've stood in Mary Magdalene's home near Ephesus." That and the sheer magnitute of the remaining ruins of Ephesus, matched up with the stunning beauty of the springs at Pamukkale make for a life-changing experiences. Here's the story and the incredible pictures from the Moores. Click the title above to get to the story! |
TARSUS (4-23-2010)
Carol gets the prize this time, for noticing signposts directing the Moores to a wonderful treasure-filled museum in Tarsus. Just going out for a day's drive can result in these incredibly satisfying finds in Turkey. Click to get to the story! |
NORTHERN CYPRUS REVISITED (added 12-7-2009)
The Moores are off again, this time it's Thanksgiving with a pair of friends, flying Pegasus Airlines from Adana to northern Cyprus and visiting goosebump-inducing, historic settings including Bellapais Abbey, below which is their beautiful Bellapais Gardens hotel. They also visit Othello's Castle (Brush up your Shakespeare!) and other wonderful sites. |
ANKARA'S ATATURK MEMORIAL (added 11-4-2009)
The Ataturk Memorial in Ankara is the center of the solemnity in which Mustafa Kemal Ataturk is held in Turkish hearts.
Fred and Carol Moore re-visited it recently, and this is the beautifully written and illustrated story of their pilgrimage. |
TUNNELS OF TURKEY (added 10-30-2009)
Fred and Carol Moore enjoy traveling on the narrow-gauge trains of eastern Turkey. They take many pictures, and have compiled a page of
photos of leaving and entering various tunnels. A nice way to spend some quiet time, just looking at them! |
A CILICIAN DRIVE (added 10-29-2009)
The terrace overlooks the sea and the water is aqua marine blue and calm. There’s just the slightest ripple as the breeze teases the surface. We’re comfortable and we order grilled leverek (sea bass), a wonderful white meat fish. It comes with chopped cucumber, tomato and pepper salad. |
KOCATEPE MOSQUE, ANKARA ( added 10-29-2009)
We’ve just pulled up in two cabs beneath this monstrous edifice. Carol and I have been here a number of times but our guests have not visited before. We’ve been giving the Sims family a fast paced tour of ‘our’ city. When Carol and I first happened upon this sight back in the eighties it was under construction; we entered into the building through an opening... |
THE CARPET SHOP (added 10-29-2009)
The shop’s size is no indicator of price, quality, quantity of product or size of rug. The walls of the shop are lined six and eight deep with rolled carpets from a number of different countries in the region. |
DRIVING ANATOLIA (added 9-9-2009)
You simply cannot drive anywhere in Turkey for long without being confronted and amazed by its historical sites. In this account, Fred and Carol Moore visit a Caravansaray (overnight inn) dating back to the early trade routes across Turkey. It has been carefully restored and they have photos of the process. Further on they visit the Dark Church and museum. Wonderful reading. It's like going on the trip with them!
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TURKEY 1981: IN THE BEGINNING (added 8-17-2009)
I hung up the phone and called my new friend – Carol – and I said, “We’re getting married tomorrow!” She said, “You have an assignment, where are we going?” Notice she said – we. I immediately said, “Nowhere, I have to do this alone.” She repeated her question and I told her “Turkey” and she immediately said, “Let’s go!” |
MYSTERY OF A THIEF (added 7/10/2009)
Our drive was seemingly going well...when just a few car lengths in front of us was a large tandem axle stake-rack truck with a young man perched barefoot on the very thin edge of the rear deck holding precariously to the top of the stake racks... The young man is holding on to this moving vehicle with one arm tucked into and over the tailgate boards. With his other hand he is fishing for something...
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ANKARA – VISITING WITH FRIENDS (added 7/2/2009)
Once again we’re off to visit Ankara and old friends. This could be our last visit ‘home’ before returning to the United States. We must leave our adopted Turkey in the next twelve months; sometime before July 2010. As is our usual mode of transportation to Ankara – we have tickets on the night train (201 Lira round trip for two). Our dear friend and Turkish son, Kenan Ay, got our tickets and takes us to the train station. Our train is scheduled for departure at 7:35... |
INCIRLIK TODAY (added 7-1-2009)
The village just off base has mostly grown up around the gate.
It has tended to grow along the base fence line. It's called
Incirlik Village, quaint name don't you think? |
KAHRAMAN MARAS (added 7-1-2009)
This city was once known solely as Maras; Kahraman was later
added as a prefix meaning 'heroic'. In Turkey's War of
Independence, Maras lost the greatest number of souls
to the people's cause to save the land now known as Turkey. |
CAVE HOMES OF GÖREME (added 7-1-2009)
Göreme is the only place in the world with free-standing
"skyscraper" caves. An advantage of the topography is that
it allows the cave dwellings to be lit with relative ease,
making them anything but the cliché picture of damp, dingy
caves. The dry, breathable tuff stone also ensures a pleasant
climate inside the dwellings. |
KASTABALA, HIEROPOLIS AND MORE (added 7-1-2009)
On the road from Osmaniya to Karatepe stand the ruins of
Hierapolis (Kastabala). (Not to be confused with the
Hierapolis located near Pamukkale) Between 52 B.C. and 17 B.C.
this Cilician town became the center of an independent principality
under Tarcondimotus I. Rome (under Augustus) then restored its
influence by making Tarcondimotus II, the new king, Governor of
Cilicia in Anazarbus. |
| SPONTANIETY – when you simply do what’s on your mind. At this moment. NOW! (7/20/2009) |
TRUCK STOP LUNCH (added 6/16/2009)
The autobahn seems less traveled today than usual but maybe it’s
only psychological on my part. We travel only 15 or 18 minutes
to get to the truck stop. About half way there we see some
thing has happened along side the road; it appears someone’s
belongings have been thrown into the ditch and strewn on the
roadside bank. It’s possible a truck toppled over... |
IFTAR DINNER (added 6/16/2009)
We’re at a restaurant on a bluff over looking the Adana Lake.
This is one of the premier restaurants in our city...Glenda pulls into the driveway and the car is
taken by the valet. We ascend a couple of wooden
steps to the deck...We walk across the deck and begin our descent down another set of
wooden stairs, we must drop twenty feet or more to the patio below.
The floor beneath our feet is now marble, as we step onto the patio... |
A HAIRCUT (added 5/3/2009)
Oh wait, we’re not through: Mehmet trims the eyebrows and does a
little tweaking of his haircut. He seems happy now and prepares for
the final treatment. He pulls out a long stiff wire with cotton on
the end; it looks like a long handle Q-Tip. He dips it in fluid,
probably alcohol but I’m not certain, and then sets fire to it...
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A TOUCH OF ADANA (added 5/3/2009)
We spend as much time as we can in the city of Adana (the weather
determines how long we stay out usually). We continue to explore
the culture, even after three years, there’s always new to be found.
There’s nothing more dull and boring than sitting at home when we
live in such a vast world of cultural discovery...SO, we walk, drive
or get a base cab to the front gate...We leave
through the base gate on Saturday mornings to get what is called
a “dolmuş”. |
SOGANLI TO GULSEHIR (added 4/26/2009)
We now come to the crossroads, Guzelyurt to our left, Ihlara straight
ahead and Belisirma to our right. There’s a very nice gas station/rest
stop here to the right as well and we stop for it. As we get back on
the road and head for the village of Ihlara, Mount Hasan gets more
beautiful by the kilometer. In minutes we’re driving down into Ihlara
Village and around the south end of the valley rim. |
ANAVARZA (added 4/1/2009)
...The ride seems rather swift and we’re
here before we know it; the bus stops outside the west gate and
we’re shown a most interesting phenomenon, a running water faucet
protruding from a tree trunk... |
SILFIKE, ANAMUR AND MORE (added 3-2-2009)
This is an adventure we will not soon forget; join us as we begin
our journey to 'no-where' in particular. We've been talking to
our friends about the long weekend and where we might go to get away...
We talk about Silifke as our possible destination for the day. We opt
to take the coastal road west and stay south of the autobahn.
We drive through Adana and head toward Tarsus... |
THE MOORES VISIT KARATEPE (added 2/26/09)
Directly across the courtyard from us is the Shipwreck Museum,
which once housed the castle arsenal. Contained within the
museum are many artifacts the most impressive is a display of
the oldest shipwreck known and brought to the surface: 2300 years
of age. Additionally, most of its surviving cargo is also on
display here in the museum. |
TOURING ADANA (added 2/26/09
The village just off base has mostly grown up around the gate.
It has tended to grow along the base fence line. It's called
Incirlik Village, quaint name don't you think? |
VISITING CYPRUS (added 12/08)
We're off to Cyprus to celebrate our 27th Wedding Anniversary! We make our way to the Adana airport to catch an Atlas Air flight to Ercan Airport near Lefkosa (Nicosia), Cyprus... |
