Warm welcome and warm walking in Turkey

From the time I got off the overnight bus from Bulgaria to Istanbul, I felt very warmly welcomed to Turkey, first by a kind gentleman on the metro who gave me ideas about what to see in his country and helped direct me toward my Servas host's place. Then, on my very first night in Istanbul, my first host Aysun, and her sister Asuman, brought me along on a boat ride on the Bosphorus Sea with Aysun's hiking club... They were celebrating Turkish Victory Day with dinner, music, and dancing. Aysun even lent me a dress and nice shoes for the occasion!

It was surreal, cruising along with the Istanbul skylines surrounding us while eating a delicious Turkish meal and then listening to great Turkish music. I loved how the group of young and old all had fun dancing, and were also all amazing dancers! I immediately felt the warmth of Turkish people that day and in the following days as Aysun, Asuman, and my next Servas host Zeynep (who happens to be good friends with Aysun, which I didn't know when I contacted these two ladies out of all the hosts in Istanbul!) brought me around, introduced me to their friends, and gave me ideas for what to do when they were busy.

On the Bosphorus

Victory Day

Aysun dancing

In Istanbul, on 1 September, I celebrated two years since this adventure began in New Zealand... with Turkish tea and my calendar in front of me in an outdoor cafe, making some final decisions for a rough plan for my time in Turkey. I ended up choosing to walk for a week along the Lycian Way trail on the Aegean Sea coast, then go to Cappadocia to see its infamous landscapes, and finally visit Turkey's northeastern Black Sea coast to walk in its Kaçkar mountains before heading back to Istanbul.

Breakfast with new friends

By night bus, I arrived on Turkey's southwest coast, found a map and some trail notes for the Lycian Way, asked some local opinions, and headed off on the trail for just over a week. Despite learning that early September is still a very hot time to hike (getting up to 35+ ºC), especially with a pack, I enjoyed every day of the walk. 

The Lycian Way is actually a 500km, way-marked trail that takes about a month to walk fully. The section I walked was different every day, sometimes following the sea along the shore, but more often up along the cliffs; going through little traditional villages in the hills and some beach towns; and passing several sites of ancient ruins, which the trail is famous for. I stayed in little villages along the way in homestays that provide dinner and breakfast, so the only food I needed to carry was for lunches. While many call the Lycian Way one of the world's nicest walks, it still feels somewhat unfound with many parts quite rural and quiet... some days I didn't see anyone but a shepherd or two on the trail and for a few of the nights I was the only traveller in the villages, also with a whole beach to myself one evening. I found people very very warm and welcoming in the villages, but did have one uncomfortable situation with a man that I was able to get out of... (If you ask, I'll tell you the story)

Walking

Wildlife

Friendly villagers

Hosts in one village

Company on the trail

From the sea, I made the 12-hour bus journey to central Anatolia—to Cappadocia—world famous for its unique landscapes and fascinating history, including underground cities and whole villages built into unique rock formations. It was fun exploring different valleys filled with amazing rock and ancient churches, mosques, and homes all built into rock. It's also fun to imagine village life in these otherworldly landscapes, some of which are still used today.

Cappadocia

Ihlara Valley

Cool rocks

Abandoned rock village

Old rock church

Next, three buses and almost 24 hours brought me from Cappadocia to the middle of the Kaçkar Mountains in northeast Turkey. It was a good idea to save the mountains for last. After walking in the hotter regions, it was especially refreshing walking up higher. I stayed in a tiny, traditional, and cute village called Olgunlar and from there explored trails in different directions each day. It was incredibly beautiful and peaceful walking there, and special to be in the village for Eid al-Adha (Kurban Bayram in Turkey), the Islamic festival when families who have enough money sacrifice a sheep in memory of the story of Abraham and his willingness to sacrifice his son. The family who I stayed with in their pension let me be a part of their day. The sacrifice in the morning was done so gently, with everyone in the family helping, and they said a prayer while doing it. Then after skinning and dividing the meat, the family keeps some and gives the rest to people who can't afford a sacrifice. The festival is a time when people visit a lot with family and friends and I felt lucky to be there then.

Family in Olgunlar

Olgunlar

Fall colours

Fall food :)

During my time here, I've found Turkish people to be extremely welcoming of strangers...just a few examples to share:

• Many villagers in smaller places inviting me to drink tea with them or giving me fruit.
• A shopkeeper in Antalya who after chatting for 20 minutes or so gave me a necklace as a gift even though I didn't buy anything.
• A man in Trabzon who helped me find the right dolmus (little local bus) to take, and then paid the fare on my behalf to the driver when it arrived.
• Bus driver in the mountains who treated a Syrian woman traveller and me to soup after the ride.
• Women bathing in the hamam using all the English they knew to make me feel welcome.

Back here in Istanbul for my final week in Turkey, besides exploring some of the local markets and seeing historical sites that I missed the first time, I'm visiting friends from last time and trying to soak up the Istanbul life—here in this city where east meets west; this city once called Constantinople that has been a base of human civilization long before it was called that; this city where I once applied for a job with the dream of living in what Napolean Bonaparte called "the capital of the world." While it may be too big a place for me long term, it's a wonderful city, full of countless lifestyles and alternatives and possibilities...

Next, I'm headed back to Spain! ... where I left my heart in April when I visited my dear Carlos :) (...who I wrote about in my Sept 2014 China and May 2015 Spain posts)

Saludos desde Turquía! :)