Tuesday, May 18, 2010
And We're Off! Hopefully!
As long as the wind patterns don't change too much, and the British Airlines cabin crew union doesn't walk out, we should be on a plane heading to Istanbul, Turkey on Saturday.
We've already had to reschedule / rebook two flights, so we're keeping our fingers crossed that everything stays stable enough for us to get across the pond. Once in Europe, Cliffy goes into vacation mode and will stop worrying about all this.
For those of you keeping track, we'll be in Istanbul until May 27th, staying at staying at the Hotel Alaturka. From there, Kayseri and make our way to Goreme, in the heart of Cappadocia. We'll be staying at the Sultan Cave Suites (pictured above) for the next three nights (from May 27th through May 30th). We'll explore the fascinating chimney rock formations and underground cities that make up one of the most historic places in the world.
After Cappadocia, we head on a road trip to the Turkish coast. We hit the road on May 30th, from Kayseri to Konya, which has the reputation of being one of the more religiously conservative metropolitan centers in Turkey. It was once known as the "citadel of Islam" and is still more devout than other cities. Konya was the final home of Rumi, whose followers established in 1273 the Mevlevi Sufi order of Islam in this city and became known as the whirling dervishes. We'll be staying at Rumi Hotel.
From Konya, we have a long drive to �irali, our first stop along the coast and close the ruins of Olympos. We're spending the night at the Saban Tree Houses in Olympos.
Then we're off to Kas, where we'll spend two days exploring the beaches and ruins around the area. I am particularly interested in checking out the ruins near Myra (picture to the right). Home base during this time will be the Hideaway Hotel in Kas.
Now we're getting close to the end of our Turkish adventure. We drive to Fethiye and spend a night there (still to be determined). And finally end our trip at Marmaris (Baris Motel).
After that, Greece. More to follow..
