This was my second time in Turkey (see first Blog) and this time I came from Bulgaria (see Blog) in the north. I spent six weeks and was only able to see the West and Central parts. Turkey is the 37th largest (by area) country in the world with the 17th largest population. This is where East meets West with one foot in Asia and the other in Europe. It was the first Muslim former-Ottoman land to establish a democracy. The food is fantastic (typical Mediterranean style) and there are many things to see. I started in Istanbul and went south to Pergamum, Ephesus, Antalya, and Cappadocia before going to Syria. I became friends with many Turkish people and found them to be progressive in many ways and always willing to help.
Turkey has something for everyone – beautiful beaches in the south, skiing in the mountains, cosmopolitan cities, more classical ruins than Greece and Italy, many major religious sites, and amazing landscapes. Traveling here is not as cheap as it once was given its strong currency, positive economic conditions, and potential membership in the EU but is still a bargain compared with most of Europe.
I took a boat from the Greek Islands (see blog) Turkey, landed in the port city of Bodrum and then headed straight for Fethiye where you catch the 'Blue Cruises' which are large wood boats cruising the turquoise waters off the coast of Turkey visiting islands, underwater cities, parties in the blue lagoons, archeological sites, etc. It cost about $180 for a 5 day cruise that included all meals, accommodations, and transportation. There were about 24 of us on the boat and most of us slept on the deck under the stars. Sometimes the captain would pull anchor around 5am and sail to another island or lagoon while we were sound asleep from partying the night before. We awoke to the sunrise and a cool breeze, dropping anchor again around 9am, and then jump off the boat for a morning swim followed by a fresh water shower off the bow and a full Turkish breakfast in the stern. During the day there were plenty of activities: snorkeling, water skiing, parasailing, wind surfing, scuba, and exploring local islands. Then we would take off to another place and play cards and drink along the way. At night they served a huge dinner followed by lots of drinking and meeting up with other boats to hang out on the beach, eventually making our way back to the boat again.
After the cruise I ended up going to Istanbul with some of the 'blue cruise' group and spending a few days visiting the mosques, public markets, and eating incredible food. Turkey borders Iran, Iraq, Syria, Armenia, Georgia, Bulgaria, and Greece, and the city of Istanbul is split between Europe and Asia serving as a bridge between very different worlds making it the most interesting country I visited in my two month trip through 10 countries in Europe.
