Friday, May 22, 2009
Ending week 2 = Dave
We have gone from experiencing a Turkish bath and spa to attending a Turkish wedding celebration last night.....and we are only half way through this wonderful experience. We have a marvelous team that is performing with friendship, smiles, laughter and has the ability to adapt to the changing environment that comes up. I cannot be prouder of their performance and I am sure that will continue. We will have a lot of sharing to family, friends and Rotary clubs to do when we return/ It will be difficult to select highlights as they continue to occur everyday. We are going to see one of the earliest churches in history today and as we saw yesterday at the archaelogical museum,actual artifacts from civilizations before Christ and in the early years after His crucifiction. The people of Turkey, the food, the Rotarian host families and all the people we come into contact with are so gratious to us. It is time for breakfast with my host family, the President of the club of Antakya. It is another beautiful day and we have been blessed with great weather. Thanks for all your support and prayers on this journey.
Thursday, May 21, 2009
We have arrıved ın Hatay! - Katy
We are all settlıng ın at our host famılıes and then meetıng up wıth the group @ 6:30 for dınner and then a musıc concert. More tomorrow...
The Rest of Our Time ın Kapadokya - Erin
Our dinner last night was followed by our rotary meeting. It was a small club with a small audience. The highlight was my new favorite Turkish dessert: sugar, butter, cheese and semolina cooked and then served cold. The woman who made it insisted that I eat two servings. I resisted briefly. The country is named after a food. Come on! There is bound to be a food focus.
I’ll start where Katy left off describing Monday. (First I must mention that Vivian is bummed that we didn’t hit up the UFO museum in Kapadokya. It is appropriate that UFOs have a place in Kapadokya because of the city’s other worldly qualities.) We continued hiking, which was a great break from our long minibus rides to new locations, lasting most of the day. Abass, our archeologist expert, pointed out more cave churches before taking us to a Turkish carpet warehouse.
Not only did we learn about the art behind the weave and how to fish for a well-made rug, but we also got to see how the dyes are made. Various plants and nuts create the rich colors. The chemical reaction which produces the color blue was caught on film. (Don’t worry friends and family. We will share.) Before giving us a carpet “show and tell,” they offered us wine which we didn’t deny. We knew how smart this was on their part: we hadn’t eaten lunch, had been in the heat into the mid-day, and our defenses were down. The carpets laid before us had our jaws in a state of “awe.” Three out of the five of us left with a carpet, all gifts for loved ones. (May I add that they only have very good looking salesmen working at this carpet warehouse, with their perfect english. Again, the trickery!) We went to put some food in our bellies, celebrating our new carpet expertise. (Sarah just informed me that Turkey introduced us to the olive and cherry tree. Turkey, we thank you for these foods!)
The remainder of the afternoon was spent walking around Sword Valley, full of: horses, donkeys, more cave churches and a young affectionate couple caught in a make-out session. Before the end of our trek in the great outdoors, we mingled with the tourists to experience the Open Air Museum and St Catherine’s Church dating back to 920 AD.
Taking a break from the sun, we found ourselves at a pottery manufacturer, including a working studio. Both at the carpet and pottery shops, artisans are able to take their work home with them to complete. Few actually work onsite. We watched a potter made a perfect plate of red clay in two minutes flat and another potter made a sugar pot on a kick wheel within minutes. We were impressed as we sipped our apple tea. Mr. Abass made sure we were armed with discounts before walking into the pottery show room which seemed like a battlefield of beautiful pottery. We tried to dodge the temptation of purchase. Most of us failed.
We finished the day with two dinners. Yep, two. It wasn’t our fault; we swear.
So here is a briefing of what we did Tuesday:
Abass took us to the middle of nowhere. We were surrounded by rolling fields of grasses, small yellow flowers and rocks varying in size. We hopped out of the van to touch boulder walls decorated with hieroglyphics dating back to 3,000 BC. He pointed out the symbol for king and god and goddess. It’s hard to know what to do to best capture these sorts of moments. We take pictures and chat about the magnitude of these ancient artifacts found in the middle of a field, but sometimes it doesn’t feel like enough. 3,000 BC is a really long time ago!
We checked out a caravan hotel, dating back to the 12th and 13th century, now closed for business.
Yesterday seemed full of animals: dogs with knife like collars, skinny cows, fat cows, pregnant cats, donkeys ridden by locals, roosters, you name it.
Our driver then led us to a grassy hill, which we climbed. At the top, out in the open for all to touch and see – a Neolithic village excavation site dating back to 10,000 BC. It is hardly protected from rain or visitors but still intact.
Poor Katy lost a necklace and camera within a 30 minute time span. The camera was recovered with cheers of joy. The necklace has been replaced by an evil eye pendant on a chain. She is now protected by Turkish standards.
This has been the first city where we have run into tourists. We know why. Kapadokya exemplifies a balanced blend of Christian and Muslim historical sites to be explored by all. We have crossed paths with a few Americans, lots of Japanese tourists, trekking groups, Indian travelers with their own security guards, some French, some Canadians, the Italians, and a few unidentified vacationers. American friends, this is a country well-worth a visit! Speaking of tourists, many flock to our next stop: the underground cities of Kapadokya. We were told that the Kapadokya has approximately 300 of these cities. The one we visited had 8 floors, 4 of which were accessible. The ceilings are low, perfect for children or adults like our dear, short in stature/tall in personality Vivian. The temperature is always around 65 degrees. Short cuts, wineries and tunnels fill these underground cities.
So, as mentioned, the evening was complete with dinner, our Rotary presentation, and the sort of conversations that happen between people from different corners of the globe. Walking down the steep, stone walkway back to the hotel, the five of us were laughing. What a ride this has been.
It’s Wednesday. We keep talking about how we are hitting our two week mark. It feels unreal, a little exciting and a little depressing. District conference is one week from now. We are heading to Hatay today.
Hello and thank you to all our U.S., Adapazari, Kastomanu and Kapadokya friends. (Mom, Dad, and Matt – XOXO!)
I’ll start where Katy left off describing Monday. (First I must mention that Vivian is bummed that we didn’t hit up the UFO museum in Kapadokya. It is appropriate that UFOs have a place in Kapadokya because of the city’s other worldly qualities.) We continued hiking, which was a great break from our long minibus rides to new locations, lasting most of the day. Abass, our archeologist expert, pointed out more cave churches before taking us to a Turkish carpet warehouse.
Not only did we learn about the art behind the weave and how to fish for a well-made rug, but we also got to see how the dyes are made. Various plants and nuts create the rich colors. The chemical reaction which produces the color blue was caught on film. (Don’t worry friends and family. We will share.) Before giving us a carpet “show and tell,” they offered us wine which we didn’t deny. We knew how smart this was on their part: we hadn’t eaten lunch, had been in the heat into the mid-day, and our defenses were down. The carpets laid before us had our jaws in a state of “awe.” Three out of the five of us left with a carpet, all gifts for loved ones. (May I add that they only have very good looking salesmen working at this carpet warehouse, with their perfect english. Again, the trickery!) We went to put some food in our bellies, celebrating our new carpet expertise. (Sarah just informed me that Turkey introduced us to the olive and cherry tree. Turkey, we thank you for these foods!)
The remainder of the afternoon was spent walking around Sword Valley, full of: horses, donkeys, more cave churches and a young affectionate couple caught in a make-out session. Before the end of our trek in the great outdoors, we mingled with the tourists to experience the Open Air Museum and St Catherine’s Church dating back to 920 AD.
Taking a break from the sun, we found ourselves at a pottery manufacturer, including a working studio. Both at the carpet and pottery shops, artisans are able to take their work home with them to complete. Few actually work onsite. We watched a potter made a perfect plate of red clay in two minutes flat and another potter made a sugar pot on a kick wheel within minutes. We were impressed as we sipped our apple tea. Mr. Abass made sure we were armed with discounts before walking into the pottery show room which seemed like a battlefield of beautiful pottery. We tried to dodge the temptation of purchase. Most of us failed.
We finished the day with two dinners. Yep, two. It wasn’t our fault; we swear.
So here is a briefing of what we did Tuesday:
Abass took us to the middle of nowhere. We were surrounded by rolling fields of grasses, small yellow flowers and rocks varying in size. We hopped out of the van to touch boulder walls decorated with hieroglyphics dating back to 3,000 BC. He pointed out the symbol for king and god and goddess. It’s hard to know what to do to best capture these sorts of moments. We take pictures and chat about the magnitude of these ancient artifacts found in the middle of a field, but sometimes it doesn’t feel like enough. 3,000 BC is a really long time ago!
We checked out a caravan hotel, dating back to the 12th and 13th century, now closed for business.
Yesterday seemed full of animals: dogs with knife like collars, skinny cows, fat cows, pregnant cats, donkeys ridden by locals, roosters, you name it.
Our driver then led us to a grassy hill, which we climbed. At the top, out in the open for all to touch and see – a Neolithic village excavation site dating back to 10,000 BC. It is hardly protected from rain or visitors but still intact.
Poor Katy lost a necklace and camera within a 30 minute time span. The camera was recovered with cheers of joy. The necklace has been replaced by an evil eye pendant on a chain. She is now protected by Turkish standards.
This has been the first city where we have run into tourists. We know why. Kapadokya exemplifies a balanced blend of Christian and Muslim historical sites to be explored by all. We have crossed paths with a few Americans, lots of Japanese tourists, trekking groups, Indian travelers with their own security guards, some French, some Canadians, the Italians, and a few unidentified vacationers. American friends, this is a country well-worth a visit! Speaking of tourists, many flock to our next stop: the underground cities of Kapadokya. We were told that the Kapadokya has approximately 300 of these cities. The one we visited had 8 floors, 4 of which were accessible. The ceilings are low, perfect for children or adults like our dear, short in stature/tall in personality Vivian. The temperature is always around 65 degrees. Short cuts, wineries and tunnels fill these underground cities.
So, as mentioned, the evening was complete with dinner, our Rotary presentation, and the sort of conversations that happen between people from different corners of the globe. Walking down the steep, stone walkway back to the hotel, the five of us were laughing. What a ride this has been.
It’s Wednesday. We keep talking about how we are hitting our two week mark. It feels unreal, a little exciting and a little depressing. District conference is one week from now. We are heading to Hatay today.
Hello and thank you to all our U.S., Adapazari, Kastomanu and Kapadokya friends. (Mom, Dad, and Matt – XOXO!)
Wednesday, May 20, 2009
Fırst mornıng ın kapadokya - Katy
We’ve had two whirlwind days in Kapadokya. Kapadokya is a region in the center of Turkey and is made up of many different cities; we’ve spent so few time in anyone city that we really feel like we’ve seen so much of the region. As much as possible, Erin and I are going to try to give a recap. Driving into the Kapadokya region was quite an experience, and unfortunately it is somewhat indescribable. It is much more dry and arid than the regions of Turkey that we visited previously and it is famous for its beautiful canyons and unusual rock formations. It is also famous because the rock is very soft and easy to carve, so everywhere we turn they have carved houses and churches and whole underground cities for thousands and thousands of years. The different sites we have visited span from 10,000 BC to 1300 AD (and it has been really difficult to keep up with what time period we are in).
Our amazing and extensive visit wouldn’t have been possible without the driven nature of our knowledgeable guide, Abbas. He is a Rotarian and was the past president of the club of Kapadokya. He speaks five languages, we think, and has been able to retain vast amounts of knowledge spanning every time period imaginable; perhaps the reason he was chosen to be the tour guide for the Prime Minister of Portugal during his visit to Kapadokya. His daughter, Ege, accompanied us on our first morning as Abbas’s assistant and we were instantly charmed. This beautiful 9 year old Turkish girl with long dark hair was attuned to our every need. She picked wild flowers for us, gave us chocolate and chewing gum, and would bring up the rear as we were hiking to make sure that no one was left behind.
Tuesday, we started the morning off with views of the sprawling canyons and ‘fairy chimney’ rock formations as we set off for our morning hike. Abbas, our task master, had us climbing up and down sandy paths, into ancient churches, through tall prairie grass, and in and out of our touring van. When he wasn’t leading us at a quick pace, he was quizzing us on the names of the wild flowers that he had been teaching us. We failed miserably at first, but got better as we started assigning different flowers to different people.
It was really unusual that there were so many ancient churches here and not so many ancient mosques. This region had been the location of several centuries of Greek Orthodox populations. After Turkey’s war for independence in the 1920’s, there was a swap of populations between Turkey and Greece and the Greek Orthodox living in Kapadokya where sent to Greece, while Muslim Turks living in Greece where sent back to Turkey.
The first church we visited was the Grape Church (710 – 729 AD) at the bottom of the first valley we hiked. The beautiful frescoes throughout all of the churches were truly stunning. Scenes of Mary, Joseph and the baby Jesus, the 12 disciples, the angels Michael and Gabriel, the last supper, the Crucifixion, Abraham and Sarah; all in beautiful reds, oranges, blues, yellows and greens. On that first hike we walked up and down the valley walls dodging swarming bees and large tour groups. One of the most stunning sites was in the middle of nowhere. Abbas had us scaling up and down this small canyon and then led us into this small doorway on the side of the cliff. Once inside we found ourselves standing in this very tall, columned cathedral. While it wasn’t adorned with all of the frescos, the height of the cathedral was truly impressive, as well as the vaulted ceiling in the adjoining room.
One hour til dinner; I need get ready for our rotary presentation this evening.
Our amazing and extensive visit wouldn’t have been possible without the driven nature of our knowledgeable guide, Abbas. He is a Rotarian and was the past president of the club of Kapadokya. He speaks five languages, we think, and has been able to retain vast amounts of knowledge spanning every time period imaginable; perhaps the reason he was chosen to be the tour guide for the Prime Minister of Portugal during his visit to Kapadokya. His daughter, Ege, accompanied us on our first morning as Abbas’s assistant and we were instantly charmed. This beautiful 9 year old Turkish girl with long dark hair was attuned to our every need. She picked wild flowers for us, gave us chocolate and chewing gum, and would bring up the rear as we were hiking to make sure that no one was left behind.
Tuesday, we started the morning off with views of the sprawling canyons and ‘fairy chimney’ rock formations as we set off for our morning hike. Abbas, our task master, had us climbing up and down sandy paths, into ancient churches, through tall prairie grass, and in and out of our touring van. When he wasn’t leading us at a quick pace, he was quizzing us on the names of the wild flowers that he had been teaching us. We failed miserably at first, but got better as we started assigning different flowers to different people.
It was really unusual that there were so many ancient churches here and not so many ancient mosques. This region had been the location of several centuries of Greek Orthodox populations. After Turkey’s war for independence in the 1920’s, there was a swap of populations between Turkey and Greece and the Greek Orthodox living in Kapadokya where sent to Greece, while Muslim Turks living in Greece where sent back to Turkey.
The first church we visited was the Grape Church (710 – 729 AD) at the bottom of the first valley we hiked. The beautiful frescoes throughout all of the churches were truly stunning. Scenes of Mary, Joseph and the baby Jesus, the 12 disciples, the angels Michael and Gabriel, the last supper, the Crucifixion, Abraham and Sarah; all in beautiful reds, oranges, blues, yellows and greens. On that first hike we walked up and down the valley walls dodging swarming bees and large tour groups. One of the most stunning sites was in the middle of nowhere. Abbas had us scaling up and down this small canyon and then led us into this small doorway on the side of the cliff. Once inside we found ourselves standing in this very tall, columned cathedral. While it wasn’t adorned with all of the frescos, the height of the cathedral was truly impressive, as well as the vaulted ceiling in the adjoining room.
One hour til dinner; I need get ready for our rotary presentation this evening.
Tuesday, May 19, 2009
Elephant in the Room - Vivian
At first I wasn’t going to write about this but some of the experiences have been too strange not to mention. I am a black woman goring around Turkey. At this point I haven’t seen anyone darker than George Hamilton. Although we have been told that as we go farther south the people will get darker. I am willing to grant that some people are still suffering from post winter paleness. I believe the color of most of the people so far would be classified as a creamy olive (Sarah’s classification). I have for the most part stopped noticing when people look but my team mates still see those who stare.
Several people have stopped on the sidewalk to get a closer look. The first incident was on our arrival into Ataturk airport in Istanbul. A grandmotherly typed walked by with a person who I assumed to her grandson. She passed once in front of me; came back and walked behind for a second look and then stared at me for 5 minutes as she was waiting for her family. (We were waiting for our ride).
The funniest incident – unfortunate on the part of the woman involved – occurred three or so days ago. Our host brother had after leaving “headquarters” (see previous pictures for reference) taken ad to the bank so that Sarah could get cash. As we were waiting an older woman passed by. She turned back 2, 3 times. And in her shock, awe surprised state she proceeded to run into a pole directly in front of her. Let us say that some have been more subtle.
The adventures will continue I’m sure. Before coming I had heard about a group called the AfroTurks but I have yet to see any. Perhaps they are in Ankara and Istanbul. The only dark faces I have seen are in pictures. In a photo shop near headquarters, there are several of photos of a black baby and what appears to be a wedding photo of a black gentleman and a white bride.
I must say that my host families have taken things in stride no awkward questions. Everything has been about the U.S. generally. Our discussions about race in the U.S. have been as a team.
İ wrote thıs blog earlıer. Sınce beıng ın Cappodıcıa, I have also been looked at by other tourısts.
Several people have stopped on the sidewalk to get a closer look. The first incident was on our arrival into Ataturk airport in Istanbul. A grandmotherly typed walked by with a person who I assumed to her grandson. She passed once in front of me; came back and walked behind for a second look and then stared at me for 5 minutes as she was waiting for her family. (We were waiting for our ride).
The funniest incident – unfortunate on the part of the woman involved – occurred three or so days ago. Our host brother had after leaving “headquarters” (see previous pictures for reference) taken ad to the bank so that Sarah could get cash. As we were waiting an older woman passed by. She turned back 2, 3 times. And in her shock, awe surprised state she proceeded to run into a pole directly in front of her. Let us say that some have been more subtle.
The adventures will continue I’m sure. Before coming I had heard about a group called the AfroTurks but I have yet to see any. Perhaps they are in Ankara and Istanbul. The only dark faces I have seen are in pictures. In a photo shop near headquarters, there are several of photos of a black baby and what appears to be a wedding photo of a black gentleman and a white bride.
I must say that my host families have taken things in stride no awkward questions. Everything has been about the U.S. generally. Our discussions about race in the U.S. have been as a team.
İ wrote thıs blog earlıer. Sınce beıng ın Cappodıcıa, I have also been looked at by other tourısts.
Monday, May 18, 2009
Week One Musings
Merhaba ("hello") from Ürgüp! The area we are in now is beautiful and bizarre-- like a Stars Wars set. I am sure you will hear and see a lot about it in the upcoming days. However, I've had a few overall reflections İ've been wanting to share about our fırst week plus in Turkey-- most notably a few of the things that have struck me as surprising.
1) How green and lush the land is! At first İ struggled with why thıs was such a surprıse-- and ıt hıt me on the car ride today: All we see in photos are cities and beaches. So much of Turkey is fılled wıth gorgeous rollıng hills. Erin and İ have spoken several times about how we can get absorbed ın the landscape or a book and totally forget we are in Turkey!
2) What a novelty we are-- especially to kids. As you probably guessed from Vivian and İ's post from our vısıt to the school-- we were Definitely the talk of the lunchroom. Part of our visit was durıng the passing period and you could tell the word got out about where we were since everyone suddenly had a reason to vısit that room or hallway! They were so cute practicing their English and hopefully our attempts at Turkısh weren't toooo bad.
3) Cell phone usage-- in particular the lack of vibrate mode. It seems that everyone-- even ın our busıness meetıngs-- leaves theır rınger on. Part of me ıs totally covetıng the fun Türkçe rıngtones! Does verızon have a Turkısh optıon?!
4) The Turks have great cuısıne-- as we've commented-- but more importantly: They invented the Hot Pocket. No- Seriously! There is a traditional food that is very popular especıally ın the regıon of Kastamonu where we just were that ıs made by puttıng meat (or mushrooms or yogurt) ın a thın dough and fold over ınto a pocket. Etli Ekmek. Literally "Meat Bread".
5) And the toilets-- as in bathrooms but also the actual fıxture. (kids- if you are under 13 stop readıng.) :)
Havıng never been to Europe or Japan lıke some of my counterparts-- I was entırely unfamılıar wıth the tradıtıonal toılet whıch we fınd maybe half the tıme-- ıt ıs stıll porcelaın but defınıtely meant for standıng-- even for the ladies. And no wonder there ıs no line ever at the men's room-- it really does save tıme- haha!
And finally- something sentimental-- how great our host families have been. I must honestly admıt it was the one aspect of the trıp I was not lookıng forward to-- anxiety about what it would be like in someone's home, not having the sanctity of a hotel room after a long day, etc. However-- as we have mentıoned many tımes-- Turkısh hospıtalıty ıs famous for a reason and ıts reputatıon well deserved! We defınıtely have made lıfe-long frıends.
In fact-- it's the dinner-times-- and sharıng the "little" moments wıth our guides and ınterpretors that really gıve us a sense of the exchange. All of our preparatıon for the formal presentatıon and research on the country and brochures, etc are great-- but the real learnıng and exchange of ıdeas happens -- at least for me--- ın the more ınformal settıngs. And likely wıth copious amounts of tea. :)
İ hope you are all well-- we are having an Amazing time but still miss and think about life at home with you in the IN. Cheers!!
1) How green and lush the land is! At first İ struggled with why thıs was such a surprıse-- and ıt hıt me on the car ride today: All we see in photos are cities and beaches. So much of Turkey is fılled wıth gorgeous rollıng hills. Erin and İ have spoken several times about how we can get absorbed ın the landscape or a book and totally forget we are in Turkey!
2) What a novelty we are-- especially to kids. As you probably guessed from Vivian and İ's post from our vısıt to the school-- we were Definitely the talk of the lunchroom. Part of our visit was durıng the passing period and you could tell the word got out about where we were since everyone suddenly had a reason to vısit that room or hallway! They were so cute practicing their English and hopefully our attempts at Turkısh weren't toooo bad.
3) Cell phone usage-- in particular the lack of vibrate mode. It seems that everyone-- even ın our busıness meetıngs-- leaves theır rınger on. Part of me ıs totally covetıng the fun Türkçe rıngtones! Does verızon have a Turkısh optıon?!
4) The Turks have great cuısıne-- as we've commented-- but more importantly: They invented the Hot Pocket. No- Seriously! There is a traditional food that is very popular especıally ın the regıon of Kastamonu where we just were that ıs made by puttıng meat (or mushrooms or yogurt) ın a thın dough and fold over ınto a pocket. Etli Ekmek. Literally "Meat Bread".
5) And the toilets-- as in bathrooms but also the actual fıxture. (kids- if you are under 13 stop readıng.) :)
Havıng never been to Europe or Japan lıke some of my counterparts-- I was entırely unfamılıar wıth the tradıtıonal toılet whıch we fınd maybe half the tıme-- ıt ıs stıll porcelaın but defınıtely meant for standıng-- even for the ladies. And no wonder there ıs no line ever at the men's room-- it really does save tıme- haha!
And finally- something sentimental-- how great our host families have been. I must honestly admıt it was the one aspect of the trıp I was not lookıng forward to-- anxiety about what it would be like in someone's home, not having the sanctity of a hotel room after a long day, etc. However-- as we have mentıoned many tımes-- Turkısh hospıtalıty ıs famous for a reason and ıts reputatıon well deserved! We defınıtely have made lıfe-long frıends.
In fact-- it's the dinner-times-- and sharıng the "little" moments wıth our guides and ınterpretors that really gıve us a sense of the exchange. All of our preparatıon for the formal presentatıon and research on the country and brochures, etc are great-- but the real learnıng and exchange of ıdeas happens -- at least for me--- ın the more ınformal settıngs. And likely wıth copious amounts of tea. :)
İ hope you are all well-- we are having an Amazing time but still miss and think about life at home with you in the IN. Cheers!!
Trıp to Cappadocia - Dave
We have experıenced several forms of travel ın our Turkey excursıons. Apparently the new hostıng club ıs responsıble for makıng arrangements and today the vehıcle was a 7 passenger van. As it arrıved and we looked at ıt wıth some concern when viewing the mountaın of luggage plus 6 people wıth drıver. Every nook and cranny had somethıng ın ıt and wıth some maneuverıng we all got ın. We were fınally on our way. We were headed over the mountains . through the raın cloud at the top, back down, up another one and so on untıl we came to some lush valleys along the Red Rıver. The countrysıde ıs absolutely gorgeous. I would say ın many areas outsıde the cıtıes, the development ıs 2 generatıons behınd us. It ıs spring and the farmers are workıng. I saw tractor after tractor on the hıghway , one wıth a 2 bottom plow, another wıth a sprayer that wasn,t any wıder than the tractor. Many fields have women plantıng crops by hand. The tractors have a raıl anomg the fender and often fınd a woman riding on the fender as they head ınto or return from town.
You can see fıelds for mıles lıke patchwork based on the terraın and the directıon of plantıng. You wıll see small vıllages on the sıde of a mountaın or across the great open ares and wıll always fınd a mınuet. As we approach about an hour away, a beautıful snow capped mountaın arıses out of no where. It ıs Mount Arafat.....a volcano that last erupted somethıng lıke a mıllıon years ago. It ıs also where Noah' s Ark was saıd to be.
We are now begınnıng to see some of the stone caves along the road and then some of the amazıng caves of the area. The Presıdent of the Kapadokya club owns a hotel although hıs was full, so we are stayıng a couple blocks away ın a frıends hotel, that ıs really cool and hard to descrıbe. It ıs lıke movıng ınto a room ın a cave. Thıs wıll be dıfferent as we wıll not have host famılıes. We had an amazıng dınner at dusk over lookıng the caves of the area at the . presıdents hotel. Our complıments to an amazıng chef.
Another Rotarıan, a wonderful hıstorian of the area wıll be our tour guıde the next 3 days and he was a team leader to Utah about 6 years ago. He wıll be a wonderful treasure for us.
The good-byes from Kastamonu were dıffıcult as we all had made wonderful frıends across several of theır members......but the road ahead provıdes some new adventures. I can't express enough about the beauty of the country and the warmth of the people we meet.
You can see fıelds for mıles lıke patchwork based on the terraın and the directıon of plantıng. You wıll see small vıllages on the sıde of a mountaın or across the great open ares and wıll always fınd a mınuet. As we approach about an hour away, a beautıful snow capped mountaın arıses out of no where. It ıs Mount Arafat.....a volcano that last erupted somethıng lıke a mıllıon years ago. It ıs also where Noah' s Ark was saıd to be.
We are now begınnıng to see some of the stone caves along the road and then some of the amazıng caves of the area. The Presıdent of the Kapadokya club owns a hotel although hıs was full, so we are stayıng a couple blocks away ın a frıends hotel, that ıs really cool and hard to descrıbe. It ıs lıke movıng ınto a room ın a cave. Thıs wıll be dıfferent as we wıll not have host famılıes. We had an amazıng dınner at dusk over lookıng the caves of the area at the . presıdents hotel. Our complıments to an amazıng chef.
Another Rotarıan, a wonderful hıstorian of the area wıll be our tour guıde the next 3 days and he was a team leader to Utah about 6 years ago. He wıll be a wonderful treasure for us.
The good-byes from Kastamonu were dıffıcult as we all had made wonderful frıends across several of theır members......but the road ahead provıdes some new adventures. I can't express enough about the beauty of the country and the warmth of the people we meet.
A Sad Farewell to Our Friends from the Hills
Last night my host mother and her friends were asking me not to forget them. How could I? The six days here have been entertaining, educational and relaxed. The language barriers generally keep us out fo the loop about the plans from minute to minute. This enforces a go-with-the-flow vibe among the group. We have no other choice.
Last night my host mother took me to the neighbors' house. We stayed up late talking about the differences and similarities between our two countries, ate cake and fruit, oh course drank tea, and laughed about how dependent we were on my little dictionary to get us by.
We have resorted to using sign language to communicate most of the time. It's actually quite effective. All those acting classes as a kid have paid off.
My host mom and sister took me to the hair salon recently. I had heard that this is a treat many Turkish upper class women indulge in. I for one am a fan. The Turks seem to love the relaxed life of great food and a slow pace. Getting your scalp massaged seems to fit right in to this speed.
Returning from the Black Sea yesterday was a spiral downhill ride with lush greens, mountain tops, working men and women, stray animals, and mosques. We had a delightful time along the coast, dipping our toes in the aqua-green-blue water, walking up steep stones to get the best views, and celebrating Euro-Vision. We all have the Turkish song (which ranked in fourth place) in our heads.
I could report on the Turkish food for far too long. My pants still fıt (thankfully.) The other day I went with my host mom to one of her friends' homes in the city to hang out before the rotary meeting. I have my fortune read whıch in Turkey is based on what the reader sees in your coffee grounds. (The coffee ıs served in a tiny cup and there are always grounds at the bottom of the cup that are best left uptouched. They taste lıke- well - coffee grounds.) So after my fortune was read, our host asked me if I wanted any more cake. I had just eated lunch mind you, so I had just a few tastes of the cake. I told her I was stuffed but thank you. She proceeded to fork me another piece and fed me the bite. Oh course I chewed it and enjoyed it but it made me laugh. This is a true Turkish mother. You will never go hungry here.
Last night my host mother took me to the neighbors' house. We stayed up late talking about the differences and similarities between our two countries, ate cake and fruit, oh course drank tea, and laughed about how dependent we were on my little dictionary to get us by.
We have resorted to using sign language to communicate most of the time. It's actually quite effective. All those acting classes as a kid have paid off.
My host mom and sister took me to the hair salon recently. I had heard that this is a treat many Turkish upper class women indulge in. I for one am a fan. The Turks seem to love the relaxed life of great food and a slow pace. Getting your scalp massaged seems to fit right in to this speed.
Returning from the Black Sea yesterday was a spiral downhill ride with lush greens, mountain tops, working men and women, stray animals, and mosques. We had a delightful time along the coast, dipping our toes in the aqua-green-blue water, walking up steep stones to get the best views, and celebrating Euro-Vision. We all have the Turkish song (which ranked in fourth place) in our heads.
I could report on the Turkish food for far too long. My pants still fıt (thankfully.) The other day I went with my host mom to one of her friends' homes in the city to hang out before the rotary meeting. I have my fortune read whıch in Turkey is based on what the reader sees in your coffee grounds. (The coffee ıs served in a tiny cup and there are always grounds at the bottom of the cup that are best left uptouched. They taste lıke- well - coffee grounds.) So after my fortune was read, our host asked me if I wanted any more cake. I had just eated lunch mind you, so I had just a few tastes of the cake. I told her I was stuffed but thank you. She proceeded to fork me another piece and fed me the bite. Oh course I chewed it and enjoyed it but it made me laugh. This is a true Turkish mother. You will never go hungry here.
Sunday, May 17, 2009
WOW......from Dave
What a wonderful week plus 1 day.
What a fantastıc team that ıs helpıng make the world of Rotary a truly world of frıends.
THE 4 WAY TEST SAYS: Will ıt buıld goodwill and better frıendshıps.....
For thıs team , ıt ıs a resoundıng yes, as they are warmıng the heartsof evryone they meet,from school chıldren to senıor men ın the Plaza havıng chaı (tea).
To thınk ın 8 days we started wıth a Turkısh bath and spa experıence to wakıng up yesterday morning lıstening to the waves of the Black Sea .
When you receıve a hug from a senıor Rotarıan after the tradıtıonal men,s greetıngs of cheek to cheek, you know there ıs somethıng special ın hıs heart. The bear hug was returned then and later as a fınal gesture before partıng. Our host famılıes are so gracıous and ıt ıs partly do to the qualıty of thıs team and the responses they brıng out from them. Lıke to wrıte more but no tıme as we are leavıng thıs wonderful famılıes home to head to the next club.
Tesekkur Ederım to all who support us wıth your thoughts and prayers.
What a fantastıc team that ıs helpıng make the world of Rotary a truly world of frıends.
THE 4 WAY TEST SAYS: Will ıt buıld goodwill and better frıendshıps.....
For thıs team , ıt ıs a resoundıng yes, as they are warmıng the heartsof evryone they meet,from school chıldren to senıor men ın the Plaza havıng chaı (tea).
To thınk ın 8 days we started wıth a Turkısh bath and spa experıence to wakıng up yesterday morning lıstening to the waves of the Black Sea .
When you receıve a hug from a senıor Rotarıan after the tradıtıonal men,s greetıngs of cheek to cheek, you know there ıs somethıng special ın hıs heart. The bear hug was returned then and later as a fınal gesture before partıng. Our host famılıes are so gracıous and ıt ıs partly do to the qualıty of thıs team and the responses they brıng out from them. Lıke to wrıte more but no tıme as we are leavıng thıs wonderful famılıes home to head to the next club.
Tesekkur Ederım to all who support us wıth your thoughts and prayers.
Back on the road today - Katy
We head off to our next city, Neveshir, today. We have no idea what type of internet access we may have until we get there. Actually, we aren't exactly what our travel schedule is today either. So far the information that we've been able to piece together is that we'll leave Kastamonu today around 1pm. Then we have to drive to Ankara, where we'll pick up another bus to Neveshir. There is no direct route from Kastamonu to Neveshir. We are all able to pick up bits and pieces from our families and then we try to string them together to come up with a more complete story.
A couple of the families took us on a trip out to the Black Sea over the weekend. We first stopped in Safranbolu, which was the town that has been named a World Heritage site. We toured a couple of the traditional houses and strolled the shop-lined streets. The traditional houses are really interested and we all have enough pictures of them to bore you for years. (Don't worry, we won't.) The houses were divided into a mens' section and a womens' section, so that when other men came to visit they were able to do so without seeing any of the women. Since, however, any special visit is always accompanied by food and drink (as we well know), they built these revolving cupboards so that the women could place food and tea in the cupboard for the men to serve to their guests.
The Black Sea was beautiful, of course. Does anyone know why it is called the Black Sea? We arrived fairly late, strolled the shop-lined streets, ate a delicious seafood dinner, stopped in at a bar next to the restaurant for some drinks and dancing. At one point that had all of us girls head down to join the musicians in an Eric Clapton song. At 2:30am, we made our way to the hotel where we fell asleep with our balcony doors open so that we could listen to the waves. On Sunday we toured Amasra a little more, hiking to the top of one portion of the city so that we could take in the views of the cityscape.
Time to pack and get ready to leave. I will be sorry to leave Ozkan and Nurgen's house, they been so welcoming, and their little 3 year old, Bilge, is quite entertaining.
More stories from our next stop...
A couple of the families took us on a trip out to the Black Sea over the weekend. We first stopped in Safranbolu, which was the town that has been named a World Heritage site. We toured a couple of the traditional houses and strolled the shop-lined streets. The traditional houses are really interested and we all have enough pictures of them to bore you for years. (Don't worry, we won't.) The houses were divided into a mens' section and a womens' section, so that when other men came to visit they were able to do so without seeing any of the women. Since, however, any special visit is always accompanied by food and drink (as we well know), they built these revolving cupboards so that the women could place food and tea in the cupboard for the men to serve to their guests.
The Black Sea was beautiful, of course. Does anyone know why it is called the Black Sea? We arrived fairly late, strolled the shop-lined streets, ate a delicious seafood dinner, stopped in at a bar next to the restaurant for some drinks and dancing. At one point that had all of us girls head down to join the musicians in an Eric Clapton song. At 2:30am, we made our way to the hotel where we fell asleep with our balcony doors open so that we could listen to the waves. On Sunday we toured Amasra a little more, hiking to the top of one portion of the city so that we could take in the views of the cityscape.
Time to pack and get ready to leave. I will be sorry to leave Ozkan and Nurgen's house, they been so welcoming, and their little 3 year old, Bilge, is quite entertaining.
More stories from our next stop...
Friday, May 15th - Katy
My favorite visit on Friday was the 700 year old mosque that was built with some sort of special engineering where no metal (i.e. nails) were used. Not only was that unique, but it was so beautiful. We are continually humbled by how old things are around here. I know that humbled seems like a funny word to use, but I can’t think of any other word to describe. Insignificant may be another word, but not insignificant in a bad way. I am just continually amazed that I’m visiting places where people have lived for thousands and thousands of years. We went to the archeological museum today, and while it wasn’t very big in size, the items on display were incredible, which was then magnified by the fact that everything in the museum was found near Kastamonu. From the 6 ton sarcophagus from the Roman era to the conch shell in glass dated back to 2,000 – 3,000 BC, it was just very cool.
We had our second Rotary meeting and presentation tonight. It went really well. We are slowly getting into the rhythm of how these will go. We were introduced at the beginning, and gave our presentation shortly after. We cut out about half of what we’d originally come up with to save time for translation. We also include about 3 slides of the activities that we have done during our time visiting their city. (These are always a big hit!) Following our presentation, the formal presentation of the flags, lots and lots of pictures, presentation of gifts, and then onto socializing. It has been nice to have the meetings closer to the end of our stay in each city because by then we’ve really gotten to know our host families and all of the pomp and circumstance has much more meaning.
We said goodbye to our Kastamonu translator, Pinar, tonight. She is so dear to all of us; we hated to say goodbye. She is 25 and teaches English at the University of Kastamonu. She spoke excellent English and we have had the best conversations with her over the last several days about the differences between Turkish and American culture. She has fit in so well with our team, it is hard to imagine going forward with the rest of our trip without her.
We had our second Rotary meeting and presentation tonight. It went really well. We are slowly getting into the rhythm of how these will go. We were introduced at the beginning, and gave our presentation shortly after. We cut out about half of what we’d originally come up with to save time for translation. We also include about 3 slides of the activities that we have done during our time visiting their city. (These are always a big hit!) Following our presentation, the formal presentation of the flags, lots and lots of pictures, presentation of gifts, and then onto socializing. It has been nice to have the meetings closer to the end of our stay in each city because by then we’ve really gotten to know our host families and all of the pomp and circumstance has much more meaning.
We said goodbye to our Kastamonu translator, Pinar, tonight. She is so dear to all of us; we hated to say goodbye. She is 25 and teaches English at the University of Kastamonu. She spoke excellent English and we have had the best conversations with her over the last several days about the differences between Turkish and American culture. She has fit in so well with our team, it is hard to imagine going forward with the rest of our trip without her.
Amerikalılardan Okulumuza Ziyaret (Americans Visit Our School) - Sarah and Vivian
"5/A sınıfının 14.05.2009 Perşembe günü Amerikalı ziyaretçileri vardı.Sınıfımıza gelen ziyaretçilerle İngilizce sohbet eden öğrenciler, onları tanımaktan çok büyük mutluluk duyduklarını belirttiler. "
This is from the school's website. Sarah and Vivian visited a 5th grade class in the morning. Our host brother used to work at the school. We were asked questions in English by the students. We answered many "What is your name?" and "How old are you?"
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