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Archive for July, 2005

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5000 Years of History: The Aegean Coast

Wednesday, July 6th, 2005

With more known Greek ruins than Greece and more Roman ruins than Italy, it’s unsurprising that Turkey’s Aegean coast is a history buff’s dream come true. And the region’s history isn’t all just ancient, having played host to significant events in the First World War, and the subsequent Turkish war of independence. A map of the region shows such famous names as Pergamum, Troy, Ephesus and Gallipoli whose historic significance span over 7000 years, from the beginning of civilization until modern times.

I began my visit with a trip to Selchuk, the modern town near the ancient Greek and Roman city of Ephesus. With a history dating back over 5000 years, Ephesus is home to the most spectacular ruins in the entire country.
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Heading for the Hills: Cappadocia and Turkey’s Lake District

Tuesday, July 5th, 2005

Despite the very comfortable Turkish night bus, the trip from Ankara to Cappadocia wasn’t everything I’d dreamt of in the rest department, mostly because I arrived in the town of Neveshehir at 05:45 after a 0:00 departure.

Upon arriving I was greeted by a young man who explained that he worked for the tourist information office. I must admit that I was pretty impressed that they’d got someone out of bed at that time for a single backpacker arriving from Ankara. That said, the guy could have used some work on selling his region. When I explained that I planned to spend five to seven days in Cappadocia he replied, “oh no, that is too much. You can see everything in three days.”

After a couple of minutes talking with the lad, I picked up my 20 minute connecting bus ride to the town of Goereme, the tourist heart of Cappadocia.

When I arrived, it didn’t seem as though much was up. The only people who seemed to be awake were the ones up in hot air ballons who had woken before dawn to make their sunrise trip. I did find one other fellow, who worked at a tour company, but who seemed genuinely interested in helping me find a good place to stay. I chatted with him for a bit, then headed to one of the guesthouses (or Pansiyons as inexpensive hotels were called in Turkey) that he reccomended.

The place had a friendly owner, a kitchen that I could use to cook for myself and a great view of the town. Sold. After checking in, I managed to stay awake just long enough to eat a quick breakfast before collapsing into bed and catching up on a bit of the sleep I’d missed the night before.
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