We joyfully re-united with friends Emah and Jill in Kusadasi, Turkey on the Aegean coast -- a region of the Mediterranean Sea. We shared a lovely apartment that was a good base for exploring some of Turkey's most popular tourist sites. The most efficient means to stringing these places together was to rent a car. The roads are impressive, but I had to very quickly adapt to the general chaos and mayhem on these roads. "In Turkey, all things are possible all the time", said one friend when a car pulled out in front of him. As such, I learned to always use the horn to alert other drivers and pedestrians of our presence because they are, as a rule, not looking. And I always yielded to the bigger vehicle. Period. After a while I just started 'going with the flow' and making lots of unexpected, sometimes evasive adjustments. No problem.
So we safely visited Ephesus (below), perhaps the grandest and most intact of all Roman-era ruins. It is teeming with tourists, which does give it the look of a lively city for sure! This was followed by a fun stop in a mountain village known for its fruit wines.
The following day we drove a few hours to the ruins and strange calcite formations of Pammukale (below). Truth be told, it was hot as hell. My favorite moment was actually as we were driving away through the beautiful countryside, listening to music with three wonderful people. Every bit of flat land is irrigated and cultivated, this particular area known for its absolutely delicious figs. The spines of steep, arid mountains framed the valley beautifully.
We also made our way to Dilek National Park (below) for some swimming in emerald, clear water. It was a lovely setting, backed by steep, forested mountains, the Greek Isles in the distance.
Speaking of Greek Islands, we have joined Emah and Jill on the island of Rhodes (below)! Turns out we need to be out of Turkey for 10+ days to avoid over-staying our visa. We have an apartment near the water, which is lovely for reading, relaxing and doing yoga. It is also giving us some time to make onward travel plans.
We are all hoping for a little distance from the tourist scene, perhaps rural islands and villages that are closer to culturally intact. So stay tuned! Best wishes and peace to everyone! ~Micah & Danielle
PS. Hey Norma! Thanks for the blog comments. I'm cracking open a Heineken and wishing you a happy birthday right now.
So we safely visited Ephesus (below), perhaps the grandest and most intact of all Roman-era ruins. It is teeming with tourists, which does give it the look of a lively city for sure! This was followed by a fun stop in a mountain village known for its fruit wines.
The following day we drove a few hours to the ruins and strange calcite formations of Pammukale (below). Truth be told, it was hot as hell. My favorite moment was actually as we were driving away through the beautiful countryside, listening to music with three wonderful people. Every bit of flat land is irrigated and cultivated, this particular area known for its absolutely delicious figs. The spines of steep, arid mountains framed the valley beautifully.
We also made our way to Dilek National Park (below) for some swimming in emerald, clear water. It was a lovely setting, backed by steep, forested mountains, the Greek Isles in the distance.
Speaking of Greek Islands, we have joined Emah and Jill on the island of Rhodes (below)! Turns out we need to be out of Turkey for 10+ days to avoid over-staying our visa. We have an apartment near the water, which is lovely for reading, relaxing and doing yoga. It is also giving us some time to make onward travel plans.
We are all hoping for a little distance from the tourist scene, perhaps rural islands and villages that are closer to culturally intact. So stay tuned! Best wishes and peace to everyone! ~Micah & Danielle
PS. Hey Norma! Thanks for the blog comments. I'm cracking open a Heineken and wishing you a happy birthday right now.
Hey guys, thanks for joining me in this experiment of worlwide drinking or Bi-country drinking, whatever is called. I am as usual having having a looonnng birthday celebration that started last Sunday the 26th and still going today,my actual birthday and will continue this weekend with a trip to my first Ducks game (Go Patos). Thanks for sharing your travels with us,this is the cheapest vacation ever!!!! Love you tons y hasta pronto!
ReplyDeleteYou two look like you are having such a fantastic time! So happy for you.
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