Tuesday, June 22, 2010

It's Hot!!

June 12 & 13

Where is the beach? Izmir is Hot!
Summer is fast approaching and the days are in the 30s ºc (86-103ºf).  If you are without a car the beaches are not far and easily reached by city bus and dolmuş. If you have a car the beaches less populated and plentiful. This weekend we did did some comparisons.

Saturday we were 7 and we headed out by dolmuş to Ilıca beach. It's about 1hr  west of Izmir on the Çeşme Peninsula. The sea is quite shallow for a good distance and the sun warms the water. It is a bit crowded but when you have such a beautiful place with food and beverage service...everyone will be there!

 After a full day of relaxation and swim we hopped another dolmuş and ventured into Ilıcatı for the sunday market and a bit to eat at a street side cafe.





















On Sunday we took the car.

We were traveling with Turkish friends and it was off to the Urla pennisula stopping first at a garden kahvalti (breakfast) cafe. It is possible to take a dolmuş to Urla, but not to the beach. We sat under the shade of some fruit trees and enjoyed a long slow breakfast of cheese, cucumbers, tomatoes, village bread and tea. Then it was off to findDenizyıldızı Plaj (sea star beach). Amazing snorkeling. Beautiful beach, good friends and a few nail biting tavla (backgmmon) games.
When you have to beat the heat - beat it with a beach....Ahhhh Turkey!




Wednesday, June 16, 2010

Foça- Mid Week Holiday

May 19th & 20th

We are off to Foça once again and this time we are seasoned travelers. It is the Children's Bayram and school is on holiday for two days. We grab two other teacher/ friends and are off to find the beaches of Foça.~ Success!
If your in Foça head to to autogar and hop on a dolmuş, and for a few Turkish Lira and a fifteen minute ride you will find Hanaden beach...aahhhhh Çok Güzel!

By the time we got back to the village it was time for a beer on the balcony and watch the sunset over the Aegean.





If you ever find yourself in Foça, you have to have calimar. I cannot describe the quality and flavor- just be sure to order some before you leave.

The next day we slept late and enjoyed a long slow breakfast, Turkish style and watched the village come to life. Boats being readied for sail, fishermen bringing in the morning catch or repairing their nets. This little guy was proud to show us his haul- that's a shark folks!

The rest of the day we strolled the streets and allies of old  Foça. Taking in the calming pace and relaxation and loving the plethora of kittens.




Unfortunately we had to return to Izmir that evening and after lunch found a bar to have a fair well  beer and a quick game of Farkle............ Şerefe!

Wednesday, June 9, 2010

Akkum Beach and Sagicik Market

One of the great things about living in Izmir is its close proximity to the beaches. In less than hour by bus you can find yourself relaxing and swimming at a nearby beach. The picture on the left is of me on the bus. They are very small buses (more like vans) and very cheap. Towards the end of May things start heating up around here so starts the beginning of beach season. So a few weekends ago we grabbed our suits and headed to the beach. We choose Akkum beach, which means bright sand. This beach is better known for its windsurfing than its actual beach. Nonetheless we had an enjoyable day. About 2 km from the beach in the town of Sigacik is a wonderful Sunday crafts market. Here you can purchase handmade goods including food at very reasonable prices. We failed to take any pictures of the beach but remembered to snap a few photos at the market. It was a very small and very cute walled in town. Another great day in Turkey!

Pumakkule and Aphrodisias

Although we have been in Turkey nearly 10 months, we still find many new places to visit. With each new adventure we seem to add ten more to our ever growing list of places to go and see. On May 8th, we rented two cars with friends and headed southeast for about three hours to the ancient site of Aphrodisias. It is one of the earliest occupied sites in Anatolia. It began as just a temple/shrine and then grew into a town in the second century. There is a magnificent theater that was founded in the 1st century as well as baths, an agora and the most impressive stadium that once sat 30,000 people. We were lucky to have an official retired Turkish tour guide among our group who volunteered to give us an informative tour of the very large site. One thing we really liked about this site was that while many excavations had been made, many of the pillars and monuments are out among fields and overgrown brush. In fact there was a New York University team working here from 1961 until 1990 under the leadership of Dr. Kenan Erim. Upon his death in 1990, all work has ceased. Dr. Erim is buried at Aphrodisias.



We ended our visit here in their museum. It was very impressive. The museum consists mostly of of sculptures recovered from the ruins. It also had many old coins, jewelry and pottery. We were very happy because it was air conditioned. After leaving we headed to our pension to rest and grab some dinner.






The next morning we walked to the Pammukkale sight. The hillside is completely covered in white travertine terraces. The Turks have dubbed the geological landscape the "cotton castle". This natural wonder is caused by a spring saturated with dissolved calcium bicarbonate, bubbling up from the mountain. As the water surges over the edge of the plateau and cools, carbon dioxide is given off and the carbonate hardens as hard as chalk. The spring itself emerges in what once was the center of the ancient city of Hierapolis. The therapeutic properties of the water has attracted visitors before it actually became a town during the second century BC. Since many people came here close to their death, the site also includes some incredible tombs for those who died here. 

One of our favorite part of visiting this sight was being able to swim in the ancient pools that are still intact. The water is very warm and slightly bubbly. The entire pool is strewn with old pillars and such that you can climb over and sit on. It was pretty amazing.















One of the benefits of renting a car, rather than taking the bus, is the freedom to stop when and where you want. On our drive back to Izmir, we detoured to another ancient site by the name of Nyssa. Nyssa is rarely visited and very inexpensive. It was less than $2 to enter. Like Aprodiasis, very little excavation has taken place at this sight. We had to hike through the woods and over huge pillars to go from one area to the next. And we were the only people there. Nyssa was a flourishing city in the first century BC.



















Best memory of the day had to be watching this women take her cows out for a walk through this tiny village. Aaaahh, another great day in Turkey!