My apologies for not getting this posted sooner. The internet in our hotel in Kusadasi is
terrible, especially in the evenings, and there is no way to upload
anything. So let me catch you up on what
has been happening here on the beautiful Aegean coast!
As you probably know, Trip
Advisor recently rated Istanbul as the number one travel destination in the
world. While I cannot deny the wonderful
nature of Istanbul, if given the opportunity to return to Turkey, I would spend
all my time in Cappadocia. The nature of
the landscapes, the uniqueness of the geography, the friendliness of the
people, the laid back atmosphere – they all combine to make it one of my
favorite places in the world.
Our last day in Cappadocia was jam-packed. We began our morning with a guided hike
through the Goemeda Valley. This is a
true wilderness hike of almost six miles through a lush valley with towering
cliffs of “tuff”, stream crossings, dramatic vistas, and sheer cliffs pocketed
with man-made rooms sometimes more than six stories high. There is so much opportunity to explore on
and off trail, and we did a fair amount of both. This was a highlight of the trip for me so
far! I cannot tell you how proud I am of
the Collegiate kids’ spirit of adventure and exploration. More than any of the other students, our kids
are taking every opportunity to explore further and dig deeper. If anything, I am having to hold them back.
After the hike, we kept up with the exploration in the
Kaymakli Underground City – an underground complex carved centuries ago
straight down with eight levels that could hold 5,000 people for long periods
of time during enemy sieges. The city
had everything, including a winery (because if you are stuck underground with
5k people indefinitely…).
Lastly, we went to a pottery facility and watched master
potters create truly amazing pieces. Hart
and Allie had the opportunity to take a turn with a traditional kick wheel and
throw a pot. Hilarity ensued…I have
videos!
We put the kids in bed early, because our wake up call came
at 3:30AM. Now, for the parents reading
this blog, I want you to imagine how fun it was to wake your teenagers up at
3:30 to get them on a bus by 4. It was
magical.
After a flight to Istanbul, then one to Izmir, we finally
arrived on the Aegean coastline and got our first taste of the more
Mediterranean side of Turkey. We spent
our lunch hours wandering the winding mountain streets of the village of
Sirince, then the rest of our afternoon at the ancient city of Ephesus.
After two trips to the ancient city, I have decided that I
have a love-hate relationship with Ephesus.
The restorations and excavations are so extensive that there are very
few places in the world you could visit and experience such ancient Roman
grandeur. To walk down the marble
streets flanked by ancient columns, temples, and theaters is a truly unique and
humbling experience. But to say that
Ephesus is hot is a dramatic understatement.
Even with a breeze, the reflective nature of the massive amount of
marble, couple with the sheer volume of people who pour into the city every
hour, bringing their most unwelcome body heat with them…it can be suffocating.
We all survived, and had the special treat after the visit
of checking into our hotel and discovering there was a pool!
Half of our last day in Kusadasi was spent on a beach on the
Aegean. We swam, we threw the Frisbee, we
played volleyball, we sunbathed, Nigel and I played an infuriatingly long game
of “who can throw the rock into the tiny metal pipe way over there first” (me). We got chased off the beach a bit early by a
storm, but once it cleared back up, we spent the rest of the day floating in
the pool and walking around town. All in
all, we needed a day of lounging and recharging.
We are really on the backside of the trip now. We have just a few more stops before we make
our way back to reality and back to seeing all of you! I am sorry that I can’t post pictures
yet. Hopefully our hotel in Ayvalik will
have more cooperative wifi. Until then!
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