Day 4
Flew to Istanbul today on a plane full of excited Italians who drank all the coffee. There was a lot of turbulence and part of the briefing by a stewardess wearing iridescent purple eye shadow included instructions new to me -- to take off your shoes and put your head between your knees in case of an impending crash.

A young Turkish woman named Ferda greeted me, again with my name on a sign, and a male driver brought us into Istanbul. This service was arranged by the Hotel Obelisk & Sumengen. I asked Ferda about herself and life. She said she likes to go dancing on Saturday night. We had a great conversation once we found out we are both artists. She's writing a book based on her tour guide experiences and she likes to draw … chairs. "Chairs?" I asked, recalling one of my own first drawings that was of a chair. "Yes, but not like these." (Points at the cigarette burn pocked van seat.) Dreamily, she told: "when I write and draw I really find myself". I agreed and we shared a moment. On the waterfront, families were picnicking, grilling and frolicking together, and she pointed out some huge view apartment buildings that old money and foreigners can afford.

Checked into my hotel room and walked into a brouhaha that I didn't notice until it was over -- the call to prayer. The room's view is of a carpet shop and incomplete concrete buildings with rebar poking up and out. Apparently, construction projects are continued when cash is available and once the project is done, it is taxed at a higher rate. So, you see a lot of rebar and incomplete buildings in Turkey and in Greece.

This afternoon I ventured out into the neighborhood and didn't get too lost. Sure, I can read a map, but the street names are unrecognizable to me even though they use our same alphabet! The first person I spoke with was the young owner of the rug shop I can see from the room. He told me how hard he's tried to get a visa to leave the country for a vacation. He said that once inflation is as high as it is, average people can't readily leave the country because it's expected that they will not come back. I can get in and they can't get out.

You can buy and trade English books at a shop on the next street. Serdar is the owner, a man about my age who has memorized the key facts about every one of the United States at least. He asked me some obscure questions about Seattle that I could not answer. An Internet café next to his shop put me on a 56Kbps modem with 4 other people! This is a puzzle - do we really need the letter "i"? Couldn't find it on the keyboard.

The hippodrome, Blue Mosque and Hagia Sophia are close-by, in a setting of groomed lawns and flower gardens in spring bloom. Entire families are out walking together. Wandering vendors sell roasted corn or simet bread. Istanbul is now on my list for revisiting along with Prague and Karlovy Vary --- but with someone!

Day 5
Breakfast buffet is yummy - tomatoes, cucumbers, black olives, cheese, hard boiled egg, bread, thick compote style preserves of apricot, cherry and strawberry, rich yogurt, cereal options and strong brewed coffee. The expansive view of the Marmara Sea from the hotel's penthouse and deck restaurant is dynamically dramatic.

Street food vendors here have chai on the back and breads on the head. This morning I ventured out on foot into Istanbul to find the Spice Market and Grand Bazaar. I saw tea runners - boys who carry hanging trays from shop to shop, offering glasses of black tea with a spoon and a dish of sugar cubes. In a town square, tea servers carrying tea in a backpack were costumed in a kind of white suit and shoes with curled up elf toes. Here, tea is chai and it's good plain black tea.

Found the Grand Bazaar and it is truly a maze. Took comfort in a back-up plan to flag down a taxi if I got lost. At the Grand Bazaar watching young and old men carry hundreds of pounds on their back up a narrow street to the Grand Bazaar (instead of using dollies), I remembered a similar scene in Elia Kazan's movie, America America. I think I became fascinated with Turkey and Greece subliminally about 3 months ago while discovering the works of Elia Kazan.

The Grand Bazaar was the World's first international shopping center, the terminal for the Orient Express and crossroads for merchants. Remembering Peabody Essex Museum at Salem, Massachusetts, I think many of those trader sea captains came to exactly this place. When I bought some antique-image picture postcards, the shopkeeper told me that "the Galata Bridge is right out there you know." So, I crossed it. On the bridge, I saw boys selling a "weigh". Pay them a little, and you can get on their scale. Wondering at the extent to which we take all our resources, and freedom, for granted.

Ferda's tour pamphlets told of a place off the beaten track - Pierre Loti café. I took a taxi there and learned this lesson again - always just use the meter. I asked the driver the estimated cost. He told me and didn't turn the meter on, which I failed to notice. The trip back was a quarter of the cost! Anyway, Pierre Loti was a French marine officer who melted into Istanbul society with all his heart beginning in 1876.

After a little walk around, sat down for chai, all they served, and some really excellent dried figs and raw almonds I bought at the Spice Market. Outdoors on this fresh spring day high on a hill overlooking the Golden Horn, I heard the prayer call honking out from every direction in the metropolis and over the water. It starts a little off center, like fireworks on the 4th of July. Pierre Loti café clientele were all Turkish so I watched the scene - two young men and a young woman flirting, a couple, their toddler and grandma, all the women wearing a formal sort of monochromatic wool dress and head scarf. Old men fiddled with some prayer beads. People looked at me discretely and obviously, possibly confused why I choose to drink chai alone in this extremely social society. I felt very foreign at that moment.

Late this afternoon, the Best of Turkey tour group met for the first time. After our chai and orientation, including a mock demonstration for using a Turkish toilet, we skirted rain puddles over to the Blue Mosque. Our tour guide is fantastic. Her name is Lale and that means tulip in Turkish. Our assistant guide is Kitty, and our trusty driver will be Rafet. Lale is Turkish. She speaks well, keeping her comments interesting. On my own, I have already discovered that I need explanations here, about the life, the people, the aesthetic, Islam and even Christianity. So it is good to have company and a guide. Many, many cats here, much like Rome. Antiquity is the land of cats.

Day 6
Today was go go go.
Walking in our group of about 20 people, our first stop was the Basilica Cistern that supplied water to the sultans in Constantinople from 6AD for 10 centuries. It was remarkable as a watery museum and Tschaikovsky's Nutcracker Suite echoed throughout. Marble from ancient gods' temples was recycled to build the cistern. That is Minerva's face upside down supporting a column. The peacock motif of a unique column is not explained, but the rounds look like eyes, don't they.

The cavernous, spectacular Byzantine Hagia Sofia is being restored. Built in 537AD in only 6 years, the scaffolding is still up after something like 10 years for restoration. You just can't do so much so fast and cheap without slave labor. I learned that a Renaissance of arts, sciences and architecture was going on in Constantinople just as it was in Florence during the cinquecento. Sinan, one of the architects, was a contemporary of western Renaissance men, like da Vinci.

Then, we walked to the Islamic Arts museum where we had black or apple chai and simet on the veranda and listened to Lale. This museum displays decorative arts and life-size diorama of Turkish lifestyles including explanation about using plants for fabric dye.

Enjoyed a generous, delicious lunch at the Pudding Shop where I dug into my new favorite food - roasted eggplant. Can you really eat it raw with mayonnaise like Michael Franks sings? Why would you want to when it's so rich and meaty roasted with this ultra-fine olive oil? Lale says it contains nicotine.

After lunch, we visited the Chora Church outside central Istanbul. A post card of the whimsical shell and planetary motif of one fresco will hang near Neptune chez moi. These kids were horsing around together and they wanted their picture taken.

Then, we headed back to town, to the Spice Market and Grand Bazaar. Although I had been there the day before, nothing was redundant and if I lived here I could shop there every day. But, I am one to do frequent food shopping. Mary, a Rick Steves assistant guide who was hanging out with us, took me and tour mate Diana to her friend's jewelry kiosk. It was fun to meet some insiders and I bought some woven sterling silver jewelry made by women near the Black Sea, for scandalous low prices. I also got an evil eye charm attached to my watch. Mary introduced us to the gold wholesalers.

Tomorrow night we head for Ankara and beyond. Not sure of Internet access there.

Day 7

Topkapi Palace was right by our hotel so we walked there this morning. Visually exciting to me were the textures of the paving and the forms of the windows and doorways. Walls of some rooms were mother of pearl inlay in dark wood next to blue tile. The city views were breathtaking. The day was warm. Went a little crazy taking pictures in the harem - the light, the shadow, the forms… Mental note: see Topkapi, the movie. Children with bright faces called out "hello, hello". We waved back, answered and smiled at them. They were on field trips with their teachers, their classes distinguished by their different uniforms.

Then, we took the bus across the big bridge over the Golden Horn I'd seen from Pierre Loti café, and went to Istical Street, a pedestrian street, in the new city of Istanbul. Diana and I had donar kabob at a greasy spoon, fed some scrawny cats, and we sort of encountered a couple of Turkish men. Frank that they tend to be, the one I ended up talking to immediately stated that I am much older than he! He just graduated from business school so we talked about marketing principles and TurkCell . At the Istanbul airport, it's image in ads struck me as a brand of battery. It's Turkey's mobile phone company, GSM of course, and the only Turkish company on NASDAQ. I stopped to buy the special hazelnut chocolate bar - hazelnuts are locally grown - and I paid for a huge size but received a very small one! Being a millionaire is not easy. You can get taken advantage of. Gallant boy offered to make it right for me, but since no one else wanted any of my chocolate, I figured I had plenty. It was the best milk chocolate hazelnuts I've ever tasted - really fresh hazelnuts.

Back in Istanbul, some of us joined Lale to visit a small mosque, Rustem Pasa Camii, where some of the best-preserved Isnik tiles are. Somehow, the red they originally achieved is not reproducible. Great fun was going through the back alleys of the Grand Bazaar with a destination in mind. The exotic scents of the Spice Market were wafting through the air creating a really special secluded moment within the hubbub.

After the spiritual interlude at the mosque, Lale took us to meet her friends at a stall in the Spice Market. They sell saffron, caviar, candies and all kinds of spices. I tasted samples and bought some fine saffron and a collection of multi-colored peppercorns, all at a discount. We were again set loose in the Grand Bazaar and Spice Market with orders to meet at a boat at 1600h. I took off on my own and met this man (left) whose name I do not know. A brass mortar and pestle for my peppercorns caught my eye at his shop. He is a student of hat, an art form I just discovered here. Turkish people are about as likely to be educated in the Arabic language as European or American people. However, Arabic is seen ubiquitously in the art of "hat" calligraphy. So we chatted and I bought the utensil for about $2. It also rings like a refined dinner bell. Finally solved the mystery of the white powders at the market. They are soap flakes and moth repellent.

Having stayed in my spice haven perhaps too long, I managed to find the meeting place after ritualistic panic and sweat - stumbled upon my tour mates sampling exquisite halvah, Turkish delight, dried fruits, really fresh crunchy nuts, etc. We boarded the boat, destination: Asian side of the Bosphorus and the interior of western Turkey.

Sat at the dinner table with Rafet, our driver, so I drank the yogurt drink, aram, like he does, and the spicy beet juice called salgam. Cheers - chéréfé. Tart cherry juice was a drink I didn't choose. There are many non-alcoholic drinks to enjoy, which the Turkish people seem to prefer. Wine and beer are generally available and acceptable to drink, though.

There is Rafet's profile as he relaxes before the bus ride to Ankara ahead of him while we all take the train. The sunset view could have been San Francisco Pier 39 to Marin but it was Asia Minor to Europe. The sun set over Istanbul - a palette of warm reds and purples and blues amidst minarets.

Day 8
Night train to Ankara . . . and Cappadocia (Kapadokya). My hallucinogenic dream on this night train had me climbing down the bunk ladder to check on our status. The sound of the engine had told me our space module had separated and we were drifting free. I started to try the door and realized Turkey was outside. That's what happened after I drank spicy salgam at dinner before boarding the night train to Ankara.

"The countryside could be central California," said one tour mate, but Turkey's identity emerged more remarkably than imaginable at the Anatolian Civilizations Museum. We arrived at about 8:30 a.m. and dug in right away to discover the ages of man and the time periods in which they occurred in Anatolia/Asia Minor. Paleolithic, Neolithic, Bronze Age, Hittite, Phrygian societies are all illustrated to tell the progressive story of humanity as it happened in Anatolia.

Everything is remarkable; some morsels stand out. The mother goddess Cybele was worshiped here for real. The Neolithic Age experienced a rate of change similar in magnitude to the Information Age as far as how different life became in a short time. Vanity's importance is timeless as evidenced by a type of mirror that holds water as a device for primping. Letters were created in clay; some on display show "friendly correspondence between queens." King Midas' tomb, created in the 7th millennium BC, is represented by a display showing how it was not discovered till the 1960s A.D.!

In Istanbul, the Byzantine Age was often mentioned and this museum enlarges one's view of Turkey as a place called Anatolia. In Istanbul, one sees rugs and wonders if they're authentic, as they look so like native American creations. Here one learns they both saw the influence of Paleolithic-era designs and sees how peoples of the earth have existed as a whole.

Our next visit was to Ataturk's Mausoleum. Having read a list of his accomplishments for Turkey, I already admired him. This monumental testament to his leadership makes me wonder: How have I studied fascism, marxism, political systems and social ideology without finding any mention of Ataturk and his vision for human happiness? More than having a vision, he pulled together diverse peoples-first effectively shrugging off the hold of the evil Ottomans to create a nation with a future. So where is he mentioned among the world's great leaders? Stalin gets so much attention and Ataturk gets none!

In Ankara, near a Space Needle-looking structure visible from Ataturk's Mausoleum, we enjoyed another fine meal, but I refused tripe soup, then boarded our bus for Cappadocia. People napped. We woke up in time to see shepherds with their sheep, goats, donkeys and dogs. We passed trucks with cabs decorated with colorful swinging beads. We paused at several rest stops where the price of a glass of chai dropped by 50,000 Turkish lira each time (from 250,000 TL, less than 25 cents). We passed a salt lake that was big and reflective.

Approaching our hotel at Mustafa Pasa, the terrain, sky and light became magical. On the former Silk Road, we passed a caravanserai and learned that such places caused an economic boom in the 13th century by tempting merchants to stay awhile. We passed Cappadocian cave dwellings, fairy chimney rock formations, vineyards and wide-spot-on-the-road towns. After a Turkish lesson on the bus, we admired the stark yet graceful rock formations all around us. I found myself in a mystical place I know has been experienced and appreciated by many people through the ages.

Day 9
Our hosts treated us like VIPs, preparing us a special welcome breakfast with chocolate cake one day and scrambled eggs the next! Everyone's being so good, letting me pose the food for this picture. Bon Appétit! I mean, afiyetolsun!

Cappadocia is a treat of surprising natural forms for the eyes and a step back in time. In beautiful temperate weather, with wildflowers, apple trees and lilac blooming, we explored Cappadocia on foot. A region which once housed the early Christians in natural caves they painted with their icons, those long-gone people also dug into the soft rock to create underground rooms and cities. This is tufa (limestone) so the weather has worn them down over the years. We learned that Poplar trees are like money in the bank and a number of them are planted at a birth or a wedding for future needs.

My favorite story of this day is feeling like I'm in the middle of nowhere when I feel my elbow tapped and a local woman summons me over a small hill. I say to Patty: "Is she asking me to follow her?" Affirmative. The woman leads me to her car, opens the trunk and it is full of handmade dolls. What a wonder.

We had a lunch invitation. Sevin, a villager in Uchisar made us bean stew, rice, salad and banana for dessert. I sat with 7 tour mates in a room with a teen's celebrity icons on the walls. The personal rooms double as more space when needed. After lunch, Sevin answered our questions about life here. I was interested to find out that Sevin's husband, Mustapha, has Internet access down at his local café but he says he doesn't know what to do with it. In an unusual move for a woman, Sevin has run for mayor. She lost, but she'll try again. She wants to work for better education and school attendance as well as economic development of her town. She, her daughters and daughters-in-law, like many women in the region, work on handicrafts like beaded scarves and crocheted collars to sell to tourists. Their handiwork is very fine. Lale promotes the idea of forming cooperatives to them to improve their economies.

We visited the carpet shop I saw while heading into town - Carpedochia. Yes, I smirked at the name, but finally the merchants were the ones to show us how silkworm cocoons are boiled and made into silk. I remembered collecting mulberry leaves for my silkworm pets as a kid. They told us about wool on wool and wool on cotton (tighter) and silk on cotton while we sipped chai or wine or raki, Turkish anise seed liqueur. There were some fantastic carpets.

Apparently, carpet patterns are often something new for a weaver to learn about. A carpet from the countryside, made without a pattern, contains the irregularities of having learned from mother or having had a dream the night before or having had a squabble that morning. I disregarded the tribal patterns in Istanbul, but not today. These are Turkish, not native American copies. What is this link we have? I bought a small floral wool on cotton runner for my entry stairs, to be shipped. Thank goodness they also gave me a bag because I needed it for my new dolls, tablecloth, pillowcases, and rich fabrics I'm taking home.

In the evening, we had yet another wonderful meal and to our surprise, musicians appeared! We all danced together with our hosts and their family while the musicians played and sang. It was an evening of real Turkish song and entertainment spent dancing or lounging very low to the ground. Melanie danced with zils finger cymbals for everyone.

Day 10
In the morning, before we left Mustapha Pasa, an announcement came through on the loud speakers used for call to prayer. Lale told us that the townspeople were just reminded to get their children's polio vaccine.

We continued to explore the tufa and basalt formations of Cappadocia. Can you spot the dog admiring the view? And look, that is not a cottage, it is a fairy chimney you peek through the trees!

We visited a potter's workshop and showroom. After his demonstration, I introduced myself in French to Monsieur Galip who had said he has practiced pottery in France. He gave me a small clay bowl that he autographed which we soon used to trap a yellow jacket in the bus! I noticed the adoration he received compared to the pretty flip attitude toward the women carpet weavers we met. Then again, it is Chez Galip.

We had lunch in a cave - the food as always fresh and tasty - then headed over to an underground city built around 2BC, which descends 8 levels and once housed 2,000 people. I took the tour, imagining communal life underground. Hittite humans were very petite compared to my own 5' 10". The electricity had failed right before we entered, but it stayed on for us.

We moved on to Guzelyurt (beautiful land). Lale took us for a walk before dinner. The sun was going down and the quality of light was fantastic. Sheep bells echoed melodically through the valley. Cows were coming home, sharing the road with cars, and they would moo before they got to their door to be let in. Here is a picture of my favorite, Marilyn cow. Look at her eyes. "Cow eyes" is indeed a compliment.

On our walk, we encountered a woman who does survey work to find out why children may not be going to school. We saw new housing developments where people were relocated out of living in the tufa caves into modern apartments. This region is rich in history, culture, resources and tourist potential and they are trying hard to realize that potential fully. Young women were doing their laundry at this public fountain, and people were enjoying evening hours outdoors. All the women in Cappadocia wear these harem pants.

Memories recorded: donkey braying, donkey howling, sheep bells, crickets, rooster cocka doodle doo, wind in my ears, starlings, bee buzz, tractor motor, smell of fresh grass, spring sun… watching a shepherd and his dog herd the sheep along on the other side of the valley like purposeful specs…

Day 11
Today we visited a mosque that was originally a church. In 385AD, the church was dedicated to Saint Gregory because he originated Gregorian chants there. The Imam spoke with us via Lale. The Imam in Turkey is a community leader who must complete theology studies in university and pass a proficiency test. In Turkey, the Imam is a civil servant to make sure that no cultish power develops. He explained that Gihad means "fight against ignorance" (not terrorism), so he was doing his part talking to us. The city is considering converting the mosque back to a church and promoting it as a tourist attraction. Under a white wash, many Christian frescos are still intact. Many Christian frescos have been destroyed because of their figurative representations, but some can be restored if they were just covered by whitewash.

Lingering images on leaving Guzelyurt include these kids, walking through the town square full of men at tables, talking, drinking chai and playing backgammon, driving past a man painting his balcony grill lavender, stopping the bus for James Lee to go redirect a turtle crossing the road. After lunch, we left for Konya, a big city where Lale warned us to dress very conservatively.

En route, we stopped at this caravanserai, a rest stop for caravans on the Silk Road trade route, the whole of which would take several years. Merchants purchased protection and shelter for their wares, themselves and animals. Caravanserai services included baths, a library, a prison, food and water. Around the 16th century, water transportation started to replace the Silk Road

Facing the caravanserai, a sort of truck stop mini mart offered a good assortment of music. I bought a really good CD by group called Harem. (They have a new CD out now - Harem II.) It's Turkish percussion on the experimental side. Lale said they're the latest group. Missed seeing their posters in Istanbul. The price of CDs was marked in dollars. Like my favorite gypsy CDs from Arles, this one cost $15. Small world.

I always have a glass of chai when the bus stops, for the experience ordering it and the pick-me-up. Here, chai only cost about 20 cents. The further we get from Istanbul, the price of chai drops.

Konya is a big city, rather charmless at first glance, and we are staying in a big hotel. For all we forfeit in charm, we have gained in water pressure and heat in the shower. Not a bad trade off for a night.

Day 12
It's about 80F! We walked to the Mevlana Museum via an underground arcade full of dazzling gold shops. Mevlana Rumi's poetry is still revered today, and he lived long ago - 1207 - 1273. The Museum's rose garden was strikingly colorful and fragrant. Rumi taught that man should take no more from Earth than he needs, like the rose. His ideas involve losing your self to find your soul. The whirling dervishes would spin and reach a kind of meditative state. I enjoyed discovering this poetry.

Driving through the Taurus Mountains to the Mediterranean coast, we stopped for lunch. I had the fish, and later we discovered that the fish pond was right outside in the picnic area! No wonder it tasted so fresh. Mountain goats could be seen prancing about on the rocky mountains as we sped away. In the middle of those mountains, Lale got a cell call from a fellow tour guide that a special opera performance is happening tomorrow night only - at the millennia-old Roman Aspendos Theater that holds 13,000 people. We will try to get tickets!

In Antalya, we have arrived in a new and beautiful region of Turkey on the Mediterranean. It has a feeling of Italy - like Viareggio - but then on any closer look it is definitely not Italy. Many decrepit buildings from the Ottoman times are in restoration. The capital project digging up the streets is not for fiber optics, but for plumbing and sewage. There are many German and Russian visitors here. The air is very nice and warm -- sensual to feel air on bare skin without a bit of chill.

Tonight we had our Turkish Bath. It was a fantastic treatment. In fact, I suggest making this custom mainstream in the US to result in fewer skin ailments, healthier body image and better health because women start talking about their body. You sit around on heated marble using small bowls of water from tubs under hot and cold faucets. An attendant gives you an exfoliating massage with a rough mitt, then another attendant soaps you up with some rose soap, and you finish up as you wish. Followed by chai, it was all very pleasant indeed.

Day 13
Today we took a cruise on a "gulet" from Antalya to Pheselis - a Greco-Roman town founded in 334BC, now ruins in the middle of pine trees. The Turkish crewmembers were very happy, like everyone is very happy, that we are here. They are interested in showing us their country and hearing where we have visited. They are just plain hospitable, enjoying their visitors.

There are 2 American destroyers stationed not far out and we saw some American soldiers off duty last night acting unruly.

As soon as we embarked, the chai and biscuit cookies were served. Some of us went swimming in the Mediterranean Sea. The extra-salty water makes you very buoyant so I kept my hair clean from the Turkish bath dry. Some swimmers got tiny stings in the water and our hosts had a soothing homemade balm at the ready. Later, we had delicious small fried fish, fresh mixed herbal salad and spaghetti in olive oil for lunch followed by juicy orange slices for dessert. Who knew - I really like these little fish. Melanie says they are called mullet, common in Florida.

I chatted with the crew for a while and we did bisoux - cheek kissing - when the group left. It made me feel like a European insider. Sadly I wrecked my roll of film and will lose the photos since Konya! - hopefully not the caravanserai, too!

Tonight, we'll go to see Carmen at Aspendos Theater.

Day 14
What a night at the opera. Hordes of people from every country in the world, yet each of us in our group had a seat cushion so we had identity. We assembled ourselves very quickly after the performance in the midst of thousands by holding them over our head! The performance was fine and quite impressive in its venue. The extreme dust might have damaged me, though.

This morning, we had to get up very early to leave for a visit with nomads and our final destination of Pamukkale, the cotton castle cliffs.

The nomads are a mother and daughter Lale met years ago. They made us sage flower tea using their unusual stove, and answered a litany of questions. They move between two locations during the year and they farm a plot of land near the town. Their tents are made of goat hair they weave -- the lanolin content makes the covering fairly water repellent. It was very clean inside the tent because everyone takes off shoes before entering. They have a kitchen tent, a tent for the (grand)mother and one for the daughter(mother) and her family. The men have their tasks to do. The children go to school every day in a school bus. A soccer ball on the floor looked autographed, but it proved to contain the names of a member of the extended family in each section of it. It belonged to the 10 year old son.

Some other tour buses came by and the people acted like this was a zoo! These other people just barged in without taking off their shoes, peered through the tent openings taking photos. I asked the ladies if they have a way to signal "no visitors", and they do not. They said: "every guest is sent by God", so they welcome everyone, but it makes them irritated or angry when people walk into the tent without taking off their shoes. My American arms-length attitude would have me put my real tent on the other side of the hill, and make a dummy by the road - but of course they don't have any extra tents!

The ladies make beaded scarves, knitted socks and dolls. They live right next to the road to encourage this business. They wish a choice of lifestyle for their children and school is important for that, so they do their handiwork and sell it to keep the kids in school and not working.

After visiting the Nomads, we went to a farmers market at Korkuteli. Many Nomads go there for supplies, so we were told we could find anything. Sure enough, found allergy relief in an essential oil, bought kleenex and got my sunglasses fixed - everything I needed at the moment. Strawberries are beautifully ripe, and I bought some from this couple. Then we had sandwiches for lunch by the bluest lake I have ever seen - Salda Lake.

In the afternoon, we swam at a thermal pool strewn with underwater Roman columns. Silly perhaps, I enjoyed leaping through the water from one platform to the next like they were the rooftops of Crouching Tiger Hidden Dragon. Had to run fast to see the cliffs after all the swimming (and a glass of chai), and they were impressive. The area - Hieropolis - had been a medical center BC using these calcium mineral waters. After swimming and running, I treated myself to a massage with a few others at a local spa before dinner. It was sublime.

Day 15

Destination: Aphrodisias, fine arts and philosophy center of ancient times and one of Turkey's best-presented archeological digs and museums. Many statues throughout antiquity were signed by "so-and-so trained at Aphrodisias". Named for Aphrodite - a mother goddess there, not just goddess of love as in the myths, her temple is very prominent and impressive. We had a good walk outside, and in the museum. Here is one photo I call "Roman Senator and his mini me".

I have learned that so many of the ruins are incomplete simply because pieces of them were used for other buildings. Christians destroyed the pagan when Christianity became accepted as the only religion. Non-Christians destroyed Christian sites. Also, starting at Rome's National Museum, I got the message that that the marble columns and statues were all painted vibrant colors when the cities existed - what a different look that would be!! Now they are white and whole after being cleaned up and reassembled, otherwise they are fragments covered in gray green lichen.

Lunch at the Anatolia Restaurant was delicious green salad, Turkish pizza and triple fat yogurt and honey.

We visited Mother Mary's (Virgin Mary's) house. Christ apparently handed Mary and John over to each other as mother and son at his crucifixion (John 19 25 - 27) and this is where she lived out her days. It was hidden until the twentieth century when a stigmatized German nun had dreams and revealed to those who would leave the convent that Mary had told her about this house in this place. Thick forest was penetrated and the foundations were discovered. I watched a priest hold a service under the live oak trees. It is an Islamic place of worship, too, because Mary is mentioned in the Koran where they describe the 29 prophets. Monks and nuns live there now.

I enjoyed visiting the places of Aphrodite and Mary in one day.

On to Kusadasi, we arrived to discover a large seaport town and our room had this splendid view of it all.

Day 16

This morning we visited Ephesus . It is a most fantastic excavated ancient city. If you want to see the best Greek and Roman ruins, come to Turkey. Ephesus was the commercial center from 3 millennium BC. Rebuilt as a new city 4 times, the sea used to be next to the 4th city and it is now 6KM away! Anthony and Cleopatra walked down the same street I did today. Socrates visited Ephesus. ("Socrates slept here"). We had a thorough translated tour of the recently reconstructed slope houses of the rich Ephesians, most beautiful was the "wallpaper" frescoes of birds. The famous toilet scene is only complete once you know that once upon a time there were live musicians who played near-by.

Artists display their work in the ruins of Ephesus and I know I can do at least as well... How many paintings would I have to sell to pay for a trip to Turkey?

Day 17
Our farewell dinner took place in the charming hill town of "Nasty", a name dubbed it by a resident trying to escape the big city who didn't want any neighbors. Having seen the town storks, and caught our last strains of donkeys braying in the night, our early wake up call the next morning put us on the move for our last group effort - taking the ferry from Kusadasi, Turkey to Samos Island, Greece.

The morning sky was clear blue and slightly hazy in the distance, giving picturesque and layered relief to the town of Kusadasi and its geography near and far. The town and its surroundings were still sleepy when our ferry pulled away from its dock. We each took our preferred places on deck or inside and Bill learned from the many American families on board that they were military stationed in Turkey - the "best kept secret" assignment, they said.

We admired the calm azure Aegean Sea and the shapes of islands in the distance. A little solemn, but anticipating new adventures, our transition was marked by the placement of the blue and white Greek flag on the mast. The red and white crescent and star flag of Turkey continued to wave on the stern.

The ferry arrived in Pythagorio. We walked through the village to the bus that would take us to Samos Town. Luckily, our luggage got a ride. Enjoyed the new look of Greek design with all its colorful fishing boats, neat houses and amazing lush flowers. The gardens were rich in color and texture -- cascades of fuchsia bougainvillea, profusely blooming rose bushes of scarlet, salmon and every other rosy color, far-reaching vines of a deep purple and blue morning glory - floral frosting on white buildings with blue trim. Healthy and sudden rainfall explains the gorgeous flora and foliage.

In Samos Town, our group was suddenly disbanded, but it's such a small town that we kept running into each other for a hello or a meal. On a walk, some of us left the Hotel Samos taking a right, away from the cafés on the waterfront, and found a small beach there. The Aegean Sea was clear and warm, rocks underfoot and cliffs rising dramatically all around. The beach café hadn't opened for the season yet, so it felt like a personal hideaway.

As idyllic as that, our magical, mysterious, intensive, friendly introduction to the Best of Turkey came to an end.

Day 18
It rained a little again. Ran into Kitty at the archeological museum - a good collection of coins, explanations of antiquity, statues, Samos' cult of Hera… I made my reservations to go to Naxos and will stay at the Coronis Hotel for 2 nights. Read about walking paths all over Naxos and a women's crafts cooperative. Also, that is where Ariadne met Dionysis after being dumped by the hero, Theseus, who got all her credit for slaying the minotaur of the labyrinth on Crete. It all made sense at one time. Then, visit Santorini the volcanic island, then hopefully Crete and then Athens. Then re-experience Paris, then go home.

Later that day …

Still running into Elaine and Patrick from the tour! I staked out the vantage point in the harbor where the ferry would be seen, a speck on the horizon, to no avail. The ferry is delayed because of high wind. Once it gets here, its next departure in unknown. The quality of light in the drizzle rain is beautiful but I must get going to Naxos and beyond. I only have so much time. Will I take a hydrofoil to Santorini Tuesday? If I don't get to Crete, should I spend more time in Athens? So many possibilities...

Day 19 …

I am having a heck of a time getting off Samos Island. Last night the ferry arrived, but it never did leave, so I am getting rid of all plans but Crete then Athens then Paris. Bought a ticket to fly to Athens and Iraklios Crete. In a few days, I'll bus to Hania and try to hike the Samarian Gorge, which descends to the Libyan Sea. I am totally stressed right now, trying to make these arrangements because the info is not public and the person who has it isn't very creative. Plus, the agency wants to charge me for the hotel on the island the boat didn't go to! Who knew Greek weather would get in the way of my own fabulous plans? To properly travel the Greek Isles one should have plenty of time for weather and avoid pre-payment unless you're willing to forfeit the money.