I always feel it’s important to start off a travel post by communicating some reality. Posts in all forms of social media can make viewers feel things. One of those things is that the life being viewed is enviable for some reason. While I am beyond grateful to be able to travel, I want to say plainly that my life is far from enviable, far from “perfect.” There are many things you would not envy that I won’t presently unpack here. I believe that’s how it is in most cases, no matter whose life you are viewing, no matter who is smiling back at you from the exotic places they’ve visited. So sit back, enjoy the slide show, and know that it is not indicative of anything else but my love of travel, cultures, and adventuring with family.
I also want to say that while this post has nothing to do with Orcas Island, it actually has everything to do with Orcas Island. I attribute most of our travels abroad to living here. The 6-8 months of gray does something to the brain. Especially if your previous years were lived in permanent, motivating sunshine. Needing to get away from the blanketing cloud separating the sun from the land here is something for which I should be more grateful, since it has led to visiting places I would never have previously expected. Had we stayed in Santa Barbara, we may have just driven to Venice Beach or Big Sur when we needed to experience something new.
So why Turkey?
About 8 years ago, I heard about a trip to China on Travelzoo.com. It cost $299 per person for the flight, the 4-star hotels, the on-going guided tour to many amazing locations, the bus and driver, and breakfast each day. $299!!!! I had heard that it was legit, and we almost booked it. A year or so later, I saw it come up again on the same site. After I shared the information one day with my son’s teacher at the time, who loved to travel during her summers off, she went home and received a call from her sister, who had seen the same deal and suggested that they both go with their husbands. They booked the trip and she came home to share that it was totally legit, that China must’ve been trying to drum up tourism to their country, and that they had a wonderful time on the tour.
A few more years went by and I saw the tour come up again for the same unbelievable price. We’d had years to ponder it, so we decided it wouldn’t make sense to sit around and hem and haw about it anymore. We booked it.
That was in 2019. March of 2020 rolled around, and our tour was immediately cancelled. COVID years slowly passed by, followed by some much-needed normalcy. Then my husband had a bike accident, some broken bones, and some lasting brain trauma. Our travel credit was set to expire in May of 2024, so we began to seriously think about the tours the company was offering in May. After a lot of consideration we decided that our younger son and I would go on the least expensive trip on the list – a 9-day tour of Istanbul, Ankara, and Cappadocia. The country where the East and the West meet – Turkey. Or as we soon learned, Türkiye, pronounced Tür-key-eh, not Tur-key.
While my husband would like to do more traveling, a whirlwind, nonstop trip doesn’t pair well with a brain injury. And while I could’ve gone by myself to use up the credit, I would have regretted not bringing our son along. He loves to travel and is a lighthearted, flexible, even-keel companion who loves seeing new places and rolls with whatever comes his way.
When you’re thinking about life, you can forget that it will take you places in the world. I had always hoped that someday I would make it to the city that was once Constantinople, but never did I dream it would happen in such a strange and immediate way. I’m still blown away that we were in Turkey when I look at images of it on Google today.
As the weeks counted down to the day we would be flying out, it all seemed surreal. Was this really going to happen??
The big day came. I had booked the second ferry of the morning, which gave us several extra hours in addition to driving to Seattle, dropping the car off at airport parking, and waiting at the airport for 3 hours. If anything were to arise, we’d be alright in that abundant leeway.
Not so. Boy, did I learn an incredibly stressful and unforgettable lesson that day: Take an evening ferry and stay in a hotel the night before departing for a trip across the world, even though it will cost a bit more.
Though we’ve done this many times in the past, I got a heavy reminder of why we do it.
The ferry was late. We arrived in Anacortes an hour later than expected. At least there was plenty of extra time built in for such a thing. Then the ferry deboarded all of the cars and our area was last. Fine, no biggie. It wasn’t until we drove away from the ferry terminal and folded into the local Anacortes traffic that I was struck with a seriousness I hadn’t expected. I’m normally very laid-back, not one to worry, flexible to a fault. But you see, winter had been long and gray. This first day of May happened to be one of the first balmy, sunshiney days in a tease of on-again, off-again brightness. When times are gray for long periods, Northwest people hole up in their houses. When it’s finally warm and sunny, we’re like Northern Europeans long-awaiting the light, ready to get out and see what we’ve been missing all those months at the drop of a hat.
Here we were, going at a snail’s pace in Anacortes, before the driving part of the journey had even really commenced. A heaviness began to overtake me, which is an unfamiliar feeling when I travel. What if, just what if, the traffic continued on the highway long before we reached Seattle?? I always build in time for things to happen at the beginning of trips when ferries and possible traffic are involved, but traffic in Anacortes? If there was traffic in little Anacortes, that could surely portend a possible trend of folks wanting to get out in all of the larger suburbs leading into the greater Seattle area. Oh gosh. A feeling of dread began to spread into my every cell as our speed didn’t quicken significantly enough to matter from Burlington to Marysville. I don’t think I was present for anything Levi said from then on unless it was wholly connected to getting to SeaTac in time for our flight.
As minutes turned to hours, fright of losing out on a 9-day guided tour on the other side of the planet turned to serious, all-out, out-loud prayer that somehow traffic would let up in Seattle, of all unlikely places. It would make no sense for that to happen, but I am the ultimate hopeful idealist. My heart sank deeply when I briefly allowed the thought of arriving a few minutes too late, watching our plane take off, and driving home. Our tickets were not changeable or refundable, and we certainly would not be paying for brand new, more expensive tickets for the next Turkish Airlines flight out of Washington State. We would be ferrying again over the Salish Sea, processing aching amounts of stupid human error on my part and a week-plus of unmade memories in exotic places we might never have the chance to see again.
Almost unbelievably, we crossed the Ship Canal Bridge over Lake Union and Portage Bay after taking in the view of the Space Needle, and experienced an oddly accelerating pace of traffic. Within minutes, traffic was no longer the word characterizing what was happening. We were suddenly flying down the highway with very few cars in our midst. It made no sense, and oh, what renewed hope I began to feel.
Doing the math yet again after many hours of constant calculating, if our speedy pace continued to the airport parking place, we could have about 40-50 minutes “to spare” once at the airport before the plane taxied down the runway.
Traffic never ensued again. Within 20 minutes, we were handing the car keys over to Extra Car, hurriedly signing on the dotted line, loading our baggage onto the shuttle van, and feeling a sense of buoyed hope tempered by a bit of protective reservation.
Once at SeaTac, we ran in, found Turkish Airlines at the final kiosk at the far end of the building just as the attendants were leaving their posts, and asked which way we should go to enter security. “Ma’am, had you arrived a minute later, we would have been gone. We were just leaving to assist with boarding. Let’s see your passports. Once through security, you will have to run to make it before boarding closes.”
Run we did!
Never in my life have I cut it so close to missing a flight. And a flight to Istanbul, no less! When they scanned our passes and we walked onto the sky bridge toward that big, red, wild goose (the Turkish Airlines logo) on the big, white, beautiful bird we’d be riding, I was almost in disbelief. We were some of the last to board, and we hadn’t waited even one minute in the airport. Ten more minutes of traffic and we would have likely lost out on the whole adventure.
I hope you enjoy living vicariously through the following photos. May you, too, live out your dreams after booking a hotel the night before your ferry departs Orcas Island!
Never have I been so relieved to be sitting in a plane, over the moon that we made it in time. Turkish Airlines is amazing – the flavorful ethnic food, the technology in fantastic working order, the service, everything. There wasn’t even a smidgen of turbulence.You can even read the entire Quran on the screen in front of you in the plane.Time for a taxi to the hotel. We later learned that Uber functions through taxis in Turkey, which makes them cheaper. But you have to let your driver know that you see the counter immediately when you arrive or else they will charge you whatever higher fee Uber estimated on your app. It happens in a flash if you’re not keenly prepared to be outspoken the second the taxi pulls up to your destination.Our hotel in Istanbul – unfortunately, part of the package deal included a 5-star hotel, and I say unfortunately because I always book reasonable Airbnbs in interesting areas, and this hotel was situated in between factories in an industrial area 30 minutes away from all of the main sites. We later learned it’s where all the people recovering from plastic surgery stay because people flock to Istanbul from around the world for comparatively inexpensive operations. We saw many women in the eating area with bandages covering nose jobs and men with unusual hair-replacement patterns on their heads.We definitely didn’t need 5-star accommodations. It didn’t feel like we were in Turkey. But we were grateful nonetheless. If you ever go to Istanbul, know that you can get a good Airbnb in the fascinating areas for $30-$90 a night.The industrial view from our “scenic” windows.There were dozens and dozens of breakfast options in the large dining area. Breakfasts came with our tour’s package deal.People in Turkey allow street dogs and cats all over the place. We loved it.They even put out little makeshift shelters and piles of food for the wandering buddies. We saw a woman feeding piles of chicken pieces to every large dog she could find. There are roving animal trucks that pick up dogs and cats, tag them, spay or neuter them, give them the medical care they need, and release them back on the streets. One person we talked with joked that healthcare is better for animals than people in Turkey.Mosques are everywhere.This is the Nuruosmaniye Mosque near the Grand Bazaar.This is the Grand Bazaar, “one of the largest and oldest covered markets in the world, with 61 covered streets and over 4,000 shops, attracting between 250,000 and 400,000 visitors daily. In 2014, it was listed No.1 among the world’s most-visited tourist attractions with 91,250,000 annual visitors. lt is often regarded as one of the first shopping malls of the world.” (Wikipedia)Cats became our muses. They’re everywhere. This is one of the streets in the labyrinthine walkways outside of the Grand Bazaar.Hot, pregnant lady.Our tour included a stop at a leather factory – air conditioning, apple tea, and their hopes of us buying expensive jackets.This nice man worked on us for a long time, hoping we would be enticed. We weren’t. Well…I wasn’t.Our guide led our group to good restaurants for lunch, and the people on our tour were lovely.Th inside of the Sultanahmet Mosque, also called the Blue Mosque, is covered in blue tiles.The rules are long pants, no shoes, and women must have head coverings.Yes, cats are allowed everywhere.I love all the Kodak moments of strangers. And cats.Turkish pretzels called simit are all over the place.Inside the Hagia Sophia Grand MosqueMoving from ancient to modern, this is the Çamlıca Tower (pronounced Chomluhja), which is MASSIVE, and it replaces 33 towers that used to be there. Levi saw it on a faraway hill while touring the sites in Istanbul, so we looked up what it was and if we could enter it. We found out it is open to tourists, so the next day we took a taxi Uber to it and went up to the observation floor.Employees do not shoo cats off tables.InsideOutsideThere are awesome food options, from very inexpensive to high-priced. Watch out for the ice cream guys with stands on the street – they reel you in with their fancy hand movements, stick a cone in your hand, do some antics that make you think scoops of ice cream will fall, and before you know it, they’re demanding 264 Turkish lira (the lira is called TRY), or $8, for it. Know the price first.Galata TowerThe family in the background didn’t like the animals around their table. They were very rude to them until a waiter came out and politely told them that they must not act that way to Turkish animals. If an entire country can agree to respect cats, can’t an entire planet agree on world peace??An attentive father cat kept just as keen an eye on his baby as the mother did.This is one of my favorite travel photos ever.It’s a hard life growing up on concrete, attracting people with your tiny little body. But these cat parents were very caring. One woman looked like she was going to take this kitten away from its mother and father and home with her. Some of us were ready to pounce if she tried. When she walked away, a man came over with a produce crate and some cardboard and put the kitten in the middle. The mother hopped in and curled around her baby, finally feeling like she had a small boundary wall from the gawking world. The baby immediately felt secure and began to nurse. It was quite a thing to watch.Dogs and fishermen flock to the area near the Galata Bridge.Headed to Ankara, we passed this giant residence. Our guide said it is a getaway house for President Erdoğan.The vegetarian option at a sit-down lunch restaurant has spinach and cheese in the middle.“Mustafa Kemal Atatürk, the first president of the Republic of Turkey, died at the Dolmabahçe Palace, his official residence in Istanbul, on November 10, 1938. His state funeral was held in the capital city of Ankara on November 21, and was attended by dignitaries from seventeen nations. His body remained at the Ethnography Museum of Ankara until November 10, 1953, the fifteenth anniversary of his death, when his remains were carried to his final resting place here at Anıtkabir.” (Wikipedia)Giant mausoleumPhoto opportunitiesAtaturk’s final resting place, surrounded all day long by armed guards who stand completely still……until the changing of the guard when they finally move, which is quite a formal, silent, and serious spectacle.“Having the privilege of standing guard and keeping watch at the resting place of Atatürk requires a set of fairly stringent selection criteria and an exhaustive training process. At least 1.8 meters in height, proper diction and endurance are required for specially selected volunteers from the training units of the Army, Navy and Air Forces to serve in Atatürk’s Mausoleum. After meeting the requirements, the soldiers are again selected by experts and commanders to be part of the ceremonial team, but this time, a tough training process awaits those who qualify for this honor. The number of soldiers standing guard – like statues – in Anıtkabir increases according to the nature of the ceremony at the landmark. However, soldiers stand guard at seven specific places of the site under normal conditions.” (hurriyetdailynews.com)Museum-ing in AnkaraPanoramic views are at the top of Ankara Castle, one of Ankara’s oldest sites, built somewhere between 476 BC to 33 BC.This is the churro equivalent in Turkey, covered in sweet syrup. Not a low-calorie trip!This is Tuz Golu, Turkey’s Pink Salt Lake.This is a typical bathroom in some places, but many bathrooms have modern options as well.First stop in Cappadocia: eating in an underground cave restaurant. Our meals came in clay pots that had to be broken so that we could pour the contents over our rice. Levi brought our pots home, where they now sit in our garden.We were taken to a high-end jewelry store, as the tour company hoped we would all spend a lot. I was happy to browse.Meet the famous fairy chimneys!Our tour group and fantastic guide, Bunyamin.Levi wanted to explore every cave he could find, wishing he could live in this region for at least a year.This is Pigeon Valley overlooking Uçhisar Castle, basically a 10-minute tourist stop for the view.People have tied pieces of fabric or plastic to certain wishing trees.Evil eye amulets are all over Turkey, thought to ward off bad intentionsI booked a whirling dervish performance for us and wow, it was amazing. They spin on and on and on and on without losing balance.I think there are certain hotels that cater to the tour companies. This one in the Cappadocia region had a massive all-you-can-eat breakfast and dinner buffet with endless desserts.Ancient underground cities are everywhere.A shop on the streetWe were taken to a place and shown how rugs are made, then given tea while they showed us dozens of stunning rugs for sale.CocoonsThis was my favorite rug, which was a tiny silk one hanging on the wallThen we were taken to a famous ceramic factory and given a demonstration before heading into the large artisan store where vessels for tens of thousands of dollars were for sale.The only thing I cared to buy was ice cream.Fairy chimneys in the famous Love Valley, named for the phallic shape of the rocks.A carver selling his wares.A businessman on his construction site.Now that is some dress for climbing up to the top of Uçhisar Castle, which is a big rock cone you can explore and enjoy.The side of Uçhisar CastleInside Uçhisar Castle there was a woman making the Turkish equivalent of quesadillas. The smell of melting cheese emanating from the stone walls made all of our mouths water.This was just a quick hilarious moment. We were all so amazed by the scenery, and then I looked at our group and we were the epitome of tourism.Anatolian Shepherd dogs roam free all over.This little trail was a 2-minute walk from our hotel.Going up in a balloon was anywhere from $400-$600 per person, so we chose the view from the ground.Landing balloonsA residential streetWe took a taxi to the town of Göreme, walked up behind the cave hotels, found a dirt, biblical-times-looking road, and began following it. Nothing and no one was out there where we were walking except the occasional farmer tending a remote field. We didn’t look at maps on our phones so that we could explore on our own. Uçhisar is in the distance.We came to this big, pinkish-white canyon and by this time, 3 large dogs had joined us along the road. We loved the animal companionship. We decided to cross the canyon and head toward Uçhisar, not realizing there were 3 more canyons after it. The dogs decided to continue on the barren, undulating road that went miles and miles toward the horizon.But a new dog had joined us. It seemed older, arthritic, and was slightly limping either from an old injury or from pain. It didn’t leave our side as we descended into canyons, hopped over crevices, trudged through hip-high grass, climbed over rocks, and shimmied between rock walls. It just kept slowly plugging away. Sometimes the dog would disappear and reappear right at our sides. It was amazing.Almost there?Nope, one more canyon to descend.Our big, sweet companion followed us down into a beautiful, green, lush garden of Eden in the valley below.Once we walked up to the town, the dog went its own way.A brand new, freshly painted, air-conditioned little store awaited us as we walked along the road. A large bag of chips, a good-sized Sprite, and a peach drink cost us a little over $2. We couldn’t believe it. We sat there at an old, shaded picnic table beside the road and felt like we’d just hit the jackpot after 25,000 steps and 4 hours of land-traversing.Every now and then, we would pass the kind of trinket store my son would like to live in.Some final steps to Uçhisar Castle againMeet Mr. Cyclops on the walk back to Göreme, this time dog-less and on modern roads.Göreme and our last day of touristing in TurkeyWhat an amazing journey in such a short amount of time.I don’t remember noticing a multi-faith pray room in other travels – pretty cool.And just like that, 9 days were up.
After saying heartfelt goodbyes to the other travelers we had gotten to know on our tour, our final day would take us back to the other side of the globe on a nonstop 12-hour flight leaving at 2:30 PM and arriving in Seattle the same day at 4:30 PM, as though only 2 hours had elapsed. In no time at all, the ancient caves, the haunting-sounding calls to prayer echoing across distant valleys 5 times a day, and the women fully covered in black garments except slits for their eyes would all feel like a dream.
For thousands of years, people spent months or years crossing land and sea, just hoping to survive the journey from one side of the world to the other. These days, it’s the rare traveler who bothers to raise their window shade in the plane to look out at the stunning things we get to see from 35,000 feet above the Earth before touching down. I am ever-grateful for such an experience, yet it’s mind-blowing to be in Cappadocia in the morning and Seattle in the afternoon.
Would I go back to Turkey? Definitely.
I would book an Airbnb in the heart of Istanbul, then fly to the Cappadocia region for an Airbnb in Uçhisar (which is one of many interesting towns in that region), and then fly to Antalya and rent a car to go to Airbnbs in several towns along the Turkish Riviera, called the Turquoise Coast, like Antalya, Kas, and Bodrum. I’d have to do more research to know for sure, but that’s the basic advice I have. There isn’t a train system, but flights within the country on the Turkish Airlines website are quite reasonable. You will pay exorbitant prices if you go through a middleman website, so avoid those.
