While it is technically day 02 of the trip it certainly feels more like day 1 because the day you fly in is always a throw away day.  In fact as this is the first real day of filming I decided to only film things that I could do again in case we didn’t do it right.

Our first stop of the day was to get me a shave and a haircut.  I went back to the barber I had gone to last year and he was very happy to let us film him giving me a straight razor shave.  He remembered me and asked where the big guy (Tim) was.  Best haircut I ever got – and the shave was so close.

Amanda was having a fun time recording the carpet and other vendors trying to hustle me on the street – with the lapel mic getting such good audio she is going to follow me more and just ‘see what happens’ – some of it was really fun.

We went to the Blue Mosque which is awesome as ever but it really bothers me that many of the women who they make cover their heads, quickly remove the covering when they walk into the Mosque – not respectful.  I tried not to take too many photographs as I have 10,000+ from the last 2 trips of Istanbul alone!

On the way to the train we passed the ‘Milion’ – a ruin of a triumphal arch – I tried to read the sign for the camera – I am much better ad libbing.

We hopped on a train to go the Grand Bazaar and got off at the Column of Constantine.  Great pigeons there – a man from Saudi Arabia explained that the ones with 2 black stripes were really special pigeons only found in Saudi Arabia (even though I was looking at them here in Istanbul) and that they were normally only in holy places (even though they were here by the column).

The Grand Bazaar is huge and fun – I had so much fun looking around – and Amanda got some great footage of me shopping and haggling – reviewing the footage was hysterical.   In the old part of the Grand Bazaar I found a sun watch that I had seen last year – he wanted $1200 US for it! oof!  It will probably still be there next year!

Outside of the Grand Bazaar is spillover of clothes and other shops – the prices were ok but not as good as they were last year – still some amazing knockoffs of designer stuff could be found.  We headed to the Book Bazaar where the books are mostly in Turkish but they have illuminated manuscript pages and really nice prints.

Next to the Book Bazaar is the Sultan Beyezit Mosque which was very quiet (and very empty) – they can’t all be the Blue Mosque – but it was nice to see it (and a welcome shade from the hot sun).  Part of the Beyezit Mosque holds the Calligraphy Museum but apparently it has been under renovation for many years and was closed.

Our goal for the day was: The Hippodrome, A Shave, The Blue Mosque, The Grand Bazaar, and The Book Bazaar.

We didn’t shoot The Hippodrome but it is right outside the hotel so we can do that anytime – and we decided to head back before dinner.  On the side of the road there was a guy selling hand sewing machines that looked like staplers – I passed – but then I went back and got one.  It’s a toy.

For lunch we had a light meal of Kofte (meatballs) and we figured we would get a nice dinner.  We headed down towards the nicer restaurants and I stopped and said hi to a friend who owned a carpet shop that I had met last year.  He was very glad to see me and asked us to spend some time with him but I promised to come back later in the week instead – he invited us to visit his factory 30 miles outside of town if we want to film some carpets being made – we might take him up on it if it fits into the schedule.

There was a nice fish restaurant that listed prices of like 20TL for dinner and we said we would only eat in it if the feral cat that had been following us decided if was good – he walked in so we walked in – the guy thought this was funny (but then later kicked – and I meant literally kicked the cats out of his restaurant for begging).

They brought out a platter of raw fish and starter quoting these crazy prices like 120TL 90TL etc and we just wanted a little dinner – he wasn’t happy that we didn’t bite for the big fish and the service went downhill from there.  Thefgood was very good – I had the bass and she had the salmon – but we never saw the waiter again – well we saw him but he wouldn’t stop at our table.  He put us near the music and the band was traditional and fun but at most points one of them was on a cell phone (so the film is awful).   We ordered dessert of sweet figs and some samolina which was yummy and he brought the check which was 100TL (about $55 – and not too bad for a fancy fish dinner).  I put down 100TL and he came over took it and said very loudly “Service is NOT included”.  Now that’s fine but most places tell you that when you sit down – put it on the menu or even put it on the bill! All I had was a slip of paper in a black folder that said 100TL on it.  So he left the black folder on the table and as I drank my tea I closed it – and he came over and opened it and said again “Service is NOT included”.  So I said “I know” and opened up the folder and laid it face down – to show I wasn’t ready yet.  So I took out some money and put it in the folder and he came and snatched it up and walked off in a huff.

On the way back to the hotel we passed a nice looking restaurant that had all their prices listed – I think I will go there next time instead.

Back at the hotel we reviewed the footage – definitely getting our feet wet here – both of us were better after about the first hour.  I look forward to what tomorrow has to bring!

Oh and some pictures…

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Welcome to the 2012 trip to Turkey.  Once again I am going for one month – this time the first two weeks are Istanbul and the second two weeks are in the rural mountain regions doing documentary photography work for the Isparta Archeological Survey.

I have had emails from a lot of people asking the same two questions:

1) What happened to the Turkey blog last year – it kind of stopped when you hit Istanbul.

2) What happened with the fundraising for the film – The Magic of Istanbul.

So here is the deal.

First, while I have extensive notes and photographs from my trip to Istanbul last year I got behind – very behind and every time I went to blog I ended up working it into planning documents for the 2012 trip.  For future (ie – this year’s) blog entries the goals is to tell a quicker and lighter story – since much of the places will be the same – follow this year’s blog and if I remember something fun or funny from last year I will be sure to mention it.  I will create a closure entry for 2011 sometime soon though.

Second, I tried to raise funds for to create a travelogue documentary film about Istanbul – fairly low budget – and I used Kickstarter for it – while I did have some support from friends and family – it didn’t do what I was trying to do – get strangers interested and involved – if I wanted my friends money I wouldn’t use a third party service.  When the Kickstarter expired – no money changed hands – and I realized I would need to go another route looking for larger private donors (this didn’t happen either).  A few friends did send some money to contribute to the trip and I thank them very much and they will be acknowledged in the final film.

However there will in fact be a film called the Magic of Istanbul and it will be pretty low budget (and very out of pocket).  Amanda Almon C.M.I. & chair of Biomedical Art and Associate Professor at the Cleveland Institute of Art has graciously agreed to collaborate with me on the project both behind the camera and in the crafting a finished work.  Big round of applause for Amanda.  The goal here is to create something geared for festivals and not YouTube. That being said I will still post updates along the way!

Packing for the Trip

My mantra has been – don’t over pack!  But it is so hard to do.  The goal for this year was to not pay baggage fees on the way in.  That means get all the technology in Amanda and my large carry on bags, our personal items in our backpacks, and our clothes in our luggage.  This we ended up doing – though we brought an extra suitcase which we might fill with stuff and pay the baggage fee for on the way home.  I was told that in my documentary work I would be doing no museum work this year – so no lights or vr turntables were needed which also helped in reducing the weight.

In terms of equipment – I have my regular camera rig – a Pentax K5 with two lenses and a battery grip and Amanda borrowed my Pentax K20D.  For the filming she will use the Sony 1080i HD camcorder with a wide-angle lens on it.  For the most part she will use the 5.1 integrated microphone but I also have a wireless lapel microphone which I will wear whenever I am speaking on camera.

Sounds pretty minimal right? Well there are indeed lots of cables and accessories and spare batteries and cleaning supplies to keep all of that going but in the field it isn’t that much to carry.

I brought two other gadgets along to help with the filming.

1) Pivothead Video Goggles that allow for wearable 1080P video shooting and 10MP still camera.  This is like a spy camera which I will use in places it is inconvenient to have my hands full or in which they don’t allow me to shoot.  There is one museum that has the Staff of Moses and they don’t allow for photography.  Each time I try to sneak a picture it doesn’t come out – if it doesn’t come out this year – it might really BE the Staff of Moses.

2) A GoProHD camera in a waterproof case with a walking stick that turns into a tripod.  This is so that if I can find a hammam that will let me film I will be able to do so without ruining the camera.  Seeing the inside of a Turkish bath is really neat – also the procedure is pretty tortuous and I am sure you would all want to see it if I can get it filmed (and edited).

Day 00 – Travel

I am a pretty good packer but at the last minute I noticed I was missing three items which I had to pick up on the way to the airport.  First I needed a Moleskin notebook which I got at the University Bookstore.  I take notes in them for every trip and I like my little stack of them.  Then we stopped at Dodd and I got extra sensor cleaners for my DSLR – since I change lenses I sometimes have to clean the sensor.  And lastly I stopped at BestBuy to get anti-fog inserts for the GoPro camera.  I should have also stopped for deodorant as I just unpacked and realized I left it on my dresser – oh well – they do sell it here (I hope).

Travel itself can be a good adventure or a nightmare.  First, the boarding crew in Cleveland were very rude (not just to me but to everyone) and then there was a long layover and delay in Newark.  The problem was that it turns out Amanda and I were not going to sit next to each other and no one wanted to help resolve this.  Once on the plane I was able to get kid to trade his center seat for my window seat (lucky him) and it all turned out ok. The plane was older and the amenities not great but I ended up sleeping most of the time anyways so what did I care.

Day 01 – Istanbul – The Hippodrome

The first day has been pretty uneventful – which is good.  Got my visa, cleared immigration, and customs with no problems.  My first stop was to get a SIM card in my unlocked iPhone 4 – I recently upgraded to a 4S so my old 4 is out of contract and AT&T unlocked it for me by request.  For $59 I was able to buy a SIM card (and 10 local minutes of talk time) and 8GB of data – which should be plenty.  This will allow me to post updates and such from Facebook and allow me to surf the web and check my mail in the field which is nice.  She told me that it will only work for 14 days and that I need to pay a $60 tax to the government in the next 14 days if I want it to stay on.  Interesting.

Instead of getting my money exchanged or a taxi I took a shuttle service into the city.  The drive was treacherous – his foot kept hitting the break and I though I was going to be sick.  He got close to the hotel and then admitted he needed the address as he was lost – I actually knew where I was and directed him the last 2 blocks.

At the hotel he remembered me and switched me from a smaller room to a larger room which was very nice.  We spent the afternoon unpacking and going over the equipment and just resting from the long flight.

The hotel is awesome again – it is under a little renovation in the front but the rooms are great and the views are spectacular – it is right in the Hippodrome.

We didn’t bring the video equipment as we headed off for a quick walk around the hotel and to grab dinner.  Last year there was an arts and craft festival in the Hippodrome for Ramadan and part of it was setup again – paper marbling is cool!  We stopped and exchanged our money – it is 1.75TL to the dollar so we keep viewing everything as if it was half off even though it isn’t quite true.

Dinner was decent – not great – but the views of the Blue Mosque and the Hagia Sophia were awesome.  We ordered a hummus appetizer and it was very interesting – I would guess it had no tahini in it. It was very thick and had a little oil on top – it was very much like peanut butter – unexpected but very good.  After we went to a sweet shop for dessert where we had rice pudding and a variety of Turkish delight.  The guy at the shop really liked Amanda and posed for several pictures with her.  I am not posting the picture – but Amanda might on her Facebook.  I probably shouldn’t have had the Turkish coffee – man am I wired.  Amanda tried to show me how you read the coffee grounds like tea leaves – pretty fun.

After dinner and dessert we took a quick walk around the park to breathe in the atmosphere and such and back to the hotel for me to catch up on my blog and post some photos – yeah – I have a few photos.

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One of my cousins asked if I could share with her a list of things to do while visiting Istanbul.

Funnily enough, I had just put together the itinerary for my upcoming book and film project: The Magic of Istanbul.

The following is a list of what I will be doing on my third expedition to Istanbul.
And yes I have already visited everything listed.

The Hippodrome: Serpentine Column, Egyptian Obelisk, The German Fountain, Constantine Obelisk

The hotel I like to stay at is right in the Hippodrome and it really is a park like atmosphere. The monuments are all outdoors and are fun (and quick) to see. I like to see them during the day and at night as the flavor of the area changes.

The Museum of Turkish and Islamic Art

The museum is fascinating and offers a really nice mix of things to see.  The collection really rounds out things you won’t see at other museums.  I missed it my first year though and felt really bad.

The Blue Mosque

There are many mosques in Istanbul but this one you can not miss! On both previous expeditions I went back several times. It is truly an awesome experience. You have to watch the clothing restrictions: be prepared to take off your shoes, women are given head covers and men can’t wear shorts.  Some people really respect that this is a house of worship but don’t be surprised by tourists who don’t show it (or the rules) any reverence. Be offended by these people – just don’t be surprised.

The Arasta Bazaar

Right outside of the Blue Mosque is a small and very low key bazaar. It’s not a madhouse and very fun to look at – the prices aren’t great but shopping is as much looking as it is buying.

The Great Palace Mosaic Museum

This is located in the Arasta Bazaar and it has some fantastic mosaics. There is a lot to read and even more to see – though it is really just one big open space laid out so you can walk around and see it from above and at ground level. I’ve hard some people think its small but I include it on my must see list.

The Basilica Cictern

Not far from the Hippodrome is the Bascilica Cictern – also something not to miss.  It is dark and cavernous, this underground water reservoir is a little hard to describe.  It has some cool architecture (and a Medusa head). Plus they filmed parts of From Russia With Love in it.

The Hagia Sophia

One of the most important places in Art History and in Christianity – it was recently renovated and you can spend time just basking in the vastness of it. This is a universal must see.  Expect to spend a lot of time here – it is big – and you don’t want to miss any of the nooks and crannies.

Topkapi Palace

This place is huge! You have to pay extra to see the Harem but it is worth it. Between the gardens, the Harem, the treasury and the reliquary you can spend a lot of time here. The reliquary even has the sword of David & the staff of Moses! There are also some amazing views of the rest of the city.

Hagia Irene

It’s in the outer courtyard of Topkapi Palace so if it’s open peak in.

The Istanbul Museum of Archeology

This museum goes on and on (and on).  I think you need to pick your battles as I don’t think anyone can see the entire thing. At some point you will just start to survey. I have seen it all I just haven’t read it all. I tell people to go but not to feel bad if they get overloaded.

The Column of Constantine

Is a nice monument plus it’s on the way to The Grand Bazaar.

The Grand Bazaar

Everyone should go to the Grand Bazaar twice. Once to view – once to shop. You can get great deals or you can get badly swindled. You can get knockoff designer versions of anything. I also like to wander the streets around it – the farther you wander the better the prices.  When I buy scarves I keep walking to where the Turkish women shop and the prices plummet to a few dollars each.

Sahaflar Carsisi – The Book Bazaar

I hunted this down because I really wanted to see it – it isn’t too far from the Grand Bazaar (but it isn’t too close either).  They have some very nice print and book merchants but most everything of course is in Turkish.  Prints are expensive and you need to know what you are looking at before you buy anything.

Suleymaniye Mosque

This is one of the most important mosque’s in Istanbul. It is a real pleasure to visit and there is a garden, cemetery, and tomb.

Dolmabahce Palace

Across the Golden Horn (but still on the European side of the Bosphorus) is the other big palace. Well worth going – the last room is one of the most breathtaking rooms I have ever seen in my life (and I have been to  Versailles). Like Topkapi there are extra fees for the Harem and it also has a clock museum and an aviary. All of which are worth doing!

Taksim Square

Everyone ends up at Taksim Square because it is so famous – its just a square (though I didn’t go at night) and it has a Starbucks – I don’t drink coffee it’s just a sign of the times.

Istiklal Caddesi

The neighborhood right outside of Taksim is all upscale shopping and there is a trolly that connects Taksim to the Galata Tower (area) fun to walk around for a little but then I like to take the old fashioned trolley.

Galata Tower

Every panorama of Istanbul is taken from Galata Tower – it has great views and they offer a very expensive dinner/show which I have not been to. The area around it has a lot of musical instrument shops. The whole area has a really mellow vibe.

Galata Bridge

The bridge connects back across the Golden Horn. Underneath there are a bunch of seafood restaurants. Watch the prices and if what you are ordering is local fresh or just fresh fresh.

Sirkeci Station

While modern trains still run through the station it is the original terminus for the Orient Express and they have a nifty little museum. It really is a hidden gem and shows a part of history you don’t see in other parts of the city.

Ali Muhiddin Haci Bekir

Not far from the station is the sweet shop that invented Turkish Delight. You have to go if just to get a free sample.

Koska

I like going to this sweet shop because it has a larger variety of items (and also more free samples).

The Spice Bazaar aka The Egyptian Bazaar

The Spice Bazaar is not very large but it is a completely different experience from the Grand Bazaar. Everyone will try and sell you Saffron and giant Jasmine flowers. The different teas are fun to get and they will vacuum seal everything for you.  You can get your luggage overloaded pretty fast by bringing home a kilo of this and a kilo of that. Like the Grand Bazaar I like to walk around and see the area that has spilled over around it for amazing food and culinary supplies.

The New Mosque

Is attached to the Spice Bazaar so if you have a few peak in.

Chora Church

The church is a must must see and the mosaics and frescoes are breathtaking and even though it is harder to get to its really worth the trip. Some nice shopping right around it as well. There is nothing else like it in Istanbul!

The Theodosian Walls

The outer walls of the city – while you can see them everywhere – when you are by Chora you really get a chance to explore them.  Every so often you find stairs that lead to the top of the walls – and if you aren’t afraid of heights you can get some awesome views.

The Palace of the Porphyrogenitus

Part of the wall (and near Chora) forms the ruin of a ancient palace – its right by a playground and a truck parking lot. I love architecture so I hunted it down – for most though it is just a different stretch of wall.

Bucoleon Palace

Just another stretch of the old city walls that has the ruins of some window openings of another palace long gone. It’s really hard to find – and not worth it for most. It is on the far side of the city walls by the water.

The Valens Aqueduct

It is a huge aqueduct running through the city – with traffic going under. I thought it was great – but again I’m into architecture – tricky to get to though – it isn’t near anything else.

Sehzade Camii – The Prince’s Mosque

Since I wander everywhere for architecture I visited this really nice Mosque.

Beylerbeyi Palace

Across the water (on the Asian side) is this little palace which I think is a real gem to visit. You take the train to Dolmabahce and then the ferry across the water (and then a taxi) sounds like a hike but it really is lovely.

Yedikule Fortress

Since I am a castle guy – I need to see the local castles. This one has 7 towers and is totally empty! Not for those afraid of heights (which I am) because they really let you explore the towers and walls. To get there you take a real train. It is not for most and I don’t imagine a lot of people go there but I think it is awesome!

Istanbul Cevahir

I have a thing for malls – and this is the largest mall in Europe and the 6th largest in the world. The 5th floor is one giant food court, the 6th is all restaurants. Why am I telling you this? Because sometimes when I am out of the country for a month I need to go to the movies! Plus fast food in Istanbul is much better than fast food at home.

A Bosphorus Cruise

There are many ways to see the Bosphorus and the best way is a cruise. Not a big fancy one – just the basic “Full Bosphorus Cruise”. While you can get on and off, I like to take it all the way to the end which is at Anadolu Kavagi a little fishing village – have a great seafood meal and then…

Yoros Kalesi

Take a taxi (don’t hike it) up the mountain and visit this really neat ruin of a castle. From here you can see a view that stretches out to the mouth of the Black Sea. They started doing a dig there so you can’t get into the castle anymore but it is a pretty spectacular view from outside. Plus its a ruin so there is not much to see inside that you can’t from the outside.

Rumeli Hisari

On the cruise you will see a giant three towered castle – the Castle of Europe. You get great views from the cruise but it is also possible to visit (with buses and taxis). As castles go – it is very well preserved, a nice fortification ,and a pleasant afternoon – but again I like castles. Some just enjoy the views from the cruise – I like going there – it has a great little outdoor theater. There is another little castle across the water called the Castle of Asia – it is barely visible from the water and not worth visiting in person (I did once and if you blink you miss it).

Cappadocia Day Tour

It’s not Istanbul – in fact it is not anywhere near Istanbul but if you fly halfway across the world why not go for a little more. Capaddocia is simply magical. Last year I did a one day trip – they fly you out in the morning, drive you all over, feed you, and then fly you back. In one day I saw: Devrent Valley, Pasabag/Monk’s Valley, Avanos Pottery Village, Goreme, and Uchisar Citadel.  Its a slippery slope though because you can spend more days here and then start seeing the other sights outside Istanbul – but I feel one little excursion doesn’t hurt.

Other Things To Do

Eat! Shop! Listen to Music! Watch Dancing! Go to a Turkish Bath! Get a Shave! Shop for a Turkish Carpet (but don’t buy it).
So much to do!

So I left off my Turkey journal on Day 14 just as I was getting ready to head to Istanbul.

My original intention was to post nightly in Istanbul as I had in Gonen – but things changed.

Every night when I came back to the hotel – I was very very tired.

I work hard – I play hard – and there just wasn’t enough energy to do it justice.

Now that a few months have passed and I am ready to tackle the stories from my notes, memories, and photographs.

But before I do – I have news – big news!  I have been invited back to Turkey this summer to again work in Gonen on the archeological survey.  However while I am there I am planning to spend another 2 weeks in Istanbul where it is my intention to create a book and film entitled “The Magic of Istanbul”.

I have setup a Kickstarter project to help raise the funds for the project.  For those who don’t know Kickstarter – it is a way that people can raise funds for a project by offering various rewards for different pledge amounts.  Its a unique fundraising system because unless the entire goal is raised (in this case $19,500) the project doesn’t get funded at all and then no money changes hands. For this project I have created pledge rewards of photographs, copies of the book, copies of the Blue-ray/DVD, as well as various production credits. Update: The Kickstarter goal was not reached.

For this (my third) expedition to Istanbul I have put together an intense itinerary that includes all of the major hotspots (and a day excursion to Cappadocia).  I will also be bringing with me a professional writer & cameraman. The funds go for the travel and post production expenses.

Here is a video which includes some highlights images from last expeditions to Istanbul.

 

 

Day 13 – Sunday – July 24, 2011

Sunday is supposed to be my day off but as I am leaving on Monday I wasn’t too sure.  That being said I thought it a good idea not to miss breakfast.  I found out that the Germans (and Bert) were going to head to Sagalassos by bus first thing from Isparta.  I decided that I wanted to go to Egirdir because Bert said it was easy to get to and that there was a ruin of a castle right by the bus station.  The Germans said that they also might go to Egirdir in the afternoon to go swimming but Bert just wanted to go to Sagalassos.  Bilge said I had some some work to go but let me go if I promised I would be back in time to finish taking some pictures.  All I wanted to do was see the castle, eat lunch, and on the way back go to the Hamam in Isparta.

A funny thing happened at breakfast – it felt like I got stung by a bee in my thigh/crotch area.  I jumped up and ran inside only to find that a needle from the tree had landed on me and when I shifted had pricked through my pants and into my leg.  A big scare but only for a moment.

Also at breakfast I finally was able to photograph the black and white cat that had a Hitler like mustache – I called it a “kitler” because of the website http://www.catsthatlooklikehitler.com and Uygar started to laugh – too hard – and I asked him if he knew it and he said yes and then proceeded to explain it to Bilge who was in shock that such a thing existed and that her students would actually know about it.  I must admit I was shocked too – but only from a cultural perspective.

So the Germans, Bert, and I all headed on the bus from Gonen to Isparta and then went our separate ways. I realized when I got to the bus station that I only had big bills (100TL) so I asked them to break it for me when I bought my ticket.  They gave me dirty looks and  I can’t blame them – the one way ticket cost 3.5TL.

The bus ride was…interesting… the bus had no air conditioning and for the first part of the trip the driver kept the front and side doors of the bus open (I am guessing for ventilation).  The open doors were pretty scary.  But he did eventually close them and enough air came in for it to be pleasant.  There was this interesting sign on the window that looked like a “no praying” symbol but I think it means don’t lean on the glass.

As we got closer to the lake I recognized that I had driven through the town last year – I think Paul was driving.  I remember seeing the military training field – you can see the obstacle course – as well as the big signs up on the mountain. Last year we saw a brush fire on the mountain it was crazy how fast the fire moved and there were helicopters going to the lake for water.  (But that was last year.)

When I got there it was just gorgeous.  The sun was shining and the lake was just a crystal blue.  The guy at the bus station told me the return trip was every 20 minutes so I had nothing to worry about in getting home.

The first thing I noticed (after the lake) was a large mosque which had a courtyard and another building attached to it. What was unique was that the minaret wasn’t your normal tower but it extended from the wall (over the door to the courtyard) and you could walk UNDER it. Of course I really wanted to walk in it but I have to stop hoping that I will get that lucky again.

The courtyard led to the mosque itself and also to a small shopping plaza.  At one point it had been an open courtyard but now it was draped with a very large cloth and there were small shops in each of the little rooms. And I mean little – just tiny 10×10 rooms. The doors were little too and I really hit my head hard on the stone doorpost because I didn’t duck properly.

The shopping was your usually stuff – clothes – jewelry – military supplies.  Oh ok well military supplies is a little unusual but with a base so near it probably isn’t.  There was also a small toy store there too which had some very nice plastic toy guys – all black with no orange tip – ah the small differences from home.  I also saw a penguin! When I went to photograph it they looked at me like I was insane.

After I left the shopping center I passed the local Ataturk sculpture – this one was very nice – he looked very formal as he was all in white.  I started to hear all of this honking and yelling and these cars started to zoom around the square wrapped in balloons and ribbons.  I thought it might be a wedding but they were SO agitated I thought it might also be political.  Every few minutes you would see a new round of cars – this went on all afternoon.  In fact as I wandered around town I would see various florist shops were people were getting their car prepared and then zooming off and honking.

The real reason for my visit was to find the castle and it wasn’t too hard to find – right near the area that they have their weekly bazaar (but what was now just an empty lot) was a ruin of a wall and a gate.  It was flying the Turkish flag and had the name Egirdir in big letters on a sign on the top.

I walked all the way around it to see how much was left (not a lot) and saw a Turbesi (the are really tomb-like shrines – and from what I have seen usually green) that was locked.  I took some photos but the sun was high overhead and figured that I might do better taking more after lunch.

When I walked around to head to lunch I saw a road leading up the back of the ruin.  It didn’t seem inviting and had a big red and white bar crossing the road – bit it didn’t have any signs and looked like it was there more to block car than foot traffic so I figured I would climb it slowly.

It was a warm and slow climb (not dangerous as the path was wide) and it was very hot.  About half way up I came to the horrific realization that I only put sunscreen on the TOPS of my arms and had no idea if the undersides were in danger of being burned.  This might sound silly but I am very pale skinned.  There were a lot of bugs up there too but they seemed to concentrate on the occasional flowers and left me alone.

It was funny at the top.  It leveled out and was large enough that you really didn’t feel high up – in fact none of the pictures from the top give you an impression that you are on a castle wall at all.  There were several large chucks of roman antiquity strewn about almost like sitting stones and some graffiti and beer bottles here and there that showed signs of life.  There was a path off to one side that led closer to the sign and flagpost and I carefully walked around to it (but not any higher).

When I got all the way around I saw an opening in the wall that looked like it could house some sort of room or cave.  I got very excited but proceeded carefully – usually places like that are filled with broken glass and smell like pee.  As I got closer I did see a lot of glass and it did start to smell bad and as I turned into the opening – I surprised a young couple that was – well I think they were fully clothed but they were much more passionate than simply making out.  I apologized and moved back to the main area.  The main area also had an old canon on top of it (and lots of beer bottles there too).  As I was sitting there reflecting on whether or not the two were actually having sex and wondering how many people come up here for it I was joined by several other people who started to explore the ruin.

They were fearless and climbed into areas that I would never have gone and they too surprised the couple and too my delight they emerged a few minutes later – not embarrassed at all – and walked down the ruin.  This now being my chance I went back to the opening and took some pictures.  It was a terrible mess of broken glass and other filth – not what I wanted to see – but neat architecturally.

I climbed down the ruin and as it was lunch time lots of people were climbing up it and sitting in various corners talking and relaxing.  I wanted lunch myself but I figured I would leave after so I walked by the lake first.

It is really a gorgeous lake and I saw a couple of vans pulled by the side of the road and some ladies picnicking on a blanket.  As I got closer I saw that there were many people adults and children in the water and they looked like they were really having a good time – I don’t swim so the water isn’t really for me.  I did pack some swim trunks (which I didn’t bring) since last year we went down to the Mediterranean Sea and it sounded fun (though I didn’t go in then either).  I thought it was funny to see all the women dressed (over dressed) in traditional scarves and long pants sitting by the side of the road watching the half naked men and children in the water.  I think there was a woman in the water too but I didn’t want to stare at them too long.  The woman who were not swimming looked to be having a splendid time laughing and eating and thoroughly enjoying themselves it was a Turkish version of a Seurat painting.

Having photographed everything I was going to shoot, I thought I might walk around the old city and see if they had a Hamam (which would save me from running around Isparta).  The town was mostly closed – well at least the old city was – and I just came across the usual suspects of men sitting outside drinking tea and talking.  I did spot one lively spot and realized it for off-track betting – they had tv’s and ticket booths just like in the US.

I saw some shopping places were open and wasn’t surprised to find that everyone was selling stuff for the military base – berets – flashlights – knives.  I found a great bag for my iPad that is a little bigger than the one I got last year and its looks like it is made out of a durable nylon.  I also shopped for some vests.  The guy had one that was great a mix of cloth and leather and some really snazzy lining but it didn’t fit – in fact none of his vests fit – though he was happy to keep trying to sell me a winter coat.

As I left the store I found it – the Hamam!  This was great – it meant I could get my bath, eat lunch, take the buses back home – and then put on more sunscreen!

I walked in and it was small and dingy like the first one I went to in Isparta.  There was an old man with a crutch reading a paper and when I walked in he seemed very eager to help me.  He didn’t speak English but quickly ushered me into a changing room and handed me a towel indicating I should come back after.  The room was small and private and only afterwards did I realize that the door was this solid slab of metal with no doorknob.  I changed into my towel and as I left the room he padlocked it from the outside and handed me the key.  I kept thinking – I was just in that room that has no windows – no handle – and padlocks from the outside! But anyways…

He motioned to my chest in a rubbing fashion and I though he was asking me if I also wanted to get a massage.  I said yes and he smiled and pointed for me to the bath area itself.  He never really got up during this time and as he was alone at the Hamam I wasn’t sure if we were communicating properly or not.  I grabbed a bar of rose soap (1TL) and headed into the bath area.  It was very nice (and empty) and very hot.  Since I had told him I wanted the massage/scrub I figured I would just lay down and wait for a bit.  I waited and waited. After about 10 minutes I figured that this was going to be like the first Hamam I visited and strictly self service.  So I sat up and grabbed my bar of soap when I heard a bang on the door and this young guy comes in (also in a towel) and while he barely speaks any English either indicates for me to lay back down and wait.

He came back a few minutes later and does the whole thing – the scrub – the bubbles – the massage.  He was very good and he wasn’t the sadist that the guys from Isparta were – he used warm and cool water instead of hot and cold.  After my final rinse we left the Hamam and he offered me tea – and when I declined pulled out a bottle of water which was much appreciated.  The old man had gone and I am not sure if they guy was on break or what but he just sat back in his chair (still only in a towel) and I went back and got changed.

In total the Hamam was 30TL which is a great price and after I paid he gestured to put something on my hands.  I quickly remembered that this was Limon Kolonyasi or lemon cologne that the men put on everything after everything (especially the hands after the bathroom).  I quickly declined but I grabbed my camera and took a picture of the bottle (and the soaps) to remember for later.  At this point he gave me a very sad look and asked why I didn’t take his picture.  Well – because you sitting there in a towel!  Of course I didn’t say this to him and Hassan (I later found out his name) eagerly posed for his portrait and I headed on my way.

There is nothing like being clean on a hot summers day.

So with that I headed to find lunch.  I was very hungry and while the temptation to just stop anywhere and grab a gryo was there – I knew I wanted a real nice lunch and looked around until I was beckoned properly by a guy with a nice picture menu.  I took my time and ordered the lamb shish (he didn’t have chops) and really just enjoyed a full meal of salad and bread, rice and lamb.  I asked him for some rice pudding but he said he was out and instead offered me some Kunafeh.

Now it is hard to describe Kunafeh – its like shredded wheat baked with sweet cheese and a butter sauce with crumbled pistachios – I highly recommend it.  http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kanafeh

After my meal he started telling me about the dinner specials of fresh fish and I told him I was only in town for the afternoon that I was visiting from Gonen.  He stopped in his tracks and said – are you doing archeology there?  I laughed because this must have been the restaurant that Bert went to last week!

Having accomplished everything I set out to do (and reminding myself that I was no longer wearing sunscreen) I headed back to the bus station.  The bus was a more modern bus (and just about to leave) and as we drove out of town we passed one of those giant building sized 7-up billboards that you don’t see in the US but always see in James Bond films – I thought it was funny.

The trip back was quick and once I hit Isparta I immediately headed for the bus back to Gonen.  I got some water from a kid who was also selling ice-cream – he really was hustling hard (but nicely) so I got some – this time I got nut flavored.  It was disgusting – I really need to watch the ice-cream it rarely tastes good – I had to go around the corner to throw it away so I wouldn’t insult him.  The bus showed up 5 minutes later and 35 minutes after that I was back in Gonen.

I had work to do so I put on my sunscreen grabbed my tripod and Emre grabbed the new measuring stick which instead of being a simple wood stick with painted intervals was something right out of CSI and we headed back to the park.  I’m not joking about the stick either.  The use of visual scales in photography when purchased overseas is usually for archeology and are found online at archeology supply shops – however in the US you can pretty much only get them at CSI supply shops.

At the park we grabbed the last few shots – I used my tripod to shoot the last few hard to shoot images as high-dynamic range pictures.  The shots aren’t designed for viewing so much as they are for drawing – the multiple exposure expanded range allows them to see all the details to draw from. We only had 3 objects to shoot again so it went fast and Emre thought we should hang out in the park for a little bit and relax (it was our day off).

As we headed to get some refreshments we bumped into one of the store owners from the village (the one who insisted I take his picture in his shop).  He didn’t shake my hand – instead he did the whole kiss on the cheek thing – I never know which side you are supposed to do first. Last year Paul told me that they do it the other direction in Greece.  It was very nice because it is a greater sign of friendship than a simple handshake.

The park was lovely – people drinking tea or playing backgammon.  I was having some good ice-cream (finally) and drinking some water – Emre was having some coffee.  Just a pleasant afternoon.

Then we hear a voice call out – its the Minister’s Representative and her nephew.  Now I really have to say that he is quite the terror.  I have held off on going into detail all of the terrible things this 11 year old kid has done over the past 2 weeks – but he is awful.  And I don’t care that he is probably having the worst summer vacation ever – it still is no excuse to be grab technology, hit people, grab the gearshift of a car (while it is on) and various other things.  It was so bad that at one point Arzu held him back so I could take pictures without him jumping in front of the camera.  So as they went off to get their drinks Emre turns to me and gestures its time to go and in clear and plain English says “I don’t like him” – neither do I.  I debated on weather or not to tell this little story or not.  But the fact is he was a terror and she knew it.  I had to tell her multiple times to have him stop grabbing my camera and we all had to start locking our doors to prevent him from barging in our rooms and touching everything in sight.  She was very nice to all of us – made us special food and was very friendly – but she can’t be surprised if we didn’t like him or didn’t want to be around him – we didn’t sign up to be babysitters for a little monster.  OK I have vented.

The walk back was a little sad – I passed my favorite white mulberry tree and grabbed a berry for the last time (this trip).  I can buy one when I get home but it might not survive a Cleveland winter.

Bert showed up a little while later. He had a great time at Sagalassos and I guess he made some friends there who took him around and gave him a ride down the mountain.  The theater I visited last year was closed so he didn’t get to see it but he said everything else was great.  The German students went on to Egirdir to go swimming so he parted company with them some hours before.

Just like earlier in Egirdir – I saw cars driving around town with ribbons and flowers on them honking like mad.  I asked Bilge and she said it was for the wedding tonight (the one whose rehearsal we were at last night before we went to the other wedding).  She verified that what I saw in Egirdir was indeed a wedding and reminded me again that it was wedding season.

Dinner was just weird. Maybe I am tired or maybe its because I had a real meal but the poached egg thing with yogurt and spice we had for dinner was really not doing it for me and it occurs to me that I really don’t have soup this much at home.  I barely touched my dinner – I hope it didn’t seem rude.

I should have gone to my room and packed but instead I hung out with the Turkish students and Bert – we had a really nice time – we knew things were winding up (Bert leaves 2 days after me, the Germans 2 days after him).  It was a fun time and if I can come back I really will.

As it got later and later we started to worry about the German students.  Did they miss the last bus?  How would they get home?  Where might they get stranded?  We weren’t too worried but we were pretty curious.  Shortly after midnight they rolled in having caught the last bus back into town.

They were going back up the mountain at 6am the next day and since I wasn’t I had say goodbye to them.  Goodbyes are hard – you are half way around the world and you really might never see someone whose company you really enjoyed – I do hope they stay in touch (Bert too).

Tomorrow is going to be a long day – I have to pack and I have to travel to Istanbul!

Images from Day 13 (also read the captions!)
(click here if you don’t see the image thumbnails)

So while the narrative is still be written and the 9200+ images are still being edited I was on Around Noon today talking about the trip (and the technology).

Here is the clip (I am the first 20 minutes):

http://www.ideastream.org/an/entry/41738

So – I am behind in my writing and editing.  The truth is – I have taken a crazy number of pictures AND my computer is acting very slow so editing as been difficult.  Plus I am very tired all the time.  This isn’t to say I have given up – the narrative and editing will continue it will just take a few days to catch up.

I am posting this because while I am just about to start my Istanbul adventure (in my narrative) I am in fact just about to head home from it.  It is 2:15am – my bags are mostly packed – my data is backed up and I am about to board a shuttle to the airport.

So… if you are confused about where I am vs where I am – don’t be.  The narrative continues faithfully very soon even though I will be writing it from Cleveland from my copious notes and abundance of photos.

Jared

Day 12 – Saturday – July 23, 2011

I got up a little late on Saturday knowing that I wouldn’t be going up to the mountain.  Today I would be photographing all of the pottery collected so far.  I needed to setup the lighting just right.  Bilge told me that it was laundry day so I packed up all my dirty laundry quickly because this would be my last chance for it.

Shooting pottery is tricky – have to set the light and color just right and the stuff is very small.  You shoot it was the label – without the label – as a group – as individuals – the front – sometimes the back.

Right int he middle of shooting we hear this huge pop and start to smell smoke and burning plastic.  I panic because of all the equipment I have plugged in but its just the light fixture in the room (which has been out already for days so I didn’t realize it was on).  The smell was awful and we had to open the windows to air out the room.

As a backdrop we have been using black poster board but it gets pretty dirty pretty fast because of the pottery and they didn’t have any clean ones so we were going to have to drive into Isparta after lunch to the only office supply store in Isparta to get some extras.

Arzu has really been opening up.  She has always been very friendly – but I think she has been worried about her English.  She also never lets me take her picture.  In the middle of shooting she turns to me and says “When are you going to take my picture?”  I laughed and said I had been trying and she said that she would let me know when she felt her hair was right.

As we walked to lunch (we eat at this little restaurant across the way that is normally closed during the summer and where the prepare our food) dreaming of various foods Arzu said “I want Burger King”.  Me too.  We were joined for our lunch of veggies and rice (or in my case rice) by the other Turkish students who had come down from the mountain due to the appearance of some dogs.  They aren’t wild dogs but worse they are sheep herding and I guess very territorial without the shepherds around.  Funnily the Germans stayed up on the mountain to do more scans and no one was sure why it was ok for them to stay but not the others.

As I ate my rice thinking about what I would be eating  in a few days – they brought out the next best thing to pizza. Left over pizza!  Oh it was just what I needed!

As I sit at lunch I like to watch the people as they go by.  We rarely see pedestrians or bicycles.  We normally see cars and either motorcycles or mopeds that are packed with people and things.  Its amazing what we have seen come by on a motorcycle – family of four – a father and a baby – 2 guys and shovel!  Because the area is rural we often see tractors going by as transportation – especially on market day you will see tons of people riding a tractor or a motorcycle pulling a wagon – whatever it takes to get people to the market!

So we drove into Isparta for posterboard – it was me Bert, Arzu and our driver Yusuf.  Yusuf is a great guy and every time I even look at something out the window (and especially when I point my camera out the windows) he slows down or stops.  Its funny – it is helpful but it doesn’t always help.  I told Arzu we should make him take us to Burger King but she thought better of it.

We stopped at a little corner store which I am told is the only place in Isparta to buy poster board and got some thing black sheets of paper for 0.30TL each.  I also got another little notebook to take notes in.

Arzu had other errands to run in Isparta and every time we pulled over you could feel how hot it was.  I was beginning to wonder if the rental car even had AC and then Yusuf started to blast it on me.  It was great.  But the moment we started moving again – the windows came down and it turned off.  I don’t think its the gas either I think its just cultural – windows down – air flowing.

Driving around Isparta was fun – at one point we saw these cars wrapped in flowers and ribbons honking loudly – it was a wedding party and they were driving and taking photos.  I guess they drive through town kinda like a parade to show off.

Arzu stopped at the butcher’s to pick up dinner but we had to wait so we circled the block a few times.  They showed me yet another Hamam in Isparta and a soup restaurant in the shape of a boat (which I swear was a boat) and a fleet of Domino’s Motorcycles (they deliver).  All of the sudden Arzu jumps up very excited – the car pulls over and she runs out and gives Merve (one of the Turkish students at the site) a hug – Merve hops in the car and we drive her three blocks and drop her off again.  It was totally unplanned – we literally just bumped into her!

At the gas station on the way home I got some think that looked like malted milk balls (even in the same type of container) but they weren’t and a pomegranate sparkling water that was very good (so was the not-malted milk balls).

Dinner was very fun.  The German professor Kai and his daughter Amelia joined us.  I like Amelia because she is very sweet and he German is slow enough that I can sometimes understand her.

The schnitzel was awesome!  The flavor was so unique! It was totally covered in seasonings.  Bilge told me that the butcher puts it on but that she has her own direction of what she has him put on it.  We also had fries and salad and smoked eggplant – which I know was smoked cause she made me taste it – and yes I still do not like eggplant.

They kept feeding us – I had three helpings – Uygar had four!

As we sat around we could hear a party coming from the area that they have the bazaar.  Bilge said it was a village wedding and that if we wanted we could go.  We all decided it sounded fun and as we got closer Bilge said that there were in fact two celebrations one was a rehearsal dinner and the other a real wedding.  The rehearsal dinner was fun and it was packed with people.

We then went to the wedding.  It was even more packed.  Bilge said that it was wedding season because people don’t get married during Ramadan.  We watched the dancing at the second wedding (which filled the bazaar area) and this kid came around to offer us wedding cake (we all passed).  Of course who do we run into at the wedding? Abdullah!  He told Bert that he was a cousin or something.

Bilge was very pleased.  She explained that the dancing was very traditional – we watched the father dance with each other and everyone having a good time.  There was a DJ who I thought was mixing everything but when I watched carefully I noticed that he was singing live and playing the keyboard to some backing tracks – it really was a one man show – and very good.

Before we left Bilge handed someone an envelope which contained a present from us and we went back to the field house. Sunday is technically my day off but since I leave on Monday Bilge said we would discuss my day at breakfast.

It was a beautiful starry night and I tried to get some picture of it before I went to bed.

I took some video at the rehearsal and the wedding – just a few samples for flavor:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zeq2BfhtMGU

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OeGmwIxN9Dw

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OP73qBQnHcU

Images from Day 12 (also read the captions!)
(click here if you don’t see the image thumbnails)

Day 11 – Friday – July 22, 2011

I got to sleep in on Friday morning because I was heading to the market.  Gokce was going to be my guide and she said that Bilge wanted us there at 9am!  Gokce’s English isn’t as good as some of the others but she is very enthusiastic and very helpful – she was very nervous though.

As we walked to the market I asked what our goal was. Her’s was to give out invitations to an upcoming event and mine was to take the pictures Bilge wanted me to take.  The only problem was that Bilge didn’t tell me what she wanted pictures of at the market and has never wanted pictures of the market before.  I figured I would just wing it.

When we got to the market it was half empty – not of people – but of merchants.  Normally we show up around noon or so and some people have left because they have sold out.  Apparently they don’t all setup at 9am either.  But we wandered around watching people get setup.  A voice came on the loudspeaker and everyone froze in their tracks (like a flash mob) and put their hands out in front of them palms up.  Gokce explained that it was a prayer ceremony that happens before they open.  It was really neat kind of a National Anthem at a ballgame moment.  When the voice was done – the hustle and bustle started right up again – and even a little louder as they were now open.

At the market they sell more than just food.  The little kitchen comforts like Disney glasses, salt and pepper shakers shaped like flowers, tea pots, and brooms.  I love the brooms – everywhere you go you see people sweeping and sweeping – (no handle on the brooms).  And there is this little touch of pride in it – you see old ladies trying to get their little house just a tad nicer in the front and you realize how homey it all is.

People still were setting up for a while.  I liked watching the olive vendor scoop out each tray of olives.  Some people took it nice and causal.  I watched a family eat a nice big breakfast and another man making his morning tea (using a propane burner).  The butcher was busy getting his chicken together and everyone was getting their displays and signs just right.

I think it was a slow day in the market – a lot of places didn’t seem to fill.  Gokce slowly gave out her invitations and we walked up and down the rows over and over.  I said hello to a lot of my village friends and even saw the last guy I needed to give 2 photos to.  He was very friendly and again asked when I would come back up the mountain.

One display had a big cardboard sign in front of it and Gokce told me that it said his vegetables were grown without medicines, hormones, or chemicals.  Organic!  A selling point even in rural Turkey.  Another display had really nice tomatoes and right next to them this weirdly shaped pink/yellow things which she told me were ‘garden’ tomatoes vs ‘greenhouse’ tomatoes.  See – live and learn.

People kept calling us over to chat and the guys who sold fabric insisted I share some watermelon with them – yummy.  I went around and around and I looked at the one place that sold clothes and I saw they had vests!  Just a few but one fit me nicely – I asked how much and she said it was older so that instead of 10TL she would give it to me for 8TL.  Yeah that’s less than $5.  I didn’t negotiate any further.

I passed this one little kid sleeping on some carpets but Gokce told me that he was awake and saw him arguing with his mother and was just sulking.  Kids.

Everyone said hi – the Yufka (bread) guy asked if I wanted some but I wasn’t going to make that mistake again – and we headed back to the field house to the sounds of “oneliraoneliraonelira”!

At lunch time there was meat – little meat patties that they call hamburgers but don’t look like them and a big plate of mixed veggies.  I was happy to enjoy my patty when they brought out – gasp – PIZZA!

It turns out that the Minister’s rep decided to make us all pizza – oh my goodness – it was so good – cheese and olives and some onion and peppers and even some of the meat patties.  We ate our fill and it hit the spot so nicely.

The rest of the day we spent working in the field house.

After dinner Bert and I decided to get our Friday shave but found that the barber we went to was closed.  We did find another one open and his was a little fancier.  He had multiple chairs and instead of propane to heat the water used a instant electric kettle.  We had to wait for a local to get his very stylish beard shaped and trimmed and then it was out turn.  It was a great shave – though no flames at the end. When I handed him my 5TL note – he gave me change! It was only 3TL! That’s like $1.80!  Bert reasoned that’s why you can have fancy beards if you can afford to trim them at the barber.

I can’t believe how fast the time is flying.  Saturday is my last working day because we have Sunday off and Monday I head to Istanbul.

Images from Day 11 (also read the captions!)
(click here if you don’t see the image thumbnails)