Turkey Thursday May 22

Greetings!

We all got up this morning, and went down to the sea. Not unlike tens of thousands of Australians, New Zealaners, and British did in the early months of 1915. To Gallipoli - to be exact. We boarded the bus, and the bus boarded the ferry, and we sailed across the from Asia to Europe and drove onto the island of Gallipoli.

Making this journey today with seven Australians who have become our friends - was very special. Their journey to these shores carried the significance of many Americans to Normandy, except that the victories in Europe which followed the American invasion were not to be for these fallen soldiers. Waiting for each of them can only be said to be the birth of a nation, as our fellow travelers told us. For this was the defining moment for a continent which quickly came of age, and had been galvanized by this campaign.












Watching and photographing them as they stepped back in time to March 18, 1915 until January 1916, I gained a much better understanding of the sacrifices their grandfathers and great-uncles made, and the hardships they endured. Reading the words of Ataturk on the marble memorial to the mothers of these soldiers, I knew more now how two countries could share such a traumatic period and move beyond it.
















Our guide, Shenay, also helped me understand the sacrifices of the Turkish people as he told us that seven of his great uncles died here, and that five of his uncles were named for them. He described how at dawn on every March 25th, tens of thousands gather here to pay their respects to those who died here.



We had lunch on the water again, and the remainder of the day we drove to Istanbul. A city of 16 million residents on two continents, it just kept getting more and more populated as we drove. At one point, Shenay showed us hillside after hillside of houses being torn down to make way for new government apartments. It seems like millions of houses and apartments are in the final stages of completion in Turkey, awaiting one last drop in the interest rate for new owners and renters to move in. I can't wait to see what happens over the next year.

Tonight, Pat and I went for a walk in Istanbul in the area between our hotel and the Grand Mosque. We had dinner with our friends on the top floor of the hotel overlooking the sea, and hundreds of small boats off the coast. Tomorrow, we'll be taking a tour of the city, and Saturday a cruise on the Bosphorous. Sunday will be the last day of this part of the tour, and we'll be flying to Ankara for two days to visit their museum. Then, we fly to Antalya to pick up the middle of a gulet cruise on the Mediterranean. I'll be unable during the cruise to blog, and you'll not see the photos until we return on June 1st to this hotel in Istanbul. I'm just hoping the sailboat has a generator to recharge the camera batteries. I've been told by some members of our group who have just finished a similar cruise that the circuits only work periodically, and then only when the boat is ashore. Of well. We'll make do.


For a look at the day's photos, click on: Turkey Thursday May 22

Turkey Wednesday May 21

Greetings!

From Pat's Journal:

It was a hazy, grey and humid wakeup in Izmir. Our hotel was full of tour groups which we followed around all day. We headed north to Bergama, to the Pergemum ruins. Bergama is a new town, with most of the houses on a "preserved" list. They climb a road which ends and Pergemum begins - on the top and flanks of a large hill. It became prosperous when one of Alexander's generals got it after Alexander's death.

It's mostly a quite limited ruin (most having been carted off by the Germans when they built the railway through here), but they are artfully placed in this dramatic setting/drop dead views of the town below - hills and vllages surrounding it. The amphitheater is the steepest known. The temples are not extent, but a headless statue remains.




The wildflowers are a riot everywhere besides the deep reds of the poppies and the white/yellow of the cammomile. There's a bright yellow (small) composite, a blue-pink, creeping geranium, and two clovers. The general mugginess drives us back into the bus, but not before stopping at a small oak tree that had sprung up where Demeter's altar was. The lower branches are wrapped with short lengths of white clothes meant to express visitor's "wishes and willings", as our guide explains.













Back in the bus, we head for Troy. It's a long ride, but we hit the Agean at Ayralik. It's very flat and laifless with a grey sky blending with a colorless sea to the horizon. We cutaway from the sea, and climb over a winding saddle road over the mountain. The island of Lesbos appears to our left on the sea. We pass through Ezine, where our guide says the Turks' most favorite cheese "that you will not get in your hotels" is made. Oh well.

We come upon Troy -Troia. Our guide tells us that his is unlike any other ruins. That there is a model of the Trojan horse built in 1962 on the site, and another built for the Brad Pitt movie in Cannukkale. He sets us up to be underwhelmed by the remains, but it turns out to be quite an interesting gem. Maybe because it marks the famous "myth" of the Greeks beating the locals.

The site was thought to be a myth until a German, Schlieman, came from California in the 1870's bent on finding the legendary city - and surprised all when he did. He actually caused great damage, and sacked the treasures, removing them to Germany. They were then confiscated by the Russians who have them still.

Anyway, the town was built between 5000BC and 100AD in nine levels. It was a hill with great ground water, and a good view of the Dardanelles. Ships would stop here and await favorable winds to move on the the Sea of Marmaris. It has a much more subtle charm as a ruin, and holds plenty of history and mystery.

On the way out, we stop at a shop owned by a seasoned guide (Mustafa Askin) who has written a book which he autographs for us. We drive to Cannukkale, and are staying at a hotel right on the waterfront. It's a lovely esplanade and we stroll it up to the mosque after dinner. Tomorrow, we are up at 6:30am for a trip the Gallipoli. Ataturk called the victory at Gallipoli the revenge for Troy.

















For a look at the day's photos, click on: Turkey Wednesady May 21

Turkey Tuesday May 20

Greetings!

I'm composing the text. If you can't wait, check out the photos through the link below.

Before I tell you where we went today to discover Turkey's past, I thought I'd rant a little about Turkey's present and future.

This country has experienced rapid change twice in the past 90 years. The first was in the years right after the Turkish Revolution from 1921 to 1935. Ataturk changed the language, the alphabet, and the calendar. He also abolished the Sultantate, instituted universal sufferage, and decreed that all turks must have surnames. In the last ten years, the country has seen another period of rapid change. Just yesterday, the country adopted the limited smoking restrictions of the EU countries. That is enormous in a country in which 40% smoke. Most of the changes are being brought about by Turkey's yeaarning to become a member of the European Union. Turkey has agreed to transition itself into investment paradise, and to adopt its culture to as close to European standards in order to make it easier for foreigners to operate here. The tension between what its politicians want to accomplish, and what its religious leaders will tolerate, is the most important issue in the country now. The current government is being tried by the military council which is empowered to oversee the legacy of Ataturk's work. The entire nation is awaiting their decision.

But the pace of foreign investment, construction, and generational acquisition of power will continue no matter what they decide. It is clear that the generals and world economic forces had decreed that this country is up for sale as long as it remains secular. And the future of east-west geopolitics in the region hangs in the economic balance.

All over Turkey, as we pass through villages and towns, the most common sight we see is men sitting together drinking tea and talking together. The retirement age has been 40 for men and 39 for women for 50 years. It has accomodated the needs of Turkey's 50% of the nation under 25 very well. Recently,the government ordered to raised to 60 for women and 65 for men.

Both of our guides (educated young men with ambitions far beyond being guides) could not be mistaken for religious conservatives, and they are worried about a religious backlash. They are worried that Turkey's moves to completely and quickly accede to the EU's requirements will lead to political turmoil. They have hope that their country can continue its strong economic growth,but fear it is at the expense of national independence and autonomy. Allowing foreigners to buy every commerical resource, asking people to work longer with fewer benefits, and increasing private and public debt to fuel the economy is hard for them to reconcile with the dream of a strong nation put forth by that young military officer so long ago.

Turkey has become one large caravan saray. As in the 12th century Seljuk empire, trade is insured safe, accomodations for traders are comfortable, everything is for sale, and the customs are completely negotiable. The question is whether Islamic leaders and their devout followers in Turkey can be resist the forces which find that inconsistent with their beliefs.

So, what did we do today? Only go to Ephesus. Where St Paul stirred up the worshipers of mother goddess Artemis (Cybelle), the temple of whom is one of the seven wonders of the world. When the romans took over the place, she became Diana, and Ephesus became the roman provincial capital. It has the largest amphitheatre in the ancient world, the largest cathedral in the ancient world, many huge gymnasium and baths, and one of the most impressive, residentail and commerical marketplaces ever constructed. On the hill above it stands the house that the Virgin Mary spent her last years.

We ended the day at Izmir, the third largest city in Turkey. The city rivals any major city in the world for beauty and charm. Some of our group are leaving us tomorrow morning, and we move on to explore Pergamum and Troy. We're only four days from the end of this first tour, and we've begun to firm up plans to transition to the cruise on the 12-passenger gulet (two-masted sailboat) on the Mediterranean coast.





















For a look at the day's photos, click on: Turkey Tuesday May 20