... and finally a shot of our cave room! 
Sunday, September 26, 2010
Cappadocia
When I told people back in the US that I was going to study in Turkey, I frequently was told that I absolutely HAD to go to Cappadocia. Known in Turkish as Kapadokya, it is a region pretty much right in the middle of Turkey that has some seriously sweet rock formations and cave dwellings dating back to around the 6th century (I think). I planned the trip with the three other girls that went with me to the Princes' Islands. When I say planned this is what I mean: we booked a night at a hostel in Goreme, one of the most popular destinations in Cappadocia. 
We did not make bus reservations or any itineraries. We just knew that we wanted to leave Thursday and come back Sunday morning, and we wanted to do it on a low budget. Thankfully, that is exactly how it worked out! We caught a night bus out of a big bus hub in Istanbul and slept through most of the 10+ hour drive to Goreme with only one minor incident. I woke up from my nice Advil PM induced "sleep" when the creepy guy in the seat in front of me grabbed my arm and decided he wanted to communicate. I will never know what it was he wanted to talk about so urgently that provoked him to grab my arm while I was sleeping at 3 AM. Maybe it's a good thing I don't yet speak Turkish? Anyway, here's what Stella, Zoe, Chelsy and I ended up doing with our 36 hours in Cappadocia.
We slept really late. Unintentionally. The hostel owner was nice
We did not make bus reservations or any itineraries. We just knew that we wanted to leave Thursday and come back Sunday morning, and we wanted to do it on a low budget. Thankfully, that is exactly how it worked out! We caught a night bus out of a big bus hub in Istanbul and slept through most of the 10+ hour drive to Goreme with only one minor incident. I woke up from my nice Advil PM induced "sleep" when the creepy guy in the seat in front of me grabbed my arm and decided he wanted to communicate. I will never know what it was he wanted to talk about so urgently that provoked him to grab my arm while I was sleeping at 3 AM. Maybe it's a good thing I don't yet speak Turkish? Anyway, here's what Stella, Zoe, Chelsy and I ended up doing with our 36 hours in Cappadocia.Friday, September 24
We arrived in Goreme at around 9 AM, ready to take a nap. Sleeping on the bus had proven unsatisfactory. Sadly, our hostel room was not ready yet, so we went out and found a cute spot to have breakfast. After we got settled in our CAVE ROOM SUITE (only about $17 per person per night)- which had three beds and a private bathroom- we checked out the Goreme Open Air Museum, which is probably the most visited place in Cappadocia.It was a kilometer away from our hostel, which was great. While there were lots of
tourists, it was a good introduction to the area. Although it is called a museum, it's more like a park. The main draw is the numerous chapels, containing beautiful frescoes, that are carved into the rock. Some of the frescoes have been restored, but many of them were damaged (supposedly when the area fell under Muslim control). An interesting fact about frescoes, in case you didn't know: many are made using egg tempera, or a mixture of egg and pigment. In this case, the inhabitants used pigeon eggs. Pigeons were a huge part of the locals' livelihood because their droppings were great fertilizer! They therefore hollowed out lots of pigeon holes in the rocks to encourage the birds to stick around. Anyway, the take home point from the Open Air Museum is that these people carved caves out of rock faces and made them into chapels. With frescoes.
Awesome.
After we checked out the museum, we made our way down a poorly marked path off the side of the road that we had heard about, which took us to a scenic lookout point over Rose Valley. On the way we got to see a bit of the agricultural tradition in the region, namely pumpkins and grapes. One of the things that surprised me most was how many vineyards there are in a climate so hot and dry! You could see them all over the place, and we even saw grapes left drying out on tarps to become raisins. I may or may not have sampled a couple from one particularly accessible, vulnerable bunch. Aside from the food, the most breathtaking thing about the Rose Valley was its rock formations. They were just so bizarre! But the view was beautiful. Check it out. We were pretty tired after all our exploring, so we went to a restaurant immediately afterwards. It's common to get bread with your meal in Turkey, like in the US. This restaurant
had a different take on bread, and gave us a piece of pita as long
as the table. I had to take a picture.
Friday night was spent lounging in our cave room, recuperating and resting up for the next day's hike out to Love Valley.Saturday, September 25
We slept really late. Unintentionally. The hostel owner was niceenough to come knock on our door to tell us that breakfast was closing, and so thankfully we got to take advantage of the nice breakfast spread that came included with our one night reservation. We then hiked to Love Valley, named for the phallic rock structures called Fairy Chimneys found all over the place. Sorry if this picture offends you, but they're rocks, so get over it. It was a long, hot trek, and I got a great sunburn to prove it.
Luckily there were a couple of refreshment stands along the way, and most of them were serving fresh squeezed orange juice! We were too pooped to do anything else when we got back from our morning outing, so we had lunch and then stuck to the shade on the hostel patio and did some hard core lounging. At 8 pm we caught our night bus back to Istanbul, so we could be rested and ready for classes tomorrow!
Tuesday, September 21, 2010
A Day of Luxury at the Hamam
The past couple of days have been a wearisome struggle for most Bogazici students, including yours truly. We have been registering for classes. The Bogazici system is quite inefficient and stressful, and I don't really feel like talking about it any more. All you really need to know is that I am currently signed up for three classes- Turkish language for foreigners, Aegean history and archaeology, and Byzantine art and architecture. I need two more- easier said than done, especially when many are filled up and Williams only allows me to take classes that fit its liberal arts agenda. Also- FIVE CLASSES?! I guess that's not unheard of but I haven't had that course load since high school. Oh boy.
So today, to unwind, my friend Stella and I spent a day of luxury in Taksim at a Turkish Hamam, or a bath. Don't think bath as in a Roman bath. This is actually quite different! Allow me to explain what happened when we went to the bath in stages. Reader discretion is advised! Some nudity may be involved.
1) Stella and I walk into the bathhouse where we are greeted by the "bathers", mostly elderly women. We decide to get the full service bath. Expensive? Yes, but we deserved it.
2) We are shown into changing rooms that actually aren't private at all. In fact, each private room has a large glass window that looks out into the lobby. We undressed and put on towels and wooden sandal type shoes that they gave us.
3) One of the women takes us into the "bath", which is a large room where there is a round platform of heated marble in the
center and marble sinks around all four walls. This is kind of what it looked like (at right).
4) To our surprise, the lady pulled off our towels and put them in a corner! We didn't think that was necessary, so when she left we wrapped ourselves back up (because we're modest young ladies) and preceded to recline on the heated marble, which is meant to make you sweat. We lay there for about 15 minutes before two different bathers each motioned for us to come over to the sinks. Again, they took our towels away, so at that point we had to give up on modesty. Oh well.
5) They poured some room temperature water on us, and then had us lay back on the marble, where they started scrubbing our fronts and backs with some exfoliating pad, kind of like a loofah. You would not believe how well it worked. I had heard that they took a lot of dead skin off, but I could literally see it rubbing off. It was pretty gross... but also intriguing.
6) After rinsing off the dead skin, it was time to get soaped up. The soaping stage also involved a massage and lots of suds. I got really slippery and I was worried I might fall off the marble platform. It was quite luxurious.
7) After getting scrubbed and soaped, we were once more rinsed by the sinks. They shampooed our hair and washed our whole bodies. They then gave us clean towels and we headed back to the changing rooms to dry off.
It was all in all an interesting, fun experience. Probably a little too expensive, but still worthwhile. We left feeling absolutely wonderful! Things to keep in mind when considering doing a Turkish bath: Know what you're doing. Stella and I had heard a little about it, but did not expect to be fully nude. The bath ladies were also topless. No need for modestly at the hamam. Be prepared to not be able to communicate with the bath ladies at all. They didn't speak English, although mine knew how to say "very good" and "sit!". Finally, you should definitely tip them. They did just get your dead skin all over themselves.
Afterward we enjoyed our first real Turkish Delight, which is gelatinous and comes in cubes covered in powdered sugar. You can get it in different flavors, so we were adventurous and tried rose, kiwi, and something with chocolate in it. Not bad, but not fabulous. All in all, it was a great day of being touristy. We still have almost a whole week before classes start, so why not?
Enjoying our Turkish Delight. Good, but we wouldn't sell out our families to the White Witch for it! If you don't get that reference, shame on you.
So today, to unwind, my friend Stella and I spent a day of luxury in Taksim at a Turkish Hamam, or a bath. Don't think bath as in a Roman bath. This is actually quite different! Allow me to explain what happened when we went to the bath in stages. Reader discretion is advised! Some nudity may be involved.
1) Stella and I walk into the bathhouse where we are greeted by the "bathers", mostly elderly women. We decide to get the full service bath. Expensive? Yes, but we deserved it.
2) We are shown into changing rooms that actually aren't private at all. In fact, each private room has a large glass window that looks out into the lobby. We undressed and put on towels and wooden sandal type shoes that they gave us.
3) One of the women takes us into the "bath", which is a large room where there is a round platform of heated marble in the
center and marble sinks around all four walls. This is kind of what it looked like (at right).4) To our surprise, the lady pulled off our towels and put them in a corner! We didn't think that was necessary, so when she left we wrapped ourselves back up (because we're modest young ladies) and preceded to recline on the heated marble, which is meant to make you sweat. We lay there for about 15 minutes before two different bathers each motioned for us to come over to the sinks. Again, they took our towels away, so at that point we had to give up on modesty. Oh well.
5) They poured some room temperature water on us, and then had us lay back on the marble, where they started scrubbing our fronts and backs with some exfoliating pad, kind of like a loofah. You would not believe how well it worked. I had heard that they took a lot of dead skin off, but I could literally see it rubbing off. It was pretty gross... but also intriguing.
6) After rinsing off the dead skin, it was time to get soaped up. The soaping stage also involved a massage and lots of suds. I got really slippery and I was worried I might fall off the marble platform. It was quite luxurious.
7) After getting scrubbed and soaped, we were once more rinsed by the sinks. They shampooed our hair and washed our whole bodies. They then gave us clean towels and we headed back to the changing rooms to dry off.
It was all in all an interesting, fun experience. Probably a little too expensive, but still worthwhile. We left feeling absolutely wonderful! Things to keep in mind when considering doing a Turkish bath: Know what you're doing. Stella and I had heard a little about it, but did not expect to be fully nude. The bath ladies were also topless. No need for modestly at the hamam. Be prepared to not be able to communicate with the bath ladies at all. They didn't speak English, although mine knew how to say "very good" and "sit!". Finally, you should definitely tip them. They did just get your dead skin all over themselves.
Afterward we enjoyed our first real Turkish Delight, which is gelatinous and comes in cubes covered in powdered sugar. You can get it in different flavors, so we were adventurous and tried rose, kiwi, and something with chocolate in it. Not bad, but not fabulous. All in all, it was a great day of being touristy. We still have almost a whole week before classes start, so why not?
Enjoying our Turkish Delight. Good, but we wouldn't sell out our families to the White Witch for it! If you don't get that reference, shame on you.
Sunday, September 19, 2010
The Princes' Islands
The Princes' Islands are four islands in the Sea of Marmara off the coast of Istanbul, accessible by ferry, and they make for a great day trip. Today I went to Büyükada, the largest of the four islands, with three other American girls that I have met since living in the Superdorm. The ferry ride cost only 6 Turkish lira round trip, which is about $4. Not only was it a fantastic deal for a harbor cruise, but it was also a great way to see the coastline where the sea of Marmara meets Istanbul. The skyline was particularly pretty, with the minarets from various mosques jutting up into the sky (see photo at left). Note that while the sky is normally blue, in Istanbul it has taken on a grayish tinge. Not particularly shocking, considering the city is home to roughly 15 million people, though some estimate that the number is greater.
Once on the ferry it took us about an hour and a half to get to Büyükada. The island was a popular destination. Luckily, Turkey has outlawed the use of automobiles on the Princes' islands and so most of the traffic was pedestrian. It made the whole island much more picturesque, particularly because the favored transportation is carriages (Phaeton, in Turkish). While they are touristy, the carriages were a fun way to see the island. We took a carriage up to the base of a very steep hill upon which is an old monastery and a great view of the sea. The hill was luckily climbable, and we were able to enter the monastery and admire the beautiful Byzantine frescoes and icons they had on display. Unfortunately photographs were prohibited, but I don't think they would have done the place justice anyway. Luckily I did get pictures of the view though! 
The rest of the island was also beautiful, and besides the cafes and small restaurants there were also quite a lot of old, European style mansions. I ended up taking a lot of photos of the streets from our carriage and while walking around. One of the best things about being a student/tourist in Turkey is the prices. If you stay away from the main streets, you can get a pretty good Turkish meal for between 5 and 8 lira, depending on your beverage (which for me is usually a Coca Cola Light or çay, which is strong Turkish tea). So that is roughly the equivalent of spending $4-5 on meals. Not bad! We took the ferry back to the mainland in the late afternoon and ate dinner off of Taksim square, where I had my first kebab style chicken. Typical kebabs have beef or lamb, and I'm planning on staying away from them if I can help it. Luckily, Turkish restaurants often have delicious vegetarian cuisine, such as this variation on a pita pizza that I had for lunch. 
Yum! It was a long day and I am fairly exhausted. Tomorrow is Sunday and I'm planning on sleeping in and hopefully investigating the workout facilities on campus. It is supposed to be another beautiful day!The photos below are random shots that I took over the course of the day that I thought people might like.
Friday, September 17, 2010
Settling in at the Superdorm
I moved into the Superdorm on the Uçaksavar campus of Bogazici University yesterday morning, and since then my head has been spinning and I've been on one of the biggest emotional roller coasters in my life. Bogazici University was founded as Robert College, an American college, in the 1860s. It wasn't until the 1970s that it became Bogazici University, aptly named for its location overlooking the Bosphorus straight (see photo of view!). 
The campus is kind of spread out, and most international students live in the Superdorm, which is next to the sports facilities and a large stadium. I have to walk about 15 to 20 minutes to get to South Campus, which is the oldest part of campus and where I think I will be taking most of my classes. Despite the hike, there is a beautiful view of the Bosphorus (again see photo), which divides the European and Asian sides of Turkey. I have yet to go to the Asian side, but then again this is only day 3. This afternoon I am going to go preregister with the exchange student office and then we have a short orientation followed by a dinner and some kind of party. I really have no idea what kind of a party it will be. More to come on that later, I suppose!
Since I've moved in I've met a whole lot of American students, most of whom speak no Turkish whatsoever. We are all spread out all over the Superdorm, which is still mostly empty because the Turkish students that will be living with us have not moved in yet. I am the sole inhabitant of my 4 bedroom suite, which is a little weird and lonely! Everyone that I've met is very friendly though. We're all pretty much on the same boat. A bunch of us took a bus yesterday to Taksim, which is kind of like the Times Square of Istanbul. Envision lots and lots of people (but no neon lights and flashing signs). We got off the bus too early and got a little lost, but when we finally got there it ended up being lots of fun, albeit overwhelming. One of the guys in the group took a picture of me with this statue in the center of the square.
We met up with a couple of Turkish students that one American girl in the group happened to know, and they were our friendly tour guides for the evening. Overall Taksim was a fun experience, and I'll definitely be going back there! Probably not by myself though.
Time to go preregister!
The campus is kind of spread out, and most international students live in the Superdorm, which is next to the sports facilities and a large stadium. I have to walk about 15 to 20 minutes to get to South Campus, which is the oldest part of campus and where I think I will be taking most of my classes. Despite the hike, there is a beautiful view of the Bosphorus (again see photo), which divides the European and Asian sides of Turkey. I have yet to go to the Asian side, but then again this is only day 3. This afternoon I am going to go preregister with the exchange student office and then we have a short orientation followed by a dinner and some kind of party. I really have no idea what kind of a party it will be. More to come on that later, I suppose!Since I've moved in I've met a whole lot of American students, most of whom speak no Turkish whatsoever. We are all spread out all over the Superdorm, which is still mostly empty because the Turkish students that will be living with us have not moved in yet. I am the sole inhabitant of my 4 bedroom suite, which is a little weird and lonely! Everyone that I've met is very friendly though. We're all pretty much on the same boat. A bunch of us took a bus yesterday to Taksim, which is kind of like the Times Square of Istanbul. Envision lots and lots of people (but no neon lights and flashing signs). We got off the bus too early and got a little lost, but when we finally got there it ended up being lots of fun, albeit overwhelming. One of the guys in the group took a picture of me with this statue in the center of the square.
We met up with a couple of Turkish students that one American girl in the group happened to know, and they were our friendly tour guides for the evening. Overall Taksim was a fun experience, and I'll definitely be going back there! Probably not by myself though.Time to go preregister!
Wednesday, September 15, 2010
First night in Istanbul
My trip overseas was quite a bit easier than I thought it would be! Everything went relatively smoothly. My
flight to Zurich was fantastic- they fed us dinner, chocolate and chocolate croissants in the morning. And I must say that the Swiss flight attendants were all much younger and better looking than their American counterparts. On the flight from Zurich to Istanbul I met two American students that will also be at Bogazici University for a semester, and they both were very friendly. We landed in Istanbul without incident (aside from some minor turbulence and a shampoo explosion in my checked luggage), and I managed to string together a few Turkish words on my cab ride to the hostel (read: "Hello! Do you speak English?" and "Very Beautiful!"). The hostel is located in the old part of the city, and has a great view from the roof deck to the minarets of the Blue Mosque and (what I think is) the Sea of Marmara in the background. After I settled in a little bit, I ventured about 10 meters down the street and ate dinner by myself at a nice outdoor restaurant, where the Turkish waiters, who were all men, were extremely attentive.
Really extremely attentive. One of them kept putting toothpicks on the table in front of me and making little puzzles out of them that I had to solve. After dinner I had the chance to meet some of the other hostel guests and I heard my first call to prayer-- really beautiful. I guess I actually am in Istanbul! Hopefully I'll get some sleep tonight, because tomorrow I move into my dorm room and register for classes! Now, on to clean up the shampoo explosion...
flight to Zurich was fantastic- they fed us dinner, chocolate and chocolate croissants in the morning. And I must say that the Swiss flight attendants were all much younger and better looking than their American counterparts. On the flight from Zurich to Istanbul I met two American students that will also be at Bogazici University for a semester, and they both were very friendly. We landed in Istanbul without incident (aside from some minor turbulence and a shampoo explosion in my checked luggage), and I managed to string together a few Turkish words on my cab ride to the hostel (read: "Hello! Do you speak English?" and "Very Beautiful!"). The hostel is located in the old part of the city, and has a great view from the roof deck to the minarets of the Blue Mosque and (what I think is) the Sea of Marmara in the background. After I settled in a little bit, I ventured about 10 meters down the street and ate dinner by myself at a nice outdoor restaurant, where the Turkish waiters, who were all men, were extremely attentive.
Really extremely attentive. One of them kept putting toothpicks on the table in front of me and making little puzzles out of them that I had to solve. After dinner I had the chance to meet some of the other hostel guests and I heard my first call to prayer-- really beautiful. I guess I actually am in Istanbul! Hopefully I'll get some sleep tonight, because tomorrow I move into my dorm room and register for classes! Now, on to clean up the shampoo explosion...
Tuesday, September 14, 2010
Today is the day.
This is it. I leave Boston tonight at 9:40 pm, and after a quick layover in Zurich I will be touching down in Istanbul at 4:30 local time on September 15. I have reserved a room at the Old City Hostel for the first night, and then the next morning I will make my way over to Bogazici University where I will check into my dorm! So that's it for now, because I actually still have a bit to do before my flight out tonight. Typical.
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