Trip to Turkey
In the Footsteps of Paul
October 19 - 30, 2004
On Tuesday October 19 a group of
23 people left for a trip to Turkey. We were mostly from the Menlo Park
Presbyterian Church. The trip was led by our Pastor and Sunday School teacher,
Frank VanderZwan and his wife Judy. They were also assisted by Rev. Ron Ritchie
and his son Rodd. The other travelers were, Katherine Kleinke, Joyce Margaroli,
Karl Miller, Sam and Elaine Housten, Jean and Howard Rathlesberger, Mark
Campbell and his daughter Davia, Sue and Ron Smith, Gwen and Hal Sweeney, Pat
Hovlick and her daughter, Debra, Penelope Bowen, Marilyn Dawson, Bonnie Morton,
and Betty Miller. In Turkey we were led by a wonderful guide, Dilek Yarcan and
driven by an excellent bus driver, Yucel Ozpeker. We were planning to visit
several of the seven churches mentioned in The Revelation of John. Also we
would be walking in the footsteps of Paul.
Tuesday-Wednesday 10/19 & 10/20 To begin our journey my friend, Nancy Hay drove me,
Marilyn, and Betty to the SF airport were we stood in line for over an hour to
check in. We left about 5:00 on British Airways for a 9 and a half hour trip to
London. Fortunately I was able to sleep some on the flight. BA is one of the
more pleasant airlines to fly on, as much as any air flight can be pleasant.
The food isnÕt bad at all and the attendants are actually pleasant - for the
whole flight. We arrived in London and spent 5 hours in the Heathrow airport.
Finally we took the flight to Istanbul arriving some 24 hours after we left
Menlo Park. We obtained our visas for $20 and went to our hotel (the Hilton)
near the airport. Our guide for Turkey, Dilek, met us at the airport. We
certainly were ready for bath and sleep but we couldnÕt figure out how to turn
on the shower. Fortunately at that point the man arrived with our luggage and
he showed us. In the morning we found our that others also had the same problem
and several just skipped the shower.
Thursday 10/21 We were
up at 5:30 in order to get our baggage out and then we had breakfast at a very
generous buffet. After that Marilyn and I took a walk around the area, went to
the harbor and then went up an elevator to the top of the Crown Plaza. From
there we could see the whole of Istanbul - a very large, crowed and busy city. Istanbul
in on the European continent divided from the rest of Turkey by the Straights
of Bosphorus. The rest of Turkey is on the continent of Asia and is often
referred to as Asia Minor (ie ÒsmallÓ Asia as compared to the rest of Asia).
While waiting for the bus I did see a few birds to identify, Hooded Crow,
Black-billed Magpie, White Wagtail, and lots of House Sparrows. We left about
11:00 for Antalya, south and on the coast of the Mediterranean Sea. Upon
arrival I could then say that I have been on all seven continents. We exchanged
some money - in Turkey the lira is mostly dealt with in millions. One million
lira is about sixty cents. We also learned that we would have to pay to pee -
usually about 30 cents. It was always a bother to have the correct change for
this but we soon adapted. Flying in we saw some beautiful scenes - hills and
picture pretty towns rolling down to the seaÕs edge. We then met our wonderful
bus driver, Mr. Yucel Ozpeker. From there we drove to the Roman ruins at
Aspendos. On the way we had the Toros mountains on one side and the
Mediterranean Sea on the other. The fields along the route were rich in
agriculture, cotton, sesame, tobacco, corn. The country grows practically all
the food that they need, importing very little. The small towns we drove
through look very busy and fairly clean. Saw lots of familiar brands in the ads and on the streets,
Shell Oil, Coca Cola, brands of beer. We saw old and new side by side.
Throughout the country there were many 7-10 story buildings for homes - each
family purchasing one floor for their home. But there were also small
individual homes - some decrepit, some new. The main economy is, in order:
agriculture, textiles, tourism. Soon we arrived at the ruins of Aspendos -
built about 150 AD. We visited the intact Roman theater, and the Roman
aqueducts. They were able to bring
the water from the mountains to the cities with their highly skilled aqueducts.
They also built sewer systems under the city streets. From here we went to
lunch at a more or less local place. They showed us the plates of food first so
we would know what to order and how much each dish was. After this we went to
the antique city of Perga. It was from here that Paul left on his first
missionary journey to Derbe and Lystra. The streets still had the stones and
you could see the marks of the early chariots. They had a large system of
baths. One was open and cold, one was enclosed and had warm water. Underneath
the floor was an oven to burn wood in order to heat the water. The other room
was a sauna that also had an elaborate system in order to make steam. These
baths were the men's places to gather for social and business meetings. (Here I
saw a yellow wagtail.) This night we stayed at a very elegant hotel, Talya
Antalya, that had a wonderful buffet for dinner. Some of the food was Turkish
and it was all very good. We were treated to a performance by a belly dancer.
She was very good and gave our group a lot of attention. It was a lot of fun.
Later that night we were treated to a display of fireworks from out hotel room.
Friday 10/22 Today we
went to the local archeological museum in Antalya and saw some wonderful
statues and other artifacts that have been unearth in the various excavations.
Many of the sculptures are from the second century AD. Dilek had worked at some
of the sites and unearthed them herself.
Driving through Antalya it was interesting to see a modern city with 8
story apartment building next to very old sections. Driving in this area was
beautiful with the base of the Toros Mountains on one side and the
Mediterranean Sea on the other. The mountains used to have cedar trees but they
have all been cut through the centuries for war and building. From here we went
to the ancient city of Phaselis which is on the Mediterranean Sea. It had a
good harbor so was used for commerce. The ancient road had enough to see where
the shops were located along the side. Most of these excavated cities do not
also include the homes. They are a short distance away from the city but they
do not hold the treasures that interest the archeologists. Turkey has many more
sites to work on but it takes money and a long term commitment. Turkey is
willing to have foreign countries in to dig but they require the treasures to
stay in Turkey and they require a commitment for future years to finish the
job. After this we went back to our hotel and had the opportunity to swim in
the Mediterranean Sea. What fun that was - the water was so warm and the
setting was absolutely beautiful. The hotel was built on top of a cliff and you
walked down two flights to the swimming pool. Then you took an elevator down 5
flights to the sea. It was lovely. That night we again had a buffet for dinner
- different food but again very good. Much of the food was Turkish food. The food
in Turkey seems to be a blend of several countries, most notably Greece. I
canÕt describe any particular style that stands out. Lots of lamb and veal,
chicken too. Kabobs and rice were often served. Always lots of desserts
especially baklava.
Saturday 10/23 We left
at 8 in the morning on our drive up and over the Toros Mountains headed to
Colossae. The mountain range had very rocky terrain with short (6 feet or so)
trees/bushes. It was a very pretty drive. We stopped at a large turn out where
a group of farmers had laid out their produce for sale. Some people bought some
of the produce but we were mostly leery of eating any of it. We stopped at a
diner where we had a buffet lunch for about $6.00 and did some souvenir
shopping. These stops we make are at gas stations which also have places to
eat, things to buy, and restrooms. Also the bus drivers are able to wash the
bus. Our bus driver kept our bus looking like it just came out of the garage.
When we left we turned and headed west and were actually on the Silk Road - a
road that Marco Polo traveled. Along the sides were lots of unused land, with
some places with lots of goats, some sheep and a few houses - widely space
apart. But even out here were lots of 3 story houses, one floor for each
family. Along the Silk road we saw some remnants of the hotels for the caravans
that used to travel along this road. The bottom floor was for the animals and
upstairs were rooms for the travelers. We stopped at Colossae where there is
only a small tel. (it was about l kilometer square. It has not been excavated.)
We stopped and read the letter in Revelation to the church here. It was very
powerful at each site to read the section in the book of Revelation and talk
about that particular church. We then continued to nearby Laodicea. (Rev 3:
14-22)This city dates to the 3rd century BC. This again was a good ruin for
seeing the city as it was. It is still being worked on having been started just
3 years ago. Turkey has no money for excavations so they are willing to license
others as long as they agree to the rules. For one if they start it they must
commit to finishing it. Also all artifacts must remain in Turkey and the
licensed organization must pay their own way. From here we continued on to
Pamukkale which is along the Lycus River. Here are the springs of Hierapolis,
thermal pools with supposed healing powers. There is still a concession area
nearby but the former hotels here
have been removed in order to restore the area. The calcium has left the area
white. We stayed at the Colossae Hotel in Pamukkale.
Sunday 10/24 Today we
drove to Ephesus. Along the way I saw a Marsh Harrier, Black-billed Magpie,
House sparrow and ÒLinnetÓ which I think is an old name for House Finch. Along
the way we drove through several small towns - old but attractive. We learned
of the custom of putting coke bottles on the roof for each unmarried daughter
in the house. If a suitor was interested he would shoot the bottle to declare
his intentions. We saw several and offered to put one on the bus for our
unmarried guide! We drove through field with very rich land growing among other
things, cotton, olive trees, apricots, grapes. The Ionian Greeks did not have
enough food so they came to this area around 500-200 BC because of the rich
growing areas. The fields of various produce were being worked in by people who
live higher up in the mountains and come down to do the field work, not unlike
our migrant workers from Mexico. In fact the area looks very like our Central
Valley in California. We stopped and Dilek asked if we could take their picture
and then one of the men came over and talked to us. They were such nice people
and very friendly. We found the Turkish people were very friendly and so
pleasant to us - they seemed happy to see us in their country. Many spoke
English and were happy to use it with us. After we left we again stopped at a
gas station and it had a free restroom! No wonder they had many souvenirs which
we were happy to purchase from them. Finally we arrived at our destination, Ephesus.
(Rev. 2: 1-3) It was once a port town of some 250,000 people and it is the best
preserved of the seven churches. The temple of Artemis (Diana), one of the
seven wonders of the world, once was here. One of the ways to make money in
PaulÕs time was making and selling small statues of Diana. With PaulÕs arrival
and information of a new God they were afraid of loosing their livelihood and
it was in the theatre here that a mob rushed in to seize Paul. This theatre is
still standing in part and it used to hold some 25,000 people. Ephesus was the
capital of the Roman province of Asia. It was a rich and famous city. King
Croesus lived here about 550 BC - he was a very rich man - maybe the richest in
the world at that time - king of Lydia which included part of Asia Minor. He
was defeated by Cyrus the Great, the founder of the Persian empire who then
unified Asia Minor under his rule. Ephesus was wonderful. There was so much of
the city left you could really see how it was in its prime. We walked down the
main street where Paul walked. Along side were the various shops - at the end
of the main street was the wonderful Library of Celsus. A wide marble road slopes down to one of
the largest libraries of the ancient world. Between 12,000 and 15,000 scrolls
were housed in the grand Library of Celsus in the Roman city, Ephesus. On each side of the staircase, Greek
and Latin letters describe the life of Celsus. Along the outer wall, four
recesses contain female statues representing wisdom (sophia), knowledge
(episteme), intelligence (ennoia) and virtue (arete). These statues are copies;
the originals were taken to Vienna when the library was excavated. I took a
photo of me standing next to Sophia and will share it with Sophia and show her
how to write her name in Greek. How wonderful it was to wander through the city
and reflect on the history here - especially the Christian history. Ron read to
us the letter to Ephesus from the book of Revelation and talked about the
words, very meaningful. From here we went to the Church of St. John where
tradition says he died. We also visited the Ephesus Museum at Selcuk . Then on
our way to our hotel we visited a place where they make rugs. What fun we had
there. First we were told about rugs in general. There are not many Turkish rugs
in American because there is not a trade agreement. That is one reason they are
anxious to join the EU so they can export more items. Turkish rugs are made of
silk, cotton, or wool each having different advantages. We then watches some
girls weaving the rugs. They were so fast it was amazing. I finally understand
what is meant by a ÒknotÓ and the importance of the number of knots per square
centimeter. (the more the more expensive.) I still cannot truly understand how
they follow the pattern, it looks to me like it is just a case of using the
eye. Then we were shown some silk cocoons and how they unwove them to get the
silk. After this we went into a large room where there were benches all around
and we sat down. Then two men came in bearing a hug tray with plates of Turkey
pizza on it - we were starving and much appreciated that. We were offered
drinks - anything we wanted. Some took wine, others tried the Turkish coffee,
and several of us tried the Apple tea. The tea was very good and much like hot
apple cider. Then the show started. The master of ceremonies started with the
smaller rugs, explaining the design, the material, and answering questions. A
man would take a rolled rug and toss it out on the floor. Soon the rugs got
larger and were unrolled faster and faster, eventually there were three men
unrolling the rugs and it was like a well choreographed dance. It was lovely. I
wish I had a need for a rug as I would have bought one. I would have loved to
bought one for the kids but that is something hard to do for someone else and
also I would have then dictated the colors they had to use to decorate the room
the rug was in. So I didnÕt buy a large rug - although several people did. When
he was done showing the rugs he then told us the average prices. The price
ranged from $400 for a small one to $2000 or maybe more for the large ones.
When I heard $400 I said IÕd love to buy one of those for the kids so my lady
friends said they would help me. I figured the kids could put it anywhere, by
the door, next to the kitchen sink, next to a bed, in the hall, whatever. So I
started looking and we narrowed down the choices to a couple. I then asked
Rodd, which rug he would like if he was a 40 year old with two children (he is
a 40 year old with three children.)
He thought the geometric pattern was more youthful than the flowered
ones. I liked it so decided on it. I then asked the price - $580! So now the
fun begins - IÕve never enjoyed or been good at bargaining. But I truthfully
said Òoh that is more than I want to spendÓ. So I asked Rodd what I should
offer. Dilek had told us to offer about 20% less. Rodd asked me what the most
IÕd pay for it and I said $480 so he suggested I offer $450 so I did and the
salesman said ÒSoldÓ! So that was done. The price includes shipping to the US
via FedEx and will take 4-6 weeks. IÕm hoping it will arrive while IÕm there at
Thanksgiving. I was so excited. It was the first time IÕve bought anything like
that by myself - usually David would be there to give me encouragement. And I
have never done any bargaining like that. A new experience in my reinvented
life! This rug will be handed down for generations to come - they last
forever! So we continued on to our
hotel in Kusadasi, the Korumar Hotel. We are now on the Aegean Sea. Had a lovely
buffet dinner and off to bed. (11/23/04 - the rug arrived today while I was
visiting the kids in CS - I was so excited. They didnÕt have a clue and were
delighted when they opened it - they really liked it - what fun.)
Monday 10/25 Up at 5
AM (sounds like a birding trip!). We caught a boat at 6:30 AM leaving Kusadasi
for Patmos which is a Greek island. John the Evangelist had been exiled there
and there he wrote the "Revelation" in Patmos, as he himself tells
us. The actual grotto is determined by tradition but going there and having a
small service in there was very emotional. To think we were at the spot where
God gave John His revelations. We also went the monastery that is still
operating as a monastery. In 1088 a Byzantine emperor granted this island to
the monk Christodolous who built this monastery upon the remains of the old
church and the older shrine of Diana. This monastery has been in continuous
operation since then. It was built on a hill and had lots of turns and twists
and little corners in the building having been added to often in the ensuing
years. Also lots of beautiful gold and silver used in the furnishing. We then
went down to our hotel which was across from the harbor and checked into our
hotel, Skala Hotel. Here we were first exposed to the difference in the Greek
culture. Things had not been arranged properly and there did not seem to be
much concern about straightening matters out. IÕm not sure of the details but
finally everything was arranged and we were on our own. First we went to the
money exchanged and our experience here was almost laughable. There were 3 or 4
people there - talking on the phone, talking to each other, wandering around
and no one seemed interested in helping us. After about 10 minutes one person
was given some money - euros here. Then another phone call and in five minutes
another person helped. Finally we all had some money and some of us chose to
follow Frank to a lunch spot that he had checked out while we were waiting. It
was some 10-15 minute walk from the harbor. It was a lovely lunch and
fortunately we were the only customers. They were remodeling the inside which
was fine as sitting outside was lovely. The waitress was delightful and even
though she gave us menus she then said Òlet me tell you what we do haveÓ. We
all found something weÕd like and then we thought it would be fun to try Ouzo -
a Greek drink we had read about. It is
a colorless anise-flavored unsweetened Greek liqueur. Several of us
tasted it - I canÕt say I liked it and a little goes a long way, but now I know
what it tastes like. After this we went our various ways and several of us
shopped and walked around the town. Patmos is small island of some 3000 people.
During the tourist season it is very busy but during the winter it is very quiet
and many are not working and instead spend time at home with families. They now
have a school so small children do not have to board on the mainland to go to
school. It was interesting though how little the shop keepers cared whether we
bought anything or not. They acted like we were interrupting them from their
other activities. This wasnÕt true of everyone but prevalent enough to notice.
No one was actually rude - they just ignored us. Never-the-less we all managed
to buy a few things. We enjoyed walking around town too. It is charming and
small with narrow streets. They look like they are only for walking but cars
and scooters drive down them so we had to watch out. Most of the homes are
painted white and then have brightly painted doors in all colors, blue, red,
yellow, green. It makes for a charming scene. From the distance you see a sea
of white on the hills were the homes are built. While walking around I happened
on a delightful scene - two monks and one other man came out and pulled the
three church bells to announce the hours, something that has been done for
centuries at the same spot. Marilyn and I walked along the harbor and enjoyed
the boats, fishing, and other
scenes. The group then met at an appointed time and walked to a restaurant for
dinner since the hotel didnÕt have a dinner planned for us. But we were treated
to an excellent dinner served by a very pleasant group. We all had the same
thing and it was very good. Then back to our rooms which was quite an
experience. First of all it was dirty, the rug left your feet black if you
walked barefoot and the bathroom had hairs all over the floor. Well we took
precautions and I took a shower. That was another experience. It was very tiny
and there was no way to keep the water in the shower - which was probably why
there was a drain in the floor. But of course the water went the other way onto
the rug in the room. We were only give two thin towels so I had to use mine to
mop up so Marilyn could get into there so I went down and asked for another towel.
The man looked at me - IÕm sure he was waiting for an explanation or getting
ready to say ÒnoÓ. I just waited, smiling, and he gave in and gave me another
towel. (I later heard others had asked for a towel and had similar
experiences.) Then the next thing was even funnier and gave us many laughs -
especially over breakfast the next day when we shared our experience. Marilyn
was in the shower and I was laying on the bed. I reached over and set something
on the bedside table and it crashed to the floor. It had been nailed to a
plaster wall with two short nails and this had clearly happened before. We
really laughed over that. So after picking things up we took a stool and shoved
it under the table and propped it up very nicely. MarilynÕs table was sloping
forward so she didnÕt even use hers. We figured we wouldnÕt bother to tell them
because they would either notice it themselves or not. My bet is that the stool
is still holding up the table - they probably figured it is fixed - why bother.
Anyway it was funny (probably more so in the experience than in the telling).
Tuesday 10/26 We left
Patmos at 10 in the morning via the same boat we had taken over. It was a long
ride - five hours I think but it was pleasant, relaxing, reading, talking,
watching the scenes and the birds (Herring Gulls and CoryÕs Shearwaters). We
arrived at Kussadasi by about 2:30. It is a beautiful city to see from the sea.
The homes are mostly built on hills and flow down to the edge. They are all
painted white and it is something to see. We docked by the huge ÒWorld ShipÓ.
This ship is owned by the same man who owns our tourist company. The ship sells
suits for a million dollars and people live there and travel around the world!
What a way to live. I think some people have more money that I can even
understand. We went through customs again as we were now back in Turkey. We
greeted Dilek with much genuine enthusiasm which we later found out was good
timing because the owner was there with her. We met him but didnÕt understand
at the time who he really was. I hope he knows what a jewell he has in Dilek.
Not only does she guide tour groups she also teaches part time at the
university in Istanbul. Her knowledge of history is amazing and contributes
much to our enjoyment of the trip. From here we drove to Miletus - it was here
that Paul said good bye to the elders of the Church of Ephesus (Acts 20:17-38).
On the way we passed the Meander River from where we get the word to meander.
At Izmir saw the remnants of Smyma (Rev.2:8-11) where Polycarp died - martyred.
He was the bishop of Smyrma and a pupil of John. Then we stopped at a leather
factory where again we were offered drinks and snacks and then treated to a
very elegant fashion show of beautiful leather coats. Judy and Ron were good
sports and also modeled some coats. Several people did buy coats - they
were beautiful and good prices. We
bought Dilek one also. Again I would have loved to get Kenneth and Judy coats
but theyÕd have to be there to pick them out and try them on. Oh well some day....
Arrived late at our hotel in Izmir, Kaya Prestige.
Wednesday 10/27 Left
at 7:30 AM for Sardis, Salihi (Rev.3:1-6). There was a Byzantine church and
recently discovered synagogue. In the main street area the avenue of shops have
been restored. We could tell how many of the shops were used. There were several other partly
restored buildings. Nearby was the Temple of Artemis (Diana) which was built in
the 4th century BC. A young woman was here selling some scarves she had put
edgings on. She was such a beautiful woman and so very shy. We had lunch in a
restaurant on a busy street. Again we were told what they were serving and then
just raised our hands for the order. They are clearly use to bus loads of
tourists and know how to handle us very efficiently. the owner sang to us along
with an employee who played an instrument something like a lute. Then we went
on to the modern city of Thyatira, Akhisar (Rev. 2:18-29). We only saw the
remains of an ancient temple Then we continued on to the spectacular ruins of
Pergamum (Rev. 2:12-17). I was particularly interested because in July of 1988
I saw the altar to Zeus in East Berlin. It was taken from Turkey by the Germans
in the early 1900Õs. I could see where it was originally located. This city was
first mentioned in XenophonÕs Anabasis in 399 BC. It was here that the first
Christians were executed by Rome. Pergamum originally had the second largest
library in the world until the books were moved to Alexander by Mark Anthony
for Cleopatra. He also stopped allowing papyrus to be shipped to Pergamum so
they invented parchment. The word sounded similar to Pergamum which is how the
city got its name. This city was a capital city during Alexandra the GreatÕs
time in the 4th century BC. As at
each of the seven cities Frank started to read the relevant verses from
Revelation. But he brought the wrong paper - he brought Philadelphia (well they
both start with a ÒPÓ) (We didnÕt visit Philadelphia because it was far out of
the way and not much was there.) So he went ahead and read the letter to
Philadelphia and talked about it. It was here at this time I had a revelation
of my own. As Frank was talking about how the people were not being overcome
by the people against them, I
thought that not only people but circumstances can overcome us. At that moment
I suddenly realized that by the grace of God my circumstances were not going to
defeat me - that I would be all right. It was such a strong conviction that I
knew it came from God. Interestingly - as I write this three weeks later this
conviction still holds true. Oh it is so wonderful to feel God at work in my
life again. It seems that FrankÕs mistake had a purpose after all. Incidentally
I felt that the way this trip was designed God meant for me to go. I knew
October, November, and December would be difficult months for me as it was one
year ago that David became sick and then died. So I deliberately made plans for
myself to keep me busy. The dates for this trip were during the only two weeks
I had free, so although I prayed about going on this trip I really felt a clear
answer from God of ÒyesÓ. Back to the trip...There was also a hospital near
Pergamum called the Asklepion, the worldÕs first full-service health clinic
which we also visited. Here we also did some shopping. A few shops had some
very nice items but the clerks were so aggressive I couldnÕt stand it and I
left. Several of us did buy this colorful hats which we all wore to church on
the same day after Frank got back - it was fun. After visited here we continued
on to our hotel in Ayvalik at Halic Park Hotel. We finally had dinner early at
7:30 so we had some time to relax. Only problem the beautiful outdoor pool was
closed. Marilyn and Karl played pool and I took a long bath and did some
reading.
Thursday 10/28 We
didnÕt have to leave this morning until 8:30. Most of our breakfasts are very
similar, buffet with lots of choices, cereal, boiled eggs, lots of fruits and
lots of breads, cheeses, and so on.We certainly never went hungry. We drove
through rich farm land with olive trees, corn, cotton, etc. Many homes were
three stories or more with each level a flat. This was certainly true in the
crowded big cities but also true out in the country areas were there was more
room. I just wonder what protection they have built against earthquakes - such
a common occurrence here in Turkey. Many of the ancient cities are in ruins
because of earthquakes, as well as army and time destruction, and people
removing stones and marble in order to build other homes. In some areas we saw
many large buildings that were unfinished but there was no activity. This was a
result of the high inflation in the country. A builder would start building
something for a group of investors. Then they would run out of money because of
the inflation so would have to sop building until more money was raised. There
were sometimes whole large developments in this stage of waiting. We continued
driving - stopping at a gas station that had very clean and free toilets. No
wonder - even with only a few gift items we managed to buy quite a few things.
I found a nice package of spices to bring to Kenneth plus some Turkish tea.
Continuing on .... I saw many small mosques in each area - no one would have to
walk far to see one. We often heard the call to prayer at 5:30 in the morning.
Lots of places do it electronically now. Many - if not most - of the buildings
have solar apparatus on the roofs to heat water and generate power. For the
most part Turkey was clean without lots of garbage along the roads - much better
than some places IÕve traveled (even California highways!). Finally we arrived
at the town of Assos. We had been following the Roman Road and could see parts
of it that were still extant. Assos is a town were Aristotle taught - it is
perched cliff-side high above the Aegean Sea. First we stopped at a restaurant
where we were shown our choices and gave them our orders. Then we walked up the
road that led to the ruins at the top. Along the narrow road were charming very
old homes, many built of stone. We met several people. We stopped to talk with
an Mother and daughter (both elderly) who told us about the past yearÕs poor
crops. What charming people with such character in their looks. The son of one
man tried to bargain for Betty for his father (all in fun). Turns out the
father owned most of the town. I met a man who was carrying a large pan with a
silver cover on it - almost like a communion plate. I couldnÕt understand what
he was saying so he took the lid off and inside were six pie shape sections each
filled with a brightly colored substance that looked like jello. Later Dilek
told me that it was something like gum. Kids will buy a piece of it that is
twirled around a stick. IÕve never seen anything like that before. Everyone was
so friendly. We got to the top and walked around the ruins and imagined
Aristotle teaching there. We could see the city below - far and wide. Back down
for a very good lunch and then continued driving along the road Paul walked on
from Assos to Troas . We did stop at a place where we could get out and walk
along the original stones from the original Roman Road - truly in the steps of
Paul. We visited the ruins of Aleksandrian Toros which are just as they found -
they have not been restored. Paul preached here for a week before sailing to
Greece. We continued on to Troy where some of the top layers have been
excavated. There have been around 12 cities built on top of each other so they
are not to the original Troy yet. They have a replica of the Trojan horse but
the one in town that was used in the movie looks more realistic. Then to
Canakkale at the Ida Kale Hotel - a ÒboutiqueÓ hotel. We had a third floor
suite - two rooms! (No elevator - but good for us) We were right on the waterÕs
edge and walked out there. But it was too dark and cold to swim and besides the
water was filled with jelly fish!
Friday 10/29 Today is TurkeyÕs Independence Day. On
10/29/1923 The Turkish republic was proclaimed with Mustafa Kemal ( a war hero)
as its first president. He was renamed Ataturk (father of the Turks). Their
bright red national flag is everywhere. Large buildings have the flag hanging
from every window. AtaturkÕs picture is also everywhere. He made religion separate from the
government and he also insisted women be given equal status with the men. He
made the burba with the black veil coverage illegal. Some women wear scarves as
a symbol of modesty and some wear long full coats. But you also see many in
very Western style dress. We took a ferry to cross the Dardanelles to the area
of the battlefields of Gallipoli. We didnÕt stop to see the memorials there but
it was a major battle ground in World War 1. The soldiers from Australia and
New Zealand (the ANZAC) came and fought a major battle here for 8 months.
250,000 died on each side and although the Turks won that battle they honored
the ANZACÕs as well as their own. The memory of this battle is especially
important in Australia and New Zealand because this was the start of their own
national identity. Australia takes Armistice Day very seriously. We were there
on November 11 one year and at 11:00 AM the whole country stops, dims the
lights, and has some moments of silence. It is very moving. Anyway back to
Turkey where we continued on a rather long drive to Istanbul - we are now on
the Europe side of Turkey. Here we see lots of very tall buildings 7-12 stories
high - I wonder how they will hold up in the next earthquake. Istanbul is one
of the oldest cities in the world - probably dates back to around the 7th
century BC - started by the Greeks.
In the Greek language the word Istanbul can be loosely interpreted as
ÒIÕm going to be downtownÓ. We drove around Istanbul a bit but it was very
crowded because of the holiday. We drove past and around the St. Sophia
cathedral - built in 532 AD - it is the third largest in the world, after St.
PeterÕs in Rome and St. Paul in London. In order to not have a conflict between
Muslims and Christians who had both worshiped here, Ataturk made it into a
museum. It is also referred to as Aya Sofya or Hafia Sophia (Holy Wisdom). The Grand Bazar - the major
shopping area was closed for the holiday but outside that area were plenty of
other shops for us to end up our shopping - I bought a few things here - some bookmarks
for several people that were designed like rugs. I got Sophia enough for her
class at school (the girls liked them but the boys would have preferred toys!)
We all had fun here and then met at a cafe and walked to the Blue Mosque - it
is across from St. Sophia. The crowds were claustrophobic but we managed to get
through and into the mosque to see it. The inside had a lot of blue windows and
it very large and elaborate. There were people praying in there but it was so
noisy and so very busy I would find it hard to think. The whole place is
covered with prayer rugs (we took off our shoes to walk in). It was worth
seeing. We left here and I was surprised how successfully we found the bus. Mr.
Yucel is a marvel. He drove us back to our hotel (Plaza Hotel) in a busy area
of Istanbul where we had a nice dinner on the top floor in a room of our own.
We had a beautiful view of the city and were also treated to a firework
display. A pleasant last night.
Saturday 10/30 We went
to the airport early and had a good flight to London, waited for a while at
Heathrow and then arrived in San Francisco in the afternoon because of the time change. All in all it
was a great trip. Reading the New Testament is different in that I can
visualize the places mentioned that we saw. There is something special about
having been there and having been in places that are so very old. I also
benefited from some time free of the problems I have been dealing with in my
life and having time to just have fun with a nice group of people. Grief is
necessary but oh my one needs a break once in a while. In my need to reinvent
my life I had time during this trip to see how it is possible to do this while
still keeping some parts of my old life. And I also had several moments of
reinforcement of DavidÕs words to me ÒYouÕll be all right.Ó And with GodÕs
blessing and help I will be.
written from my notes and memory
11/19/04
Penelope Bowen