Pausing for lunch at a typical Turkish restaurant in
the city center, we spent the rest of the afternoon exploring
the Palace of Topkapi, the former residence of the
Ottoman sultans. We paid extra to tour the city at night, and
during this night tour we visited the Kapalı Çarşı (Grand
Bazaar), and the super bustling Taksim Square -- the
city's main commercial center. This modern shopping center was
crowded with young Turkish people, most of whom rushed by quite
quickly, without looking at the shops along the sides. The last
stop on the night tour was a fresh ocean fish market and
I must admit, the fish at this market were so fresh and
so delicious looking that my young son wanted to eat them
all, regardless of the smell. Now that’s fresh!
The next morning saw us on a 7am journey to
Cappadoce. Along the way we stopped for lunch in Ankara,
the capital of Turkey, and visited the Museum of the
Civilizations Anatoliennes. We did not arrive at our Cappadoce
hotel until late in the evening and we fell right into bed. Our
stay in Cappadoce lasted two days and was devoted entirely to
exploring this unique region to the world. We learned of its
exceptional landscapes, which were created by the erosion of
waters, wind, and ice...”Le Tuf”, they are called
and they are responsible for the natural sculptures formed by
these "fireplaces of Tinkerbelle".
We also visited the Valley of Göreme, several
Byzantine churches and the villages of Uçhisar and Ortahisar.
A visit to the underground city and valley, El Nazar, led
to stops in the valleys of Avcilar, Pasabag and Derbent,
where we learned that in order to protect and hide themselves
from attacks by Persians and Arabs, the inhabitants constructed
entire cities under the earth. These cities stretch for several
kilometers and have superimposed floors.
The next day we visited rug and onyx workshops and
it gave us a good opportunity to buy some Turkish gifts for
friends and family. That night, our group enjoyed dinner at a
local restaurant featuring belly dancers and Turkey traditional
dancing. As our group of fifteen people made up the entire
audience, we received VIP treatment. In environments like this,
French people are quite open and gay, with everyone
really enjoying themselves, so we profited on the occasion to
the max. The food was great, the dancers were fabulous, and the
Rakki – a Turkish alcoholic drink -- was very tasty. All in
all, it was a great evening.
The last day of our trip found us back in Istanbul
and me making my way to the leather clothing shops. As promised,
I found the prices for genuine leather jackets and coats to be
much more reasonable and in the end I found a coat which, in
Paris, would easily have cost me 2,000€ - 3,000€. I bought it
for 800€, and was thrilled to finally be able to afford such an
item.
Our last night in Istanbul was lovely, as the
French people in our group were wonderful. My son and I made
several new friends on this trip and we have kept in regular
contact with them. As a result of our time there, I would
certainly recommend Turkey to anyone, but be warned, the
feeling of being “cheated” at customs did not end at the
airport, as I found most Turkish merchants equally suspect.
(For example, we paid $4 for a can of coke and $6 for a ham and
cheese sandwich at the airport. Ridiculous!) As a result, I
avoided spending at all costs and came home with more money than
I intended. But overall, I recommend traveling anywhere during
the tourist “off” seasons, as you get much more “tour” for your money.
© January 2005 Juliette Lac
Love Me Paris...
