After spending two weeks touring around the western half of Turkey, I learned three things: 1-Turkey is hot in July; 2-There are a lot of beautiful historic and natural sites there; and 3-the Turks are really friendly
Here's a quick summary of our trip with some thoughts...
Days 1-3: Istanbul - toured the Blue Mosque (photo), Hagia Sofia & Topkapi Palace, sailed on the Bosporus Strait between two continents, and enjoyed great food and people watching on Istiklal Caddesi in the Taksim/Begoylu section of the city
Days 4-5: Ephesus & Pamukkale - toured one of the oldest preserved cities in the world (Ephesus or "Efes"), saw the house where the Virgin Mary supposedly lived her final days, and walked in hot spring calcium deposits that covered a whole mountainside, making it look like a ski slope (Pamukkale means "cotton castle" in Turkish)
Days 6-10: beach days in Ölüdeniz and Antayla - very hot and very relaxing
Days 11-13: Cappadocia - beautiful landscapes of "fairy chimneys" and colorful valleys; stayed in a "cave hotel" which was literally a hotel of caves!; saw a whirling dervish show
Day 14: Istanbul - bargained in the Grand Bazaar, enjoyed beers at a rooftop bar with a direct view of the Blue Mosque and the Marmara Sea while Kristina experienced a Turkish bath
