Name:SJ Country:United States State:Virginia Metro:Arlington Gender:Male
Interests:Airplanes 'n rocketships, politics, drawing, fine food, good drink, sleep, and watching television. Expertise:Procrastinatin', eatin', sleepin', and manipulatin' numbers. Occupation:Accounting/Finance Industry:Other
Today was a little more subdued day though with plenty of interesting things. We saw ancient ruins of long dead civilizations, crawled through underground cities, saw natural marvels, and checked in to sleep in a cave. More on that later though.
Early this morning, we departed from the Turkish capital of Ankara and headed deeper into the interior of the Anatolia plateau. Gone were the hustle and bustle of the nation’s capital, the mighty superhighway linking Istanbul and Ankara; instead, we began our trek along the smaller rural highways of the Turkish heartland.
THE NEBRASKA OF TURKEY
As we drove along, I felt that we were being transported into another world. The Anatolian plateau is the agricultural heart of the Turkish Republic, and surrounding us were vast valleys punctuated by the occasional hills on the horizon. As mentioned before, the climate is very reminiscent of California. We were surrounded by arid, dry farmland with painted mountains much like the California interior. Yet culturally, the best way to describe the area was the “Nebraska of Turkey.” All around us were giant wheat fields and melon patches. The photos I took can’t even do justice to just how vast these plains were. They weren’t flat like the Midwest, but you felt very small driving along the highway there. The highways and towns were also very, very empty. At one rest stop, it felt like we were the only ones there.
The town we ate lunch in was a small, nondescript city called Yozgat about 200km from the capital. Our tour guide described the town as one of the poorest in terms of income, but this isn’t necessarily a measure of absolute poverty. This is more like how salaries are lower in Nebraska compared to say a New York City. Sure, you get paid a lot less, but your dollar (or Lira in this case) gets a lot more mileage. We probably had the cheapest beverages anywhere.
HITTITE MADNESS
In the morning, we visited a site known as Hattusa, the ancient capital of the mighty Hittite Empire. Not much is left, just the stone foundations of a once mighty metropolis. Yet there was evidence of some highly sophisticated engineering work in the construction of a 3km wall and perfectly drilled two inch diameter holes drilled into the stone foundations. It’s very impressive when you remember that this was at least four millennia ago, using mere bronze tools long before modern engineering. It’s a good reminder at just how clever ancient civilizations were and a reminder of how we tend to keep reinventing technology in our path forward.
CAPPADOCIA
In the afternoon, we entered the ancient region of Cappadocia where my little team will stay for the next few days. Our first stop was one of the ancient underground cities carved by Byzantine peasants to protect themselves from Arab invaders. It was quite amazing: the volcanic soil created the conditions so that peasants could literally carve out massive underground cities to hide in during invasions complete with complex defenses. That’s not the end though, throughout the mountains, Byzantine lords and peasants carved homes for themselves in the cliff sides. It was quite impressive.
FAERIE TOWERS
The other really neat thing was the faerie towers. Due to the unusual erosion patterns thanks to the layers of volcanic ash, large towers with rocks and boulders on top emerged around various mountains. Again, the pictures I took won’t even do them justice.
CAVEMAN LIFE
The only other thing of note is that we’re sleeping in caves tonight. Seriously, my hotel room is carved into the side of a mountain. The room is beautiful and well laid out, but the lack of an air conditioner is killer, especially given how the cave walls hold the heat from the day. The other headache is that the walls are so thick, I can’t even get internet connection inside; I had to step out to get the hotel’s wireless signal.
Tomorrow is another busy day exploring Cappadocia, so I’ll try to be more thorough tomorrow. Until next time…
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Statue of Ataturk in the oldest quarter of Ankara
Early this morning, we departed the hubbub of Istanbul to journey east onto the Anatolia Plateau and into Ankara, capital of the Republic of Turkey.It was a long drive, a trip of over 400km (~250 miles), but it was an interesting journey.The transition from the lush, coastal regions to the dry plateau was dramatic; the coworkers I’m travelling with commented how it was a lot like California: dry, arid, and dusty plains with pockets of lush growth brought to life by a complex network of irrigation systems.The two cities also contrast dramatically: unlike Istanbul, modern Ankara is a relatively young city.While the town itself dates back to prehistory, it wasn’t until the mid-1920s that the small town of 50,000 people exploded into the metropolis of 4 million.Whereas Istanbul was an ancient city with ancient roads and alleyways that the city organically grew around, Ankara was almost completely new.The roads were clearly laid out with modern trappings like cars and trucks in mind.The jewel on the Bosporus was chaotic yet trendy while Ankara was more orderly; think NYC versus DC.
On a complete side note, I was so happy that I could finally wear some shorts.Due to the mosque visits over the last few days, I’ve had to wear long pants and look somewhat respectable.Now I can go back to looking like a bum.
THOSE DARN GREEKS
Perhaps one of the more entertaining moments on this trip was a little discussion about the Greeks with our Turkish tour guide.There was nothing particularly harsh, but it was funny to hear the other side of the story after years of “Greek Propaganda.”The unappreciative Greeks copied this, copied that, trademarked Turkish foods with the European Commission using Greek names, it was all quite amusing.Of course, the Turks hold Constantinople, Asia Minor, and half of Cyprus, so I guess they’re not nearly as bitter as their cousins across the Aegean Sea.
ATATURK
The Republic of Turkey is a revolutionary Republic, and like other similar states that emerged in the beginning of the 20th century.It had its charismatic leader, the mighty Mustafa Kemal Ataturk who threw back the Sultan, Western Powers, and those darn Greeks to establish the modern Turkish state.The man’s picture is plastered over every building, in every classroom, and on banners throughout town.You have to see the mausoleum built for him to truly appreciate what position he holds in this nation.
PREHISTORICAL ANATOLIA
Perhaps the highlight of this trip was a visit to the Museum of Anatolian Civilizations.The curator was an archeologist at the museum who usually spoke more with Italian tourists; thus, he spoke like a stereotypical Italian, projecting his voice and moving his hands everywhere.There were many cool artifacts from a variety of pre-Greek civilizations like the Hittites.The moral of his stories is that despite all our cool technological innovations, humanity really hasn’t changed much over the last seven thousand years.Old cuneiform tablets that were translated were mundane things like bills, notices for divorce, and complaints by a husband’s wife to his mother-in-law.There were seven thousand year old makeup boxes, mirrors, and drinking vessels that would make a frat boy envious.You had propaganda by the Hittites who always portrayed the Egyptians as midgets compared to them.The various stories about Hittite-Egyptian relations was a trip.
With the mirror, the curator told a rather amusing joke about a merchant in ancient times who brought home a mirror as a gift to his wife.Not knowing what it was, she looked into it and burst out in tears.She immediately called her mother and told her that her husband had found a beautiful new woman and gave a picture to her.The mother-in-law took the mirror, looked into it, and laughed, saying that with a woman who looked like that, her daughter has nothing to worry about.
FOOD UPDATE
Iskandar kebab is awesome.We ate at what was supposedly one of the best Iskandar Kebab places in all of Turkey.Wow.I would’ve taken a picture but alas, I was too hungry and ate before thinking about it.I washed it down with a surprisingly tasty Aryan (salty yogurt beverage).
Well, off to Hattusa then Cappadocia tomorrow.Until next time.
Hagia Sophia - From Basilica (central sanctuary) to Mosque (minarets) to Museum (Turkey flags) Or from Christian state to Islamic Theocracy to Secular Revolutionary Republic
For the past few days, I have been exploring the city of Istanbul, experiencing the sights, sounds, scents, and tastes of this vast and ancient city. The city has been in existence for over two millenia, and for nearly the entire time, it was always a bustling hub for commerce, politics, and religion.
REMINDS OF KOREA...
One of the first feelings I got wandering the city was how much it reminded me of Seoul, particuarly the older northern quarter (gangbuk). There were modern buildings juxtaposed against ancient sites, small shopkeepers and narrow alleyways, and of course, plenty of street hawkers with less than legit merchandise. I'm not sure what it was specifically, perhaps its that both are ancient but modern cities, the hearts of smaller industrialized nations. Sure, there's not a mosque on every corner in Korea (though one could replace that with the various Buddhist temples and neon crosses) and Seoul, while having its fair share of historical sites, doesn't have nearly the same level of historical majesty as Istanbul, but there was this vibe.
THOUGHTS ON THE EVOLUTION OF THE CITY
What fascinates me is how the city has evolved overtime and through each transition from the heart of Christendom to the center of one of the greatest Islamic empires and then into the largest city of a secular republic. This tale is best told by the history of the Hagia Sophia, the Church of Holy Wisdom (for all you Greek nerds). When the basillica was constructed by Justinian in 537 AD, it was the third largest building in the world, behind only the Great Wall and the Pyramids. It was the greatest church in the Christian world, an amazing feat of Roman engineering. Yet the church would be looted by Crusaders during the sack of Costantinople, falling into a state of disrepair. When the city fell to the Ottoman Turks, the cathedral, like the rest of the city, was restored. However, it came at the cost of it's Christian identity, and like the city that went from Constantinople to Istanbul, the basillica went from being the once center of the Christian world to the center of a new Islamic identity. With the rise of the Republic, it was then converted into a museum. There's a pair of photos in my gallery that shows this the best. One is a restored mosaic of the Virgin Mary flanked by Arabic calligraphy for "Allah" on the right and the Prophet Mohammed on the left in the first shot. The second is a picture of the great church flanked by four minarets and two giant Turkish flags hanging in front. What results is a city of many rich layers, a mix of Roman/Byzantine, Islamic, and European traditions.
RAMADAN
One of the interesting things about this trip is the timing The trip happened to fall on two major holidays: Victory Day and the holy month of Ramadan. The first has resulted in a huge plethora of Turkey flags and pictures of the Repubic's founder Mustafa Kemal Ataturk posted on about every building as to be expected in any revolutionary nation. The latter has resulted in a weird scene of empty restaurants and hungry Turks during the day. My friend and I when we went out for dinner just happened to eat near the time of the breaking of the fast. It was fascinating: the restaurant was empty initially, but as sunset closed in, people started quickly filling the restaurants. Hip couples, groups of school children, and serious looking men dressed in traditional garb sat at empty tables, looking with anticipation at their watches and cell phones. As the moment drew closer, the restaurant began to serve food and place bowls of lentil soup at the tables. When the minarets finally called the fourth prayer (the time to fast), the restaurant, indeed the whole city, grew quiet as people dug into their food and scarfed down their sandwiches. As we walked back, nearly every shopkeeper and his employees were sitting in a corner somewhere, sipping soup or eating food.
Seriously though, nothing looks sadder than an empty restaurant or a bored food vendor at lunch time during Ramadan.
FAVORITE SITES
I think the two sites that impressed me the most were the Hagia Sophia and the Rustempasa Mosque. The former was an amazing feat of engineering, even more amazing when one considers that it was built in the 6th century. The scale of this building cannot be explained in words. The Rustempasa Mosque was impressive for its beautiful tile work. Certainly larger mosques like the Blue Mosque were fascinating, but the beauty of the smaller mosque and its equisite art is unforgettable.
EDMUND's BANE?
Oh yes, and I shouldn't forget to mention Turkish Delight. Very tasty. However, not good enough to mortgage one's soul over.
Well, on to Ankara tomorrow morning. Until next time...
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When I told friends and family that I would be going to Turkey for vacation, the first question they would always ask is, "Why Turkey?" My reply would be along the lines of "Why not?" The Republic of Turkey is a rich tapestry layered with multiple millennia of history. From Biblical times, it was the home of the feared Hittites who sprawled across Anatolia. During antiquity, it was first home to the tragic battlefield of Troy, and later, as the period came to a close, a small village at the Bosporus would become the "New Rome" and carry on the mighty empire's legacy for other millennia. At its prime, Byzantium was the core bastion of Christian civilization, guarding the backwards Western nations from the expansive hordes of the expanding Islamic faith. She was one of the beating hearts of Christian learning and scholarship under which much of the Christian faith would be nailed down: famous sites like Nicaea, Ephesus, and home of perhaps the papacy's one true rival in the Patriarch of Constantinople, the first among peers. When the Empire finally crumbled in the face of conquest and betrayal, a new Islamic Empire would emerge, reviving a new center of learning and becoming one of the new focals of the Islamic world. Now, as a newly secular republic, Turkey serves as an alternative to Muslim nations, an example of a free and democratic Islamic state. With so many sites to see, with so much history, how can one NOT be compelled to take a look?
My first day was pretty uneventful. It was a long and painful flight from Dulles to Istanbul via Frankfurt. It had been over five years since I've been to a foreign nation that is NOT Korea, and the feeling of being in a truly alien society, both the excitement and the dread, washed over me as I stepped off the final plane. I think it truly sank in when I saw the first pair of minarets jutting out against the skyline.
Having arrived at 3:45pm and a full itinerary ahead of me, I decided to simply explore the local neighborhood. Istanbul reminds me a lot of Seoul: crowded streets, flashy store fronts, and a maze of crowded alleys just waiting to be explored. Yet it’s uniquely different, with its history much better preserved and more prominent (apparently the Muslims and the Crusaders prior weren't as quick to burn buildings as the Japanese were).
The food is pretty good if you enjoy Mediterranean fare (which I fortunately do). Oh, and the Turkish Delight, Edmund's Bane... great stuff (though if I were going to mortgage my soul for a food item, there are other items higher on the list).
Anyways, I'll post more tomorrow as I finally get a good night's rest. Until next time.
Hawaiians, or at least the residents of the Big Island in this beautiful little state, really love their fireworks on New Years Day. I'm not sure whether it’s because the weather is warmer allowing for more outdoor activities, the strong Chinese influence, or the near nonexistent fireworks regulations, but the locals really do enjoy ushering in the new year by blowing up a chunk of their state.
Starting from around 8pm, the neighbors in our small cul-de-sac had a steady stream of fireworks flowing four hours straight until midnight. At first, we thought it might simply be the eccentricities of our neighbors, but the air around our neighborhood was soon punctuated by the continuous cacophony of the steady staccato beat of detonating explosives. When we went to downtown Kona to check out the sights, people were tossing fireworks into the streets (disrupting traffic continuously), launching them into the ocean, or just firing them off randomly for sheer entertainment. On the mountainside above, you could see streams of green and red sparks launched from the neighborhoods above, regularly punctuating the smoky, sulphuric veil with brilliant bursts of color.
Our neighbors really topped it off though. They had been blowing up thousand string firecrackers all evening, and for the grand finale, raised a rope with twelve three thousand count lines to represent each month. Attached to one was a ten thousand line firecracker chain that seemed to go on for a long time. While this pyrotechnic display deafened us, they ignited fountain after fountain of sparks to keep pace with the seemingly endless chain of explosions.
My father explained to me that the Chinese originally lit firecrackers during the New Year to drive off devils. Given the small arsenal of explosives that were lit in this cul-de-sac this New Years, I think that every single devil on the entire island of Hawaii has been driven into the sea.
