The Return

I am back in Ohio after two incredible months in Turkey. My last week was an absolute whirlwind of American culture night fun, a goodybe party with my friends from around the world, packing and moving out of my host family's house, enjoying a last meal at the Turkish McDonald's that always tasted so good, going to have a Turkish bath at the hamam, and finally, catching my overnight bus at 3:30 am Friday morning to go to Istanbul.
I'm not going to get into the craziness that ensued between my arrival at the Istanbul Airport and finally reaching home, but it involved sleeping on the floor of JFK Airport in NYC. Two nights with no sleep and I am still feeling the effects.
I just want to say thank you for all the support and interest I was granted. I was so afraid and upset about leaving Ohio to go by myself to some distant land where I was unsure of what awaited me. But, I found that in pushing myself, I was rewarded with a new outlook on life and what is possible for me to accomplish. Turkey was the perfect place for me to go; I felt alive there and it felt like a second home after a short time. Every once in awhile, while I was in Turkey, I would stop, and a wave of disbelief would rush over me..."I am in Turkey." So far from home, in such a different land. Now, sitting in my backyard, I can't believe I'm not in Turkey. I can't believe that I don't know when I will be going back. I miss the Turkish breakfast, the sight of minarets breaking the horizon, the call to prayer, my trainee and AIESEC friends, tea in little tulip glasses, Turkish music, old Ottoman buildings. I miss almost everything about my experience. Now is the start of my senior year at Miami, but also the beginning of a countdown until I can return to Turkey again!
Hope to see all of you soon!
Love,
Natalie

Ephesus and Marmaris

Sorry for the lapse in time between my last post and now, but since my time remaining in Turkey is short, I have been trying to stay as busy as possible. Elysia and I were also planning a lot for American culture night, but more about that later. Two weekends ago, we all went on our last AIESEC tour to Ephesus and Marmaris. Our overnight bus ride took 5 hours, but that was nothing compared with our past bus ride of 13 hours to Antalya! We were immediately put into smaller charter buses for the ride to Ephesus. We always have fun on the bus, making AIESECers from each country sing a "traditional song" at the front of the bus (Elysia and I represented the U.S.A. with a rendition of "L-O-V-E") and then we all get up and dance in the aisles. It makes long bus trips much more fun.
Before going to the Ephesus site, we went to the Selcuk Museum to see artifacts found around Ephesus and learn a little bit about the history of the area. We next went to the ruins of St. John's Basilica, where you can also see the tomb of St. John in the center of a jumble of collapsed columns and half-standing archways. We then had lunch (gozleme) sitting on cushions in the shade and took a little nap. We got back in the buses and wound our way up the hillside so that we were overlooking the town of Selcuk, and then headed back off the main road to the house of the Virgin Mary. It is a stone house that has a one large room that is now a shrine and a side room. We passed quietly through the house and shrine, bedecked with flowers and rosaries, and back out into the sunlight.
Ephesus was a short drive from the Virgin Mary's house. People know of Ephesus from such sources as the Evangelist Paul's letters to the Ephesians, and the Ephesus site is known archaeologically for its completeness. The park entrance and the first glance at city is not impressive, just a small theater and lines of columns, but as you move further down the main road, the incredible intactness of Ephesus is overwhelming. There is a main roadway running through the agora of the city that once was flanked by columns and covered walkways on either side. There are squares with temples and fountains, relatively intact, off the main roadway. The mosaic tiles found on the floors of houses are exposed. As you cross through the main gate of the city, you get a glimpse of the Library of Celsus, an incredible structure several stories high, of which the facade is still intact. There are archways and doorways that stare at you as they tower above the columns of lesser buildings.Crossing through archways to the right of the Library you reach the amphitheater that seats 20,000. It's a massive construction, and it's hard to imagine the ancient performances that took place in the setting. Ephesus is a must-see because of how intricate and complete the city is for its age.
After Ephesus, we went on our way to Marmaris, arriving late at night, but just in time for a moonlight cruise around the harbor in Marmaris, lounging on deck chairs and looking at the town from the sea. The next morning we woke up early in order to get on boats to go to Dalyan to go swimming in the Aegean Sea. We took the boats through a swampy area with tall reeds that opened up into the sea. We docked and found a place on the beach and then jumped in! We spent most of the day there in the sun and sea. That evening we explored the nightlife of Marmaris, mostly consisting of several nightclubs along a wide alley blaring music very loudly.
The next day we got up to go out on another boat for our remaining time in Marmaris. We watched the mountains and the sea pass us by as we cruised around, stopping at places like "Paradise" to go swimming. The water is so blue and clear in the shallow sections. Marmaris was incredibly relaxing, and I know all that attended the tour were sad to leave! Look at the pictures of my excursion to the Aegean!

Last Excursion

I will be going to Izmir, Ephesus, and Marmaris this weekend, but it will be the last weekend trip of my stay here in Turkey. I have only 15 days left, but I can't think of a better way to spend them than with my AIESEC friends from around the globe! Can't wait to see you in 15 days :)

Falling in Love with Istanbul

As soon as I could see the line of Istanbul's buildings along the Sea of Marmara, I knew I was about to disembark in an incredible city. I'd like to think it was love at first sight when I saw the domes and minarets surrounding the Blue Mosque and the Aya Sofya and the blueness of the water.
Elysia and I went to Istanbul by ferry, leaving from Mudanya just outside of Bursa. It only takes about 80 minutes, so it was an improvement over the four hours it takes by bus. We arrived at noon on Saturday, and our adventure in a city of 12 million began. We found our hotel in Sultanahmet on the Golden Horn and immediately set out with no real direction or plan in order to roam freely. We were located five minutes from the Aya Sofya and Topkapi Palace, but we headed in the opposite direction, toward the Bosporous. We made our way to Eminonu Point, passing incredible streets that combined old with new. We passed the beautiful Eminonu Yeni Cami (Eminonu New Mosque) and moved toward the Galata Bridge. The Galata Bridge spans the Golden Horn between Eminonu and Karakoy. We walked over the bridge, admiring our surroundings and taking in the sights and smells of fishermen casting lines from the sides of the bridge. On the bottom level of the bridge are plenty of of restaurants offering seafood, so the fishy smell is overwhelming. We made our way to the other side and immediately sought out the Galata Tower by looking upwards for its pinnacle. We took the elevator to the top of the nine-story structure built in 1348. The 360 degree view from the top is incredible and I was able to take some incredible pictures of Istanbul, especially the Golden Horn.
After the Galata Tower and lunch, Elysia and I made the decision to try and make the push to reach Taksim, the heart of modern Istanbul, that afternoon. We found the beginning of Istiklal Street and began our mile-long walk to Taksim Square. Istiklal Caddesi is a pedestrian street lined with cafes, stores, embassies, schools, churches, pubs and mosques. 3 million people visit it daily during weekends. The street was so alive with music and conversation that we strolled and took our time in reaching Taksim Square. We found Taksim Square and Taksim park and rested for a little while in the shade. Taksim is also the center of business, so we noted the highrises that housed major companies. We stopped and had some dessert on Istiklal street on our way back. We stopped at the Egyptian Spice Bazaar, an establishment at Eminonu Point completed 1660 and currently used as a covered area for small shops. Back at our hotel, we napped and then went a few streets over to enjoy smoking nargile (waterpipe) at an outdoor cafe, watching as tourists passed by.

Sunday morning we got up early to meet Aydan, a contact through P&G, and a group of girls that she was hosting from the East of Turkey. We met at the German fountain and proceeded to the Sultan Ahmed, or the Blue Mosque. It is a historical mosque, built in the early 1600's. Its interior is very beautiful with its 20,000 tiles made in Iznik (Nicaea). The lights hang low on chained fixtures as the electric bulbs were once candles that needed to be lit. Over 200 windows let light into the vast interior. Look to my pictures to get a better idea of the intricacy of design found in the Blue Mosque.
Our next stop was the Yerebatan Sarayi, the Basilica Cistern, found under the city streets. The Yerebatan Sarayi was built during the 6th century and contains over 300 marble columns and two carved Medusa heads in its dark expanse, taken from pre-Christian sites. It held reserve water for the royals in case of a shortage. It was eerily lit and still holds a shallow pool of water. We left the Yerebatan Sarayi for lunch where we had Sultanahmet Kofte. Apparently, it is famous among tourists but it was really good regardless.
We were off to the landmark Aya Sofya (Hagia Sophia), the epitome of Byzantine architecture and famous for its immense dome. The current church dates to 537, so the Aya Sofya contains 1,500 years of history including a transition from Eastern Orthodox church to mosque to its present-day role as a museum. I have always wanted to visit the Hagia Sophia, so standing in the shade of its domes and stepping inside its cool, vast interior was a dream come true. I wish I could describe how it felt to stand in a structure with such a deep and significant history, but I want to let the pictures I took do most of the talking. From the incredible mosaics of the Virgin Mary, Justinian, and Constantine from the 9th and 10th centuries to its impossibly large central dome to the large Islamic imagery and glowing mihrab, the Hagia Sophia has been a graceful place of worship for several religious traditions through its history. The tiles on the ceiling cast a golden glimmer on the worn marble floors. I have never been in such awe of a place in my entire life.

We left the Hagia Sophia to spend some time at Topkapi Palace, the residence of the Ottoman Emperors for 400 years beginning in 1465. We got to see the treasury in which the 5th largest diamond in the world can be found (sparkles...a lot) and the rooms that house Islamic treasures like relics of the Prophet Muhammad. The view from Topkapi is wonderful; you can see the Bosporus and the Sea of Marmara shining sapphire blue in every direction. After Topkapi, we went with Aydan and her two daughters to Ortakoy, a neighborhood right on the water, for dinner. I enjoyed every minute of sitting and chatting and looking out at boats passing on the Bosporus.
Elysia and I were so tired from our long day that we took at taxi to the Galata bridge, watched the sunset, had some Turkish coffee and tea, and then went to bed.

Monday we woke up exhausted from two days of intensive walking. After breakfast, we strolled out to take one more look at the Hagia Sophia in the daylight before making our way to the Grand Bazaar, one of the largest covered markets in the world. There are 58 streets and 6,000 shops, so needless to day, Elysia and I could barely scratch the surface of what the Grand Bazaar had to offer. I really hate the pushiness of shopkeepers looking to "give you a deal", so we kept our time in the Grand Bazaar to a minimum. We instead enjoyed a long lunch (pasta!) in a cafe along another pedestrian street near the Grand Bazaar. With rainclouds looming, we picked up our luggage from the hotel and headed to catch our ferry, only to find out that we were 4 hours early. I was so upset to leave Istanbul, and I hope to be able to go back and see it again one day! A special thanks goes to Aydan and her daughters for making our visit to Istanbul so memorable!

Safe and Sound

Hi Everyone,
I just got back to Bursa, and I wanted to make a quick post to let everyone know that I am fine despite the recent violence in Istanbul. I was over 4 miles from the site and was in no danger; it was not tourist area. It is an amazing city and this isolated incident does not reflect daily life and does not change the incredible experience I had in the city. I will try and post tomorrow pictures and descriptions of all the sites I visited in the best city in the world!

Ankara and Cappadocia

I saw so many amazing things this past weekend! We left Thursday night at 1am to arrive in Ankara at 7am. I was so tired and wanted to sleep on the bus, but the landscape was so incredibly different than anything I had ever seen before, so I fought to stay awake. We went directly to the dormitory and had a quick nap before heading back out on the buses to go to Ataturk's mausoleum, Anitkabir. Anitkabir is this monumental structure with great columns and almost Egyptian motifs with a large courtyard in the center. We filed into the main building to see the sarcophagus of Ataturk in its intricately mosaic-tiled hall. The ceilings were covered in reflective gold tiles several stories high. We then went through an Ataturk museum and saw his car collection along with a history of the struggles of the Turkish republic. After Anitkabir, we headed to Ankara castle which is really nothing more than an old stone fortress, but it offered great 360 degree views of the city and its terra cotta roofed houses. Kocatepe Mosque was next on our list of destinations. It was really a very pretty mosque with painted domes and arches and people say it resembles the Blue Mosque in Istanbul. There is a large reflective gold chandelier in the center that is really stunning when you view the length of the mosque. From Kocatepe Mosque we went to a global village set up at a public shopping center, so the people living in Ankara could browse the tables with representatives from over 30 countries. We headed back to the dormitory to get ready for the barbecue we had that night. Elysia and I overslept from the little nap we decided to take, but because we are on "Turkish time" (meaning nothing starts when they say it will), we were actually early. We had fun eating kofte and tomatoes on bread and dancing up a storm.

Saturday morning we got back on the buses and headed to TurkSat, a center that controls the satellites that operate Turkish television channels. They were a sponsor of the tour and they gave us lunch. Other than that, TurkSat was the definite low point of the tour, mostly because we were all so anxious to get to Cappadocia. Hours later, we get to Durinkuyu underground city, seemingly in the middle of nowhere. We had so much fun exploring these low ceiling passageways and narrow stairways. There were so many small rooms with ceilings no higher than 5 or 6 feet. The complex descended 8 stories in complicated tunnels that opened up into a church, food storage areas, and rooms with no discernible purpose. We were also amazed to know the city had been used for 4,000 years. Incredible. We then went to get a panoramic view of Cappadocia as we watched the sunset. I can't really describe Cappadocia because it is unlike anything that I have seen before. It is a landscape created by a ancient volcanic eruption that left these formations of volcanic ash. Because the ash is soft, it was easy for the peoples that inhabited Cappadocia to hollow out homes in the rock. Please look to my pictures to get a better idea of the eerie terrain that is Cappadocia. Saturday night we went to a touristy restaurant to see some traditional dances and had dinner by sharing food on platters at long tables. Of course, in true AIESEC style, everyone participated in the dancing.

Sunday was our last day in Cappadocia, so we went to Goreme outdoor museum to look into some houses and churches carved out of the rock. In this one little valley there are hundreds of openings in the rock and dozens of small rock chapels to explore. The early Christians, persecuted for their faith, fled to the rough landscape of Cappadocia and made it their home. We saw chapels at Goreme dating from the 4th century to the 13th century. It really gives you chills to walk into these dimly lit caverns only to look up and see arches and domes carved out of the rock and elaborate paintings decorating all the walls. It was difficult to capture, but my pictures show some of the kinds of paintings, ranging from simple red on white to detailed paintings of the life of Christ. Cappadocia is really a treasure. We headed back to Ankara, but stopped first at the Salt Lake, the second largest lake in Turkey. However, due to heavy use in irrigation, huge expanses of the lake have dried up, leaving a moist, salt bed to walk on. We watched the sun set over a sea of white salt (and took some pretty cool pictures, too). I wish I could describe better the experiences that I had in Cappadocia and Ankara, but I hope this gives you some idea.

Questions...Answered

I know that writing a question or comment on the blog is kind of difficult, so I wanted to answer some questions that some people have posed to my mom. If there are any other questions that you have, feel free to email me at the Google address listed on the sidebar. Questions really do help me to look at my experience here more closely.

1. What are you eating?
I am eating a combination of traditional Turkish food, American food, and dessert. We will let dessert be a separate food category. Turkish breakfast in my host family, as I have described before, consists of a cucumber-tomato salad, fresh bread, olives, soft cheese, eggs, and apricot or strawberry preserves. While I say "breakfast", breakfast usually is eaten in my house at 11:30 or 12. Other meals can be a lot of different kinds of food, some of which I like, and some that I refuse to eat anymore. Doner (dough-nair) is sliced chicken, tomato, onion, parsley, ketchup, and mayonnaise on hard-crust bread. Sounds good but it has given me a stomachache 3 different times, so no more for me this trip. Iskender kebab is another famous Turkish food that is absolutely amazing. It is cooked beef on top of peppers and tomatoes on bread that is like a doughy-er pita. You pour oil and butter over the top of it and have yogurt on the side. Plain yogurt is used in a lot of things including pasta. I have had some hamburgers made in Turkey, and they just don't taste the same as back home (and they put mayonnaise on the hamburgers as well as potatoes so it is a little strange). I have had kebabs with squash and beef and those were really good. They eat soup with a yogurt base that I like a lot as well as a lot of stews. I have had stews with chicken, beef, eggplant, potatoes, and other vegetables served with a side of rice. I have also had lamb since I have been here. The one thing I really do not like is the sucuk, or sausage, and the sandwiches it is served in. The fabulous thing about living in Bursa is the availability of fresh fruit and vegetables. I have been eating more fruit, like grapes with seeds, watermelon, apricots, and plums than ever before. Bursa is known for its produce. And, a Turkish meal would not be complete without bread. I am eating so much bread, but it is the real, fresh bread bought daily not a pre-packaged loaf, so I figure it has less preservatives and is better for me! Dessert is a separate food group because there's so much to choose from: walnut baklava, pistachio baklava, Turkish ice cream, little cakes soaked in honey, and pastries. Kafkas is a shop started in Bursa that has these little chocolate bars with mashed chestnut in the middle. I hope this gives you a better idea of the kind of food available in Turkey.

2. What is the weather like?
Hot. And, if you couldn't tell from previous posts, there is no rain. Apparently, it is very rare for it to rain during the summer months. I did go a month without seeing rain which is especially odd considering the amount of rain and all the storms at home. So it has rained one day since I have been here and it was welcome relief from the heat. The temperature here is in Celsius, so I never really know how hot it is unless I check MSN weather. I know 40 degrees Celsius is really hot, but here in Bursa it is usually in the mid- to upper-thirties. It is not usually humid, although it has been the last couple of days.

3. What are the gas prices in Turkey?
Ok, no one has really asked that question as far as I know, but I think the answer will make everyone happy to live in the United States. Gas here is nearly $4...for one liter! Turkey has some of the most expensive gas in the world, so now i know why most people take the bus or drive really small cars.

Ok, there are a few answers, so please send me questions at natalie.ruhe@gmail.com. I'm going to start uploading pictures from my Ankara/Cappadocia trip and I am working on a post for that, too!