Bayram Blue Cruise

I am a few days out from the amazing blue cruise boat trip that I went on for the Bayram holiday in Turkey.  There is so much to tell about this trip!  I posted photos on facebook and I will attempt to post some here but I have been having some troubles with uploading here on my blog.

Nine teachers from TAC went on the boat trip.  It was organized by my friend Kerry, who had read about the cruise, made contacts, booked shuttles, and researched flights.  She did an amazing job and if she ever wants a break from teaching, she should consider travel agent.  The group left Tarsus last Wednesday evening to fly to Antalya.  From there, it was a windy two hour bus ride to Olympos.  We arrived after midnight so there was not much to see at that time.  The next morning, we walked down to the Roman ruins that are tucked into the mountains, along the river, and then lead out to the sea.

Part of the Roman ruins at Olympos

As it turns out, that's really all there was to see in Olympos.  At least as far as I could tell.  The village consisted of one muddy road with hostels, restaurants, and little snack shops.  It seemed to be a starting point for other travel excursions.  We took a bus to where we boarded the ship, and from then on it was paradise on the Mediterranean.  Altogether there were 19 passengers on the boat and 3 crew members.  The cabins slept 2-3 people and were definitely cramped and a bit rugged.  That isn't really important when everything there is to see is outside!  Our group was blessed with sunny days and calm waters.  The boat would sail for a few hours at a time, stopping for meals and swimming breaks.  All of the cooking was done on board by the Turkish crew.  We were treated to some delicious chicken, seafood, stuffed peppers for lunch and dinner, not to mention a traditional Turkish breakfast each morning.  Drinks were not included in the cost of the trip, but were available for purchase.  A nice cold Efes beer in the afternoon and a glass of wine at sunset really can't be beat.  There were plenty of places on the boat to sunbathe, read, chat, drink, relax, sleep...whatever floats your boat (can't help that pun!).  The Mediterranean waters were still warm from the summer and were clear and blue and just awesome to swim in.  The captain made a few harbor stops, so of course I used that as an opportunity to go buy souvenirs.  Two of the nights, we were anchored in a secluded bay and one night we were anchored at a harbor city called Kalkan.  Each night was filled with a delicious dinner, drinks, and games.  I have to say it felt really nice to disconnect for a while and just relax and enjoy being with some great people.  I am going to let some of my photos do the talking now....

Front of the boat, a great place to catch some sun, some great views, and relax

Cruising by another castle....I should start keeping track of how many castle ruins I see here!

Kathy and I soaking up the sun on the boat

Beautiful Kas harbor (where I did my shopping!)

Butterfly valley....too cold for butterflies at this time of the year.  And I couldn't be bothered to change out of my swim suit to hike, so I only have photos from the boat :)

Water-skiing in the Mediterranean, I never thought I could say that I accomplished doing that!

Enjoying one last sunset in the lagoon where we docked for the evening.  **Sarong is a new purchase!!**

Just awesome!!

I would definitely recommend this smaller type of cruise to anyone who wants a more authentic way to see the coast.  I have never been on a big cruise ship, but I really loved this experience.  The only downside of the trip is that my Kindle screen is ruined :(  But I will be having a new one sent out soon.  This means I will get even further behind with my book club books, sadly.  Another cool thing that some of the group did on the trip, at the very end, was go to a Turkish bath (or hamam, as they call it here).  We spent the morning in Fethiye at an old Turkish bath from the Ottoman times.  It really was the perfect way to end the trip, not to mention definitely needed after the boat cruise.  Kathy, Anissa, and I first sat in a steam room, then one by one were scrubbed and sudsed by a Turkish man.  Top that off with a twenty minute massage and we all felt like brand new women.  I was even complimented on how refreshed I looked at work the next day :)  More hamams for this girl in the future for sure!

Brief update

Hi everyone, it has been a while since I updated.  Unfortunately I don't have any photos to share this time.  It has been pretty busy at school and I have been trying to save my lira for the blue cruise coming up in a few days!  There will be no school from this upcoming Wednesday to Monday.  We fly out to Antalia on Wednesday evening, take a bus to Olympos, and then depart from Olympos to Fethiye on the blue cruise for the next few days.  Here is the link to my itinerary, if you want to check out what I will be seeing:

http://www.bluecruisesturkey.com/Cabin_Charters/Olympos-Fethiye.html

This past week at school, I had my first parent meetings.  My teaching partner did most of the work and translating since most parents only speak Turkish.  I thought the meetings went well and the parents seemed happy so that's a good sign!  On Wednesday all of the third graders went on a shopping field trip to Carrefour (kind of like a little Target).  I ended up being asked to go last minute, and it was really entertaining.  I think the trip was planned to go along with what they are doing in their Turkish social studies class.  I even bought little lamb steaks to season and grill on our new bbq at the apartment.  I had never grilled lamb before but it was actually really good.  That's about the most adventurous cooking I have done since I've been here.  On Friday, the students all dressed in red and white to celebrate Republic Day (celebrating Turkey's founding as a nation).  The students are otherwise required to wear uniforms, so it was fun to see them in their red and white outfits.

Tennis lessons continue to be a fun way to get out and get some exercise.  Our tennis instructor wants us to compete in a tournament at the beginners level but I don't know if I'm ready since I can't really serve :)  We'll see.  It's been nice to chat and skype and email with people from back home.  Since I took the job in Turkey, five couples I know have gotten engaged!  It's exciting to hear about but I do feel bad that I am not around for any of the celebrations and wedding related activities.  Maybe some people need to think about planning honeymoons over on this side of the globe so I can crash them :)  After this break, the next one is around Christmas, which I will be coming home for.  Then there is a two week break in January/February that I do not have plans for yet at this time.  Maybe Germany with my favorite mother :)??  If anybody has a hankering to do any travel at that time over in Europe, let me know and maybe we can meet up!

Rainy Days and Tuesdays Never Get Me Down!

Hi everybody,  this post is going to be about the rain that I have experienced here in Turkey!  Up until this week, it has been hot and humid.  Everyday.  If I could have gone to the beach or pool everyday, then I would have.  Some of you may have seen the photos from Kizkalesi beach (the one with the castle) that I went to a while back.  On Saturday, some of the elementary English teachers planned a trip to another beach called Kaprikali Koy.  This is a more rocky swimming area where you have to jump into the water to enter.  When we arrived, it did not look promising as there were dark clouds in the distance and no sunshine, not to mention no Turks at the beach.  But I did go in for a swim since we came all that way.  It was a very strange experience as the water at the top was cold (from the rain) and the water at the  bottom was warm.

Looming storm clouds at Yaprikali Koy

The storm clouds finally burst and it downpoured for about ten minutes.  I was fortunate to be under a roof at the time, but a few teachers, Donna and Kerry, were still out there swimming!  They said it was even hailing.  After all of that excitement, we were all ready for a seafood lunch.  Our department head recommended a seafood place that was incredibly delicious.  Fresh shrimp, calimari, and sea bass enjoyed right by the sea where they were caught.  It was an amazing meal.

The elementary English teachers who braved the rainy beach:  from left to right, Kathy, Stefanie, Athena, Kerry, me, and department head Donna.  DJ Donna is in the back :)  Taken at the seafood restaurant.

Yesterday was Thanksgiving in Canada, and the Canadian staff at the school hosted and organized an awesome dinner, with turkey, dressing, mashed potatoes, and even pumpkin pie.  Yes, I am really happy to say that I finally ate turkey in Turkey....I wish I had a photo!  It was a fun evening, and once again it ended with some torrential rain!  Luckily, my principal was leaving school at the same time and she gave the teachers who live off campus a ride home.  It was a funny ride home, and Pelin had a great sense of humor about us being wet and goofy (and maybe feeling a few glasses of wine!).  

It's only a few short weeks away until the October Bayram holiday!  I am hoping that all of this rain stays away while we are on the boat, but I am sure it will be amazing either way.  There are 9 teachers going on the blue cruise, and there is a good chance we will be the only ones on the 12 passenger  boat.  We may get additional days on this holiday, so hopefully I will be able to take advantage of that and see some more sights.  

Leaving you all with a photo of me with my turkey in Turkey and a big bowl of mashed potatoes :)

Karatepe Day Trip

A young girl hand weaving a rug at the loom

Over the weekend, one the principals at the high school organized a day trip to Karatepe to see traditional Turkish rugs as well as some Hittite ruins.  It was a long, windy bus ride to the remote village of Karatepe.  We arrived in time for a traditional Turkish lunch outside.  Afterwards, it was every gal (and one man) for himself as people went inside to scope out the rugs and determine which ones to buy.

A display of some of the hand-woven rugs for sale

Kathy and me with our rug purchases.  I bought two small ones and a wall hanging
with pockets  and Kathy's shows a little country scene.

After our time at Karatepe, we went to an outdoor museum and archaeological site to see some Hittite ruins discovered in the 1940s.  Now, I am not going to hide the fact that I don't know everything about history, so therefore I don't know if I totally appreciated everything that I saw at the site.  The Hittites had their civilizations around 1300 B.C.  (I think!).  I was excited to see this view upon climbing the hill!

Dorky picture for you, Mom.  Maybe it can be a framer?

One of the statues in the park.  Sidenote:  I have no idea who this guy is posing,
but it was impossible to get a photo without other people in them!

One of the carvings at the site.  My favorite, hehehe

Our last stop was to see some ancient Roman ruins and castle at the Hierapolis ruins.  Rustu Bey, our trusty tour guide, informed the group that the pillars at the entrance is a sign of how wealthy this area was.  The castle was built by the crusaders later on.

Kathy and I, just hanging out at some ruin

Amphitheater used for theater performances

Castle fortress on top of a hill

Beautiful sunset over the countryside to end the trip

After the big day on Saturday, I still somehow had energy to do some shopping at the Mersin mall.  No fun shoes or clothes this time, but I did find a yoga mat and a big candle for my apartment.  The group of teachers who went ate at a place back on the Marina, where I was able to order a bloody mary (and an Efes beer chaser!) with my lunch.  On Friday night, before going to Karatepe, I went out for dinner with two of the other teachers in the apartment (we were in search of a restaurant that serves beer with meals!).  At the place recommended by the headmaster, we randomly met an alumni of TAC, the school we all work at.  We ended up talking to Refat for hours and he even bought our dinner.  He had many suggestions for places to go visit in Turkey.  He gave us his number and said to call with anything we needed.  Once again, I was impressed and grateful for Turkish hospitality and friendliness :)