My first trip out of the country was on our way to Turkey for our Youth Pilgrimage at my church. Technically I was in Germany first (connecting flight in Munich lol).
I absolutely adore Turkey! it is so beautiful and so rich in history! one of the best experiences in my life! i absolutely loved it!
We first landed in Izmir, and we saw the “Velvet Castle” and had Turkish coffee. Then we continued on to our Hotel in Kusadasi by the beach of the Aegean sea. We had a great time there with great food and the beach was beautiful… not a sandy beach…but chunks of marble! :D
We also went to Ephesus and The Virgin Mary’s House, among other smaller sites and such. Then we went to Pamukkale in the central area. It means, “cotton castle”, because it looks like it’s snow…but really it’s the calcium deposits from hotsprings! it was amazing! we stayed in a really nice hotel there, and enjoyed the hotsprings and got some rest, then we were back on the road! checking out more museums and sites, including one that was just recently discovered! and we got to see it! even though visitors were technically not allowed… ;)
then we went back to Izmir where we flew to Istanbul, the capital. We went to the Grand Bazaar… where I was delirious and dehydrated and got lost…just as it was closing! scary! but got some great deals…and a cab ride out of the deal! ;) then we had a great dinner and went to our hotel. spent the next day going around, saw the Blue Mosque, the Hagia Sofia, The Cistern Basilica, among other things… LOVED It! then had a wonderful dinner off the beaten track, saw a wedding party, a circumcision party, and ice cream that doesn’t melt and you can stretch! (like taffy!) it was so much fun!
For anyone who wants to travel to beautiful exotic places… Turkey should be at the TOP of your list!
…lata days
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