Travel- and birdreport Turkey 1998.
Travel- and birdreport Turkey 1998. |
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| Turkey |
Turkey tour from 31-05-1998 till 21-06-1998.
This time my wife and I choose for a tour of 22 days by travel agency Djoser.
In the evening we started our journey by K.L.M. straight to Istanbul and arrived there the same evening.
We had two days to discover Istanbul and visited the Sultanahmet (Blue Mosque), the Hagia Sophia museum, the Topkapi Palace, the Egyptian Market and much more.
After breakfast the coach brought us to Bursa along the Marmara Sea.
To shorten the distance, with many miles, we took a ferry and we were on the other side in about 30 minutes.
Next day we made an excursion to the top of the Ulu Dagi.
We made a beautiful walk and when we came back there was a barbecue.
In the evening we visited a real Turkish Hammam (baths), a great experience!
Next day we drove to the Dardanelles to stay overnight at Çanakkale.
Early in the morning the coach brought us via Troja to Bergama.
Next morning we took a long guided visit at the Acropolis before we went to Selçuk.
Today was a totally free day and ten of us took a dolmus (taxi-van) to a beautiful beach, where we spend the day with sunbathing, drinking and eating.
In Selçuk many storks were breeding on the pillars of an old Roman aqueduct.
Also a visit to Ephesus was planned. It takes you back in history.
A sailing-day with a little swimming and a good lunch was appreciated by all of us!
Via Aphrodisias with the famous temple of Aphrodite we went to Pamukkale.
From Denizli you had a good overview of the limestone terraces.
It is a pity that the hotels are using so much water that there is not enough left for the terraces.
The greatest part is now closed for the public!
Next destination was Dalyan, to have a look at the rock-graves along the river.
From Dalyan we drove to the little harbour Göcek and by boat along magnificent rock-coasts to Fethiye, where the coach was waiting to bring us to Antalya.
The hotel was situated in the very old centre and the streets were so small, that we had to walk with our luggage.
Next stage to Konia was very long, but varied with many coloured mountains, trees, flowers and birds.
First we took a stop near a beautiful waterfall, then we crossed the abandoned steppes and suddenly we were in the noisy Konia.
Early in the morning we left Konia and drove along lonely villages and arrived at Sultanhani to visit the enormous caravanserai.
Next excursion was a walking-tour of about two hours along the river in the Ihlara-valley to see the rock-houses (holes) and churches with beautiful fresco's.
After a drink we went by coach to visit the underground city Derinkuyu.
In the last centuries they discovered eight floors and there was accommodation for about 4000 man.
They used it as a hiding-place during war threatening and during very cold winters.
In the city is a constant temperature of 14°C.
Via Göreme with the flinstone-houses or mushrooms, what you like, we arrived at our hotel in Urgüp, for a stay of three nights.
We climbed the tower-rock Ortahisar for a magnificent overview of the valley of Göreme.
Capadocië looks like a bizarre moon-landscape.
In the village of Avanos we visited a pottery with demonstration and of course the possibility to buy something. Very expensive!
After all these impressions we left to the Ankara train-station and put our luggage in the depot.
We had still many hours to discover the city and after good dinner in the city-park we walked back to the station.
The night-train brought us to Istanbul for a last day shopping or something else.
Three weeks goes by so very quickly.
Next morning was our journey back to Amsterdam-airport.
The bird-list is this time not so very long, but for me there were some new species.
A reason for the short list may be that the hotels mostly are situated in the cities and you don't walk there with a binocular around your neck!