Cappadocia

Posted on November 15, 2017 by The Traveller

I was a cave man in Cappadocia because I stayed in a cave. Most of the hotels in Cappadocia are built in or near to caves. In fact, the whole city is surrounded by caves.

I got a bed in this Stay In Peace Cave Hotel for S$7.50 a night with breakfast and free wifi. There is no air-con in the cave but it was cooling. What a good experience! The owner, a young Turkish couple, are very friendly. They provide information about the place, arrange for tours and do whatever they could to assist the tourists. A good stay!

The whispers in the morning Woke me up

Of me sleeping light I helplessly sigh

Even though I have time I quickly walked up

Of seeing the hot air balloons On the mountain side

Sound of my heart beat Travelled thr morning light

Of me leading myself Finding for a good site

The sun unwillingly woke up And birds flying up high

Of hundreds balloons floating What a beautiful sight

Ankara

Posted on November 4, 2017 by The Traveller

I took the midnight bus from Cappadocia to Ankara. I though I could save the cost for a night hotel stay and sleep in the bus instead. However, I just couldn’t get a good sleep in the bus. When I reached Ankara at 7am, the hotel was kind enough to let me check-in. Till then I managed to sleep for a few hours.

Ankara is the Capital of Turkey but there aren’t many attractions. I only stayed there for a day and took the bus back to Istanbul the next afternoon.

Istanbul

Posted on October 22, 2017 by The Traveller

There is a fire burning in my heart,
I have to cool it before I could start.
There is an excitement growing within me,
I have to stop it before I am not me.

Pamukkale

Posted on October 17, 2017 by The Traveller

From Canakkale I took a bus to Pamukkale for S$38. This was a long and tiring 8 hours ride and the bus stopped in Denizli instead. At the bus terminal, I approached a policeman to ask for direction and finally I landed up in a small and cosy hotel for S$31 a room with buffet breakfast. The next morning I took the mini bus (S$1.58) to Pamukkale. When I got off the bus, someone from a nearby travel agency approached me asking whether I would like to join a day tour of Pamukkale for S$54. I told him I would consider about that.

After about 10 minutes of walk, another man approached me asking me to join his tour for S$36, which is one third cheaper that the earlier approach.

His group had 2 Canadians, 2 Indians, one Korean and 2 Singaporeans. Without second thought, I joined in the tour.

Later I found out that the middle age Singaporean couple is a pilot and a teacher.

I also met 3 young Malay Singaporeans while waiting for the tour. I think we have the Singaporean identity as when we look at each other, we know that we are from Singapore.

Pamukkale means Cotton Castle in Turkish. It is a natural site for hot springs. This is a rather small place but it has some remarkable spots, such as the Roman Spa and Roman Theatre. Though the ancient Roman bath has collapsed but the structures are still there. This is a UNESCO World Heritage Site.