From Turkey With Love

Day 35

I know it’s been a minute or two since I’ve blogged. Most of it related to 1. being sick and 2. the incredibly slow upload speed I’m suffering through at the moment. ARGH.

My run tonight was gorgeous. I ran a stretch of road known as the triangle and just let the scenery soak in. Mountains to my right, a gorgeous sunset to my left, and Ozzy Osbourne’s No More Tears kept me pacing each leg of my run.

Today is a very big day for my littlest one. He’s being re-evaluated to see if his original diagnosis of “severe range” autism stands. So tonight, I needed this run to clear my head. This is not the kind of stuff a Mother should miss. And my husband is stepping up to the plate and doing what needs to be done. He knows I’m here worrying about it, and waiting on pins and needles for the results.

A perspective shot. Look at the cable stretching from one apartment building to another.

While driving through an interesting part of Mersin, we saw a massive Turkish flag. The cable stretched from one apartment building to the other and I couldn’t imagine the damage this thing would do if it ever broke free from the line. Either way, I’m so glad this picture turned out. The breeze was lovely, the sky was clear, and the camera cooperated with a “Hurry and take the pic while we stop illegally in the middle of the road” kind of moment. LOL!

Day 28

I have been given a pharmacy of meds to fight this viral infection. So if this post seems garbled, just know…one of the side affects reads “may cause hallucinations.” I’ve caught myself writing words backwards (for instance, I wrote sprow for words a moment ago). They said nothing about it causing dyslexia. Hmm.

I have skype set up so I can call anyone in the US. This weekend I’m gonna try and catch up with everyone I was unable to call before now. In a couple of weeks I’ll probably get around to creating a phone number so you guys can call me too.

Our adventure to Kiskalesi continued with a delicious trip to Cafe Rain where the food was…amazing.

Our appetizers were simple and refreshing. Shephard’s salad, fresh-made bread, and Borek Cafe Rain style. If you remember from the Adana video, the Borek from Adana is far different from this one. Cafe Rain’s looked like mini egg rolls. The Borek was fried instead of baked and the flavor was just a bit different.

Borek, What was left of our Shepherd's Salad, and Homemade Bread

For the main entree, I had the insanely good Rain Special (chicken with eggplant, onions, peppers, cheese, cucumbers, and a divine sauce that made me wish I had a second or third stomach). Both Drell and Gray love the fish. I wasn’t quite that adventurous yet.

Rain Special, my meal

Gray chose the grilled fish. The roasted garlic smell was absolutely divine.

Grilled/steamed Fish. Boyd said it was his favorite.

Drell chose the fried fish. It looked delicious!

Fried Fish. Drell said it was his favorite.

For dessert they served Chai (the tea) and Watermelon. The refreshing desserts (tea and fruits, usually) are complimentary.

Dessert on the house. Chai tea and watermelon.

And now, my friends, I’m going to bed. Hope you enjoyed it!

Peace, I’m out.

Day 27

Very sick today. Post will be up tomorrow some time. Blech.

Peace, I’m out.

Day 26

A trip into Adana today. Enjoy!

Day 25

I know I didn’t get a post up yesterday. Sorry about that, but I was an emotional wreck after the kiddo’s birthday and you guys don’t need to see all that.

Our incredible journey continued through the ruins of Akkale just outside the sea village of Tirtar. We were (mostly) dry from our swim at Kiskalesi. All three of us were in shorts, tee shirts and flip flops, so why we decided to hike through ruins is beyond me, but it was a lot of fun! Note to self: sneakers and socks are a must travel item from now on.

When we arrived a few things caught my eye. The graffiti on the stone, the incredible view, and this domed structure:

Dome structure in Akkale.

I’m fascinated with architecture. It’s amazing how well this structure was built. Inside you could see the results of years of decay. Religious symbols carved into the archways were chipped away. Tar lined the top of the building from years of smoke. There were a few pieces of current society, a bottle here and signs of a recent fire there, but for the most part, it was relatively clean.

One of the symbols in Akkale

The brush surrounding the ruins was dry and brittle. But you couldn’t beat the view from the top. It was gorgeous and calm. A nice breeze whispered through the brush to offset the oppressive humidity that had us drenched in sweat within minutes of our walk. Early on we realized having shoes other than flip flops would have been safer, but I doubted I’d ever get a chance to see it again, so I had to trek through.

Boyd drew my attention to a hole in the ground. It was an almost perfect rectangle with a large rock lodged in it. He dropped a rock and we listened for it to hit bottom. The depth of the room below was chilling.

We saw another one further up the hill, this time it had a large hole, one that allowed us to see a doorway leading into the room.

Crumbled stairway. Light filter adjusted.

I had to adjust some of these photos in picasa so you could see the details. Drell made his way along a path leading down to the doorways. He called us over and we made our own way down a precarious set of stairs. Branches tore at our clothes and in some places we had to hold onto branches to maintain our balance. My  death grip on the camera limited my mobility so I moved far slower than the guys did. There are two things I’ll do before my next trip out the gate. 1. Always have sneakers and socks in my bag and 2. Get a damn neck strap for the camera.

Some enjoy hiking ruins with a tour guide, but unless he’s a natural born storyteller, I prefer to trek on my own. A little bit of research before and after and images like these will spark my imagination for years to come.

View from the first door.

Inside we found a room built for giants (or Romans, since they liked to build halls large enough for the gods to enter LOL). The little information I’ve been able to find confirms it’s of Roman origin. Anything else I’ve found talks about the size of the room and not what it was actually used for. That’s okay, my imagination will fill in the blanks nicely.

Archway in the underground room of Akkale

The itch to climb down and explore was almost overwhelming, but in flip flops with no rope or lights? Suicide. Further exploration led us around an outer wall. Inside archways had fallen over and nature had taken back most of her land.

If a stone archway falls and no one is around to hear it...does it make a sound?

One thing left me puzzled, however. There wasn’t enough stone to complete a building. While wind and rain would account for a good deal of loss, there was entirely too much missing. Less than ten miles away in Kiskalesi, there was the King and Maiden castles. Did someone take stone from here for use in Kiskalesi? Or perhaps the stone was taken for the homes of the villagers? Was the structure ever completed? And if not, why? Strategically, having a keep on top of this cliff would be sound. You can see for miles.

View from the top of Akkale.

View from the top of Akkale.

Another mystery? Why not.

We ended the hike back where we started. A closer inspection of the dome showed us the faded markings of religious history next to recent (within the last decade or so) scribbled graffiti.

Exploring the dome.

There were no close calls or careless steps for any of us, thankfully. It was an incredible introduction to historical Turkey. Thanks guys. It was an amazing adventure.

Peace, I’m out.

Day 23

A road trip to Kiskalesi turned into a pretty cool adventure. We went to the beach and from a distance I could see the Maiden and King Castles. They were spectacular to look at. We could have paddled out to the Maiden’s castle but I needed to save the lira (Turkish currency) for the Cafe Rain.

In this post, I want to focus on the two castles and the folklore surrounding them.

The Maiden's Castle

There are several stories surrounding the Maiden’s Castle. The most popular is as follows…

The King loved his daughter and wanted her to marry well. She, however, followed her heart and fell in love with a common man. To prevent their union, the King built a castle in the sea where he kept his daughter. Some of the tales go on to say how the valiant young commoner fought through the waves, only to die in her arms at the land’s edge. Other versions of this story say both died from grief and the King had no heirs. Tragic.

Another tale surrounds prophecy. In it the daughter is fated to die tragically by her 17th (some say 16th) birthday. So, to save his daughter, the King built her in a castle in the sea surrounded by his most trusted guard. All food was checked and there was no expense spared for her safety. On her 17th birthday, a snake (which had been sleeping soundly in a basket of apples), bit her and she died. The King had no heirs. Tragic.

The King's Castle, Kiskalesi

Either way it gets my imagination going! LOL. The water was crystal blue and warm. You can swim to the maiden’s castle but there was para sailing going on…and I wasn’t too sure they’d pay attention to anyone in the water.

Sometimes you just see things here that you’ve never seen anywhere else. The bread guy was one of them. He walked around the beach selling bread. Just bread. Stacked neatly on a tray sitting on his head. There were Chinese tea sellers and Vodka shot sellers as well. I snapped this shot while he was walking up the beach.

Bread for sell!

Tomorrow I’ll show more pics and tell a few more stories.

Happy birthday Brannum!

Peace, I’m out!

Day 22

The hardest post I’ve ever had to write. Days grow long and I find I’ve got more time on my hands than I’d expected. Most days that’s okay. It keeps me relaxed and motivated to get something else done. Today’s not one of those days. My mind’s preoccupied with a very special day. My son’s 3rd birthday. You’ll have to forgive me, but these pics are from before I left for Turkey. We celebrated lil B’s birthday early so I could be there.

Tonight a few of us went out and watched Star Trek (which by the way, you should see just for the movie, whether you’re a Star Trek fan or not). Tomorrow I’ll be heading to a beach and relaxing, getting out of the dorm room so I can take more pictures for the family.

I won’t spend the words telling you how hard it is to miss such an important day, or tell you how I fight off the tears every time I see one of his pictures. Sometimes I wonder where the tough chick I used to be went. No one told me growing up meant I’d get mushy and sentimental

So baby, from me to you, Happy Birthday Lil Dude. You’re always in your Momma’s heart and constantly on her mind. I miss you baby.

Just chillin' on a cold afternoon

Some days we would just hang out and play. We’ll do it again soon! Before you know it, baby.

Haven't quite got the "blow them out" instead of "ooo touch the light" thing down yet.

LOL. He kept trying to touch the flame instead of blowing it out. Little firebug just like his daddy

I’m sending lots of love to my kiddo and the family. Lots of hugs and kisses.

Peace, I’m out.

Day 21

A mountain? No one noticed it before today...

When we were working yesterday I spotted a mountain off in the distance. We were all pretty surprised since it’s normally not seen from where we’re stationed. I don’t know the name of it yet, but I’ve got nothing but time here.

From inside the warehouse.

Can you see the mountain in the distance? Tomorrow is another busy day and then Friday it’s OFF TO THE BEACH!

Day 20

There are some days where the job just kicks your ass. Today was one of those days. We had a lot of cargo to move and a very short time to do it in. But in between the rush we took some time to laugh, smile, joke, and pose for pictures. I regret that I couldn’t put everyone’s pictures up, but I’ll be posting more in my facebook this weekend.

Self pic. Turned out blurry. *sigh*

Le sigh. These pics always seem to mess up. There was another one taken of me but I was dripping in sweat and had a smear of dirt on my cheek. Not fun. lol.

Her job was hardest of all. Damn packing lists!

The phone never stopped ringing and the paperwork had to keep flowing. Loggies do it best when under stress!

Ervin on the forklift

Ervin and Drell kicked ass with the forklifts today. They kept up the pace for the entire day, and let me tell you, it was a scorcher! Working in the warehouse all day definitely made me appreciate AC. LOL.

This was the 12th pallet of the day.

By now we were all running on autopilot. The occasional joke was said and some fun was had, but we just kept kicking out cargo.

Look, he's in FOCUS! LOL.

At the end of the day we were all exhausted and ready for the day to end. Will post more pics on my facebook later.

Hard at work!

I wonder what amazing adventures tomorrow will bring…

Hope everyone has a good day.

Day 19

Man are you guys getting tired of the numbers yet?

I’m amazed at how green everything is here. For five years I was at Sheppard and August is the hotter-than-hell season. In Redding, where my family is, the season is just as dry and sweltering. Foliage struggles to survive and water can be just as detrimental to your grass and plants as none at all.

Nature is so vibrant here!

I think I’m getting used to the climate. In a couple of months I have a few hikes/tours on the books. They’re the kind of hikes I like…we take you, we pick you up, everything else is all on your own. LOL. One takes us through crumbling castles on a rocky cliff. Another takes me into the historical mecca of Adana. Later in the year I’ll be wondering through a cave in what’s called the Heaven and Hell walk. It’s Heaven walking down but Hell walking back up. That’s the hike I’m preparing for, btw (for those tracking my workouts on Facebook). I don’t want to miss anything.

I hope these pictures give you a little taste of what I see here.