From Turkey With Love

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.

Day 18

Today I thought I’d show you something I’ve been working on for a very long time. This is a little hand stitching project I’d chosen to do long ago. It’s taken me ages to get this far. I’ll show a few close ups but please note that I’m no expert. As a matter of fact, my stitches are nowhere near as even as they’re supposed to be. But it’s a labor of love. For those who don’t have any interest in quilting, this might be the post to skip. lol

Flying geese border

The pale yellow rose material was a gift from my grandmother

I love the colors.

While most would have set the flying geese pattern flowing in the same direction all around, I decided to have them flow from a central corner and down. It represented the flow of a river by my old house in Alaska. The water would flow from the glacier, split for miles, and then converge before emptying into the ocean. Bold colors fascinate me and just tend to make me feel happy. I loved the idea of using traditional patterns to anchor my piece.

included in the border is a very pale yellow rose print. My grandmother gave me a small bit of it before she passed away. Less than a quarter of a yard. I had no information past the design and color since it seemed to be from her scraps. She asked me to use it and I have. Four of the flying geese have it. And you can see it above here, the middle picture.

The top is almost finished. I have one leaf and six acorns left to hand stitch. Then it’s on to the real quilting stage. Since I don’t have a machine here, I’ll be hand stitching. Scary thought for me. I’ll have to see if there are any 12 or 14 inch quilting hoops here. I’m doubting it, but you never know. I looked through my sewing box and seemed to have left my Aunt Becky behind. Now hand stitching is going to be a lot more difficult. I can try and rig something for the Aunt Becky, but it’s going to be a challenge to hand stitch without a loop.

Here’s a close up of the stitching, if you’re interested.

Two of the acorns I have to finish stitching.

I’m looking forward to getting this part done so I can move on to the actual quilting.

Peace, I’m out.

Day 17

All pics of this guy turn out blurry. Hmm.

Meet Drell. This guy did an awesome job as my sponsor. I’ve never had such a warm welcome as I did here. His birthday celebration continued right into Thursday when he found he made staff! WOOHOO!

He’s trying to help me learn Turkish but it’s a slow process. I keep running words in Farsi and Turkish together in my head. Not a good thing. lol. Leaves me all kinds of confused. I’m slow at learning new languages.

He’s a hard-workin’ guy and very down to earth. Only two more months until he moves, but it’s been a pleasure working with him.

On a side not, he’s got the metabolism of a greyhound and can bike like the hounds of hell are chasing him LOL.

I’m genuinely going to miss him.

This was right before be busted out laughing

Meet Earl Gray, better known as Boyd. He’s as honest as they come and refuses to take shit from anybody. I can appreciate that.

From the time I’ve arrived, Drell and Gray have gone out of their way to make me feel welcome. And neither one of them have given me bullshit to pave the way.

I wish I could tell you guys more but let me just say…there are places where politics get dirty and bureaucracy is the name of the game. Another day in paradise.Gray takes it all in stride and gives no ground when it comes down to getting the job done right.

On a side note, I hear he plays a mean hand of poker and I missed gumbo last night. Heard it was amazing. His wife and daughter come home very soon and he can’t wait to see them.

The man-in-charge!

Meet Ervin. The man-in-charge. He’s a great guy with an awesome family. Five kids and one very patient wife. They are a wonder to watch together. Makes me miss my own family with a sharp ache.

He’s heading to Minot. I’ve been there, done that, so we’ve been chatting it up a bit. No crime. No distractions. No cover from the 60mph winds. LOL. It’s a small shop with a decent workload.

His youngest is the most adorable thing at 2. Reminds me so much of Bran. I see things now…little things that toddlers do that reassures me about my kiddo. I miss him.

Ervin leaves us soon and I wish him a safe journey and great rest of his career. He’s a great guy to work for.

Working hard/Hardly Working!

Meet Equivel. He posed for this picture. There’s another one of him “telling someone what to do”. He even has a coffee mug in that one. LOL.

From the time I heard I had orders, there were people telling me to tell this guy hi. He’s pretty laid back. Very easy going.

His wife, daughter, and tiny new baby should be back from visiting family. This is his second tour here (not back to back). When Ervin leaves, he’ll be the M-I-C.

Well these are the guys I work with. We have fun. The work gets done. It’s a good place to get back into the careerfield.

I’ve got no complaints.

Now off to do laundry. Woohoo!

Day 16

Tasha M. gave me an amazing care package!

Tasha M. (last initial only since anyone can read this blog) sent me a care package! For those who don’t know, a care package is something friends and family send from home to those deployed. It can include anything, within reason, that customs will allow in country. A lot of times you miss the simple things. Homemade cookies, anything to flavor the neverending supply of water you have to guzzle down, a way to write home, etc. When you’re in another country you miss the little things that remind you of home. The handwritten notes you can reread to your heart’s content. Pictures of family and friends you can put up in your room or on your mirror. Tasha sent me a message asking what I’d like. I gave her a few suggestions and she just ran with it!

Included in the package: One kicka$$ San Marcos Texas state shirt, five notebooks (did she know how much I LOVE notebooks??), pens, stamps (THANK YOU!), a magnet, a list book (I’m a list NUT, so I’ll be needing this), enough crystal light to keep me going for at least six months (THANK YOU!), a card, a handwritten letter (you guys don’t know how important those are) and cookies. Made with love. Thank you, girl. You made me feel amazing. And I can’t thank you enough for the joy you’ve brought me.

While you guys on the other side of the pond are sleeping, it’s back to work for me. I’ll see you all later. I’ve got some cookies to snack on *WEG*