Walking in the dark

We arrived into the town of Palmyra late. Too late to the see the sunset and far too late to wander into the ruined Roman city which was the reason for the stop.

So, we moped around and did very little.
The next morning... in the middle of the night really.... Guy and I woke up.

Oliee and Chris were still asleep. They had decided against the ridiculous idea that Guy and I had concocted.

Wrapping ourselves up in our warmest gear to protect against the cold of the desert night, we trudged off to climb the citadel and watch the sunrise.

It was a hike just to get to the citadel.

Once we reached it, we decided that rather than go around and walk up the road (which would have been sensible) we would go straight up the steep face.

.... in the dark.....

We made it (just) and were able to find a good spot near the top to wait for the sun.

Very slowly it came.
The dust of the desert created some amazing colours.
And finally it appeared.
As we walked down off the citadel's hill after the sun had risen, we realised how dangerous our trek up had been.
The shifting rocks and the ridiculous steepness had nearly killed us....

And yet we thought little of it at the time.

Castle of the Knights

After leaving Aleppo, we headed towards a site that Oliee and I had been keen on seeing for years.

Krak des Chivaliers.

This famous old Templar castle that has withstood the test of time.
Approaching the castle in the car was impressive enough. Perched atop a high hill, the road leading up is a slow wind.

Upon reaching it, we were presented with a castle that was not like the "beautiful" cathederals we had seen in Europe, but rather an imposing and threatening structure.

The smooth walls and sharp points of the structure were clearly made to keep people out.
But that didn't mean that the inside couldn't be nice as well!
It was a cold and wet day (we seemed to have fallen into a habit of encountering such days when we needed to do outdoor sites).

We were happy to retreat into a restaurant afterwards, where we were showered with hot tea and roasted meats and vegetables.

Are you kidding me?

.... sitting on a pole.....

St Simeon.... was sainted.... for sitting on a pole.....

You've got to be kidding me.

Not only that, they built a basilica at the place of one of his pole sittings.

Thankfully it was a magnificent place that he decided to.... sit on a pole...
It's all ruined now.

But the splendour of the place remains.
Across the plains we could see the rockiness of Syria, carefully ploughed fields and plantations of olives.
In such a harsh landscape, it was amazing that so many people managed to make their living. Even more amazing that so many had lived here for so many years.

On the trail of Lawrence

In Aleppo, we reached one of Lawrence's stops.

We were at the Baron Hotel.
After taking Damascus, Lawrence and the Arab Revolt reached the city of Aleppo. Staying in the hotel, Lawrence managed to rack up a bill.... that didn't get paid for!
But if you've just defeated an entire empire, who has time for such triffling matters?

The four of us sat down in this famous watering hole and ordered drinks. We were following in the footsteps of some amazing names and echoes of empire.

So we ordered some nice gin and tonics.

Later in the evening, back in the hostel, the owner decided to show me some of the clothes he had.

He insisted that Chris and I both try these garments on.
We were in Aleppo!!! Following in reverse the path that had been taken by Lawrence of Arabia over 90 years before us!

Into Syria

Turkey was so much fun. None of us wanted to leave. After so much time in the place, we had come to love the place and the people.

However, it was time to move on.

And it was time to move further into the Middle East. While interesting, Turkey was still a very Westernised place. We were now going somewhere far removed from what we were accustomed to.

Syria was our next stop.

After another ridiculously long and uncomfortable bus ride that included stops and layovers in towns that are now drifting into my memory, we arrived at the border.

It was a chaotic place. People everywhere, running to and fro from counter to office and back. We were lost. Thankfully, the bus driver had us covered. With only a small amount of money to help things along, we were through with our passports stamped (something that was to cause me no end of issues later on.... ) and our possessions still in hand.

In Syria, our first destination was Aleppo. Long regarded as a cultural centre of both Syrian and Arabic life.

With it's beautiful and bustling souq, we could see the attraction of the place.

The Central Mosque also caught our collective eyes.
In Syria, I determined to continue my exploration of international cuisines. On recommendation, Guy and I tried the 'mamonia' (sic???). Sickly sweet with cinnamon on top.... it was something that I wasn't accustomed to.
As the days progressed, we found ourselves on top of the beautiful Citadel in the middle of the city. A nice place just to sit, drink tea and smoke a water pipe after a long day of walking and sight seeing.
Even at night, we felt the life in the city!

The Land of Fairies

This place can't be real?

How can it be possible that such a place exists? It is as though it were created by magic, created for some purpose that can't be understood.

We stood on mountains, we stood on high places and we looked down up gorges and ravines.
A combination of both nature and human-endeavour.
Everywhere we looked, we were shown images of perfection. We could hardly stop smiling in wonder.
And can you blame us? Looking across into the distance of each new location, our eyes could barely comprehend that what we saw was actually real.
The name "fairy chimneys" seemed appropriate. Not only because of the physical appearance of these places, but also because of the seeming magic by which they were created.

I'm going deeper underground!

Underground cities.... enormous underground cities exist in Cappadochia that were used by the peoples in times of trouble and strife.

Caves that go deep into the ground.
The maze like tunnels extended into living quarters, churches, prisons and even underground barns for the animals!
A place to shackle prisoners?

Dining, Dancing and Dervishes

We were tired.

So very tired.

After all the fun of Selcuk, we said goodbye to Hunter who was heading back to Istanbul and boarded our bus.

It was going to be another long, long, long ride for us.

Eight hours? Ten hours? Twelve hours? I can't even remember anymore.

What I do remember, was stumbling off the bus in the middle of the night having been woken with a jolt. It was a mere break for the driver and I don't know why I got off. I walked around this small town directionless and then walked back onto the bus. I somehow managed to find the correct bus as well take a photo of the town, that reminds me (and hopefully will remind me in the future) of the stupidity of walking off your bus in a foreign country.

We managed to get to Urgup though.

And we also did what we thought we would never do.... we paid for dinner and a show.

This wasn't something we had wanted to do. But for the purposes of time and convenience, we did it. After all, they promised free-flowing drinks and traditional Turkish dancing!

We weren't actually disappointed. Though it was expensive, we were able to see what we wanted to see most of all in terms of the dancing. The Dervishes!!!

Whilst we were unable to take photos during the performance, they kindly came in afterwards and span again for us.
Whilst watching them dance in the dark, it was a strangely hypnotic experience. Even though it was a performance for tourists and others having dinner, the quiet serenity in which they danced couldn't be ignored.

After they left, we began to eat and drink in earnest. There was lots of it and it kept coming.

However, we would be interrupted (not in a rude way) as more dancers came in.
The speed at which they danced was amazing.
Then it was the girls' turn.As the dancers came together, a mock wedding was conducted.

Oliee was even dragged up and "married". We were all so happy for him!
Near the end of the dances (and there were many of them), the men jumped into a pyramid and unfurled a Turkish flag. I have never been to a place where the people have such a fierce love for their country. After spending only a short time in Turkey, I can completely understand why!

Seeking Sights

After we were all thoroughly amazed by the enormity of Ephesus, we were taken onwards to some less interesting sights.

First came the "Seven Sleepers". An old tomb for seven martyrs who were apparently revived. It was a little underwhelming in comparison to what we had all just seen. It was also unhelped by the widespread graffiti at the site.
After this, we were driven to the next site. One of the ancient wonders of the world no less!!! The Temple of Artemis. We were expecting alot.

After all.... a Wonder of the World!!!!

I mean, how is it possible that we could be disappointed with that?

How is it even imaginable that this place would not have at least a semblance of what was once there?

........

Hmmmmmm.....
We were all even more underwhelmed.

All that really remained was a single column.... that had been put up recently with the help of modern concrete.
Guy was particularly unhappy with it. He had found his new cry of disappointment for the trip: "As good as the Temple of Artemis!".

Thankfully, we stayed there only long enough for:
Guy to push Oliee down a hill;
for Oliee to try and drag me to my death as he fell down the hill;
for Oliee to convince Guy and I to chase some geese;
for Oliee to abandon us at the first sign of trouble;
for Guy to ACTUALLY chase the geese;
for Guy to get chased by a guard dog;
for Oliee and Guy to have a foot race back to the car; and
for Guy to fall over.

All in all, a fun time for everyone.

Back at the hotel, our driver Hassan was kind enough to bring me some refreshing mountain tea. It tasted lemony and sweet, far lighter than the strong teas we had become accustomed to.

Walking the paths of history

How often is it that one really gets to walk through something truly ancient?

On a nice sunny day, our travels took us to a place where we did exactly that. After a short drive from Selcuk, we arrived in the old Roman town of Ephesus. The former port city, this great town.... now only ruins.

But what amazing ruins!
None of us had seen anything like it! Nothing even close. This was something truly out of our comprehensions as Australians. Back home, we see nothing like this. There are echoes of our colonial past and there are reminders of the Aborigines who have come before us... but the remnants of lost civilisations is not something we are familiar with.
At the great library of Celcius, all of us took our time to take in the beauty of the architecture.
And only a few hundred metres away, we found the famous Ampitheatre! This was no mere ruin though, this was the place in which St Paul had debated the Epheseans themselves on their worship of the old Roman gods! To be standing in this spot was an experience that shouldn't have been different from many other experiences I've had. Yet to be there in person, to be looking out into the same seats and he did, gave me a shiver down my spine.

Selcuk and Saints

After the cold and rain of Gallipoli, we all headed onto a ferry that took us to the town of Pamakkule. We stayed there for a few hours before we all boarded a bus headed for the Turkish town of Selcuk.

The bus took all night, but I arrived there fresh and awake... sadly no one else had been able to get any sleep.
Selcuk is just a small town. However, what it lacks in population, it makes up for in the breathtaking sites surrounding it.

Our first place of visit was St John's Basilica.

Ruined and left to crumble and yet it is still an awe inspiring place.

Ruins galour gave me a chance to explore and climb.
And the purpose of the Basilica was also nothing to be ignored.
However, after a long day of running around, we settled back into the town.

What better way to relax than with rice pudding?