Windstar Cruise - Turkey

Where: Kuşadasi, Bodrum, Istanbul
When: July 2009
Highlights: Kempinski Hotel, Istanbul Markets

Kuşadasi
Our first stop in Turkey was Kuşadasi.  This is where some of the best ruins in the area reside – Ephesus.  But truthfully, husband and I were all “ruin”ed out.  So Husband and I booked a scuba dive trip.  It was a 2 tank, boat dive, and it was pretty lame.  We did get to go through some “caverns”, we saw some old pots, and felt warm water currents coming up from the sea floor.  The guide also cut open a sea urchin to feed some fish, for our amusement.  But we could have done without the dive.  There wasn’t really any nice coral, and not a lot of fish.  Atleast we can say that we dove in the Mediterranean, right?  Husbands brother went to Ephesus and liked it, and here is the best pic, in my opinion, he took of Ephesus.

Bodrum
We opted for a relaxing day at an amazing resort for our visit to Bodrum.  We spent the day at the amazing Kempinski Hotel.  Some of us went to the SPA for massages and reflexology, and some enjoyed the sun and the infinity pool.  We had a lunch arranged for us, and just enjoyed the day at this fantastic hotel.  I highly recommend visiting one if you have the chance!



When we were departing Bodrum, we saw that some kind of bathtub regatta was taking place.  There were a number of teeny, tiny little sail boats racing to a finish line. 


Our next day was a day at sea as we were sailing up the Dardanelles, all the way up to Istanbul.
The crew brought to our attention the Dur Yolcu Memorial, which is a WW I memorial


the words are loosely translated into –
Traveller halt!
The soil you tread
Once witnessed the end of an era.
 OR
Stop wayfarer, remember the price Turkey paid for victory at the Dardanelles - 87,000 dead and over 164,000 wounded.

Many soldiers from numerous countries died defending Turkey.

Next was the Kilitbahir Castle, also known as the “lock of the sea” and is located at the narrowest part of the strait, and was originally designed to control the water way.


We were also informed that the Trojan horse from the Movie Troy is on the opposite side of the straight… its kinda hard to see



Istanbul
It was bitter sweet to arrive in Istanbul.  We were excited to see the city, but it meant that our cruise was over! We departed the ship and dropped our bags off at our hotel so we could go check out the market.  As with most ports of call, the cruise ship give little pointers about what to expect, and how to act. Specifically, they told us to barter at the market.  You may not know this about me, but I am a serious negotiator.  Which is good, because Husband sucks at it, and always lets me fight it out. 

We arrived at the market, and were really excited at what we would see.  There was ample food, such as cheese and fish.  We also marveled at the variety the market offered – from tea sets to hookahs. One of my good friends was taking belly dancing classes, so I wanted to get her a couple skirts for belly dancing.  I came upon the first shop that sold them, and the vendor pulled a few colors out for me, showed me what GRRRRREAT quality they were, and told me the price.  I offered about 65% of his original price, and he got PISSED and turned away from me.  Whaaaaaaaaaaaaaaat?  I was instructed to do so, and this guy shut me down.  Pfft FINE!  I’ll go somewhere else.  I actually had a hard time finding another store, but, don’t fret, I found one eventually!  We bought tea, a beautiful carpet, spices and a hookah.  Yes, hookah.
We also stopped along the Bosphorus for a nice meal.  Husband ordered fried red mullet, small red fish that looked unappetizing and ended up being delicious!  We also enjoyed some of the local beer, Efes.

What do you do after having a nice meal in Istanbul?  Smoke some hookah in bean bags on the river.  This one actually looks a lot like the ones we bought.

We also walked around the botanical garden.  It has a really neat water fountain

The next day, we had a tour of Istanbul.  We first went to the Hagia Sophia, which was first an orthodox patriarchal basilica, and later converted into a mosque, and is now a museum.  The tall spires are common on mosques, they play the call to prayer, 5 times a day. 


Some of the Christian paintings were not removed, they were just covered by tapestries and signs.  I found that interesting.
Next, we visited the Topkapi Palace and the Blue Mosque.

I loved visiting the Blue Mosque.  It was just gorgeous.  Prior to entering, females with bare arms were required to wrap in a shawl, and everyone removed their shoes.  The inside was just breathtaking!!



Well, that was the end of our amazing trip to Greece & Turkey.
~Maine Girl

1 comment:

  1. Hello friends,


    You have created beautiful pictures! It offers a unique cruise experience combining traditional sailing with modern technology. These are motor-sail yachts with billowing white sails that unfurl at the touch of a button. Windstar Cruise vacations offer a window to the world, adding the refinement of a luxury hotel with a moveable array of cultural experiences. Thanks a lot...

    Cruise Turkeys

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