turkey
yoyoyo! just came back from turkey! its 6 hrs behind local time, which explains the jet lag, n hence the farny time of dis post. i came wif no expectations, no plans, but as i sit here alittle tired, alittle sleepy from jet lag, it all feels very bittersweet n enriching.
a stereotypical image of a turk; asian looking man wif fair skin, brown eyes, black hair, moustache n a red ottoman hat. dis is not quite accurate as many turks r actually blonde. however, turks from the southern n eastern regions actually do look like dat. turkey also turned out to b more european than i thot. but aspects of their culture, the mosques, islam, images of sultans all make it also very middle eastern at the same time. dis is wad u get when u haf a country sandwiched between 2 worlds europe n asia.
put urself in such a context, n throw in belly-dancing watching, snowball fights (yes it actually snows there!), a hot-air balloon ride in the cold, a cruise along the bosphorous, memories of singing n making merry in the bus to pass away time coz a lorry in front of us froze in the cold n was blocking the entire highway r realli classic. there was also dis incident when our tour bus had to negotiate dis realli difficult n narrow turn in one of those hilltop villages n the entire village came out to watch! throw in my failed attempt at pottery demonstration, soaking in thermal baths, the bazaars....n the experience of entering mosques as old a time itself.. all make for one big unforgettable experience.
Istanbul. home to greek Byzantium, christian Constantinople and muslim Istanbul. if ankara’s the capital, the brain of turkey, istanbul is its heart.
along the bosphorous river.
i converted to islam there. i even bought a koran! taking my shoes off to enter mospques, eating halal food 24/7, waking up n to prayers blared from soaring minarets. it echoed throughout the entire city, as it did for centuries. i found it timeless n soothing.
exotic stuff u get to see n use at the spice bazaar.
grand bazaar. literally thousands of shops. almost all the shops sell almost the same stuff. if u don’t keep track of ur bearings, u can get lost one.
Bursa, one of turkey’s major cities. in the old days, dis was where the famous silk road ended.
our highly esteemed kindergarten logo on a power source? political incorrectness, from our perspective.
found a poetic moment one early morning. no photoshop here ok.
house of virgin mary. very peaceful place. the toilet dere is the most scenic one i’ve ever been to, n toilet entrance is free.
ruins of ephesus.
changing of the guard at ataturk’s musoleum in ankara. ataturk’s woshipped like a cult figure there. he's turkey’s first president, n is known as the founder of modern turkey. similar things haf also happened on a small, sunny island in the sun. ankara's quite boring. not a very happening place. modern town wif government minitries n dats about it. its quiet here compared to istanbul.
natural landscapes at cappadocia r unbelievable. no need to say much. just stand there n just....
my gay friend, our realli realli funky tour guide fatih
early christians used to hide here when they were persecuted. built underground cities, dug holes in the landscape which functioned as a natural fortress, n constructed hundreds of cave churches.
hot-air ballooning over cappadocia. feet were freezing cold but the views in the early morning...priceless la.
some of the food r realli exotic. alot of strange tastes. mostly not for s’porean tongues. but some r realli good. dis one is yogurt wif honey n poppy seed. die die must try
yep, dat just abt sums it up. til next time.
alvin ong dozed and watched the sawdust trampled night @ 7:21 AM
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