Turkey Travel Diary, Day 9: Going home, plotting return trip
Last full day in Turkey. Went down to the breakfast buffet and made up a plate of sauteed mushrooms, potato croquettes, sausages and a Spanish omelet. The usual yogurt, this time with fig jam. And two coffees, one of which is a double espresso so that’s three cups.
Gyges was already waiting by the door for his morning toll. As he was eating a quarter of my breakfast one of the staff came out and gave him more food. That cat is the lord of the hotel.
Had another look at the fairy chimneys.
Rorschach test: What do you see?
At the roadside stalls I bought trinkets for me and my sister. I may have overpaid, but I think of it as supporting the unofficial economy. Then again maybe the purple agate ring (if it’s real agate) has magical powers.
Lunch was at a local restaurant called Uranos Sarikaya. It’s in a cave, and it features musicians with traditional instruments and folk dancing. (Kind of like Josephine’s. Do they still have folk dancers?)
We had a choice of shish kebab (skewered) or pottery kebab (cooked in a pot), then baklava or figgy pudding for dessert. Best meal of the trip.
Our last stop was the Forum mall. The end of season sales were on, and it took great strength of will not to incur excess baggage charges. I checked out the supermarket for cat treats. Same assortment available in Makati groceries, but CHEAPER. That bag of Whiskas costs Php270 at my neighborhood supermarket but only Php157 in Turkey. Their canned catfood costs more though. (And their shampoos, way less.)
A liter of the ubiquitous lemon cologne, which the Turkish use the way we do hand sanitizer gel, goes for Php270. And I bought tubes of olive oil cream for Php31 each.
I had time for a coffee, which I took at an outdoor table. Tomorrow I’m back in the tropics. I’m going to miss the cold.
Back at the hotel, Gyges met me at the bus to collect his evening toll. As we were leaving for the airport this other cat showed up to say goodbye.
She’s the mirror image of the cat I saw at the Hippodrome in Istanbul.
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And that was my tour of Turkey. I’m home with my cats, who huddle around my pillow—either they miss me or are trying to suffocate me.
Mat with the rag doll I bought from a little old lady by the tree of evil eyes. Baka puedeng pangkulam.
I’m already planning my return trip to Turkey—I spent way too little time in Istanbul, and I need to visit Troy and Trebizond. Tell you what—if we can assemble a group of 12 or more, let’s all go in the fall (or next year). Field trip! We’ll drink too much coffee, try every flavor of tea, visit bookstores, geek out on the ancient sites, go shopping and have too many desserts. I’ll post costs later (USD2900 should cover the whole shebang, but we can probably bring it down. Will get official best rates).
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For inquiries on flights, call Turkish Airlines at (02)864 0600; 864 0801 to 05 loc. 208. For inquiries on tours, call Meteor Philippines at 687 1743; 986 5137. Tell them you got the information from this site, thanks.
Answers to questions you might be asking, unless you wandered onto this site purely by accident >>>
March 13th, 2013 at 17:54
Ugh. I’ve been wanting to go to Turkey ever since I saw Taken 2 and Skyfall back to back and noticed how Liam Neeson and Daniel Craig were running around the same rooftops. Now where to get that $3000…
March 13th, 2013 at 18:52
btw, this is a site about events in turkey which is in English: http://www.mymerhaba.com/
March 13th, 2013 at 19:10
Welcome back, Ms. JZ.
We missed your Interaksyon column but we’re very delighted with your Turkey Travel Journal.
March 13th, 2013 at 19:20
Humongous Mat must be Turkish. He looks like those cats.
March 13th, 2013 at 20:52
I enjoyed this travel diary so much :)
A bit envious and starting to panic! Must go before the place becomes overexposed like Cambodia.
March 13th, 2013 at 23:33
I can probably join if it’s next year.
I just need to sell a kidney hahahaha!!!
March 13th, 2013 at 23:45
Well good luck readjusting to the tropics (the word sounds inappropriately luxurious) because current Manila is giving me headaches every time I get thrown out of an air-conditioned establishment. It is probably because we still don’t have a Pope but…. welcome back!
March 14th, 2013 at 01:39
brewhuh23: We’ll find the cheapest possible rates. Just think of the fabulous Turkish diplomat Mr. Pamuk in the first season of Downton Abbey. The cause of all the trouble.
http://www.telegraph.co.uk/culture/tvandradio/downton-abbey/8819485/Downton-Abbeys-Turkish-diplomat-sex-scandal-is-not-fiction.html
Turkey has all your favorite things. Coffee, cats, football (Galatasaray). Yay field trip!
March 14th, 2013 at 01:41
UVDust: Haha Turkey’s been a tourist destination for millennia. But it’s so huge and there’s so much variety, I don’t think it will get tired.
March 14th, 2013 at 01:43
HumanPonyNotPetra/StarRah: Aha maybe all those cats were Mat. Bilocation!
March 14th, 2013 at 01:44
leolutero: Yeah it makes this place sound romantic and mysterious. Can’t hurt.
March 14th, 2013 at 06:45
welcome back!
when you arrived in your apartment, did your cats greeted you with delight or they (again) ignored you like your not the owner of the house :)
March 14th, 2013 at 08:30
Hi! I really enjoyed your Turkey travel diary entries. It really made me want to go there! Hmmm. Let’s see if I can get that $2900 in time for next year? Hahaha (I wish!) =)
Anyway, I’m looking forward to more of your travel diaries. =)
March 14th, 2013 at 10:06
The cat with the doppelgangerses, precious! Hah!
Will the field trip be open to strangers as well?
March 14th, 2013 at 12:19
HumanPonyNotPetra: Strangers welcome. Nerdiness optional but highly advised.
March 14th, 2013 at 12:32
claarzero: Will work on bringing the cost down. See it for yourself!
If you can’t do Turkey, treat yourself to a trip within the region. Lots of cheap flights to Asian destinations. Travel is intense and always good for writing.
March 14th, 2013 at 14:41
Thanks for the cool pictures and interesting updates! My husband and I would like to join your Turkey Field Trip. Please do it next year so we have time to save up for the $6000!
March 14th, 2013 at 15:35
Field trip! Hope I could save up $2900 for next year. Gusto ko sumama!
March 14th, 2013 at 16:43
Welcome back, Jessica! I loved this series, and thanks for taking us with you. I wish I could go there someday, too.
March 15th, 2013 at 09:48
can i come? :D
March 16th, 2013 at 02:12
Welcome back Madame! Cardiac naman yung $2900. Puwede bang Ayala Museum na lang? Haha
March 18th, 2013 at 00:01
Someone needs to close an italic tag somewhere.
March 18th, 2013 at 07:48
Will be back in Turkey this September! Would love to join.
March 18th, 2013 at 12:08
They must have changed something in the Matrix (re: mirror imaged cats).
March 18th, 2013 at 18:37
Ejia: Oops. Done.