Turkish Sunsets

Sunset in Istanbul

Sunset in Çanakkale

Sunset in Izmir

Sunset in Antalya

Something Beautiful Remains by Martha Vashti Pearson

The tide recedes, but leaves behind
Bright seashells on the sand.
The sun goes down but gentle warmth
Still lingers on the land.
The music stops and yet it lingers on
In sweet refrain.
For every joy that passes
Something beautiful remains

*** This post is dedicated to my grandmother, Carmela, for all of the joy and beauty she has brought into this world. Even though the sun has set, it is not gone. ***
10/16/1923 ~ 10/31/2013

Destinations, Turkey

The Medusa Mystery

Since today is Halloween I thought it would be appropriate to post about one of the spookier sites in Turkey. Okay, maybe “spooky” is a bit of an oversell, but it’s the best that I can do.

The Basilica Cistern is the largest of hundreds of ancient cisterns in Istanbul, with the capacity to store 100,000 tons of water. This cathedral-size cistern was built in the 6th century and is over 100,000 square feet. Visitors can descend underground and explore this amazing ancient architectural achievement.

The ceiling is supported by 336 marble columns, most of which are of the Corinthian style. Most of these columns appear to have been recycled from the ruins of older buildings.

However, there are a couple columns that are quite unique. The column in the picture below is engraved with tear-like shapes. The tears are believed to represent the hundreds of slaves that died during the cistern’s construction. Records show there were about 7,000 slaves involved in the construction.

In one corner of the cistern there are two columns with bases depicting the head of Medusa. One of the heads is upside-down and the other is oriented sideways. The origin of the two heads is unknown and it is a complete mystery why they are oriented in such a peculiar manner. ~~Very~~ Barely spooky.

Happy Halloween!

Destinations, Turkey

The Cotton Castle

Pamukkale (pa-mook-ka-lay) means “cotton castle,” but you won’t find any cotton plantations here! The name refers to the color alone as the mountain is covered in white minerals. The area is filled with natural hot springs that deposit calcium carbonate in the water, which later hardens and turns into travertine. The views were amazing and the pictures just don’t do it justice!

The ancient city of Hierapolis was built atop the “cotton castle” and there are still a few remnants of the ancient ruins.

People have bathed in the pools of Pamukkale for thousands of years. Tourists are allowed to walk along the travertine terraces and bathe in the hot springs, but shoes may not be worn while walking on the minerals in order to protect the site.

As tourism began to boom in this area, hotels were built on the “cotton castle.” Roads were built and considerable damage was done to the natural landscape. The area was declared a World Heritage Site in 1988 and the hotels were demolished in order to preserve the site. Artificial pools replaced the hotels and still remain today. Tourists can pay an additional fee to access the artificial pools.

Destinations, Turkey

Jumping into the Fear

As many of you already know, I have a debilitating fear of sharks (and every other unfriendly thing in the water). So as a general rule, I only go into bodies of water when I can see absolutely everything around me. I’m talking about the crystal-clearest of waters. Unfortunately, the Mediterranean Sea didn’t meet my ridiculously strict criteria. Our hotel sat high above a cliff and there were stairs leading down to the water. But there wasn’t an actual beach there where you could slowly inch your way into the water. It was all or nothing. Jump in and chance death (#dramaqueen) or miss out on my first opportunity to swim in the Mediterranean Sea. What is a terrified girl to do?

Not only was there no way to gradually enter the water, but the water was also pretty choppy, further reducing my ability to see any approaching predators. But I had to buckle down and do this. I had to be able to legitimately say that I swam in the Mediterranean Sea. So I armed Rob with the camera and begged him to take the picture as soon as I got in the water so that I could literally get right back out. But Rob decided this was a good opportunity to torture me a bit, so he pretended the camera was malfunctioning just to keep me in the water longer. This went on for what felt like an eternity to me, but was probably closer to 30 seconds. But I did it, I swam in the Mediterranean Sea! You probably can’t tell from this photo, but behind that forced smile, I was petrified and my heart was pounding out of my chest. As soon as I was certain that Rob had captured the photographic evidence, I was right back on land where humans naturally belong. Phew!

Side note: Rob would have felt eternal guilt had I been attacked by a shark while he was dilly dallying with the camera!

After surviving what could have been my brush with death, I promptly left the sea and headed for much calmer waters…..that’s right….the hotel pool! Notice the not-so-forced smile below.

Destinations, Turkey

Wait Until Ya See Antalya

See what I did there? Until ya – Antalya

Antalya is a beautiful city on the southwest coast of Turkey. The views of the Mediterranean Sea and the Taurus Mountains made the landscape picture-perfect! We checked into our hotel and we were very pleased with our room’s view overlooking the sea.

Instead of signing up for an optional tour, Rob and I decided to do our own thing while in Antalya and I am so happy that we did! We spent the whole day exploring Kaleiçi, the oldest part of the city. The name Kaleiçi means “inner fortress” which is a very fitting name since the old city is completely walled and lies along the cliffs of the harbor.

Inside the city walls are beautiful cobbled streets lined with shops, hotels and restaurants. We enjoyed wandering the winding streets and browsing through the shops as we went. It ended up being a fabulous place to shop. The shop owners were all very friendly and the experience was much calmer and more enjoyable than shopping at the Grand Bazaar.

The ceramic shops were fabulous! Beautiful colors and intricate designs made these pieces very special. We even happened upon a shop-owner hand-painting a new piece (and she was gracious enough to let me take her picture). We didn’t end up buying any of her pieces though. Instead, we ended up back at the very first ceramic shop we saw and dealt with a very nice shop-owner named Mehmet.

In addition to the beautiful ceramics, Turkey is famous for its carpets. I think our tour guide mentioned something to this effect, “Turkey is home to 1,000 mosques, and 1,000,000 (wait, or was it 100,000???) carpet shops!” He added that these figures were no longer accurate because Turkey has about 1,700 mosques now, but he probably wasn’t exaggerating about the carpet shop figures. Our good friend Mehmet (from the ceramic shop) told us there were over 30 carpet shops in the small old walled city of Kaleiçi alone. Even though we weren’t in the market to buy a Turkish carpet, somehow we found ourselves in the Kervan carpet shop. The owner offered us tea and then began educating us on the quality of Turkish carpets. The carpets truly were magnificent, but they were very expensive and not within our budget. But Rob was really getting into the idea of buying not just 1, but 3 carpets!!! He had really worked on his bargaining skills since our Grand Bazaar experience, and he had negotiated an amazing deal on 3 carpets. However, despite this amazing deal, we still couldn’t justify spending that kind of money. It was at that point that I started to worry Rob might have been debating trading his lovely wife in exchange for the 3 lovely carpets….

Destinations, Turkey

The ‘Burbs of Ephesus

Earlier today, I posted about “Downtown” Ephesus, but there are actually several more sites of historical significance around Ephesus. I’m referring to these sites as the suburbs of Ephesus.

House of the Virgin Mary

This house was discovered in the 19th century, but the Catholic Church has never proclaimed whether or not they support its authenticity. Regardless of that fact, many Catholics set forth on a pilgrimage to visit the site. Several popes have also visited the house. It is believed that Mary was taken to the house by Saint John and lived there until her Assumption.

Side note: I don’t believe in all of this “virgin” hoo-ha. I’m pretty sure she was getting it on in this tiny house. I know…I’m a heathen.

Basilica of St. John

The basilica was built in the 6th century in the shape of a cross (cruciform) with six massive domes. The brick foundations and marble walls have been partially reconstructed, but the ruins aren’t quite as grand as the remains elsewhere in the area. However, if they were to fully reconstruct the cathedral to its original form, it would be the 7th largest in the world! Pretty impressive for something that was built in the 6th century.

Temple of Artemis

Ephesus’s greatest claim to fame was the Temple of Artemis. Although not much remains today, it was one of the seven wonders of the ancient world. Represented now by just one pillar, it was actually about four times bigger than the Parthenon in Athens. Wow!

Destinations, Turkey

“Downtown” Ephesus

The ancient city of Ephesus contains one of the largest collections of ancient ruins. Even though only about 15% of the site has been excavated, tourists are able to see the grandeur of this ancient city. Ephesus was a major Roman city second in size (and importance) only to Rome. At its height in the second century, about 300,000 people lived there.

City street

The Library of Celsus is probably the most well-known structure in Ephesus. It was built around 100 AD and then destroyed during an earthquake around 270 AD. The library was not rebuilt after the earthquake, but the front façade was re-erected in 1970. Celsus was the 3rd largest ancient library (after Alexandria and Pergamon) and once held about 12,000 scrolls.

Library of Celsus

The Odeon was a small roofed theater built around 150 AD with seating for about 1,500 people.

Odeon

Ephesus’s outdoor theater is believed to be the largest in the ancient world. This three-tiered theater is built into the slope of a hill and offers seating for 25,000 people!

Outdoor Theater

Temple of Hadrian

Hadrian’s Gate

The Temple of Domitian was one of the largest temples in the city.

Temple of Domitian

Nike

And just in case you ever wondered what an ancient public latrine looked like…

Destinations, Turkey

Guess What Day It Is!

Our tour guide told us that Cappadocia means “land of beautiful horses.” Well, I didn’t see any horses during our time in Cappadocia, but I sure did see some camels! These camels were basically just brought in for the tourists as a way to make some money on photo opportunities. So don’t go to Turkey expecting to see lots of camels just roaming around.

Regardless, Happy Hump Day! (you’re welcome Craig!)

And just in case you live in a bubble (as apparently I sometimes do!), this commercial was the inspiration for today’s post.

General, Random

Travel Junkie Scores Her Latest Fix (a.k.a. Camera Upgrade)

As mentioned in a previous post, I was jonesing for a camera upgrade, but choosing the right camera for me was no easy task. After diligently researching every last detail (along with helpful input from others), I finally selected the camera that will (I hope) exceed my expectations as I trot around the globe.

The Canon PowerShot SX40 and the Nikon CoolPix P510 were among my top 4 finalists, but in the end, they didn’t make the cut. Canon and Nikon are both well respected brands in the photography community, but the reviews I read led me to believe I would have been disappointed with these cameras based on shutter speed, battery life, and possibly even image quality. Both of these cameras had amazing optical zoom capabilities, but I was looking for more than just a good zoom. I was in search of a well-rounded camera that would suit all of my needs, not just a one-trick pony.

I then went back and forth (for days!) between the Sony CyberShot HX200V and the Panasonic Lumix FZ200. They each had certain specifications that outdid the other, making it difficult to pick a clear winner. For example, the Sony had more megapixels, but the Lumix was slightly faster. The Sony had a GPS function, while the Lumix had a longer battery life. The Sony had a longer zoom, but the Lumix had better image quality. The Sony was cheaper and more within my price range, but the Lumix had a sharper lens. I agonized over these details trying to figure out which specifications were most important for my travel needs.

And the winner is………………

The Panasonic Lumix FZ200

Photo from http://www.photographyblog.com

The Lumix was more expensive, but in the long run, ~~I think~~ I’m sure it is the better camera. The deciding factor was the Lumix’s amazing zoom lens that has a constant f2.8 aperture through its entire zoom range! This is an amazing feature and it is the first camera in its class that has been able to accomplish this. What does all of that even mean, you ask? It means this camera is pretty stinkin’ awesome! In order to keep the size and the cost of a camera down, most super zoom lenses must decrease the aperture size as the lens zooms in. This lets in less light, which in turn can affect image quality. But not the Lumix FZ200. This super zoom lens lets in the same amount of light even when the lens is fully extended!

Photo from http://www.cnet.com

I originally ordered this camera through an online website that I had never heard of before because it was listed $75 cheaper than on Amazon.com. Ten days later and my camera had not even been shipped yet. I called the shady website (with an even shadier Customer Service Rep) and learned that my camera wouldn’t arrive for another week! I decided the $75 savings wasn’t worth it, so I cancelled my order. Amazon shipped the camera immediately and it arrived two days later. Lesson learned….I heart Amazon!

Because of my little ordering snafu, I have only had the chance to use the camera once. I used the camera on our recent trip to Norfolk and you can see those pictures here. So far I am extremely happy with my choice and I can’t wait to play with it more.

Do you know a lot about cameras? Do you think I made the right choice?

General, Random

Travel Junkie Jonesing for a Camera Upgrade

About 6 years ago, I purchased an Olympus 550UZ super-zoom camera to better document my travels and record precious memories. The camera took great pictures, but what I loved most about it was that it had 18x optical zoom. At that time, super-zoom cameras were fairly fresh on the market, and in my humble opinion they were ideal for any traveler. I loved everything about this camera except the fact that it required 4 AA batteries, rather than a rechargeable lithium battery like many other cameras had. The camera seemed to just chew through AA batteries in no time and of course the batteries would always die at the most inopportune time. I learned very early on that I always needed to carry several packs of AA batteries as spares, but by the time I changed the batteries, the moment would have most certainly passed and the opportunity for my perfect shot was gone. I had been complaining about this battery problem for long enough, so it was finally time to purchase an upgrade. At first, Rob wasn’t really on board with this “unnecessary” added expense since our Olympus camera still worked. But then I ran this silly half-marathon and I suggested that I deserved a camera upgrade as a reward for completing my first half-marathon. He couldn’t really argue with me there….and so, the search for my new camera began.

I am not interested in a fancy DSLR camera for several reasons. First of all, they are expensive and definitely above my price point. Second, they are way too heavy. I am not interested in lugging around a huge camera bag while traveling and having to switch out lenses for different shots. Third (and probably most important), I am not a professional photographer. As an amateur, I really don’t want to inundate myself with manual settings, ISOs and apertures. I am more of a “point and shoot” kind of gal.

I am also not interested in a super compact digital camera. Many travelers prefer to use pocket-sized digital cameras while they are on the go. I can definitely see the allure of being able to fit your camera in your pocket rather than carrying around a camera bag, but I doubt those tiny cameras would live up to my expectations.

So, my camera upgrade is definitely going to be a super-zoom “bridge” camera (bridges the gap between compact and DSLR). The super-zoom cameras have advanced in leaps and bounds since I bought my first one 6 years ago. My old camera with 18x optical zoom was a breakthrough camera back in the day. Current super-zoom cameras average about 30x optical zoom, but some of them even go as high as 50x optical zoom! Those specifications are incredible! However, 50x optical zoom seemed a bit excessive for my needs and would likely add to the weight of the camera that I would be lugging around the world. So I started my research with these basic specifications in mind:

1. Rechargeable Lithium battery with good reviews on battery life
2. Upgrade in megapixels (Olympus 550UZ was 7.1 MP)
3. Upgrade optical zoom (Olympus 550UZ was 18x)
4. Prefer tilting or fully articulated LCD screen

With these criteria in mind, I came up with the Canon PowerShot SX40, Sony CyberShot HX200V, Nikon CoolPix P510, and Panasonic Lumix FZ200. I spent many hours across several days researching all 4 of these cameras. I asked for advice from friends and photographers alike. I read online reviews until my eyes were about to bleed. I agonized over every last detail. I finally made my decision and ordered my shiny new camera. I don’t want to reveal which one I picked until I have received it and get the opportunity to test it out. But in the meantime, I would love to know which camera you would have chosen and why. What type of camera do you prefer to use while traveling?

Where In The World Is Dayna…

Bordering on Travel Junkie?

Tag Archives: photography

Turkish Sunsets

The Medusa Mystery

The Cotton Castle

Jumping into the Fear

Wait Until Ya See Antalya

The ‘Burbs of Ephesus

“Downtown” Ephesus

Guess What Day It Is!

Travel Junkie Scores Her Latest Fix (a.k.a. Camera Upgrade)

Travel Junkie Jonesing for a Camera Upgrade

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