13.04.2016 Views

TRAVELLIVE 04-2016

Istanbul, the first days of spring… I’m warming myself in the sun on a café’s balcony in the Old Town. The sunbeams are as stunning as the fine strands of newly reeled silk. Meanwhile the old oak trees give their morning greeting to the glossy stone road as their red-brown leaves gently fall. The Old Town is still half-asleep, like a lazy girl who’s turned off her alarm after ringing the first time. Sunlight visits each street, dancing happily on passers-by’s shoulders, making the atmosphere more intimate to me – the traveler’s first time here. I feel more amorous in Istanbul. I’m enchanted by everything, from sweet lokum to the light sour ice-cream with ground ice on top, or from the gorgeous domes of hundreds of mosques and palaces to their uniquely designed windows, and from the discreet eyes of Muslim girls to the multitude of boards and posters with the images of Besiktas – the city’s legendary football team. I have fallen in love with Bosphorus Bay since the first time seeing the seagulls hovering in the open sky, creating invisible strings that connect the two continents – Asia and Europe. The clear blue sky is reflected on the deep blue sea, giving me tranquility. I drop my last Lira into the water of the Bosphorus, not to make a wish, but in hopes that they will preserve my memories here. And somehow, the water currents might bring them somewhere else to be found by me again, or might accidentally be stumbled upon by a boy who is playing with sand on a sunny beach. Tomorrow, I will go to Grand Bazzar, buy some postcards, and write something to leave beneath the sun near a mosque before sending them to some friends of mine. I do hope that these postcards, together with the coins, will inspire and attract more visitors to this land. Uhm… will you come there?

Istanbul, the first days of spring…
I’m warming myself in the sun on a café’s balcony in the Old Town. The sunbeams are as stunning as the fine strands of newly reeled silk. Meanwhile the old oak trees give their morning greeting to the glossy stone road as their red-brown leaves gently fall. The Old Town is still half-asleep, like a lazy girl who’s turned off her alarm after ringing the first time. Sunlight visits each street, dancing happily on passers-by’s shoulders, making the atmosphere more intimate to me – the traveler’s first time here.
I feel more amorous in Istanbul. I’m enchanted by everything, from sweet lokum to the light sour ice-cream with ground ice on top, or from the gorgeous domes of hundreds of mosques and palaces to their uniquely designed windows, and from the discreet eyes of Muslim girls to the multitude of boards and posters with the images of Besiktas – the city’s legendary football team.
I have fallen in love with Bosphorus Bay since the first time seeing the seagulls hovering in the open sky, creating invisible strings that connect the two continents – Asia and Europe. The clear blue sky is reflected on the deep blue sea, giving me tranquility. I drop my last Lira into the water of the Bosphorus, not to make a wish, but in hopes that they will preserve my memories here. And somehow, the water currents might bring them somewhere else to be found by me again, or might accidentally be stumbled upon by a boy who is playing with sand on a sunny beach.
Tomorrow, I will go to Grand Bazzar, buy some postcards, and write something to leave beneath the sun near a mosque before sending them to some friends of mine. I do hope that these postcards, together with the coins, will inspire and attract more visitors to this land. Uhm… will you come there?

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strong winds in summer, heavy<br />

snow in winter), locals have<br />

carved their houses into stone<br />

pillars. Many houses, churches,<br />

and in fact the whole city was<br />

built in that way in the Roman<br />

period. Nowadays, these buildings<br />

are still around but most of them<br />

are being used for tourism. Cave<br />

hotels are are a favorite among<br />

travelers in Cappadocia.<br />

From my point of view, you<br />

should spend at least 3 days<br />

exploring the three main areas of<br />

Cappadocia.<br />

Central Cappadocia with the<br />

regional capital Goreme and<br />

neighboring towns like Uchisa,<br />

Cavusin, and Ugrup are always<br />

bustling with visitors from around<br />

the world. In each village, you<br />

can find numerous cave hotels,<br />

restaurants, souvenir shops, spas,<br />

Turkish baths, and mini-markets<br />

selling goods till midnight.<br />

Avanos village in particular,<br />

renowned for its tranquility, is the<br />

place where talented artists craft<br />

the most beautiful ceramics and<br />

hand-woven carpets in the world.<br />

The second area includes<br />

spectacular UNESCO heritage<br />

sites: the Pasabag Valley and<br />

Pigeon Valley. Pasaba means<br />

Pacha’s vineyard in Turkish. The<br />

place is also called Monks Valley<br />

because of its pillars which look<br />

like monks wearing medieval coat<br />

and hood. The Pigeon Valley is<br />

a valley of pigeons. Locals carve<br />

into stone to build houses for the<br />

pigeons to live and reproduce.<br />

The last area consists of heritage<br />

sites that embody the rich culture<br />

and long history of the land.<br />

They are underground cities<br />

- the invaluable assets preserved<br />

and strictly protected by the<br />

government.<br />

<strong>TRAVELLIVE</strong><br />

81

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