One of the first things I noticed about turkey was how colorful it was =). Turks also have a thing about the moon... so maybe there is some connection between a person and where they were born =P.
One of my favorite places in Turkey is Capadoccia ... basically it is an amazing amount of land covered in a soft rock that people have carved in to and constructed whole villages. There is even an underground city made of it called Derinkuyu!
When first arriving in Capadoccia everyone in my group felt like we had left the planet and had entered another universe all together! Another great aspect of capadoccia were the fairy houses =). They are smaller formations of the soft rock with a bigger and darker glob of rock on top making it look like a house with a roof. They were called fairy houses because that is exactly what they look like! It was a very exciting place for me. =P One of the girls in our group pretended to be a fairy with me, it was a lot of fun!
It was nice getting to see Ankara, I definitely felt very grounded while there. I mean it is where my life began! It had one of the coolest museums about the start of life all together. I was kind of sad due to the fact we had no real time to explore the streets of Ankara, but I guess it just adds to the many reasons of why I have to go back again some day.
On our way to Ucagiz our group stopped and took a little hike up to Chimaera where we saw the eternal flames. These were flames are o-natural and continue to burn even in the worst weather. It was quite amazing. Plus it is where the first olympic flame was lit and where the whole idea of the flame comes from!
In Ucagiz we boarded a boat and had a wonderful meal before setting our beds up under the stars :). The weather was absolutely perfect that night! The next day we sailed around Kekova Island getting to see glimpses of a sunken city. At one point we stopped at a little cove and while some of our group ate lunch on the boat I went for a hike and explored some ruins. The boulders at the place we stopped were absolutely amazing. You could almost bound from one to the next, the rocks had so much grip!
We were so lucky we had stayed on the boat the night before because as soon as we boarded the bus to Kas it started to rain and while in Kas there was one of the most amazing lightning storms I have ever seen!
Next we went to Pamukkale, a place very well known in the tourist industry. It was a cool place to visit, but because of the amount of people coming to see it a lot of it is closed down. After staying in a hotel with other guests (lol Yael and I thought it was weird to be in a hotel with other people staying in it since we had basically had the other hotels to ourselves) we continued on to Selcuk where we were able to explore one of the most preserved ancient cities of the present, called Ephesus! It had one of the largest ancient theatres... it could seat 15 to 20 thousand people!
Everyone kept on saying Troy would be a disapointment, including the guide books. However, except for the wind and the cold, it was exciting. I mean how many places in the world have nine cities stacked one on top of the other? The only thing sort of dissapointing was the horse they have at the entrance, but the fact you could climb into it partly made up for how fake it looked.
What totally made up for it was the horse in Canakkale. It was the actual horse from the movie Troy, very exciting!
Before heading back to Istanbul we had a few stops to explore Galliploli. One of my favorite parts about all the different sights to see there was the letter Ataturk had written to all the countries who had fought there.
"There is no difference between the Jonnies and the Memets to us where they lie side by side here in this country of ours."
All in all it was a very stupid fight which should not have happened in the first place... go figure. =P
I absolutely love the spice market and really enjoyed Istanbul altogether!
Oh, and I think there main course every meal is bread... seriously I have never had so much white bread in my entire life!
=P
Turkey was absolutely amazing and is definitely one of my favorite places in the world!!! I would recomend travelling there to anyone and everyone! Do it when you have the time to explore a majority of the country though! At most Istanbul and Capadoccia!!!
I hope I kept this blog interesting and not to blabby because I know how long it is! Congradulations to whoever got through it =P
Go out and enjoy the day today!!
Much love!
Zoom voom boom!
Friday, November 6, 2009
Tuesday, October 13, 2009
Sailing into the blue!
Alrighty!
I have had two very successful weeks of sailing!!
I am great at mooring, and I could probably get a sail up and down by myself. =P
I would love to learn more and own a boat when I am older, but I have also learned how expensive it is!
My first skipper's name was Mike and he was very laid back and easy going. You need to have a second skipper on the boat to leave Athens so he got the lawyer on our boat to sign some papers saying he has sailed before even though he has not. It was quite funny =P.
No one became horribly sea sick on either of my boats!
There was a close call on the second trip but Sabine made it through! =)
The first few days I was unsure about my choice to have booked two weeks of sailing, but it did not take long to get into the groove!
I am glad the third week was full though.
My second trip was with a skipper named Frank.
He was German and quite a funny one.
He always had to have three cokes throughout the day, wore a lot of white, and had very high expectations.
I think a normal breakfast out on sea is a few cups of coffee and a cigarette.
Two of my favorite places were a town in Syros and the island of Naxos.
The town we visited in Syros had very cool architecture.
On Naxos we had a tour around the island so I basically saw from one side to the other.
During one of the nights on Naxos there was a wind surfing competition going on and so we got to see some of it, pretty cool stuff. Definitely made me want to start surfing. =P
The food in Greece is amazing!!!
The olives, cheese, and yogurt are fantastic.
Donkey riding was an experience! The guy who controlled our donkeys was in a funk and the only thing he said to us was GET ON! and GET OFF! So you basically get on and he starts screaming at the donkeys so they start running like mad! I am proud to say my donkey won the "race" in the end =D!
Ending in Santorini was a very good way to do it! If I were to recommend the trip to anyone I would say do the one from Mykonos to Santorini.
If you are interested in seeing my pictures I have posted them on facebook =)
Ola Kala!
=D
I have had two very successful weeks of sailing!!
I am great at mooring, and I could probably get a sail up and down by myself. =P
I would love to learn more and own a boat when I am older, but I have also learned how expensive it is!
My first skipper's name was Mike and he was very laid back and easy going. You need to have a second skipper on the boat to leave Athens so he got the lawyer on our boat to sign some papers saying he has sailed before even though he has not. It was quite funny =P.
No one became horribly sea sick on either of my boats!
There was a close call on the second trip but Sabine made it through! =)
The first few days I was unsure about my choice to have booked two weeks of sailing, but it did not take long to get into the groove!
I am glad the third week was full though.
My second trip was with a skipper named Frank.
He was German and quite a funny one.
He always had to have three cokes throughout the day, wore a lot of white, and had very high expectations.
I think a normal breakfast out on sea is a few cups of coffee and a cigarette.
Two of my favorite places were a town in Syros and the island of Naxos.
The town we visited in Syros had very cool architecture.
On Naxos we had a tour around the island so I basically saw from one side to the other.
During one of the nights on Naxos there was a wind surfing competition going on and so we got to see some of it, pretty cool stuff. Definitely made me want to start surfing. =P
The food in Greece is amazing!!!
The olives, cheese, and yogurt are fantastic.
Donkey riding was an experience! The guy who controlled our donkeys was in a funk and the only thing he said to us was GET ON! and GET OFF! So you basically get on and he starts screaming at the donkeys so they start running like mad! I am proud to say my donkey won the "race" in the end =D!
Ending in Santorini was a very good way to do it! If I were to recommend the trip to anyone I would say do the one from Mykonos to Santorini.
If you are interested in seeing my pictures I have posted them on facebook =)
Ola Kala!
=D
Saturday, September 26, 2009
Olives and Cheese
London was fun, but I think I like the smaller parts of England better so far.
Things I noticed:
-London has an amazing transportation system!
-It is one of the easiest places to navigate around.
-The UK have very polite signs (yield signs say "give way")
-Compared to Canada there are bigger groups of different races.
-You do not need a watch due to the amount of clock towers.
-It is a very clean place
Overall I really enjoyed the United Kingdom
Athens is not what I expected =P
I hadn't pictured anything in my head, but I do admit I thought it would be cleaner, a little less confusing, smaller and spacier.
I am enjoying the city more and more though.
I can not wait to see the rest of Greece!
Honk honk!
Things I noticed:
-London has an amazing transportation system!
-It is one of the easiest places to navigate around.
-The UK have very polite signs (yield signs say "give way")
-Compared to Canada there are bigger groups of different races.
-You do not need a watch due to the amount of clock towers.
-It is a very clean place
Overall I really enjoyed the United Kingdom
Athens is not what I expected =P
I hadn't pictured anything in my head, but I do admit I thought it would be cleaner, a little less confusing, smaller and spacier.
I am enjoying the city more and more though.
I can not wait to see the rest of Greece!
Honk honk!
Tuesday, September 22, 2009
I met Robin Hood!!!
My visit with the Rowlands has come to an end.
I now know how to play conquers, I have improved my Chess skills (instead of moving the pieces any which way I can now construct a plan!), I have picked enough black berries for a pie and I have tasted Yorkshire pudding! Yum!
All very exciting =)
Yesterday I took the train to Nottingham and met Monica, a friend I haven't seen since 6th grade! She is going to Nottingham University to become a doctor, how much smarter can you get!! =P It is really cool seeing her again and figuring out the people we have become.
Today after she was lectured for five hours (:S) we went to Nottingham Palace and I went back in time and took a picture with Robin Hood (ok so it was just a statue)!!
Tomorrow I head to London for two days before I fly off to Greeeeeece!!!!
I am not sure when I will be able to connect to the cyber world, so ta ta for now and keep doing those crazy things you do!!
Voom voom!!!
Saturday, September 19, 2009
Some Sight..
I have not taken as many photographs as I woud have thought I would be taking, but here are a few.
This is the garage with Nicki's minnie cooper parked inside.
These are two doors that were in the bedroom I was staying in.
<
Here are some curtains Nicki made and a tad bit more of the house.
I really miss these two dogs allready =P, Zulu and Zanzi!
The coast of Brighton and some of the architecture just off shore.
The second peer.
Migull (for Shanta)
A random pub in Brighton... This is to show one of the popular models around the UK.
Some grafitti in Brighton.
I tried to capture the houses there and how tight the space was between cars, but the photo is just a bit off.
The divide between two houses.
Climbing one of the trees in Nicki's back yard =) (look how awesome the branches are!!)
Last but not least a picture of the wonderful familly =) (excluding Rory, he was off working for the summer)
This is the garage with Nicki's minnie cooper parked inside.
These are two doors that were in the bedroom I was staying in.
<
Here are some curtains Nicki made and a tad bit more of the house.
I really miss these two dogs allready =P, Zulu and Zanzi!
The coast of Brighton and some of the architecture just off shore.
The second peer.
Migull (for Shanta)
A random pub in Brighton... This is to show one of the popular models around the UK.
Some grafitti in Brighton.
I tried to capture the houses there and how tight the space was between cars, but the photo is just a bit off.
The divide between two houses.
Climbing one of the trees in Nicki's back yard =) (look how awesome the branches are!!)
Last but not least a picture of the wonderful familly =) (excluding Rory, he was off working for the summer)
Friday, September 18, 2009
Switcharoo!!
Over the past few days I have managed to:
Make my way from Bolney (the name of the village I stayed in) to Brighton and back by bus all by myself :)
Walk three dogs in unknown territory (I do admit I mostly went in circles afraid of never finding my way back :P)
Climb trees over and over again
swim
Bounce on the trampoline.
Learn the basics of Cricket!
Keep up with some English football and watch some British comedy shows (so hilarious)
Improve my mario cart skills (lol)
...and loads more!
On my second day Nicki and I drove to Brighton to breathe in the sea air and explore.
Brighton is quite a neat little place just off the coast.
I say little but in reality it is quite a big place. It has the illusion of being small because all the houses are squished together in one long wall and either side of the street parked cars are lined up rim to rim.
I heard a story about my dad and how he used to cringe at how fast Simon would drive through the roads missing the cars by inches haha.
There are two peers off of Brighton's coast and one has a carnival at the end. I played one game there with Nicki, I don't know if I could explain it, but the important thing is I won candy the second time I went back. :) The second peer was burnt down a while ago and is possibly being restored. It looks quite beautiful as it is though haha. The beach is made of rocks and it is quite gorgeous. =)
The second time I was there I met a few people. One of them was a guy from Spain named Migull. He reminded me of Shants. He was there visiting a friend for a few days. He asked me to take a picture with him on my camera so I will put that up when I can.
There are quite a few quirky clothing shops here. When I am rich I plan to come back and shop lol.
I became so comfortable at Nickis and Simon's house that it was sad to leave. They are such a great family! I will have to visit them again in the next few years haha.
They also have to come up to the Yukon one summer soon *hint hint nudge nudge =P*
I have now found my way over to Bedford and have met up with the Rowlands. =) Crazy times reminiscing about the past. Most things of which I have forgotten haha.
They have a cosy little house and I am excited to try out this huge couch they have for me to sleep on.
On a geographical note: From what I have noticed it seems to be more spacious in the north.
I will now stop. I have covered mostly everything and have written way too much.
Have a cup of tea in the next few days and chances are we will be drinking it together =P
Night!
Make my way from Bolney (the name of the village I stayed in) to Brighton and back by bus all by myself :)
Walk three dogs in unknown territory (I do admit I mostly went in circles afraid of never finding my way back :P)
Climb trees over and over again
swim
Bounce on the trampoline.
Learn the basics of Cricket!
Keep up with some English football and watch some British comedy shows (so hilarious)
Improve my mario cart skills (lol)
...and loads more!
On my second day Nicki and I drove to Brighton to breathe in the sea air and explore.
Brighton is quite a neat little place just off the coast.
I say little but in reality it is quite a big place. It has the illusion of being small because all the houses are squished together in one long wall and either side of the street parked cars are lined up rim to rim.
I heard a story about my dad and how he used to cringe at how fast Simon would drive through the roads missing the cars by inches haha.
There are two peers off of Brighton's coast and one has a carnival at the end. I played one game there with Nicki, I don't know if I could explain it, but the important thing is I won candy the second time I went back. :) The second peer was burnt down a while ago and is possibly being restored. It looks quite beautiful as it is though haha. The beach is made of rocks and it is quite gorgeous. =)
The second time I was there I met a few people. One of them was a guy from Spain named Migull. He reminded me of Shants. He was there visiting a friend for a few days. He asked me to take a picture with him on my camera so I will put that up when I can.
There are quite a few quirky clothing shops here. When I am rich I plan to come back and shop lol.
I became so comfortable at Nickis and Simon's house that it was sad to leave. They are such a great family! I will have to visit them again in the next few years haha.
They also have to come up to the Yukon one summer soon *hint hint nudge nudge =P*
I have now found my way over to Bedford and have met up with the Rowlands. =) Crazy times reminiscing about the past. Most things of which I have forgotten haha.
They have a cosy little house and I am excited to try out this huge couch they have for me to sleep on.
On a geographical note: From what I have noticed it seems to be more spacious in the north.
I will now stop. I have covered mostly everything and have written way too much.
Have a cup of tea in the next few days and chances are we will be drinking it together =P
Night!
Monday, September 14, 2009
Up up and away!!!
September 14, 2009
For all of you who don't know I am off travelling the world haha.
First stop: London/Brighton
First impression: Lots of trees and lushness.
I didn't sleep much on the plane out here, but I was able to watch two movies. I seem to always get the seats beside people who don't understand personal space limits. Maybe it is because I don't really mind =P.
I don't know her name, but she didn't know much english and she had a baby that screamed alot! But all in all a good flight, I am sure it can only get better.
Despite my lack of planning I made my way from the Heathrow airport to the Gatwick airport and Nicki and I managed to magically be in the same spot at the same time. Phew.
For those of you who don't know, my first stay is with Nicki, a lady my mom travelled through Africa with and the lady I was named after.
Nicki lives in a town between London and Brighton. It is GORGOUES! She has three dogs and we went for a walk with them on beautiful paths and small windy roads. It looks quite a bit like the town in the holliday.
I LOVE the houses here. I couldn't take any pictures on the walk today... there was just too much to stare at!
The doors all have these odd latches on them and the roofs are all tiled. It is so hard to explain everything I am seeing.
They have a pool and a trampoline in their yard and I plan to try them out! Even if it is a tad bit chilly for swimming.
Going to an old English pub tonight with Simon (Nicki's husband), Oscar (one of Nicki's sons) and Nicki. Quite excited for that!
Hope that wasn't too painful to read and will write more when I can!
Love to all!!
Nikola
For all of you who don't know I am off travelling the world haha.
First stop: London/Brighton
First impression: Lots of trees and lushness.
I didn't sleep much on the plane out here, but I was able to watch two movies. I seem to always get the seats beside people who don't understand personal space limits. Maybe it is because I don't really mind =P.
I don't know her name, but she didn't know much english and she had a baby that screamed alot! But all in all a good flight, I am sure it can only get better.
Despite my lack of planning I made my way from the Heathrow airport to the Gatwick airport and Nicki and I managed to magically be in the same spot at the same time. Phew.
For those of you who don't know, my first stay is with Nicki, a lady my mom travelled through Africa with and the lady I was named after.
Nicki lives in a town between London and Brighton. It is GORGOUES! She has three dogs and we went for a walk with them on beautiful paths and small windy roads. It looks quite a bit like the town in the holliday.
I LOVE the houses here. I couldn't take any pictures on the walk today... there was just too much to stare at!
The doors all have these odd latches on them and the roofs are all tiled. It is so hard to explain everything I am seeing.
They have a pool and a trampoline in their yard and I plan to try them out! Even if it is a tad bit chilly for swimming.
Going to an old English pub tonight with Simon (Nicki's husband), Oscar (one of Nicki's sons) and Nicki. Quite excited for that!
Hope that wasn't too painful to read and will write more when I can!
Love to all!!
Nikola
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