Olla mi amigos! We're back on another episode of Arif's Adventurous Misadventures! If you all recall, my previous post was about me concluding the second half of my 2024. Those 6 months were insanely fun and if you were to ask me what was the biggest highlight from those 6 months, I'd obviously pick the trip to The land of Turks or we all know it as Turkiye. In the previous post I did mention I was going to write a post specially for the trip. So, buckle up and PLEASE, listen to the cabin crew's announcement because we're about to fly to Turkiye! ✈
Day 1: Istanbul Aku Datang!
To start off, for your information, before flying to Turkiye, we had a one night layover at Oman. The flight from Muscat to Istanbul took us around 5 hours & y'all must be guessing, "What did you do to keep yourself occupied during those 5 long hours?" Lol, tidur la apa lagi hahaha. Okay for real, other than dozing off, I watched Dune Part Two. Yeah I know, a goated movie indeed. Then I played a chess game & I swear to God I lost every round man. The computer was so good like what the hell. Sumpah koyak weh. Then had lunch & yeah, continued sleeping with a smile on my face knowing that I'll be arriving at a place very far away from home and about to explore a whole new place & anticipate a whole new adventure.
After 5 hours, Turkiye, here we are! After completing the immigration process, we were greeted by our tour guide Veysel & our driver, Captain Ufuk. (Some additional info: Istanbul International Airport is one of the biggest airport in Europe. So just imagine how crowded it is). The cold breeze welcomed us outside of the airport and I was like "Damn, I've missed this weather so much". We were then headed to our very first destination of the day, a local restaurant to have dinner. It was around 7PM & damn, Istanbul was hectic as hell. There were cars everywhere. For your knowledge, Istanbul is the biggest & the busiest city in Europe as it comprises of two continents, Asia & Europe. What got me excited was when he told us "Everybody, we are now in the Asian side of Istanbul heading to the European side of Istanbul. We will cross The Sea of Marmara using The Bosphorus Bridge." I was smiling like a little kid while enjoying the whole view of Istanbul. I was so excited yet I was speechless too.
We then arrived at the restaurant & guess who greeted us? The guardians of Istanbul or should I say the Meows of Istanbul. They were so fluffy and clingy. Sumpah rasa nak culik, letak dalam luggage seekor2, bawak balik Malaysia! Yeah, spent some time to play with them & then we had dinner. The first Turkish meal we had was I cant really remember the name but it was chicken Kebab I think. Yup, they served it with rice.
After dinner, we then went to our hotel to sleep because Veysel told us that tomorrow is going to be a long day & we'll be headed to another province of Turkey which is Bursa....Hold up, the first day was not done yet for me & my cousin hehe. So one thing about us when travelling abroad is that we will always explore what's around our hotel during our first night. We strolled around & we found a cafe nearby our hotel. We chilled and yes, I did something very stupid which was ordering a Turkish Coffee & it was already midnight. Ikr, bongok kan saya ni? I ended up not sleeping the whole night HAHAHA. So the thing about Turkish coffee is that IT'S SO BITTER it had to be served with a Turkish delight & glass of plain water in one serving. Yeah, finished the whole glass & that was the reason why I slept all day long in the bus the next day...
Day 2: Sultanahmet Square, The Bosphorus Cruise & Bursa
Sultanahmet Square
Good morning! Wake up, brush your teeth, take your shower & go pack your bags because we're going to explore Istanbul & head to Bursa!
Okay, where do I start? Alright so after having breakfast, we got on the bus & went to our first destination of the day, The Sultanahmet Square. Often referred as the "Hippodrome of Constantinople", the Sultanhamet Square is prominent for its historical significance as the Heart of the Byzantine & Ottoman Empires. It's home to several iconic landmarks including the infamous AyaSofya aka Hagia Sophia & The Blue Mosque. Started off with visiting the three notorious pillars, The Serpent Column, The Walled Obelisk & The Obelisk of Theodosius. These pillars are all located behind the Blue Mosque. The significance of those 3 pillars is that they are located at Hippodrome which was once a major sports & entertainment area.
After visiting the 3 pillars, we then went to the Blue Mosque or aka The Sultanahmet Mosque. Built in 1609, the Blue Mosque was built to reassert Ottoman Empire & to rival the Hagia Sophia which was a church at that time. Ikr, what an epic story. So the entrance to The Blue Mosque was free and yes, everything inside the mosque was mesmerizing. I was stunned appreciating the architecture of the mosque. It was just magnificent. For your information, what's unique about the Blue Mosque is that the size is staggering & it has 6 minarets, as opposed to the usual 2 or 4 of most of the city's mosques.
After visiting the Blue Mosque, we then made our way to Hagia Sophia which its location is just a stone's throw away from the Blue Mosque. It was just a 2-3 minutes walk to AyaSofya & we even stopped by at a small stall to try our very first Turkish street food which is Simit. Simit for me is THE BEST TURKISH STREET FOOD I HAD throughout my whole stay in Turkiye. It's more like a Turkish bagel where you can choose what flavour you wanna put in it. Mine was nutella. Gosh it was so good. Now just imagine yourself eating a flavoursome Turkish Bagel while enjoying the view of AyaSofya & The Blue Mosque facing each other (AURA ON POINT) accompanied by the sound of the Trams as well. Damn, everything's just surreal.
Quick Histtory Class. Ayasofya was built between 532 and 537 AD by the Byzantine Emperor Justinian I. It was once served as a church but then after the Turkish Conquest of Constantinople in 1453, Mehmed II had it repurposed as a mosque. Fast forward, in 1954, Mustafa Kemal Ataturk secularized the building and turned the mosque into a museum. Prayers were not allowed inside of AyaSofya. 66 years later, in 2020, Tayyip Erdogan, the president of Turkiye made a "controversial" decision to convert the museum back into a mosque. Prayers were held shortly after the announcement with curtains partially concealing the building's Christian imagery.
Now that's what you call an epic history right there
The Bosphorus Cruise
After Sultanahmet Square, we then went for our Bosphorus cruise. Let me tell you all something, if you ever visit Istanbul one fine day, PLEASE, you have to experience the Bosphorus Cruise. It's a must. Now imagine yourself cruising on the Sea of Marmara while enjoying the views of Asia & Europe on both sides, left & right at the same time while passing by some of the famous architectures such as the Bosphorus Bridge, The Camlica Mosque, The Galata Tower and many more! At that point I was like "Damn, this city is beyond beautiful."
After completing the cruise, we hoped on the bus & Bursa, here we come. It took us around 2 hours and we got there somewhere around 8PM. Checked in our hotel, had dinner and of course, strolled around. The place we stayed at was a small town located uphills. It has that similar vibes to the Cameron Higlands. We got ourselves some hot chocolate and we also found a place where we can actually see the whole view of Bursa. The view was insanely pleasing I tell you.
Bangun! Bangun! Kita nak gerak to our next destination which is Kusadasi. As usual, started off the day with having Turkish Breakfast (You know what, it's only the third day but at this point, I couldn't bear with Turkish meal anymore. Sumpah dah muakkk) and started our journey to Kusadasi. Before getting into the highways, we stopped by at Bursa Ulu Cami aka the great mosque of Bursa also Munira, a famous shopping center for tourists travelling to Bursa. Some interesting facts about The Great Mosque of Bursa are it's the largest mosque in Bursa also the first capital of the Ottoman Empire. Ulu Cami is considered one of the holiest places in Islam, along with Mecca, Medina, Jerusalem & Damascus. The size of the mosque is enormous I tell you. Then Munira. If you're looking to buy Turkish Delights, Baklava, perfumes or any souvenir, Munira is the place. It's a heaven for shoppers in brief.
After spending some time for shopping, Veysel then told us "Okay everybody, you can now rest because our next destination is Kusadasi & it will take us 4 hours to get there. Baraiiiii. So yeah, slept like a little kid & 4 hours later, we arrived at Kusadasi. Kusadasi is a district located in the Aydin Province. It's more of a municipality or a small town. It's known for its location. which is only 5KM away from the beach. Veysel told us that during summer, the town will be packed with tourist from all over the world as the beach at Kusadasi is facing the Aegean Sea, the sea which separates the Greek island of Samos from the mainland of Turkey. Unfortunately, we were there during winter. So the town was dead basically. And yeah, it was raining cats & dogs. Thus, it was freezing too. We reached at the hotel, had dinner & went to sleep cause there was nothing to explore.
Day 4: Pamukkale (Hierapolis & Hot Air Balloon)
Gunaydin! Selamat Pagi! Get yourselves ready cause we'll be heading to Pamukkale. The trip will take us around 2 hours. Cepat siap!
After 2 hours of singing, sleeping & eating in the bus, Pamukkale, here we are! Pamukkale is well known for its white travertine terraces, thermal pools & the ruins of the ancient city of Hierapolis. After arriving at the hotel, we then got ourselves ready for our next trip which was visiting the Hierapolis. Some captivating facts about Hierapolis are it's located on top of Pamukkale. There are are thermal springs there which have been used for spa treatments since at least the 2nd century BC also there's a Roman theatre which could seat around 12000 - 15000 people. Let me tell you something, the view from the theatre was ethereal. It's like you're on top of the world. The fact that it was built in the 2nd century BC & it's still standing strong up till today just blows my mind.
Other than the theatre, Hierapolis is also home to the prominent travertine terraces and the thermal pools. The terraces are basically a type of limestone commonly deposited by mineral springs through a process of rapid precipitation of carbonate minerals. Yeah I know, it's complicated to understand innit? No worries, you'll see how it looks like in the pictures later. Note: Please be amazed. You must be wondering, can we dip our legs? Guys, you all can actually swim in it. Thus explains the existence of the thermal pools. Another interesting fact, the infamous Cleopatra used to swim in the thermal pools there. So just imagine how significant Pamukkale is.
A beauty isn't it? That's Pamukkale everyone. Went back to the hotel to have dinner & yeah, we did stroll around. Our hotel was located somewhere in the small town Simal & as usual, we were just chilling with our hot chocolate accompanied by the cold breeze. Went back to our hotel because the next day's a big day. A day that I will remember for the rest of my life. The next day was the biggest highlight of the whole Turkiye Trip. Why? We were going to fly up to the skies of Pamukkale by taking the most anticipated Hot Air Balloon ride.
Day 5: Hot Air Balloon & En Route to The Land of Fairy Chimneys
Wakey wakey! Today is the day! We're gonna fly up to the skies!
We got up somewhere around 6 in the morning and quickly had our breakfast cause we were so exhilarated. The driver then picked us up at the lobby & drove us to the hot air balloon spot. As soon as we got there, the pilots were already heating the air in the balloon's envelope. At that moment, the small boy in me was going crazy like damn "It's finally happening. I'm gonna experience one of the things that I've been wanting to do in my entire life." We got in the balloon and slowly, it was floating and slowly, I was flying in the skies of Pamukkale. Close your eyes, imagine yourself watching the sunrise on a hot air balloon in the skies of Pamukkale accompanied by 30++ other balloons. Yeah ikr, one hell of an experience. A wonderful one indeed. I was stunned & mesmerized throughout the whole ride trying to believe what was happening. Everything about the ride was magical. So, are you ready for the visuals?
Take me back to that day please....
After 1 hour of appreciating the whole experience, the pilots carefully landed the balloon & we all even had a small celebration. They popped a bottle of red champagne (Halal version okay) & they even gave us a certificate each which is also a license that allows someone to fly a hot air balloon. As we completed celebrating, I was speechless, I was still trying to believe what had happened. I get to finally tick my bucket list man. Everyone, again, if you're planning on visiting Turkiye, PLEASE experience the hot air balloon ride. It's worth the money I tell you. It's an experience that I promise you will remember for the rest of your life.
Our driver pulled up & drove us back to our hotel because we were going to another place located precisely in the middle of Turkiye. Veysel told us that our journey will take us around 8 hours. By far the longest & the furthest trip. Where to? Clue? This place is known as The Land of Fairy Chimneys & it is also considered one of the most breathtaking place in our planet. Ladies & Gentlemen, I present to you.....
DAY 6: CAPPADOCIA
WAKE UP! YOU'RE IN THE LAND OF FAIRY CHIMNEYS!
Started the day with having breakfast at the hotel (at this point the only thing that's running on my mind was Ayam Gepuk) and then we were headed to our first destination, The Pigeon Valley. On our way to the valley, Veysel told us to go look outside of the window because when the sun was rising & that's also the time where we saw lots of hot air balloons flying & fleeing all over the airs of Kapadokya. What an exquisite way to start the day man. I was like "Am I tripping or something?" It was just pleasing to watch.
We then arrived at The Pigeon Valley. Good lord, the second I stepped out of the bus, the first question that I asked myself was "Is this even real?" Now picture yourself standing at a cliff looking at countless of man made dovecotes that have been carved into the soft volcanic tuff with hundreds of pigeon flying around & hot air balloons floating in the skies. I know, it's unimaginable & unbelievable right but yeah, that was my view. It was surreal.
So yeah, that was The Pigeon Valley. We then stopped by at the Carpet Factory. Cappadocia is well known for producing some of the highest quality carpets in the world. Other than the skins of sheep & goats also silk, the carpets in Kapadokya are also made of fruit skins. Yeah, you read that right, fruit skins. HOW? Leave it to the locals man, they've been doing it for thousands of years with precise determination & skills.
The next destination is a place where I got to finally experience the only thing that I've been wanting to do throughout 25 years of living. The main reason why I visited Turkiye during the winter season is to play with....SNOW heheheh. So where did we go? Mount Erciyes. FYI, Mount Erciyes is an inactive volcano whose summit is always covered with snow and fog. It is located in the province of Kayseri which is nearby Kapadokya. The temperature up there was 0 degree celcius. Yup, it was freezing but that didn't stop me from being a little boy. Gosh, everything was white & cold. You dont get to see this thing in Malaysia. You get what I mean? hahahah. We were even the last ones to leave. Other than riding the hot air balloon at Pamukkale, playing snow on Mount Erciyes was also one of the biggest highlight of the trip. I was so happy I couldn't stop smiling on our way back to the hotel.
Before arriving at the hotel, we stopped by at the underground city of Kapadokya. The history behind the underground city is that the people of Kapadokya aka the Anatolians were faced with numerous invasions and attacks. In order to protect themselves, they began carving out underground tunnels and rooms in the soft volcanic rock. Again, the reason to why Turkiye is a beautiful country it's because of its history.
We had our dinner and as usual, we strolled around & even had doner kebab. Gosh the size of the kebas was so big that we had to hold it with both of our hands. The nightlife in Kapadokya was relaxing and the vibes were chilling. What a beautiful place.
Oh yeah, one thing about Kapadokya tho, the size of the dogs are sooooo huge. I mean just look at picture. You all must be wondering why? It's because the breed of the dogs in Cappadocia is the Anatolian Shepherd & it's also due to a combination of historical guarding needs in the area.
DAY 7: Back to Istanbul
Bangun! Kita nak balik Istanbul ni!
We woke up early in the morning because the journey took us 12 hours. Yeah, we were in the bus for 12 freakin hours. I swear the journey from Cappadocia to Istanbul is by far the longest journey I've ever experienced but hey no complains, the views on the highways were astonisihing. Stopped by at a valley which I don't remember what the name of it is but damn, the view was crazy as well. En route to Istanbul, we had our lunch at the Tuz Golu or also known as the Salt Lake located in Ankara. Tuz Golu is the second largest lake in Turkey & one of the biggest hypersaline lake in the world.
After 12 hours of surviving in the bus, finally, Istanbul we're back! Arrived at the hotel somewhere around 11PM & without further ado, we checked in & immediately booked an uber to Taksim as it is our last night in Turkiye. Taksim is like the Bukit Bintang of Istanbul. What happened that night stays there in Taksim hahaha.
DAY 8: Taksim, Spice Bazaar & Flight back to Oman
Gunaydin! Selamat Pagi! Good Morning! Wake up! We don't wanna miss the flight!
Gosh I had like what, 3 hours of sleep only the last night huehue. So yeah, it's the last day of our trip already. The vibes were sorrowful even the weather in Istanbul was gloomy on that day. Packed our bags, hopped on the bus & before heading to the airport we stopped by at yeah, the same place we went last night, Taksim, hehe. Taksim square is a major tourist & leisure district famed for its restaurants, shops & hotels. It is considered as the heart of modern Istanbul. Yup similar to Bukit Bintang right? FYI, Taksim square is a crucial place for the locals as it is commonly the place where protests are held, unifying all the Turkish people at once. There's a monument right infront of the Taksim Mosque which portrays the founders of the Turkish Republic such as Kemal Ataturk, Ismet Inonu & Fevci Cakmak wearing military uniform which symbolizes advocacy & bravery. So now you understand why Taksim is an important place for the people of Istanbul...
After strolling around, of course we had to go for our last souvenir shopping and that was at Spice Bazaar. The initial plan was we were supposed to go to the Grand Bazzar but unfortunately, it was closed. They're just the same basically and yeah you can even get lost because the place is so huge. Spice Bazaar is a popular central place for tourists to buy herbs, souvenirs, delicacies & etc. It's a must visit for all first time-visitors to Istanbul, especially foodies.
Completed shopping & this was where the hardest & saddest part comes, heading to the airport & saying goodbye to Turkiye. On our way to the airport, the only thing that I did in the bus was just appreciating the views of Istanbul for the last time while being grateful for being able to travel to this beautiful country.
FINAL THOUGHTS:
If you were to ask me "Is Turkiye worth the money?" "Will you ever come again?". Lemme ask you all back. After reading everything, what do you think? For me personally, the trip to Turkiye has opened my eyes to view everything on a very different perspective. I learned a lot from this trip, not only the history or the culture of the country itself but I also learned a lot about myself. I learned that the world is indeed massive & there's still a lot more to explore & experience. Travelling humbles me everytime & I dont mind at all. I look forward to visiting many more places in this world. To answer your questions, YES, it's definitely worth every penny & yup, I will definitely come back to this beautiful country. Tesekkurler Turkiye.
(After all those exploring in Turkiye, I still couldn't find my Dian tho. 😢 )
Just kidding. You all takecare & be safe! - A.
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