Gloomsbury

Some recent pictures from a post-New Year's trip to Bharatpur, Fatehpur Sikri and the Taj Mahal. Stayed at the Udai Vilas Palace Hotel in Bharatpur - which was not as grand as the name sounds, but being the only hotel of some repute in Bharatpur, was packed with foreigners nevertheless (who were constantly entertained by the usual troupe of fawning dancers, flamethrowers and other Slumdog tricks!). Stayed here two nights, and visited Fatehpur Sikri and Agra by road (situated 30 and 60 minutes away, respectievly). Guides and touts abound at both sites and create a nuisance for all visitors, stopping cars on the highway, attaching themselves needlessly to you and refusing to let go - beware of them at all costs! The Taj Mahal, I must admit, turned out to be less spectacular than I imagined (for one, the marble was not as pure and white as it appears in pictures).

I ran the Airtel Delhi 21km Half Marathon on 9 November 2008!

The mind was willing, but the body walked, crawled, creaked and groaned the last 6 km to the finishing line. 3 hours, 10 minutes - woefully slow, but I finished it - Yippee!

Over the past two days, I have become a pipeline. Thanks to an ill-fated outing at a salad bar some days ago, whatever I eat now miraculously passes through my digestive system in about 16 minutes. In other words, a particularly bad bout of Delhi belly.

I just HAD to blog about this. Not because this is the kind of story that would boost your appetite, but because I paid a visit to the hospital today, where one Dr. Dang (I kid you not - this guy was named after the famous Hindi movie villain!) prescribed medicines to me after consulting Wikipedia in real time. And for Dang's deep knowledge of TCP/IP, I forked out Rs. 400.

What has medicine come to, in this country?!

We decided to splurge on shopping at the airports, on the way back and picked up a whole host of alcoholic drinks, cosmetics, perfumes and chocolates. The layovers at the airports, therefore, seemed to hardly last! We reached New Delhi at 3am and sleepily headed back home, after which we unpacked. Most of our shopping – including the Turkish lamp, the water pipe (hookah), various evil eyes, bottles of alcohol, wind chimes and other knick knacks – had survived the long journey through five cities and two countries!

It had been a grand holiday, and we’d loved every moment of it. For me, personally, Istanbul was the highlight of the trip, followed by Santorini, Cappadocia, Izmir / Ephesus and Athens.

Istanbul was special with its east-meets-west culture and its grand sights, prominent among which were the huge and diverse Grand Bazaar, the colourful Spice Bazaar, the steamy Cemberlitas Hamam, the artsy Topkapi Palace, the spooky Basilica Cistern, the Christian-Islamic Hagia Sofia and the gigantic Blue Mosque. Cappadocia was a unique natural wonder with its fairy chimneys, alien-like valleys and the mind-boggling Derinkuyu underground city. Izmir proved to be the discovery of an awesome underrated hotel, the Asa Club Resort, while at Ephesus, we enjoyed visiting the ruins of the ancient city (including the awesome library and amphitheater), Mary’s austere last residence, the once-‘wondrous’ Temple of Artemis and the neglected St. John’s tomb. Athens required more of our imagination than we were willing to expend – but we still enjoyed sights such as the Acropolis, The Temple of Olympian Zeus, the Ancient Agora, the old Olympian Stadium and shopping at Plaka. Delphi was a short but meaningful experience, and we visited the home of the ancient Oracle and the birthplace of the pre-Olympic Pythian Games. Santorini was the icing on our holiday cake, with its breathtaking caldera views, splendid sunsets, quaint cobbled streets, white-washed houses, fantastic wines and multi-hued beaches – all complimenting quiet walks and romantic evenings.

We had planned to visit the heart and capital of Santorini, Fira, today and (as was customary by now) headed there after rising late and having a breakfast suited for champions! We parked our car in one of the (slightly faraway) public parking lots (policemen fine errant parkers upto 60 Euros) and walked into Fira. A maze of narrow, stony streets with several steps led us through the plethora of shops that comprised the cobweb of Fira, all set to trap the tourist-insects that were caught wandering through its territory. After much resisting (and some minimal shopping – including a Greek cotton shirt, some earrings, a porcelain handpainted jar and the mandatory fridge magnet!), we settled down for lunch at one of the caldera-facing cafes. A cemented donkey-track trailed on below us, carring tourists to the old Fira port below, and back. More ferries stood static in the placid caldera waters, offloading little boats full of eager tourists, hopping off for a daytrip to the island. We had a lavish meal of grilled lobster, fried calamari and lamb souvlaki with tzatziki sauce, along with some home-made white wine.

After lunch, we wandered some more through the streets, making the most of our last day at Santorini, before heading off to the north again, to visit the red beach, in the Akrotiri region. Again made from lava rock (deep red in colour, this time), the beach turned out to be far quieter than we expected, with just a handful of tourists posing for photographs against the blood-red coastline.

We spent a few minutes here, before driving back to our hotel, from where we headed straight to the popular Spiliotica Café. I tried the (rather potent) Greek anise-based aperitif (similar to the Turkish Raki or the Swiss Abisinthe), Ouzo. We watched our last sunset on Santorini, sad that our holiday had come to an end, but happy to have had a wonderful time.

The next day would be spent in travel, first from Santorini to Athens (by a 25-minute flight this time, instead of the ferry), then a 2 hour wait followed by a flight from Athens to Istanbul, then a 7 hour wait, before the final flight from Istanbul back to New Delhi.

We woke really late (10am, by our standards!), and headed up for breakfast at our balcony restaurant at Uranos. We had some awesome crepes, along with more fresh fare – bacon, ham, eggs, feta cheese, tomatoes, lettuce, olives and juice. The previous day had been a little cloudy and rainy, but today promised to be perfect, as the sun shone brightly down into the caldera. Somewhere down below, we spotted a jetski hip-hopping to the port. Here, many hundred metres high, we could clearly hear the engines of that jetski, with the sound being captured and reflected off the concavity of the caldera rim.

We had decided to rent a car (costs 20 Euros per day, plus insurance) for our stay, and soon hopped into a (familiar) Hyundai Atos (a.k.a. the Santro, in India). I’d driven this car for many years, and despite the fact that it was a left-hand drive on mountainous roads, I was soon in my element. We first drove to the northern tip of the island, where we stopped at Kamari Beach. This is a 2-km long black beach, constituted from denuded black lava stone, and lined with shops and restaurants – and is also the most popular beach at Santorini. Scores of tourists sunbathed on the beach (some of them rather scantily accoutred, if you get the drift!), and we stopped momentarily to dip our toes into the cold waters.

We walked along the long pavement lining the beach, stopping by at the shops and checking out the wares on display (clothes, dried ornamental puffer-fish, evil eyes, ceramic ware and beach wear). A beer and a Bacardi Breezer later, we settled down to lunch at one of the numerous cafes lining the entire stretch. We had a meal of grilled calamari (complete with tentacles!) and prawns, feeding most of the inedible parts to a grand clowder of four greedy cats that had made our table their home!
From here, we drove right to the southern tip of the island, Oia. Along the way, we passed many vineyards. Vines in Santorini are grown in a peculiar fashion – in a circle (artificially shaped so) and very close to the ground, like a bush. This is done so that the grapes are formed at the centre of the vine-ring (to prevent damage from the strong winds) and so that the bush is able to trap moisture better (the only source of water in this fertile volcanic land). The most popular Assyrtiko and Athiri grapes are used to make a host of sweet and dry white, red and rose wines, most of which we found far more delicious than the ones found on the European mainland.

We reached Oia, only to find a huge contingent of tourists who sat on every accessible parapet, occupied every café chair and jostled with each other for space and a viewpoint. We were lucky to find a few square inches on a wall, and we sat down to watch the famous Oia sunset. It was truly worth it, as we watched the sun dipping behind sawtooth hills in the distance, as a few ocean liners floated into the impending darkness.

We picked up some delicious (and inexpensive) Doner Kebab rolls in Oia and drove back to our hotel. Over the past two days, we’d had plenty of wine – ranging from dry Rose to semi-dry Rose to some fantastic semi-dry White wine produced by the Cambas Winery, located on the island. We had more of our favourite Cambas wine (which we’d nicknamed ‘M-lambda’ from the only two characters we could recognize on the label!), while sitting in our private balcony. It was another day well spent at this gorgeous island.

It was to be yet another of those early morning dashes to catch the 7.25am Blue Star ferry from Piraeus (the port at Athens) to Thira (the port at Santorini). We lugged our (by now, very heavy) bags down into the metro and boarded the blue line to Piraeus. Thankfully, on arrival, the walk to our ferry was relatively short and after depositing our baggage in the cargo hold, we climbed up to Deck 7, where we had some (lucky) indoor seats. It was a cold Athens morning, and we stood outside for a while, watching the rotors churn up cyan waters as the ferry departed Athens. Hundreds of seatless passengers braved the chill, sitting at the ourdoor café tables, smoking, sipping coffee and zipping up their jackets.

The ferry itself was gigantic – much like the earlier ferries I’d been on (New Zealand – North to South Island crossing and France to England), and it stopped by on two other Cyclades islands (which number around 220, most of which are rather small, and uninhabited) – Naxos and Paros. We ate, slept, ate some more and slept through the last stretch into Santorini, waking up just in time to see the beautiful arched island and the caldera.

Santorini is actually an archipelago – comprising the islands of Thira (the mainland), Thirasia, Nea Kameni, Palaia Kameni and some smaller rocks. Santorini today is a by-product of the Minoan volcanic eruption that occurred 3,600 years ago. One of the greatest eruptions that the world has ever seen, the catastrophe destroyed what was once a single large island into a set of circumferential islets, surrounding a gigantic caldera, into which the sea recessed (making this the only caldera in the world with incursion by the sea – to a depth of 400m). In the 18th century, there was further volcanic activity at the centre of this caldera, and this pushed up more lava to the surface, forming the (still volcanic) islets of Nea and Palaia Kameni.

The largest island is Thira, and has several regions such as Fira (the busy capital, with its multitude of restaurants and shops), Imerovigli (the quiet ‘balcony’ of Santorini with great views of the caldera, and the location of our hotel), Oia (the southern tip of the island, and renowned for its stunning sunset views), Kamari (the northern tip, and famous for its black volcanic pebble beach), Akrotiri (again in the north, and the site where some fascinating ruins - dating back to the bronze age – have been discovered; these are said to rival the ones at Crete, and Akrotiri continues to be an archaeological haven), Pyrgos (famous for its wineries), Monolithos (the location of the airport and some beaches) and others.

We had planned this last leg of our trip to simply unwind, enjoy the famous Santorinian wine, watch the sunsets and peacefully explore the island. We took a taxi from the port up to our hotel, Uranos Traditional Houses, in Imerovigli. Uranos Houses, like most of the hotels in Santorini, is built along the rim of the caldera, looking inward into the sea-circle below. Our hotel reflected the famous whitewashed houses of Santorini, and was situated in a quiet neighbourhood, far from the honking and crowds of Fira. We had the most fascinating room that we’ve ever stayed in, at any hotel – painted in the traditional Santorini white-and-blue colours, our room had a private balcony, with a direct view of the caldera. The window beside our bed had views of the volcano / caldera as well, and we were very thrilled to have found a place that was so visually stunning.

We rested for a while, and then walked along narrow cobbled paths leading up and down the rim of the caldera, cutting through hotels, shops and houses. This was surely the most beautiful and romantic place in the world – and after the tourist uber-magnet that Venice is, truly private in many ways. Santorini (surprisingly) is one of Europe’s most popular tourist hotspots, but Imerovigli had none of that irritating buzz. We stopped by at a charming little café called Spiliotica Café, which was impossibly constructed right at the very edge of the caldera rim. There, we sipped on some lovely dry Santorini Rose wine, had some delicious crepes and watched a golden sunset. We knew that this would be a perfect, quiet and relaxing ending to what had been a good, but hectic, vacation. We walked back to our hotel, a little light in the head, with love in our hearts, with stars looking down upon us and with the moon reflecting off the calm waters of the inky caldera.

This was to be our last day in Athens, and we decided to visit the few sites left to see. Our first stop was Hadrian’s Arch. Built in the 1st century, A.D. to honour the Roman emperor Hadrian for his many contributions to Athens, the great emperor himself passed underneath this arch way back in the day! The arch is located right beside the Temple of Olympian Zeus, construction for which began in the 6th century, B.C. but was finally completed by Hadrian in the 2nd century A.D. Again, following repeated plundering right up to the 3rd century A.D., nothing much remains of the temple today, barring a handful of standing pillars, with a Roman bath and some house foundations nearby. As with most other ruins of Athens, marble from these monuments was ruthlessly stripped and reused in other buildings such as St. Peter’s Basilica and the Temple of Jupiter on Capitol Hill – both in Rome.

We then proceeded to the Olympic Stadium, birthplace of the modern Olympic Games, in 1896. It’s a huge open-air arena, seating up to 60,000 people, and is built at the same site where the Pantheanic games were held (earlier construction in 335 B.C.). Interestingly, the word ‘stadium’ is derived from ‘stadia’, which is the distance (equal to 185m) for which the races were run.

We were done with the sites of Athens, and honestly, it had been a disappointing city. We stopped for lunch at a café near Plaka, where we were exorbitantly charged for meager portions of our meal – that just about topped off our disenchantment with the city.
Charu, however, found plenty of reason to vent her frustration through a long bout of shopping (shoes, clothes, jewellery), which I patiently stood witness to! By now it was evening, and we stopped by at a McDonald’s facing the Acropolis, and had some awesome chocolate shake, yogurt and fries. Perhaps, this was one of our most memorable occasions in Athens!

We picked up some Doner Kebab rolls and wine for dinner, and headed back to our hotel. We missed Turkey, its colours, flavours, sounds and smells. Luckily, we were headed out to Santorini the next day – it was to be a 7-hour day journey, on board a ferry.

A UNESCO World Heritage Site, the ruins of Delphi are situated on Mount Parnassus, located 2 hours (by road) away from Athens. We had a full-day group tour to visit Delphi and got off to yet another early start, at 7.45am. On our way, we passed the town of Marathon, from where Pheidippides ran 240 kilometres over two days (to announce that the Persians had been defeated in the Battle of Marathon), and died on reaching his destination. We then passed the ancient city of Thebes, where the legend of Oedipus was born.

We finally reached Delphi, home to the legendary Oracle (or Pythia) – in practice, this system of soothsaying flourished from the 4th century, B.C. until the 3rd century, A.D. The first artifact we saw was the ‘navel stone’, which conceptually cemented the view that Delphi was the centre of the universe. We then passed the ruins of several treasuries, including the reconstructed Treasury of Athens, built to commemorate the victory at Marathon. Finally, we reached the Temple of Apollo, which housed the Oracle. Legend has it that visitors to the Oracle would write down their question on a clay tablet, which would be carried to the Oracle. She would then go into an underground chamber that had a small opening from where hallucinogenic fumes from the earth below would put her in a state of trance, whence she would utter cryptic double-meaning phrases that would be recorded by the attendant on the same clay tablet, and given back to the seeker. Recent studies by experts have actually found crystal traces of ether, methane and other hallucinogenic gases in the rocks near the temple, lending some credence to the aura of the Oracle.

We further visited the theatre building and the stadium (where the Pythian Games were held in pre-Olympic times). Again, it required some feats of imagination to reconstruct the Temple of Apollo, of which only a handful of columns remain. The mysterious underground chamber of the Oracle was never discovered. Many statues at Delphi were looted by the Emperor Constantin. Many of the brass statues were melted and recast into weapons and other items. Hence, not much remained at the site – and what did is now displayed at the Delphi museum. We saw the most famous statue there – that of the Bronze Charioteer.

It had been a long journey (7 hours altogether, including breaks) for a short site visit (about 2 hours), and I must confess that we were a bit disappointed by all the imagining that we had to do! Again, a checklist item on our itinerary. We returned to Athens late in the evening and had a simple Doner Kebab meal in a neighbourhood restaurant before retiring to bed. The next day would be easy, since we only had a handful of sights left to see in Athens – Hadrian’s Arch, The Temple of Zeus and The Olympic Stadium being the most prominent ones.

Greece has a population of 11 million people, around half of whom live in Athens – this makes the capital a very crowded city. Moreover, with most of the country being a seismic region, no buildings taller than eight storeys are allowed – hence the lateral expansion of the populace further adds to the density of Athens. On our way to our hotel (near Larissa Metro Station) from the Airport (a flat 10 Euros for the two of us), we could see that this city would not be as culturally enchanting as Rome.

We’d literally been up all night, driving, checking in and flying, so we rested for a while and then headed out to the most prominent landmark in Athens, the Acropolis (again traveling on the metro for 0.80 Euros per person, per trip). Literally translating to “high city”, the Acropolis is located on a flat-topped hill and was first constructed in the 5th century, B.C. We bought a 12 Euro unified ticket (giving one access to the Acropolis, Agora and a host of other sites around Athens) and entered through the Southern gate, first passing the partially reconstructed Theatre of Herodes Atticus. We then climbed up (tiring!) and reached the monumental gateway, called the Propylaea. To the south of the entrance is the tiny Temple of Athena Nike. At the centre of the Acropolis is the Parthenon (the Temple of Athena Parthenos). East of the entrance and north of the Parthenon is the temple known as the Erechtheum. South of the platform that forms the top of the Acropolis there are also the remains of an outdoor theatre called Theatre of Dionysus. Much of the Acropolis is currently covered with scaffolding, due to an extensive re-restoration effort (undoing the irregularities of past reconstructions and adding more completeness to the structures), but we enjoyed our stay up on the sacred rock (which also has panoramic views of the city of Athens, including the Temple of Zeus, Hadrian’s Arch, the Ancient Agora and the Olympian Stadium where the first modern Olympics was held in 1896).

We then walked down to the Ancient Agora complex, once the political heart of Athens. The site of the Agora was inhabited as early as 6,000 B.C. (several artifacts such as pottery and statues have been found at the site, and are displayed at the museum now housed in the reconstructed structure) and later served as a grand marketplace (A-gora means “I buy”) and the seat of Greek democracy. Inside the same complex, we visited the Temple of Hephaistos, which is the best preserved monument of the Agora.

From here, we walked out into the Monastiraki area of Athens, and strolled down to the shopper’s district of Plaka. We shopped for a while, picking up a mask of Hercules (for our collection of masks from around the world), a rare bottle of Absinthe (for those rare moments to be spent with the Green Fairy) and some clothes. We sat down to dinner at a charming street café, where we had a meal of yogurt-topped Souvlaki, pita bread and delicious white wine.

The Greek civilization was at its peak during the 4th and 5th century, B.C. and was thereafter destroyed by natural calamities and marauders (warrior tribes, Romans and arsonists). Much of what remains today requires a healthy imagination to piece together - columns that once stood, supporting imaginary roofs under which magnificent marble statues greeted throngs of proud citizens. Hence, to enjoy Greece and Athens, one needs to visualize and think, or else one will surely be disappointed by the fragments of once-great structures. Rome is different, since many of the buildings one sees there are more recent and better preserved – hence it is a city where the eye dominates the brain. Rome will always remain in our hearts as the city we fell in love with. Athens will always be an interesting must-see that we checked off on our travels around the world.

Asa Club Resort turned out to be an excellent choice of hotel. Located in the quiet town of Urkmez, we had chosen it mostly on budgetary considerations as well as what looked like an attractive property on the Internet. Apart from the ‘all-inclusive’ package, the service at this hotel far surpassed that which a traveler finds in the high-temples of hospitality – Ritz-Carlton, Mandarin-Oriental, Hilton, Hyatt and their ilk. Late last night, we realized that our laptop adaptor did not fit into the standard electrical socket, but the hotel staff were helpful and diligent enough to ‘hot-wire’ our plug by cutting off the end of one of their own electrical appliances and taping it all up to produce a seamless connection – for no cost to us! Now, how many hotels in the world would do that? Most would either say that they do not have an adaptor and give up, or would pass off standard stuff and say that it’s the best they can do.

We woke and had a lavish breakfast, with some traditional Turkish ‘naan’, along with feta cheese and olives. We were all set to leave, but when we turned on the ignition in our rented car, it just wouldn’t start. Horror of horrors – I’d left the headlights on all night and this had entirely drained the battery. The staff at Asa diligently tried to help, even going as far as pushing the car for close to 30 minutes, in an attempt to get us on our way (again, which hotel in the world would do that!?). Finally, the hotel staff were kind enough call the emergency service, and after a delay of 1.5 hours (and a cost of 100 YTL for our folly!), we were finally on our way to Ephesus, located about 60km from our hotel.

Heart of the Ionian culture, Ephesus (or Efes in Turkish) was the ancient religious, political and economic heart of Asia Minor. It was home to early settlers as early as 6,000 B.C., and the government has recently excavated many Bronze Age structures and tools nearby. Our first stop was the ancient ruins of the city of Ephesus (most of what remains today dates back to the 4th century, B.C. and thereafter), and since we had reached late, we realized, to our dismay, that all the audio guides were sold out. Reluctantly, we approached an elderly tour guide who quoted 80 YTL for a 2-hour private tour – but he kindly agreed to find more tourists to reduce the cost. We finally got on our way after finding a Belgian family, and settled for $10 per person.

The city itself was inhabited by two separate cultures – the Greeks (Ionians) and then the Romans. Resultantly, pagan worship structures blended beautifully with Christian designs. Our first stop was at the giant water reservoir, from where terracotta pipes (many of which are still perfectly preserved) carried water into the city – the world’s first running water plumbing system. The Ionians also had the world’s first parliamentary system, and we marveled at the semi-circular amphitheater which served as the ancient parliament building. Several Doric (plain and directly resting on the ground) and Roman (ornate and with a pedestal) marble columns lined up the street that ran through the upper and lower cities. Today, the sea is 9km away from where it had been back when Ephesus was a flourishing port. Among the many beautiful remains we saw included – the parliament building, a frieze with a carving of the goddess of victory, Nike (from where the brand gets its name), the temple of Hadrian, the brothel (located in the most prominent part of town), the restored library (the second largest in the ancient world after the one at Alexandria, and by far, the most impressive and recognizable symbol of Ephesus), the Fountain of Pollio, the Gate of Augustus and the ancient world’s largest amphitheater (seating up to 25,000 people!). Out tour concluded 2-hours later - constantly threatened by looming clouds and sporadic rain. Although a fraction of the size of Pompeii and severly damaged, Ephesus still remains a grand archaeological wonder of the modern world.

From here we headed to the House of Virgin Mary. It is widely believed (through writings in the Bible), proven (since the world’s first basilica dedicated to the Virgin is situated here – and in the ancient world, these were only constructed in places where prominent people had died) and foreseen (by a blind German nun who had never left the country), that this is indeed Mary’s last abode. The house itself is a simple stone shrine, attended by a single nun, and we quietly walked in and out within 5 minutes.

Our next stop was at the remains of The Temple of Artemis at Ephesus – one of the seven ancient wonders of the world, constructed in 550 B.C. Unfortunately, the temple was destroyed and reconstructed multiple times, but what remains today are just 2 broken columns. We were shocked to note that there was no security arrangement at the place and access was through a disused parking lot off the highway – providing potential looters and arsonists ample scope to destroy whatever still remains.

Our last stop for the day was at the tomb of St. John the Baptist. After the crucifixion, John and Mary came to Ephesus and spent their last days there. Although Mary’s body has never been discovered, John was buried at Ephesus and a church, at the time the world’s second largest cathedral after Hagia Sofit, erected at the site. Unfortunately, the church was also destroyed by an earthquake later, but some magnificent pillars, statues and the foundation can still be found on the site, apart from a simple platform surrounded by four pillars to commemorate the actual burial site.

We drove back, happy to have visited one of the most historically significant archaeological sites of the world. After an early dinner (including some lovely rice pudding – again!), we retired to bed, since I had to drive to Izmir at 2.30am to catch our 5am flight to Athens, via Istanbul.

We took a 6.45am Turkish Airlines flight from Kayseri (till where we took a pre-booked private shuttle) to Izmir, via Istanbul. Thankfully, and much to our surprise, Turkish Airlines did not screw up this time, although the in-flight food was next to inedible. Arriving in Izmir, we spent a good 30 minutes looking for the car rental agency (Erboy Car) that cartrawler.com had mentioned – finally realizing that it was the National / Alamo brand. I gingerly drove the left-hand drive car 45kms to Urkmez, where we checked into the Asa Club Resort.

Much to our surprise, this turned out to be a beautiful resort, located on the coast. We had an “all-inclusive” package, where breakfast, lunch, tea, snacks, dinner (including unlimited alcohol). This was a relaxing day, and we strolled along the beach, slept on beach chairs, played with a cheerful stray dog (who we named Urkmez), had lots of local wine and Raki (Turkey’s unofficial national drink, resembling Absinthe) and ate some awesome food (salads, satay, beef stew, Turkish rice pudding.

The next day, we had to head out to Ephesus, a site of great Biblical importance (home to the Temple of Artemis, one of the seven ancient wonders of the world, and Mary’s last residence).

Millions of years ago, a series of volcanic eruptions deposited two distinct layers of debris in the Cappadocia region – soft consolidated volcanic ash (or tuff, as geologists would call it) below and hard basalt (solidified lava) above. Over the passage of time and with wind and water action, much of this dual-density material was worn away and shaped into inverted-conical pillars of rock called Fairy Chimneys. These chimneys, as it turned out, could serve as convenient residences since the soft layer was easy to carve out into rooms, windows and pigeon-holes. The entire region is peppered with thousands of such chimneys, most of which have traces of such human habitation, dating back many centuries. Many of these chimneys have been beaten into odd shapes which (imagination-permitting) resemble families (father-mother-son), animals (camel, turtle) and objects (Napoleon’s Hat, mushrooms).

Our ‘Red Tour’ began with a panoramic view of Cappadocia, from where we could see the regions of Goreme, Red Valley and Pigeon Valley. We picked up a unique music CD at Panorama – a Turkish interpretation of Western Classical music (Mozart never sounded so funky!). From here, we headed to the Goreme Open Air Museum which has a delightful collection of Orthodox Christian churches built into caves and Fairy Chimneys. We visited five of the most popular churches (named Apple Church, Sandal Church, Snake Church, Dark Church and St. Basil Church). All of these churches had beautiful frescoed walls and ceilings, depicting scenes from the Bible, such as crucifixion and resurrection. It was awesome to see how vivid the colours were after more than 10 centuries of fighting the elements and disrespectful tourists who had flaked off the plaster or carved their names in many places.

After an hour at the open air museum, we stopped by at Uchisar (OOH-CHEE-SAAR) castle, which is the highest point in the Cappadocia, and a natural rock castle. We met Mehmet Ali the Bachtrian camel there, looking old and tired after ferrying tourists around in circles! We then stopped for lunch (a wonderful Turkish buffet comprising Doner Kebab and various stews and vegetables) at Pigeon Valley, so called because of the hundreds of pigeon-holes carved into the tuff for pigeons to roost. Hundreds of years ago, farmers collected their droppings (rich in Nitrogen) and used it as fertilizer in their fields. From here, we went to an onyx factory, where we saw some neat carving techniques that converted the translucent semi-precious stone into beautiful vases, eggs and other objects. We picked up a beautiful vase from here, and Charu bought herself an authentic turquoise (the word itself is derived from ‘Turkey’) pendant.

We then stopped and took a short hike at Devrent Valley, which had more beautiful Fairy Chimneys, including the famous Camel Fairy Chimney. We then went to Avalon to watch some pottery-making at a factory. Using white and red clay (from the banks of the nearby Kizilrmak River), the artisans shaped and then meticulously painted these with traditional motifs such as the famous ‘Tree of Life’ design. Charu tried her hand at some pottery and ended up making a rather spectacular…er, ‘bowl’.

We finally ended our tour with another hike at Pasabag, where we saw some really large (30-50m tall) Fairy Chimneys and rock-hewn churches. It had been a good touristy day, and we had been amazed by the alien-like landscape that we’d seen. We’d made some good friends with our fellow tourists – from places as far as Korea, Japan, China and Bolivia. We ended that day after a quiet dinner (a downer actually – unlike most of our earlier meals) at a restaurant in Goreme, followed by a muezzin-inspired walk through the dark alleys of Goreme, with Fairy Chimneys looking down upon us.

Turkish Airlines has to be one of the worst airlines in the world, but I guess the same can be said of Indian Airlines, United Airlines and a host of others. Our flight from Istanbul to Kayseri was overbooked, and we were unceremoniously and unkindly asked to take a later flight to Nevsehir (NEV-SHEH-EER), which would completely ruin our half-day Cappadocia tour later that day. However, we were told, there was an option to travel to Sivas, and then take a 2-hour bus to Kayseri, which would get us into town (theoretically), 2 hours before the later flight. And so the saga began…

Instead of the 7.30am flight, we were shoved into the 9.10am flight to Sivas, which got us there at 10.20am. Instead of the promised private shuttle to Kayseri, we found ourselves being pushed into a crowded bus with a rowdy soccer team! This bus, instead of heading to Kayseri, dropped us off in the middle of Sivas with no information on what to do next. With great difficulty, and using a combination of dumb charades and notepad communication, we discovered that the bus to Kayseri would leave only at 1.30pm, and would take 3 hours to get there, instead of the 2 hours promised by Turkish Airlines. A taxi could leave immediately, but would cost YTL 200, which Turkish had obviously not paid for. Some further discovery later we were told that as we spoke (by now it was 11.30am), there was a bus departing from the Sivas depot. Grabbing a taxi to the depot, we stopped the bus on the highway and boarded. 2 hours later, the bus mysteriously dropped us off on the highway leading to Kayseri and asked us to find our way to the airport, from where we were told there would be a shuttle service to Goreme, where our hotel was located.

As we walked in the direction of the airport, we realized that it was miles away. As luck would have it, we stopped a blue local bus-buggy on its way and dumb-charaded our way to the airport, which we discovered was shut, since it serviced only 4 flights in a day, and we’d arrived during the off-peak time! Worse, the promised shuttle service was not available that day. Luckily, we found a lone taxi waiting there, and we hired it to Nevsehir, from where we confirmed we could still make it in time for our tour. We finally began our tour at 4pm, a full hour later than if we had taken that damn flight in the first place.

Our guide, Cemil (pronounced ‘Jamal’), took us first to Derinkuyu Underground City, which dates back to the 8th century, B.C. It’s a delightful underground maze of chambers, passageways and hidden tunnels that goes down eight storeys (around 100m), and was first used by Hittites. Later, it was home to Christians escaping persecution by Romans and Arabs. There are actually eleven storeys, with the remainder still lying unexcavated (even today, only 10% of the city is open to the public). Around 1,000 people lived here at any given point of time, and Derinkuyu is the largest and the oldest of six underground cities in the Cappadocia region. We visited some remarkable underground chambers and structures – including a school, kitchens, animal pens, wineries, churches (in cruciform shape and complete with baptism pools), wells, ventilation shafts and numerous stone-door- and pit-traps for unsuspecting invaders. Walking through these labyrinths with your back bent until you are half your height, you cannot help but imagine how the creators of this underground marvel cut through the soft volcanic rock, moved the dirt back out and created human civilization in a place where none should ever exist.

We then drove up to the Nevsehir Castle, a simple yet imposing structure located on top of a hill overlooking the entire region. From there, we drove to Nar village where we saw some beautiful Fairy Chimneys with people actually living in them. More about the Fairy Chimneys later.

Legend Cave Hotel, where we stayed, was a nice little place in the upper part of Goreme village. Our room itself was a carved-out cave at the base of the fairy chimney, and was decorated with little antique pieces – such as a sewing machine, bronze and onyx vases and lamps.

That night, we bought ourselves an uber-touristy Turkish Night package, with food, drink, Whirling Dervish dances, Turkish Folk Dances and Belly Dancing. Charu and I thoroughly enjoyed this evening. The Sufi-oriented Dervishes turned and turned till they entered a state of trance, when their thoughts were apparently connected directly with God. We both got pulled into some folk and belly dance acts, so it was good participative fun. Of course, the unlimited alcohol helped grease our performance! Altogether, a lousy day for the most part but capped with a delightful ending.

The Ottoman Empire had 36 sultans in all, before its dramatic collapse, after the World War I, in 1923. The last six sultans lived at Dolmabahce (DOLE-MA-BAH-CHAY) Palace, where they shifted to from the Topkapi Palace, which could only be modernized up to a certain extent without losing its traditional charm. Constructed in 1853 in the Asian part of Istanbul, the palace was built in unusual European style (parallels to the Versailles Palace are inevitable).

The Palace has three parts – the Selamlik (or the section where official affairs were conducted), the Harem (where the sultan and his family stayed) and various ceremonial halls. After taking the tram to Kabatas (the last stop on the Zeytinburnu line), we queued up for the tickets at 10.30am, which itself was too late since we got to the head of the snake only 2 hours later. Once inside, we were shocked to see that there was yet another queue to get into the Selamlik – which ate up another hour of our time. A fantastic case of how mismanaged a great tourist spot can be!

The palace is less ornate than Topkapi, with its exquisite Ottoman-style architecture, calligraphy and paintings. We saw some grand sights though – including an ornate crystal staircase and three magnificent chandeliers (one of which, at 4.5 Tonnes, is the world’s second-largest). The Harem itself was less charming than the one at Topkapi, though very loud in the usage of gold in furniture, ceilings and even the Hamam taps! The palace also served as the residence of Mustafa Kemal Ataturk until his death in the palace in 1938 – his deathbed was part of the tour and emblazoned with the Turkish flag.

After a good two hours at the palace, we sat down to a leisurely snack in the palace gardens, along the Bosphorus. It was a beautiful and relaxed setting, and we watched schools of jellyfish negotiate waterways with giant cruise liners, as seagulls deceitfully swooped down on tables for breadcrumbs!

We then took the tram back to the Sirkeci station, from where we walked around the grand Yeni Camii mosque and into the Spice Bazaar. Built in 1664, the bazaar is a delightfully crowded place where we saw yet another grand display of Turkish exotica – henna from India, dry fruits, cured meat, local cheddar cheese, sweets such as Turkish Delight and Baklava and dozens of other unrecognizable edibles, apart from the usual fare (water pipes, Turkish lanterns and apparel).

We’d had a leisurely last day in Istanbul, and we walked back to our hotel, along cobbled streets with their Europe-like cafes. We picked up some wonderful (and cheap – at YTL 0.5 for half a dozen) strawberries on the way and returned to our hotel. We then decided to cap our day with a Turkish bath, so we headed out to the Cemberlitas Hamam.

Built in 1584 by the architect who also constructed the Blue Mosque, the Hamam is a beautiful structure, with its two porthole-riddled domes (housing the men’s and women’s sections respectively). The bath was a great experience in itself. I was given a private locker-room where I had to change into a ‘lungi’-type cloth for the massage and bath. I was then guided into the men’s bath, where a huge marble platform in the centre served as a waiting table for a dozen semi-naked hairy men, among whom I was asked to lay down! One by one, the men were called upon to be subjected to a soap or oil massage by some determined-looking Turkish masseurs. After about 15 minutes of rubbing and thrashing, I was washed and sent packing! It was a truly delightful experience – after all, you don’t get to bathe with a room full of loud and belligerent Turks in a 530-year-old bath! Charu had a unique experience of her own in the women’s section.

That night, we had a lavish dinner at a restaurant near our hotel – Turkish Rose Wine with vine-leaf starters, horse mackerel and lamb kebab. We retired to bed early, tired, massaged and unwilling to accept the fact that we had to head to the airport by 6am, for our early morning flight to Kayseri, for our onward trip to Goreme, both in the beautiful Cappadocia region.

We woke early and had a sumptuous breakfast of bread, cereal, feta cheese and apricots, before walking over to the Topkapi Palace, which is located on the Bosphorus coastline. Built in the 15th century as the primary residence of the Ottoman Sultans, Topapi Palace is a vast structure, whose numerous buildings are constructed around four large courtyards.

After picking up our audio guides (highly recommended, since you can tour the palace at leisure and get much more information than what you would glean from a tour guide), we headed to the palace’s most popular building, the Harem. Home to the Sultan’s mother (Valide Sultan), his concubines (around 500 of them!), wives, children and servants, the Harem has over 300 rooms, of which only 20 are open to the public. As we entered, we crossed the Courtyard of the Eunuchs, who were charged with the responsibility of security for the Harem. The eunuchs and concubines both had ranks, and were promoted based on performance to roles such as Chief, ‘The Favourite’ and ‘Consort’.

We spent close to an hour at the Harem, where we toured the Apartments of the Valide Sultan (comprising 40 rooms and ornately decorated with blue porcelain tiles depicting superb calligraphy), the royal baths (where we saw gilded taps and even the Royal Potty!) as well as numerous rooms which were either meant for ‘private’ use or entertainment.

We then headed back out into the court, by which time a huge crowd had entered the palace. We roamed further and saw numerous charming structures such as the Circumcision Room, the Tower of the Head Physician, numerous private mosques, the Throne Room, the Treasury, the Royal Kitchens and the Library. A full three hours later, we were amazed by the opulence of the Ottoman Empire. We had seen precious articles of daily use (including an 86-carat diamond, numerous gilded headpieces, several ornate thrones, diamond-studded weapons and relics including St. John’s mummified forearm and skull, and artifacts related to the Holy Kabah), besides buildings which were built of marble and adorned with exquisite calligraphy, paintings and precious stones. One could not help wonder about the lack of such a display of palatial wealth in India, despite the richness of the Mughal Empire.

After the tiring tour of the palace, we exited and walked along the Hippodrome and Hagia Sofia and sat down to a sumptuous meal of ‘Iskander Kebap’ and Baklava (the delicious and ultra-sweet layered dessert). We then boarded a tram to travel two stops north to the Grand Bazaar. One of the world’s largest markets, Grand Bazaar is a delightful maze of shops selling exquisite items such as water pipes (hookahs), belly-dancing costumes, Turkish hanging lamps, jewellery, carpets, leather goods, clothes and various curios (Evil Eyes, oil lamps, ceramic plates with calligraphy, Sultanate-copycat tiles and the like). We roamed and bargained through the entire Bazaar for a good 4 hours before picking up a beautiful carpet (YTL 200, bargained down from YTL 1,200), a hand-painted ceramic water pipe (YTL 50, bargained down from YTL 150), an Evil Eye (YTL 7, bargained down from YTL 24), a hanging lamp (YTL 80, bargained down from YTL 200) and an oil lamp (YTL 10, bargained down from YTL 30). The rule of the game, therefore, was to counter with a ridiculously lower quote than the initial one offered, and then grudgingly inch northwards till break-point!

Armed with our gigantic black garbage-bag-encased shopping loot, we took the tram back to Gulhane station, from where we walked back to our hotel. Our Indian cell phone operators (Airtel and Vodaphone) had ‘graciously’ decided not to grant us international roaming access by default, and we had been stuck without connectivity since we had landed. Thankfully, our hotel offered free Internet access, and we respectively caught up with our work and personal emails, before uploading the previous blog update!

At night, we glugged down some beer and wine and casually walked down to Sirkeci, where we picked up some ridiculously cheap (YTL 1.5!) and unbelievably delicious Chicken Doner Kabab sandwiches. We munched through those and stopped by at a Turkish sweet shop, where we picked up some awesome Pistachio Turkish Delight dessert and Walnut Baklava, before heading back to our hotel. The next day would be a visit to Dolmabahce Palace on the Asian side, and a leisurely cruise down the Bosphorus. Istanbul was well on its way to finding a place in our minds among the most delightful places we’d ever visited.

We took the TK1071 flight from New Delhi to Istanbul, which took off at a most inconvenient time of 4.45am. We had been warned about Turkish Airlines, so we were prepared for Air India-style hospitality and services. We were not ‘disappointed’, but thankfully we slept through most the 7-hour flight, awakened occasionally to be fed some really disgusting omelette! As the flight descended over Istanbul, we could see the terracotta tiled roofs of the city’s buildings (all buildings, without exception it seemed, had the same roofing) and could spot a myriad of mosques dotting the cityscape that was cleaved by the Strait of Bosphorus, into Asia and Europe. We noticed the city’s two most famous landmarks, the Hagia Sofia and the Sultanahmet (Blue) Mosque, just before the tyres hit the tarmac.

We were a little surprised by Turkey’s cultural openness – despite being a predominantly Islamic country, there seemed to be cultural and religious tolerance, aptly exemplified by ‘unhindered’ women walking about the airport concourse. After an interminable queue at immigration, we finally collected our bags and were on our way to our hotel. Having planned the trip ourselves, we had made liberal use of the Internet and traveler tips to plan our transit, which was to be on the city’s Metro and Tram systems. Unfortunately, language is a huge barrier in Turkey – neither do most people speak English, nor are most signs decipherable. After trying valiantly to locate the ‘convenient’ Akbil pass (this allows unlimited access on public transportation for a fixed fee) vending machines, we gave up and took the Hafif Metro Rail from the International terminal to the Havilamani domestic terminal and onward to the Zeytinburnu interchange. Here, again, we made a desperate attempt to rediscover Akbil, but gave up and paid the (nominal) tram fee of YTL 1.3 (1 Turkish Lira is approximately INR 30) per person, to head up to Sirkeci, which was the stop closest to Centrum Hotel, where we were staying. Along the way, we passed a delightful mix of East-meets-West culture – Turkish lantern shops, alternating with Doner Kebab kiosks, Burger King outlets and European-style street cafes.

We soon discovered that the walk from Sirkeci to our hotel was barely 200m, and we conveniently wheeled our bags into the lobby and checked in. Our hotel was located in the central Sultanahmet area of Istanbul – really the heart of the city and close to some of the key stars of the city’s tourist circuit – Hagia Sofia, Blue Mosque, Topkapi Palace and the Grand Bazaar. After some much-needed rest, we headed out to explore – passing by shops selling standard tourist fare (Turkish rugs, hookahs and the omnipresent blue ‘evil eye’), we reached the Hagia Sofia.

Built in 360 A.D. and for close to 1000 years, the world’s biggest Church, Hagia Sofia is a breathtaking monument. Its four gigantic minarets rise so high that it is hard to imagine that humankind was able to achieve this construction marvel before the advent of cranes and modern construction technology. In 1453, when the Ottoman empire rose to power in Turkey, the church was mercilessly ransacked and (hastily) converted into a mosque. Priceless Christian mosaics were slathered with plaster and frescoed with moderate Islamic geometry and structures (such as the four prominent minarets, a Sultan’s loge and a mihrab). However, Islam could not wipe out centuries of Christian toil, and throughout the church are visible remnants of original motifs – ghostly crosses visible from behind aging plaster, beautiful gold-inlaid mosaics peeping out from behind swathes of crumbled plaster and other powerful religious symbols such as a frieze of 12 lambs representing the apostles, excavated in the courtyard. Gabriel, Michael and Jesus battling hexagons and curves! Currently in its third avatar (the previous two being destroyed by a combination of fire, earthquakes and plunder), the structure has now been declared a museum by the Republic of Turkey, and it was breathtaking to see the clash between Islam and Christianity so clearly laid out in the structure.

Thereafter, we grabbed some quick, cheap (YTL 3) and delicious Doner Kebab sandwiches and chestnuts, and enjoyed a sunny meal at the Hippodrome, which is a large garden-complex skirting both the Hagia Sofia and the Blue Mosque. We then made our way to what is arguably Istanbul’s grand symbol, the Sultanahmet Mosque, built in 1616. The structure gets its name from the blue tiles which line the interior of the mosque. A series of majestic domes and six towering minarets make this the defining silhouette in Istanbul’s skyline. We removed our footwear and walked through the mosque, where many faithful were immersed in prayer, beneath gigantic chandeliers. It surprised me to see that we were allowed as tourists into an active place of worship – another strong reminder of the secular nature of Turkey.

Thereafter, we queued up to enter the Basilica Cistern, a gigantic underground reservoir constructed in 532 A.D. Located below street level, the modest entry plaza literally belies what lies beneath. Over 140m in length and 70m in width, the underground structure is a true marvel, with Corinthian and Doric-style columns of marble rising out of the cistern water to culminate in brick arches that have stood the test of centuries The pillars were beautifully lit with coloured lights, and numerous fish swim about in the water from whence they rise – shadows accentuated by ghostly light lent an eerie charm to the Basilica. Two of the pillars had carvings of Medusa, beautiful and chilling in her reptilian glory. As we wandered through the dimly lit passageways, water dripping from the ceiling overhead, we were simply stunned by how well-preserved the structure remained.

We had completed our itinerary for Day 1 within 3 hours and decided to walk along the shores of the Bosphorus. However, our little adventure turned into an 8-km walk as we traversed the entire length of the causeway. Tired and aching, we finally hobbled into a traditional Turkish restaurant (complete with rugs, ornate cushions and hookahs) where some beer, Turkish coffee and a kebab platter brought some much-needed relief. We explored the streets some more, picked up some more food (including one of our international favourites – a McDonald’s milk shake!) and headed back to our hotel. It was a breathtaking and tiring first day, and we slept soundly, dreaming of Topkapi Palace and Grand Bazaar, which we planned to visit the next day.

After weeks of meticulous planning, fighting with various travel agents (in the process realizing that Cox & Kings, Kuoni / SOTC and the whole bunch of global biggies really do not know anything about destination management!), squeezing travel budgets by a third and ultimately doing all the bookings (airlines, hotels, tours and conveyance!) ourselves, we were all set to head out on a 2-week vacation to Turkey and Greece. 3 days in Istanbul (the bridge between Asia and Europe), 2 in Cappadocia (one of the world’s most fascinating natural wonders and home of Fairy Chimneys and cave hotels), 2 in Izmir / Ephesus (a site of great historical importance, and Mary’s last home), 3 in Athens (one of history’s most important cradles) and 3 in Santorini (a volcano-island with habitation along the rim of a caldera). Thus began yet another of our international adventures on May 1, 2008.

Blog last updated 33 weeks ago. Time sure does fly.

Anyway, Charu and I recently celebrated our 4th wedding anniversary (on 27 Dec) with a trip to Mussoorie. It was also an opportunity to check out the highway muscles on our new Honda Civic. There wasn't much highway to test in any case (the great Indian infrastructure story has a great script but poor execution), and consequently the drive there took us more than 7.5 hours. Uttar Pradesh is a highly impoverished state. All along the way, we had to constantly overtake ramshackle lorries trying to overtake tuk-tuks trying to overtake sugarcane-laden buffalo carts trying to overtake cyclists headed for work.

Mussoorie is, administratively speaking, a part of Dehradun, and is about 35 km up a winding road from the Doon valley. I was expecting forests and leaping tigers along the way, but sadly the onslaught of tourist greed has stripped this land of most of its natural beauty. Roads have swallowed trees, loud buildings have sprung up over colonial marvels and the lone Mall Road struggles against a daily attack of thousands of tourists who jostle against each other to buy umbrellas, handcrafted wooden trays or mufflers. Our hotel, the beautiful Welcomheritage Kasmanda Palace was located atop the Mall and accessible by an extremely steep road which our car miraculously managed to climb. Good on hardware, bad on software - that was the overall experience of our stay at Kasmanda. Service was poor and the food, pathetic (very surprising for a Welcomgroup hotel). But the view of the glowing Doon valley at night, the exquisite architecture and interiors (complete with tiger and deer heads hung on walls) and the quietude more than offset our disappointment with the staff.

Over the course of our stay, we also had multiple meals at the highly-recommended Kalsang Restaurant. Run by a Tibetan family, their steaming Momos and Thukpa were absolute pleasures in the biting cold. On one of our walks through the town, we came across a crowded (with books, of course) bookstore which advertised a visit by Ruskin Bond the next day. Most high school kids would surely know Ruskin Bond. I clearly remember the readings and discussions on his short story, Tiger In The Tunnel (including the protagonist, Baldeo, who caught the fancy of my good friend 'U' for many years!). Anyway, we met Ruskin the next day, bought two of his books and had them signed by him. Extremely down-to-earth chap. He told us about how he still actively writes and was recently invited to be a judge for a writing competition conducted by Deccan Herald.

Our three days in Mussoorie were mostly spent walking down the Mall, drinking lots of Vodka and doing one mandatory Patel visit (to the highly tourist-butchered Kempty Falls). On the way back, we got stuck in a terrible traffic jam on the highway, and were told to take a diversion. Unfortunately, this little piece of advice came back to haunt us as we struggled to take our car down non-existent pot-holed roads, through sugarcane fields and assorted animals. But, as always, there was a photo opportunity here too. The photograph below is that of a smoking chimney at a brick kiln, bang in the middle of sugarcane fields. Overall, a good getaway - but alas, too touristy. Where does a country of 1bn+ people go to chill out in unspoiled environs?

A very interesting read (by Lee Iacocca)...

http://www.bordersstores.com/features/feature.jsp?file=wherehavealltheleadersgone