Sinfully Sweet Endings in Turkey

Though this list is not exhaustive, it is quite extensive. The first is obviously the video that attracts you to Turkey, an elaborately dressed man in front of a small ice-cream stall. You place your order to him, he complies – the ice-cream is on the cone, one outstretched hand tries to meet another to grab the ice-cream. If it were only that easy….

Again, no brands for the ice-cream, any street vendor churns out equally tasty ice-cream, but if you want to burn some calories before consuming the ice cream, make sure one person gets the camera out while the other goes for the ice-cream. The vendors really love the spotlight 😊 . Also, the ice-cream, made from goat’s milk, and an ingredient called ‘salep’, does not melt easily – make sure you have the time to enjoy it properly.

Then, of course, is the national dessert of Turkey, the Baklava, looks like a puff, but filled with nuts and syrup, it is something really addictive. The best fresh ones would be at Hafiz Mustafa if you want a fine-dine-Baklava experience, however, this sinful dessert is also found in markets, and in local shops.

Dessert experience at Hafiz Mustafa

The Turkish Delight, or the Locum is a confection made from starch and sugar – it’s that simple, but elaborate dressings of nuts, dates, fruits and even flowers give it a very different and colourful feel. My favorites were the ones fused with Nutella, and a variant coated with rose petals! Turkish delight and Baklava can last for a month, and comes in small gift boxes, and is an ideal souvenir to carry back home (where it finishes off in a jiffy!)

What's your Delight?

The not-so-popular of the dishes, the Kunefe is an eclectic dessert that can only be enjoyed piping hot and fresh, straight from the oven. With a mildly sweet, honey-dipped crisp crust on the outside and molten local cheese on the inside, this is nothing short of pure bliss. Yes, I had grimaced too when I heard about the composition, and had initially felt I wanted to give it a pass, but one bite and I was sold. For starters, the cheese is not too pungent, and dampens the effect of syrup, thus producing a dessert mildly sweet, and still as sinful. It is usually endemic to Turkey, and definitely a must-try.

After gorging on these dishes for over a week, it was time to come back to more mainstream cuisines back home, but every once in a while, I find myself visiting a restaurant which has some Turkish options and everytime I ask myself, would I go back to Turkey just for the food, and the mice inside my stomach respond with a resounding, YES!

Tales from Turkey

“Merheba”, I said. “Merherba”, smile on her face. Looked at my passport, and the smile grew wider. “Amerka??”, she asked excitedly. Pointing to my passport, I said, “No, India”. “No, no, Amer ka” and with a sweeping gesture, “Bollywood, Amer Ka?”. The excitedness on seeing someone who knew Amir Khan (Dangal fever was still on then) was palpable on her face, and this is exactly how my immigration went at the Istanbul airport. The city is spread across Asia and Europe, we had landed on the European side. Judging by how long my visa had taken to come, I was expecting shenanigans at the airport, but on the contrary, I was already liking Turkey by the minute, especially as our luggage was already waiting for us by the time we came out. Getting a metered cab was easy as well, and we were off to Sultanahmet – the historical part of Istanbul, our home for the next 3 days.

Istanbul

With so much of history to cover – history stares at you from every wall in every bylane, or so it seemed in Sultanahmet. 

The most famous sights of Instanbul in a single frame

Our first stop was the Topkapi Palace – the seat of the Ottoman Empire from the 15^th to 19^th century. The highlights are visiting the Four Courtyards, as you go deeper into the palace – the more restricted the access for the outside world. Being connoisseurs of the good food, the Royal kitchens are a sight to behold, replete with magnificent porcelain. However, the highlight for me was seeing the collection in the museum – from construction material of Mecca to a stick belonging to Moses – it is literally going back in time, with the oldest artifact dating back to 7^th century BC!! I would suggest taking an automated audio tour guide (It's a device available for rent in umpteen number of languages), as it covers all the facts you want to know, and at your own pace.

The other notable mentions were the Blue Mosque, and a church-turned mosque-turned museum (Hagia-Sophia Museum) – quite unlike anything else, taking the sunset tour of the Bosphorous (covering the bridges which span Europe and Asia), which gives a detailed account of the Yalis, and a glimpse into different suburbs of Istanbul. We also visited the Taksim Square to imagine what a revolution would look like, 

Heritage tram at Taksim Square

and the Galata tower to feel like a medieval knight. 

Happiness on finding Galata Tower (Actually, it's not that elusive :))

The grandeur of the Grand Bazaar was right out of a movie, and the aromas in Spice Bazaar were a jolt to the good ol’-factory. With the various street markets, Istanbul is a heaven for souvenir shopping. 3 days was tight, but we just about grasped the essence of the city before it was time to move to our next stop.

Pamukkale

The reason we decided to visit Turkey was this. 

Getting up early, and walking our way up, we were soon in the middle of the travertines. A formation of limestones, it is a good place to get your summer clothes out in what looks to be snow. 

Nope, not snow

The pools and the thermal waters are a sight to behold, but sadly are disappearing fast. When we were there, only 4-5 pools could be enjoyed for taking a dip. 

The fast disappearing travertine pools

It is a unique experience, and highly, highly recommended. I would suggest start hiking from the bottom, and make your way up while enjoying the view. In case enjoying in isolation is the objective, the idea is to get into the pools by 8.30 or 9, as very few people would have made it by then, as many do it as a day long excursion from Selcuk. After this, I would recommend skipping Cleopatra’s pool (nothing special, while paying a premium), and making your way up to the Theatre in Heirapolis. The panoramic view from here is spectacular, and I would recommend enjoying the theatre to yourself as much as you can!

Having your own ancient stadium, well - Almost!

Selcuk (Ephesus)

The ancient city of Ephesus, which was rebuilt thrice, first as a Greek City (one of the Ionic League) in 10^th Century BC, and then as a Roman bastion, this was a city you wanted to control to exert your dominance. It is home to the temple of Artemis (one of the Seven Wonders of the Ancient World, unfortunately, only some columns remain now), the place where Virgin Mary spent her last few years – and has a Wishing Wall for the believers, the Isa Bey mosque, one of the oldest in Turkey. The ruins of Ephesus are also a place here you can imagine how an ancient city looked like (where was the seat of power, the limit upto which the lower class could access the city, dwellings of the ancient rich, middle class, and the poor), see where the first Social Network was established (sitting and s*itting in a social environment)

Facebook - version 2nd Century BC

 

and visualize where they spent their weekends – they did have their Theatre and Library, only it was very grandiose!

The Great Library - Ephesus

If you are only interested in getting seeped in history and are NOT interested in walking the ramp (like us😊), do ask your guide to avoid trips to Leather Museums and Pottery Stores .

Cappadocia (Goreme)

Staying in a cave is something that hermits or saints (or Prime Ministers recently do). And you would usually associate it with meditation. Not in  Goreme -  staying in a cave which is airconditioned, luxurious and connected with a tunnel to their wine-cellar is the way to go here!

Many firsts here, obviously the hot air balloon experience is unlike anything. On a good day, there are about 300+ balloons, and seeing them all together, in the topography is just wow! 

Merrily, Merrily Merrily, Merrily.....

... Life is but a dream!

Recommendation would be to get up early, and to enjoy the sunrise atop a balloon. Obviously, having a super-experienced pilot who takes you right outside cave-hotels, and you can act as a rooster was a plus (Imagine being a few feet above the ground, shouting out to people in their cave-rooms and asking them to grab their dream pic😊.) 

Good Morning Folks!

There are many balloon rides which are available, make sure you research and take the one as per your budget and requirements. We had opted for Butterfly Balloons, and were really happy with it, as they were friendly and punctual, and we got the perfect sunrise. The landing was celebrated by popping the champagne bottle open - another first!

Next up was going for an ATV experience - a good way to explore some of the valleys like Pigeon Valley, Love Valley (I will let you find out why it is called so!), the Red Valley or the Sunset Point in Goreme for the sunset.

A panorama with the Love Valley

And obviously, while staying in a cave, imagine having an underground cave city, complete with livestock and a church. That’s what people in Derinkuyu and Kaymakli did to escape atrocities of wars. An hour inside had us claustrophobic and wanting a way out , to embrace the sunlight again, we were in awe of people who did it for years at an end! But it is a good place to try that Batman tune (A bit of trivia – there is a city of Batman in Turkey, though we did not visit it)

Modes of Travel – Hot Air Balloon, Foot, Tram, Train, Boat, Air, Bus, Taxi (In decreasing order of interest)

Time of Travel – September – It was a blasting furnace, and while that meant a great hot-air balloon ride because of clear skies and placid winds, it was also draining to walk 10+ km everyday under the sweltering sun.

Places to Avoid – Eastern and South-Eastern Part of Turkey was unsafe to travel during our visit in September 2018

Places we did not visit, but would do a Turkey trip again just for it - Antalya

The Sumptuous, Scrumptious Turkish Breakfast

So, one of the major concerns we have while traveling, (also a major opportunity) is Food.  Constraint because we are lacto-ovo vegetarians, and opportunity, because within that constraint, we are open to literally trying everything. So, the first thing when we talk about Turkey – is a big, hearty Turkish breakfast. Lots of salads, jams, cheese and breads for vegetarians, but ohh so tasty!

Salad counter at a typical Turkish breakfast. Apart from one dish, all vegetarian!

Plenty of cereals to choose from!

And breads too!!

From fixing a salad with fresh tomatoes, olives and cheese (A typical breakfast buffet consists of 8-10 types of cheese, each tastier than the previous). Then there is Menemen (which is a cross between scrambled eggs, and omelettes), and consists of eggs mixed with red and green peppers,  tomatoes, and spices. 

Menemen

Eaten with bread, to me this dish is the ultimate fusion of east meets west. If you are a fan of bread, chances are that you will like the Borek (Thin pastry filled with spinach and cheese) or the Cigara Boregi - think Spring roll on the outside, and mozzarella/ cheddar heaven on the inside. All the dishes were scrumptious, and we ended up spending about an hour everyday in trying all these dishes and more. And if you want to get started with a sweet tooth in the morning, why not try some fresh honeycomb? Yes, that’s a thing!

Fresh Honeycomb..

Once done and swearing to ourselves that this was the last meal we had for the day, we ventured out of our hotel , walked up to Topkapi palace, and took a left for the boulevard where you have the Hagia Sophia Museum on one side, and the Blue Mosque on the other. That’s when the street food starts beckoning you. From fresh pomegranate juices, to Limonita (Home-made lemonade), and even with a filled stomach, we had to get a drink! Oh, picked up a Simit to go as well (That’s a sesame bagel, eaten plain or with Nutella topping – Turkey is one of the higher per capita consumers of Nutella, and hence, its ubiquitousness).

Breakfasty street food

It’s just day 1 and by the time we reach lunch time, we are already packed to the rafters. It’s really a wrap for the day. Our lunch will have to wait until tomorrow….