Last of Hurrahs

Nov. 8, 2022 As several of you know, we returned to Akron safe and soundish. I am grateful for the pilots and air navigation systems for finding and landing where we intended, double ply toilet paper, hot water coming from the left tap and cold from the right, no chance of encountering squat toilets, potable tap water, good coffee (Turkish coffee sucks as does their version of latte and cappuccino), adjusting to our time zone despite the return to standard time, having more than one pair of shoes to wear, having clean underwear, not riding a bus, waking when I want to. Although I watched over David like a hawk, he did have a fall on our trip. In transferring from the gulet to the dinghy, the seat he sat on was unsteady. He fell backwards onto a pile of thick ropes. He has had X-rays and there is no breakage. He's on muscle relaxants and things are improving. As for me, I made it all the way without a fall, managed to do six loads of laundry the day we returned, grocery shopped the next day, then tripped over our collapsible shopping cart and fell on the concrete floor of the garage. I was sore for a day, but am fine now and no bruising. Believe it or not, we're talking about our next trip. It will have to be easier, but we're game. Albania? Georgia? Macedonia? The Stans? Toby

Flying Back

Nov. 2, 2022-Izmir to JFK Rudy met six of us bright and early for a 5:30AM departure to the Izmir airport. He was ready with coffee and breakfast in a box. We were flying to Istanbul for connecting flights home or further travel. We had varying lengths of layover. Ours was the shortest at seven hours. We hung out with the others unti our gate was posted, said our goodbyes, and eagerly walked to our flight. On the way, we noticed a sign to Business Lounge. Who knew? We settled in to enjoy our unexpected perks. There was a full out buffet, free drinks including alcohol, marble restrooms with cubbies large enough to change clothes in, and an ironing service. As with the airport population, the diversity was incredible. The clothing, languages, and hairstyles reflected countries and cultures circling the globe. What a privilege. Security was constant. We went through four separate screenings varying from walk through scanners to opening our hand luggage at the gate. We finally settled into our business class seats with aplomb. The wonder of it was gone, but we are totally spoiled. During our seven hour wait to board, I was looking forward to getting into my little pod and curling up. Of course I had to wait until after dinner. There was an enormous man seated across the aisle from us. He had to weigh at least 450 lbs. He was Indian and going to the US for heart surgery. His family flew economy, but he clearly couldn’t. They alternated coming to help him and the conversation got loud. Still, I managed to sleep 5 hours and watch King Richard. Not bad. We arrived at JFK on time as did our luggage. Now we’re at the Fairfield trying to settle in for the night. Tomorrow Akron. Toby

Ruination

Photos: ,Diana in all her testicled glory, library at Ephesus, honest shopkeeper

Nov. 1, 2022-More History--- Ephesus was #2 of what we really wanted to see in Turkey. Even at the end of a three week trip seeing endless ruins, it was impressive. There is evidence of civilization there as early as 6,000 years ago during the copper age. It flourished as a seaport and grew to 250,,000 inhabitants as the Roman Empire’s capital of Asia Minor. Then the barbarians came and silt built up in the port faster than they could remove it. Malaria was the coup de grace and it was abandoned in the 1500 ‘s. Artifacts from the city are in museums around the world. The most famous one of the goddess, Diana, was saved from export because she was found in the temple of the vestal virgin, not her own temple . No one knows why she was there, but she is now housed in a local museum. St. Paul provides a Christian link to Ephesus. He wanted to spread the gospel there, but was dissuaded. He was imprisoned for safekeeping. When released he continued on his way to more welcoming locations. The answer to the hostility in Ephesus was that one of the wealthiest men in town was in the business of making and selling miniature statues of Diana. If Paul converted the people to Christianity, his business would fail. He convinced a crowd of about 20,000 to kill Paul or drive him out. In the early 1900s, Kaiser Wilhelmin offered to build a railroad from Germany to Istanbul to Ephesus. The Ottomans didn’t know why, but it was too generous an offer to refuse. That’s one of the reasons they ended up on the German side of WWI. We did visit the small museum to see articles of daily life found during excavation. David and I whizzed through looking for only one item. I had to see the statue of Diana adorned with bull testicles. It’s awesome. Tonight was our farewell dinner. We exchanged contact info, took pictures, and bid fond farewells. Nothing schmatlzy. Our group was cohesive and well behaved. I don’t know that any fast friendships were made. It’s always an interesting dynamic seeing adults putting differences aside for the good of the group. Tomorrow we leave for the Izmir airport at 5:30 AM to fly to Istanbul. We leave Istanbul at 3:30PM for JFK. We’ll stay overnight again near JFK and be home on Thursday. It’s been fun having you with us on this journey. Thanks for your responses and reactions. It’s been too long since we’ve traveled. I hope to plan another trip soon. Toby

Another boat

Photos: Hoisting sails, David trying on shoes, necropolis

Oct. 30, 2022-Kaunos to Marmaris, Easy peasy to transfer from our gulet to the canopied tourist motor boat taking us to Kaunos. Somehow we didn’t perceive that early morning chill plus speed of boat over water equals frozen tourists. Even with jackets, the 20 minute ride was grueling. We chugged from the Mediterranean into a brackish river lined with reeds and debarked onto a paved road. For the first time we got to walk to ancient ruins and not put our lives at risk. The site at Kaunos was first inhabited in the 10th century BCE. Following civilizations flourished in that seaport until it was abandoned in the 1400’s. Aside from the Roman ruins, it is remarkable for the friendliness of its sheep. As soon as they heard us, they wandered over wanting to be petted. We climbed, scrambled, and photographed (sheep and ruins) to our heart’s content before returning to our craft. The town of Dalyan was a short ride away and we were given free time to mingle with British tourists, buy bananas, and for Rudy to find shoes for David. For unknown reasons. Rudy has taken on the challenge of finding size 15 men’s shoes. David needs walking shoes, but Rudy was convinced he’d found the “perfect” solution. He bounded over with a pair of slip-ons and a pair of moccasins. He insisted David go back to the store with him to try them on. The entire group followed. Even though they didn’t fit, there were hugs and thanks all around. On our way back to our gulet , we passed a Lycian necropolis modeled after Greek architecture. Cut high on the side of red rock cliffs, they exemplify the artistry and technical genius of the time and show that there was contact between the two civilizations. Now the sun was at its highest and the trip back was more comfortable especially for me. I slept. The crew hoisted two of four the sails for us. It was a demo. No wind, no current, no progress. Pretty anticlimactic after the expectations. Someone played sea shanties on a phone, on went the engines and we continued to Marmaris. Formerly an ancient seaport, it’s now a tourist haven. We moored to a rock across from the harbor for the night. Tomorrow we leave the gulet and become landlubbers again. Toby

Photos: Cleopatra’s Baths, Driving the dinghy, Rudy’s fish

Oct. 29, 2022- Cleopatra’s Baths What do you call a semi-submerged ruin from Roman times if you want to attract tourists? Cleopatra’s Baths did the trick. We dinghyed over to the shore and walked on a wobble-wobble floating dock to the hilly, rocky, tree rooted obstacle they call a path. It led to the aforementioned ruin. Semi-interesting, but here’s what we learned about carob trees at the site. Rudy picked up carob seeds called karats. He said that recent testing confirmed the knowledge of the ancients. Each carob seed, wherever found in the world, weighs .2 grams. Whether boiled, soaked, or frozen, they retain that weight. They were used as a reliable weight in measuring gems through the ages. We use the term karat in valuing gemstones to this day. On the way back to the boat I jokingly asked to drive the dinghy. Mohammed agreed. So fun. He took over as we approached the boat. No way he was going to let me try that maneuver. Most of the rest of the day was taken up with sailing 3 1/2 hours to our overnight spot, watching Rudy not catch fish as seagulls dive bombed the school, reading, and relaxing. Turned out to be too much down time for me. I’ll give you a rundown on boat cuisine. Everything is served family style. The only meat protein is served at dinner. It varies: fish, chicken, lamb, beef. Breakfast and lunch are veggies, fruit,cheeses, bulgar, and anything that can be mixed with yogurt. That would be anything: garlic, squash, purslane, peas, carrots, etc. The vegetarians are very happy. The bread has been average, but toppings are homemade jams, honey, butter, tapenade. We’re not suffering. Rudy talks in threes. When he explains things about what we’re seeing, tells stories, or gives instructions he rewords it three ways. That’s supposed to make us remember, but he still has to repeat times of departure, dinner, etc. He’s very patient. And his patience paid off. Most of us were dozing or reading when he and the captain erupted in loud Turkish exclamations. He’d caught a fish! It was bonito. Then he caught another. We pulled into our overnight cove and were greeted by an OAT boat going the other way. Rudy hailed the guide and we acted as if it was old home week. Soon they sailed off and we were left with a private beach (rocky) and isolation. No one swam today. In preparation for tea we made feta stuffed cigar rolls. The cook demonstrated, we mimicked,they fried them, and we ate. Delightful with afternoon tea. Our companions and we sound like pubescent boys. There are varieties of rasps and squeaks. Occasionally, they’re punctuated with a cough. No one is sick, but we sound awful. Tomorrow is a river boat ride to Dalyan Toby

A Loss For All

Photos: ice cream boat, sign language, relaxing on boat

Oct 28, 2022-Kayakoy-Ghost Town As we were taking our orientation walk last night,Tom asked me if it bothered us when Rudy took God’s name in vain. I told him it didn’t and occasionally I did the same and even used the name of Jesus in the say way. He was shocked. A discussion ensued about the biblical prohibition and a debate regarding the Hebrew translation. I reminded Tom that it wasn’t a good idea to argue with David about Hebrew and walked away. Eventually, the conversation ended. I must say I like Tom and Cheryl a lot.. We’re respectful of our differences and get on well. Today’s walk up to the Ghost Town was an example. Tom stayed back with us to be sure David was able to make the climb and descent. We didn’t need his help, but his presence was a generous gesture. Then I overheard them saying they’d need to vote absentee soon or not at all.When they decided their vote didn’t matter, I inwardly smiled. One less vote in Tennessee for the opposition. The story of the Ghost Town (Kayakoy) speaks to politicians deciding what’s expedient and disrupting large populations. In 1923, Greece and Turkey were doing battle over Ottoman territory lost to Greece prior to WW I. To end hostilities the governments agreed to a population trade: Greeks for Turks. One problem was that Turks in Greece were typically farmers and Greeks in Turkey were typically artisans. Each population was forced to move with only what they could carry. Turks in this area ended up in a terraced stone village of 1,000 houses with no arable land. Eventually everyone except six families abandoned the village. Even though moving people around like pawns for political reasons isn’t new (Hungarians/Romanians; Israelis/Palestinians; Pakistanis/Indians), governments keep doing it. The ghost town climb was rated a #2 out of 5 difficulty level. It wasn’t steep, but the footing was awful. There was comic relief when a small herd of goats tried to get around us and into their pen. They were more afraid of us than we were of the pitfalls of the trail. We rested at a cafe at the end and enjoyed the best guzleme yet. We’re getting picky. We also enjoyed clean western toilets that forbade squatting on the seat, smoking, or reading while using the facilities. Th boat met us at the end of our climb and our first encounter with a dinghy transfer was successful.The crew is strong and specific in giving us directions to balance the skiff. No one fell in the water and no one took compromising pictures of us scrambling up the ladder. After lunch there was another hike rated #3. We declined. We skipped swimming as well since the air temp is low 70’s. We hung out on the boat and napped on deck. But our ice-cream wishes were granted. An ice-cream boat cruised up. We had double chocolate Magnum bars. Heaven. We pulled into a cove and tied up for the night among million dollar yachts. One wealthy owner was flying around the water on a hoverboard. Rudy was fascinated by it and looked up the price. We were appalled to learn they “start” at $12,499. There was to be a three and a half (at least) hour hike tomorrow morning. No one wants to go. I think Rudy is relieved. It’s rated a level #4. Rudy rewarded us by serenading us before dinner. Tomorrow we explore Cleopatra’s underwater baths.

Sailing, Sailing

Photos: Our boat, frescoes at St. Nick’s, ,houses overlooking Mediterranean,

October, 27, 2022- Fethiye Surprise. We have Wi-Fi at this marina. This is unreal. We drove several hours to our gullet, a converted fishing boat. It’s pristine and exotic. It’s squeezed in between other boats at the pier until we sail tomorrow. The Mediterranean beckons. So does the dinghy we’ll take to shore. Oh, the wobbles. Our room has everything we need organized in the efficient manner of sailing crafts. The boat is teak and mahogany heaven. Everything gleams and is, pardon me, ship shape. With Rudy’s prompting, they have figured out how to keep electricity on in the cabin sockets overnight so David can use his CPAP. Yay! We sleep. There are rules specific to this boat. We can’t wear shoes worn on land on the boat to protect the wood decks. We brought stylish hospital issue socks with grippers on the soles. We also can’t flush toilet paper. There’s a wastebasket for its disposal. If you clog your toilet, there is no other room where you can move. Let me backtrack. Our drive took us up and over more of the forested crags of the Taurus range along the sea. Rudy asked those who might experience motion sickness to move to the front seat. I hunkered down in pretzel form on my two seats with my legs across the aisle and my feet on another seat. My head was jammed into the side of the bus and the curtain was shading me as well as partially hanging over my face. My jacket was balled up under my hip to cushion it from the seatbelt buckle. Then I fell asleep. We stopped at a 6th century church dedicated to St. Nicholas and where he is said to have been buried. Born in Turkey, he was appropriated by Scandinavia and Coca Cola. There were many Russian tourists there. They’re the #1 tourists in Turkey. Brits are 2nd. I had an unusual form of gyro for lunch. It was deconstucted and in a tomato sauce. Meat, tzatziki, pita…all in sauce. I prefer what I’m used to, but am glad I experienced the Turkish version. Tomorrow we visit a ghost town then sail into the blue. Toby

Marking Time

Photos: Us at theater, Making guzleme

Oct.. 26, 2022-Digging Antalya What day is it? I know the date, but not day. David just told me it’s Wednesday. I know it as the day I changed from jeans to light weight safari pants that convert to shorts. I thought wearing the jeans for two weeks was efficient. Anyway, it’s much warmer down here. Confession…I didn’t go to the home hosted dinner last night. I have a cold. It’s better today, so I’m back on tour. I’ll fill you in on David’s report. The hosts share a duplex building that’s been in the family 22 years. David’s group ate with the married children. They have 5 year old rambunstious twin boys who were quickly sent downstairs to their grandparents. Luckily, the wife’s mother was visiting. She’s a professional chef and the food was top notch. Conversation flowed freely in English with politics and religion being foremost. Their opinion is that Erdoğan will lose the upcoming election but won’t leave office. Sound familiar? There’s no law against homosexuality, but no one cares if an LGBTQ person is persecuted or killed. Tom asked whether Christian missionaries were permitted to proselytize. He was told that they were, but if they were killed in the process no one investigated. Guess whose family is big into missionary work? I stayed in our room and sneezed non-stop using two rolls of toilet paper. David asked Rudy to provide me a sandwich and it was huge: a beef salami, cheese, lettuce, and tomato hoagie. I entertained myself watching Netflix: Hassan Minhaj, a brilliant comedian, and the movie Passing. Yesterday there was a lecture about the find at Perge and we saw artifacts from the site that had been removed and restored. Today we visited in person. It was occupied by Bronze Age people (perhaps Hittites) around 4,000-3,000 BCE. The sophisticated city ruins we saw were built by Romans after Greek occupation. It had a central waterway and sewer that could be a model for any modern settlement. It survived Romans and was visited twice by St. Paul and St. Barnabus. Onward to the “Best Roman Theater in the World.” Rudy likes superlatives. According to dated coins Aspendos, in Perge, dates from the 5th century BCE. Alexander the Great visited in 330 BCE. David orated Genesis 1 in Hebrew and if there were any Jews or Israelis at the site, they didn’t salute. The theater is in great shape and never had to be restored. It was in constant use and maintained through the ages. Lunch was an impromptu stop at a roadside stand where a woman was cozied up to a wooodfire heated stone making thin square flatbread filled with cheese or veggies. We were served four guzleme, salad of tomato and cucumber, and fresh orange or pomegranate juiice. Cost was $4/person. When we paid, she made change from a stash of cash under her tusch. After all the above, we walked across the street from our hotel to check out the free ethnic museum. It was in an old house and quite charming. There were several displays of Turkish life and crafts using mannequins to stage the scenes. The walk to and from the bus isn’t as hard during the daytime when we’re rested. Doing it after a 10 hour bus ride was not a good test. Today Rudy pointed out the Antalya airport with three terminals. I asked why we couldn’t fly from Konya to Antalya. He said that with transfers in Istanbul it would take six hours and we’d miss Rumi’s monastery. I was willing to ditch Rumi and fly. We joined two of the group for dinner. Indecision led us back to a place where we’d had lunch. It was average, but the walk to the ice-cream stand afterwards made up for it. Tomorrow we leave for Fethiye and board the gulet. Remember, we will not have Wi-Fi for four days. Toby

Photos: Hadrian’s Gate, Rudy’s girls, Pan

Oct. 25, 2022- Antalya and Archaeology And how will this day go? If I believed in omens I would have predicted poorly. Before breakfast I managed to pour water from a bottle I was refilling into David’s shoe. The solution involved propping a hair dryer and a sense of humor. Fortunately, David wears thick absorbent socks. We met Rudy’s daughters, Yanki (7) and Yaren (9). He’s divorced and they live with their mother. They stay with him when he’s in town and will tour with us. An archaeologist who was a dead ringer for Gepetto spoke on his experiences in Turkey. Unfortunately he had a thick accent. I think he spoke about his time working on digs finding and re-assembling artifacts. An interesting story was about finding the headless statue of Pan. He worried about that head for a year. One day he was walking around the site and his toe hit something. When it rolled he knew he’d found the head. Rudy and his daughters walked us around the old city and into the new. We found the bus where we’d left it last night and drove to the museum housing the objects the archaeologist spoke of. It’s a large and well presented collection. It’s intact because the Turks found it, excavated it, and guarded the contents refusing to sell it off. After a break, we met with a lawyer who’d been schooled in Winston Salem, NC. He gave a rundown of the judicial system here. There are no juries. Judges hear cases. In recent time it has become a crime to criticize the government, member of Parliament, or the flag. There is freedom of religion, but only Suni Islam is taught in public or private schools. For a good enough reason it is possible but rare for a parent to have their child excused. The lawyer said that when his daughter told him she was taught that Christians didn’t go to heaven, he had her withdrawn from religion class and insisted she be given an “A.” Rather than get into a dispute with a lawyer, the principal complied. So far our group has avoided Covid. There have been colds and tummy issues, but looming over us is the threat of not being allowed on the gulet if we’re sick. And the gulet was the bait that hooked me on this trip . Well , that and Cappadocia. The group came to an agreement to just not test anymore. Tonight is our home hosted meal. We’ll split into two groups and visit members of the same family in their adjacent apartments. Rudy will not be there. We’ll have to fend for ourselves. Tomorrow we see “the best preserved amphitheater ever.” Toby

Photos: Puppy, pita plank lunch, triple protected from Sun, covid, and being asked to leave the mosque

October 24, 2022- To Antalya Yesterday Rudy asked if we liked dogs. We all do. Our surprise today was a visit to a dog ranch, aka, breeding facility for Aksaray Maliklise. Our 40 passenger bus morphed into an off-road vehicle as we ventured down the dirt lane. The owner wasn’t there and advised us not to get off the bus. The dogs are large and protective. They came out of their kennels barking, yowling, and ready for action. We got off the bus trusting in the fencing and barbed wire between us. Our rest stop was voted “the best in Turkey” in a newspaper survey. David noticed that the area of the toilets was called a Pishvar. There was a Mado restaurant where we had Turkish goat milk ice-cream served in a block.and eaten with knife and fork. Konya is the most religious city in Turkey and largest consumers of alcohol. It’s also a dust bowl. Land is barren and so cheap the government gives it free to industries willing to re-locate. Consequently, there’s a permanent haze obscuring the mountains. Lunch was a treat of plank pita bites extending the length of our table . It was fun reaching, sharing, and rotating the pitzas. The monastery of whirling dervishes is a museum dedicated to the works of Rumi, a poet and master. He was born in 1207, in Afghanistan, but when Barbarians swept in and raided the treasures of the land taking them back to Mongolia, his father fled ending up in Konya. His group of Sufi Muslims was welcoming to all religious backgorunds. Kings of the time were fighting illiteracy and established madrasas. As teachers, Rumi and his father were assets to the town. Rumi said, “I was raw, I was cooked, I was burnt,“ meaning I was ignorant, I learned, then I reached the truth. Everything is illusion but God. The buildings of the museum included the students’ “cells,” refectory, and former mosque, now Rumi’s shrine. There was a relic of a piece of Mohammed’s beard in a decorative box that was a magnet for those who prayed to it as if it was Allah, a clear violation of idolatry. We went to the shop of a man who was a dervish, a holy and learned man. The frenzied whirling we’ve seen in shows is an extreme of the ecstasy that is the goal of prayer. Twirling is a meditative aid and may be done at any speed. The conversation evolved into similarities between Islam and Judaism. We both assign numerical values to letters giving words special meaning. You may be familiar with the Hebrew word “chai,” meaning “life.” Over the Taurus Mt. range we went cresting at 6,000 feet and ending up at sea level. We left our hotel at 8AM at 41 degrees and arrived at our hotel at 8PM and 71 degrees. The time on the bus was painful. We napped, toured, napped and napped again. Somewhere along the way we were told there’s WiFi on the bus. Would have been nice to know sooner. Rudy tried to pass the time filling us in on the Kurdish and Armenian situations. I don’t think he considers the Armenian loss of life a genocide since they were combatants in a war. As for the Kurds, they’re fighting for territory. That’s a summary. I’m not informed enough to agree or disagree. The Aspen Hotel is in the old city so the bus couldn’t drop us off. A car transported luggage to our destination and our feet transported us. The walk was longer than expected with most of it downhill. That means up to the bus tomorrow. As we neared the hotel there was a steep incline followed by several steps to the lobby and twelve to the room. David said a “wordy derd .” We grudgingly ate dinner for sustenance only and settled into our rooms. The blanket is the consistency of a scratchy pee pad, the room is tiny, and we’re being serenaded by bar patrons. As far as I can see, the only good thing about this place is cheap laundry service. Tomorrow we meet with experts to learn about Turkish politics and law. Toby

Adventures and Challenges

Photos: Valley of Love, Police station (for real), End of day

Oct. 23, 2023 Omission: Yesterday I wrote of my irritation that, as the religion evolved, monastic Christians “forgot” the horror of their persecution. I failed to extend that “convenient amnesia” to all religions who have oppressd others in the name of their belief system. That probably applies to most if not all religions We sat with Rudy at breakfast and had an extended discussion about religion and philosophy. He’s a theist and lapsed Muslim. He was somewhat knowledgeable about Judaism having led Isaraelis on tour. By the time we’d finished, I thought he was ready to convert. Our day was filled with one adventure after another in a good way. We had an in-depth tutorial on carpet making. The weavers are paid by the knot with raises based on difficulty of fiber density. Wool is easiest and silk hardest with blends in between. Women who work in the shop get health and retirement benefits, breaks every 15 to 20 minutes, and freedom to make their own hours. Women working at home have no benefits. We proved that buyers are liars. We have rugs from previous travel and swore we didn’t need another. Buuuut, we do have a large blank wall in the dining room. Yes, we own another rug. What is a day in this area without seeing more pinnacles and natural formations. Amazing what a little tectonic pressure, wind, and water can do. Named to attract tourists, the Fairy Castles are basically vacant apartments. We met Ishmael who was born and lived in one of those formations for 23 years. That’s when the government evicted all dwellers and turned the area into a tourist destination. Ishmael now has a rental agreement with the government to lead tours and sell trinkets. He walked us through the extensive rooms, garden, verandas, and pigeon roosts of his former home. Pigeon guano was collected and used for fertilizer. Most crops in the area are grown without water. Only potatoes, beets, and alfalfa require irrigation. Guano alone does the trick in mineral rich volcanic soil for grapes, fruit trees, etc. Those of you who have been on email journeys with us may be wondering about hippo-quest. Our granddaughter, Rylee, has a hippo collection. On each trip we’ve enlisted the help of fellow travelers and guides to find a hippo to bring to her. Bingo! Jerri, who found us bananas, spotted a hippo in Ishmael’s shop. Unfortunately, it was chipped. Rudy called a friend at our next stop and asked about a hippo. He had a larger version and it was cheaper. He held it for us and was so delighted to get rid of it he gave it to us at half price. Lunch introduced us to a new dessert. We enjoyed shredded wheat with pistachio paste. Very sweet. A good end to a meal of beef kabob. The underground city from the Hittite era was a challenge on full stomachs. Steps led down to rooms carved into rock and linked by narrow tunnels. We had to stoop or squat to maneuver through those tubes. We were warned not to go down if we had asthma, bad back or knees, claustrophobia, or dust allergies. Everyone tried at least one level. There were chances to exit and many took that route. David made it halfway down. A few of us got to the end. The day wasn’t over yet. The Valley of Love called. The hike to the valley was uphill. Why not? When we got there, we all realized that the name was a euphemism for valley of circumcised penises. Judge for yourselves. On to the Valley of Imagination where we were supposed to see animal shapes in the rock formations. Unimpressive. When we look at our pictures at home we’ll only see lots of rocks. The touring part of the day was over and I couldn’t resist a selfie of its effect on us. We have been reunited with our passports and money. We can leave tomorrow with clear minds for an all day drive to Antalya with stops along the way. Toby

Re-thinking

Photos: 3 pillars with volcano in background, Adrienne in potato cave, making shakshuka

Oct. 22, 2022- Chat & a day in the Life: You know what was missing from my email yesterday? Me. My reaction to the caves of Cappadocia. I’ve wanted to see them as soon as I knew they existed. I knew the basic history and was awed by the drone videos of the landscape. In person, the caves were meh. The exterior was spectacular. It was the reason d’etre that stuck in my craw. So monastic Christians were drven to shelter for safety in this Goreme (hidden place). Where did the memories of this suffering on the part of the former minority go? How could they forget their terror and efforts just to survive? Where was their “Rachmanis,” empathy, for the oppressed who followed? How could they become the oppressors? And then there’s Tom whose definitiaon of Christian is limited to those who have accepted Jesus as their savior within the paramters of his denomination’s definition. To him, Catholics would not be Christians. Back to the present. Although charming, our cave-room is dimly lit. At night it is pitch black and, well, cave-like. Getting to the bathroom in the middle of the night is a game of blind man’s bluff. Last night I found the tub, heated towel rack, and shower doors before I could exit and find the bed. We do have a flashlight for such purposes. The batteries died. Not to fear, I packed extras. Problem: I have no idea where they are. Solution: this is pretty much a first world country. Rudy found AA batteries for me. The ballooinists returned in great spirits. They were rewarded with sunrise, perfect winds, and champagne for their early morning wake-up. We met at the dining room at breakfast time having been warned not to eat breakfast. As we sipped the best coffee we’ve had in Turkey (European machine made), we speculated as to what our farm breakfast would be. A Day in the Life is a feature of OAT (Overseas Adventure Travel) trips. Ours started with breakfast with a family who grew grapes and apples on a 12 acre orchard. The father is mayor of the town and works in local industry. Farming ancestral land is a supplement, not his sole income. We met the entire family including his daughter and her fiancée. When asked if the wedding would be at their home in town, we were told it would be at a hotel. We later saw photos of a local wedding, and let me tell you, the professional photo album and festivities are lavish. Mama cooked shakshuka over an open fire. But that was only the beginning. We feasted on homemade everything: honeycomb, bread, pancakes, cheeses, jams, olives. Bees were the uninvited guests. They came to supervise the honeycombs we used on our pancakes and taunt David. The perfect ending was when Rudy serenaded us on his baglama (Turkish stringed instrument) as we sipped tea overlooking yet more rock pinnacles and caves. The youngest daughter, Adrienne, is ten years old. Her English is serviceable and she is adorable. We all wanted to take her home. She wants to be a teacher or tour guide so Rudy enlisted her to ride in the co-pilot seat of the bus and direct us through her village. I’m pleased to report that this village had paved streets. We met her uncle, the diviner. He showed us his two copper divining rods that weren’t used exclusively for water detection. He was able to find hidden sunglasses and do other parlor tricks. I tried using them and failed since I don’t have the “gift.” My father used water witchers with willow rods on his orange grove, and I used one to help me find a well on a property I was selling. I believe. Adrienne directed us to her mosque. It’s modest, dates from 1725, and, of course, is built in a cave. Imams used to have discretion to preach freely, but since Erdogan, the government dictates the weekly topics. We saw the women’s center with full gym and a WESTERN TOILET. Guess what I didn’t know about until we left and I’d crippled myself on a squatter? The WESTERN TOILET. Onward to a bread making “bee,” much like our sewing bees, where women gather to make flatbread to store for the winter. They rolled some around feta, greens and potatoes and offered us samples. Just what we needed after breakfast and on our way to lunch. But our stop to sip apple tea with village men washed it all down. There’s always room for more. It was a surprise too learn that this area is an international potato producer. They can grow anything in this arid soil. To illustrate the scale of that industry, we visited an enormous, cavernous (yes, originally caves) storage warehouse. The natural underground temperature is perfect. Lunch was home hosted on the veranda of quite the modern place. We didn’t see the bedrooms but the main living area had a formal living room plus TV/family room and a modern kitchen. When offered the use of the Eastern “facilities” I opted to challenge my bladder. Travel is not for those with continence issues. Rudy played for us before our meal to give our stomachs time to recover. The food was okay, but dessert was a treat. It was halvah made with flour instead of chick peas. It’s more of a pasty consistency, but equally yummy. We chatted with our hostess and her neighbors about their daily lives and aspirations including regrets of early marriages and careers not pursued. Their daughters will have it differently. Now education for girls is important, marriage is later, and use of birth control is evident. Our agenda included watching a potter at his craft and visiting the shop for an opportunity to buy. We were sorely tempted, but the price of the enormous platter we wanted only dropped from $8,000 to $6,000 (including shipping). We were out of there. A photo op to see the 13,000 foot high snow capped volcano ended our day of touring. A very satisfactory one it was. Dinner was at a restaurant twenty minutes and many switchbacks away. It’s a good thing it was dark so we couldn’t see the ravines unblocked by guardrails. Lamb shanks were the main with ice cream and candied pumpkin and beet dessert. So much better than last night. We did let Rudy know so he could put it in his report. He files one with the regional OAT office every five days so they can make adjustments for future trips. I’m sure the saga of the safe is ongoing, but we’re not involved. Our valuables are still in the office safe and there they will stay until we leave Monday. Tomorrow we tour an underground city. Toby

Asian Turkey

Photos: Caves of Cappadocia

Oct. 21, 2022- Goreme Cappadocia Yeah! Finally got to the Asian side of Istanbul. That’s where the airport was for our domestic flight. We crossed the Bosphorous on a jammed super highway bridge and piled out of the van with our bags like clowns at a circus. We were given sandwiches on the 45 minute Pegasus Air flight but had to buy drinks. I didn’t think that would be enough so grabbed bread, cheese, and a hard boiled egg at breakfast and stashed it in a carry-on. It came in handy. Tom, who worked for Billy Graham, and David had an interesting discussion on the ride to the airport. Heaven, hell, original sin, Messiah, Jesus were fair game. It was predictable on Tom’s part. He quoted New Testament and robotically stuck to the party line. It was cordial. Evidently, Tom and Cheryl are not aware of some issues that are at the forefront of the news in the US. After a discussion about transitioning from male to female and vice versa, Tom clearly was confused. Vicki gave him a tutorial. We’re here to see the cave dwellings of Cappadocia. We landed at the Kayseri airport named for Caesar. Of course the Romans were here too.. Our hotel was an hour away in Goreme as is the main attraction. We’ve upgraded to a 46 passenger bus so we’re not suffering lack of leg room anymore. Rudy kept talking about this being an area of fruit farming and pastrami pork. What the hell? He bought some meat for us to taste. It’s extremely salty and reminiscent of something similar they have in Canada. Blech! One of the reasons we came to Turkey again is to see the World Heritage site cave dwellings of Cappadocia. There have been underground cities here since around the 8th and 7th centuries BCE. What we saw were the paintings and decorations in these caves occupied by persecuted monastic Christians in the 4th century CE onward. We climbed cobbled trails of moonscaped hills to enter small alcove-like rooms. Some had paintings. Most didn’t. The remarkable thing to me is the topography of conical hills and natural beehive shaped structures. We’re staying in the Alfina Cave Hotel. It’s built into the hillside and rooms are refurbished ancient caves. It’s quite cute, but Wi-Fi stinks. The safe isn’t great either. It works with a key instead of a combination. David couldn’t get the key out when he tried to lock it. The hotel clerk got the key out but couldn’t open it. They’re out looking for a safe cracker or dynamite. Our passports and money are there for the duration. This was the worst dinner we’ve had. It was two small fish steaks well seasoned, but bony. Tasteless pasta, and what was supposed to be a ball of mashed potatoes shared the pathetic plate. The candied pumpkin desert was a novelty and actuall good. I sat across from Rudy and watched him consume two full meals at a speed that was inhuman. During dinner, the clerk came in brandishing our passports and money. He successfully destroyed the locking mechanism on the safe and will keep our valuables in the office safe until ours can be fixed. Six of us will be up at the crack of dawn for a hot air balloon ride over the caves. We’re not going. We’ve done that and wanted to sleep later. Hope the winds are kind to them. Tomorrow we spend the day with locals. Toby

Cultural Explosion

Photos: Ataturk monument, Istiklal Street, Neve Shalom Synagogue

Oct. 20, 2022-Still Istanbul, Turkey Forty two civilizations have lived here. That’s a lot of culture to absorb. Excavations for Metros and new buildings often reveal antiquities that need to be worked around. Roman aqueducts and ancient cisterns interlace the multi-lane highways that merge with narrow cobbled streets not fit for taxis, strollers, and pedestrians. Somehow it all works. What doesn’t always work is trying to vie with hoards of tourists from cruise ships. This morning we climbed the hill to the Hagia Sophia and quickly decided to revamp our program. Rudy called our van and we traveled over the Golden Horn to Taksim Square. Today was sunny and peaceful, but the square is often the site of demonstrations of which Rudy has been a participant. The centerpiece of Taksim is a statue of Attaturk, considered the father of the country. He was a forward looking leader and Renaissance man who was President of the new republic from 1923-1938. He embraced the Latin alphabet, saw the need for railroads, and secularized the country. We walked down Istiklal Street gawking at designer goods, sweet shops, and restaurants. Rudy treated us to simit, a bagel shaped pretzel on our way to the Pera Palace Hotel where Agatha Christie wrote Murder on the Orient Express. It began raining so we ducked into the cafe at the hotel. We enjoyed the break and opportunity to sip coffee and tea while reclining on pink velvet banquettes set on pink marble floors surrounded by pink marble walls. Rudy arranged for David and me to tour the Jewish Museum and Neve Shalom Synagogue. The rest of the group was continuing on to the spice market. They walked us to the synagogue and went to the van. David and I tried to see the interior of the synagogue in 1994, but that was right after a terrorist bombing, so they weren’t allowing visitors. Today, the place was busy with mostly non-Jewish tourists. The synagogue itself was typical of any traditional one including a women’s balcony. Chairs were hard wooden theater seats and uncomfortable. The surrounding paneling and decorative wood was dark as well. The only bright spot was the stained glass window above the ark. To our delight, we began a conversation with non-Jewish sisters from Scotland. They were teachers on school break and traveled frequently. We traded tips and plans for “next trips” then spoke of Brexit (ambivalent) , the Queen (loved her) , and lack of civility around the world (frustrated). They asked about visiting Jordan and by the time we left, I think we’d convinced them to include Israel. The museum was well done with information on basic Jewish customs. We were more interested in the migration of Sephardic Jews. The Inquisitinon prompted emigration from Spain and Portugal and a wonderful map illustrated the dissemination of their Jewish populations. Turkey was most welcoming and attracted its fair portion of refugees. Rudy suggested we ask the people at the museum to help us get a cab. One man was happy to walk us to a main intersection and arrange a taxi for an honest metered fare. Our driver spoke tolerable English. He bragged that he was 62 years old and had been driving for 32 years. Believe me, we were grateful for his experience. Our plan was to eat at a restaurant recommended by an Akron friend, but it was out of reach being a ferry ride away and on the Asian side. We walked uphill to Kennedy St. near our hotel and found a place at random. We ordered lamb doner for two. It was made in a clay pot, flambéed at table side and cracked open with great ceremony. It cost $32 US. Prices here are comparable to home. On our way back to the hotel, we passed carpet shops that set me drooling. But, I decided not to buy in the city and perhaps not at all as we have several rugs at home and a kilim from our last trip here. Before we left Akron, our children cautioned that we needed to take care of each other. I told them that we were of an age that others on the trip would want to take care of us. This has proved to be true. We all point out unsure footing to each other, but Jerri took it upon herself to go further. Although oranges and persimmons are freely available at breakfast and at street vendors, bananas are not. Last night she went to a mini-mart and found us bananas. They were hanging on our door this morning. Our potassium had arrived. And Hagia Sophia? We saw it tonight when the cruise crowds were gone. Illuminated and surrounded by dark skies, it floated above the park. The last time we saw it there was scaffolding everywhere. Technicians were removing white plaster that Muslims had spread over Christian mosaics. Originally built as a Greek Orthodox Church in 360, it was converted to a mosque in 1453 when Constantinople fell to the Ottoman Turks. It was restored in 1935 in preparation for becoming a museum. In 2020, when the present government declared it to be a functioning mosque, fortunately, the mosaics remained. Since it was prayer time, women weren’t permitted in the main body of the space. Thank goodness for zoom on cameras. Three of us debated whether to storm the guards, but we didn’t want to see the inside of a Turkish jail. Walking back to the hotel , I used the Jedi hand Rudy had taught us to negotiate traffic. It’s two fingers pointed at the driver as a sign that we see each other. It worked! Tomorrow we fly to Cappadocia

Adjustments

Photos: Blue Mosque, Topkapi diamond and dagger

Oct. 19, 2022- Istanbul Tour We set our alarm an hour later than we should have. The late start didn’t give us much time to meet the rest of the group. They seem nice enough and are well traveled. There’s a single man, Steve, from Dallas, and a couple, Cheryl and Tom, from Knoxville. He had a career in technology, as a Delta pilot, and in broadcasting for Billy Graham. Rudy, our guide, is talkative and full of information. His first career was as a radio presenter so he’s had a lifetime of public speaking. He is tall, lean, and has very long legs. Several of us asked him to slow down his walking pace. He may get the message in a few days. He led us on a wild walk through typical sites of old Istanbul. I’ve never seen so many minarets in one area. Five times a days it’s stereo calls to prayer. We craned our necks at the 3500 year old Egyptian obelisk of Theodosious at the Hippodrome. They claim it was a gift and not stolen. Since it’s not in the British Museum , I’ll give them the benefit of the doubt. Our agenda called for the obligatory trip to the 12,000 year old infamous bazaar. It was the first indoor shopping mall and an ingenious concept. The gigantic multi-domed roof supported a building that housed stalls for merchants selling wares satisfying every human need. Today the 4,000 stores offer a paltry variety of items. The repetition was numbing. We were given an hour to stroll the lanes. It was more than ample. We masked and dove into crowds who were a surprising mix of locals and tourists viewing the limited variety of either carpets, Turkish Delight, jewelry, leather, or trinkets. Rudy pointed us to a choice of restaurants for lunch. The Pudding Shop Lale Restaurant fit the bill. “Lale” is “tulip” in Turkish and is the national flower and symbol of Turkey. Though famous for doner kebabs, they did have a variety of puddings. We stuck with doner. Rudy knew of a back way into Topkapi Palace that avoided the deadening lines. We’d been there in 1994, and the only changes were what exhibits were closed for renovation. One change for us was that my phone camera is far better than the camera I had almost twenty years ago. I finally got good pictures of the 86 carat diamond and mid-18th century emerald encrusted dagger. I may have to re-watch the heist movie Topkapi with Peter Ustinov. Seventeen thousand steps later, we returned to our hotel and passed out until dinner. It was our welcome dinner at a hotel across the street. It was good, but nothing like Azerbaijan as far as flavor and presentation. The group is jelling. The newbies are used to easily making new friends and conversation naturally flows around travel experiences. We mix and match as we sit down to a meal or stroll through the city. Everyone seems interested in everyone else and it’s fun meeting other old fogies and hearing about their lives. We used to go on tours as the youngest; now we are the oldest and “role models.” Tomorrow we see the Hagia Sophia. Toby

New Faces

Picture- Welcome to Istanbul

Oct. 18, 2022- Istanbul, Turkey It was hard leaving Latif this morning. On the way to the airport he asked each of us what our favorite experience was. Some liked the mud volcanoes and others the village visit. David and I related most to the unusual nature of the Jewish cemetery. We were all impressed by the level of sophistication the country has achieved in the 30 years since it became a democratic republic. But, at the end, I told him that the best memory of our visit will be him. He was so thoughtful and helpful. He truly made our experience first rate. We all cleared security as Latife lurked in the background making sure we were ok. Doug was the only one who had issues. For some reason they didn’t know what trail mix was and needed to be reassured it was “food.” But his Clive Custler paperback with a picture of an exploding ship on the cover almost did him in. Our day was spent waiting for our flight, flying, and driving to Hotel Armada in the old city. Our new guide, Rudy, met us there. He’s the anti-Latif. He’s very tall and hyper. He’s been guiding for 22 years, so I’m sure he’s good. OAT guides are select and well trained. His English is accentless colloquial American. Haven’t asked where he learned it. He has a friend and former client in PA, Rabbi Meyer Selig, who blessed him with a Hebrew prayer. He knows a bit of Hebrew as he’s guided English speaking Israelis. Sally, our newest addition to the group, joined us. She’s a retired AP history teacher and daughter of a marine. She shuddered at the sign pictured below so she’s aligned with our politics. Rudy seems to be too, although he cautioned against talking American politics. He said we should stick to Turkish politics and he will teach us. He took us on a brief walk around the block showing us dinner options for tonight. He recommended a fish restaurant owned by his friend and we did eat there. I had bonito, a fish, and David had lamb chops. Desert was baklava and date-sugar ice cream. We won’t starve. My first impression of Istanbul is that it’s no Baku. It’s truly cosmopolitan and shows all the pimples of a city of 20 million. The buildings aren’t as dramatically modern as Baku and impoverished areas are obvious. Tomorrow is a day tour of Istanbul. Toby

Endings and Beginnings

Photos: Memorial, Dancers, Overlook

Oct. 17, 2022- Baku Again David doesn’t do rain. He told Latif that it’s ok for it to rain when we’re traveling but not when we’re out and about. It worked yesterday until David’s slower pace threw off the weather spirits. We got drenched in the village. The downpour was short lived. David took credit for that. But he felt awful for slowing down the group. However, they were grateful. They’d all been worried about not being able to keep up. David tried the sharkshuka for breakfast today. It was very different from what we’re used to. This was more a scramble of eggs and tomato sauce. Still can’t complain. The food has been nothing less than stunning. The five of us who are in this pre-trip have bonded, but realize we have to be open and welcoming to the newcomers arriving tomorrow. We’ve experienced group travel enough to understand how to be inclusive. We deadheaded back to Baku with a pit stop including rooster supervision at the halfway point. Another squatter, but we’re beginning to master it. Knees protested but we’re more proficient. The three hour ride allowed for more Q & A with Latif. Some gleanings were depressing for Americans. There is a three year family leave for mothers or fathers after a new baby. At 1 1/2 years old, free day care starts. University costs about $2,000 a year while medical school is $3,000. On the other hand, cars are extremely costly and there’s a shortage of used ones. They import many from the US. That’s why our granddaughter is having such a hard time finding one in budget. City overlooks by their nature have to be high. Why did it surprise me that Baku’s was 180 steps up? We walked through a serene memorial park to gaze at the haze covered city. It was a good review of what we’d trekked the first day. The perspective gave us a sense of how much territory we’d covered. Oh yes, the 180 steps were down. The park was terraced so we started at the high point. Lucky for us. Next was the Tagiyev National History Museum honoring its namesake by showcasing his home and offices. Although illitereate, he was an accomplished businessman who made his money in oil and construction. Our only challenge was fitting American sized feet into Azerbaijani sized protective footies. David gave up and Latif convinced the guard to let him in anyway. We’re back at the Shah Palace Hotel busily re-packing for our flight to Istanbul tomorrow. I feel as if the trip is just beginning. Our farewell dinner included music and dancers. It was festive and bittersweet. There was lots and laughter and teasing Latif about coming with us to Turkey. We’re off to Istanbul tomorrow and have a free day. The other travelers catch up with us Wed. morning. Toby

Villages, Hills, and MUD

Photos: amazing eyebrows, host family, MUDDY hill

Oct. 16, 2022-Khinalug, Azerbaijan Never have I ever eaten so much food, and they’re making us eat dinner too. Breakfast was two rooms of buffet delight from shakshuka to halvah. I circled like a shark collecting my goodies. Lunch was in the wilds of Khinalug with the family pictured. Everything was home grown and homemade including cheese, bread, lamb, and jams. Latif insisted we stop at a roadside stand for freshly made crepes stuffed with dill, cilantro and mint called qutab. And we had dinner at seven. The good news is we survived to eat that dinner. The road northwest to where the Khinalug minority lives became progressively treacherous the higher we went (12,000 feet). Forests of oak and beech surrounding picnic grounds and resorts gave way to switchbacks and single lane rollercoaster washouts. The beauty of the first snows on the Caucasus and gleaming waterfalls was lost on us. The graffiti did grab my eye. We zoomed past one rock with “bisexual” writ large and I teased Latif that they were everywhere. He shook his head and smiled. The Khinalug are a group of about 2,000, living 40 miles from the Russian border. They are one of twenty-six minorities each with their own language who live in the mountains. They speak Azerbaijani as well and used to learn Russian in school. Now they learn English. They are nomads, but when some adults move to different pastures in summer, the children stay behind in village dormitories with teachers and other villagers. Students are encouraged to go to university and are given an incentive to return to their village to teach for five years. The village is primitive but connected to the modern world. Every family has a car, internet, cell phones, outhouses with squat toilets, and heats with dung. They also live on a steep hillside that is navigable by mountain goat and Alpine trekkers. Unfortunately, we are neither. Our village walkabout consisted of slipping in MUD, sliding on MUDDY rocks, and avoiding MUDDY dung. Uphill or down, it was dicey. Latif enlisted a villager to steady some of us and we arrived back unscathed. When David got to the top Latif was thoughtful enough to call a car to take him down the treacherous incline to our host’s house. What we didn’t know at the time was that he could have ridden the van to where we had lunch. It was parked outside the house, and as David approached the unmentioned alternative dawned on him. Our hosts were in their 50’s and had seven children and many grandchildren all living in one house. Oh, and, yes, the widowed mother in law. The man worked for the government inspecting monuments in the region. Two of their boys were at university. Several family members had blue eyes. When Latif is asked a question, he answers with a history lesson. The blue eyes were explained by Viking remains found in the Caucasus, resulting in the eye color and word “Caucasian.” I edited his answer down from 15 minutes. Yes, I did use that squat toilet before lunch. It was awkward, painful, and I had Vicki on standby to haul me up if needed. Victory was sweet and I escaped with clean pants and dignity intact. I’ve been practicing squatting for months. It paid off. BTW, I drank nothing with lunch. Tomorrow we head back south to Baku, Toby

Mountain Jews

Pictures: Jewish Cemetery, mosque, man in front of his house (the beige house)

Quba, Azerbaijan- Oct. 15, 2022 We said good-bye to Baku, a park-filled beauty of a city, and turned north along the Caspian coast toward Quba. It is not well known that the Nobel family of Nobel Prize fame earned the money that funds the award by investments in the oil industry here. Since its inception there has not been a prize for a mathematician. Rumor has it that a love interest of Alfred Nobel cheated on him with a mathematician. Our three hour drive went from the bleak landscape surrounding Baku, to apple orchards, to dense forests. We reconfigured our seating in the van so we had more leg room. It made the trip bearable. Gloomy clouds followed us, but David guaranteed it would not rain while we were outside. He was right. Quba is the home of the “mountain” Jews who immigrated to the Caucasus from Persia in the 5th century. Ashkenazi (Eastern European) Jews arrived in the 17th century. They speak Russian and Farsi and use Hebrew for prayer. There were three synagogues in the community but one is now used as the school. Most are employed in the jewelry business and seem to live well. Viewed from an overlook, it was easy to understand why their community is called the Red Town. Roofs are red tile and red brick is the preferred building material. Although many traditions are similar to ours, there are differences. Mezuzahs are affixed on doorposts in a vertical rather than slanted position. A well-maintained cemetery contained above ground vaults for each person rather than in-ground burial. Headstones featured images of the deceased etched in granite and inscriptions were in Russian Cyrillic writing and Hebrew. Latif introduced us to an elderly man with whom he clearly had a long standing relationship. The man has six children and twenty grandchildren. When he pointed to his enormous house I figured they lived with him. Nope, just his wife and him. The rest is for visitors. We couldn’t go into the synagogue because the person with the key wasn’t answering his phone. We peered in and proceeded to walk by the school, future museum, and Mikva. Jerri knew a lot about Judaism. She said she lives by Jewish principles, but is not formally Jewish. Vicki and Doug are unaffiliated Unitarians. Of course they are. There was no skipping lunch today. We ate at a rustic resort in the forest and enjoyed luscious tandoor made bread and hot soup. Every meal begins with an array of salads and ends with tea and desert. We left there happy and ready for more touring. A visit to a mosque was next and we were ready to enter having brought scarves and socks. It was a humble building with exquisite wall to wall rugs. They whet our appetite for our stop at the carpet factory where only three looms were in use. In season there are at least twenty. It is women’s work and a labor of love, meticulous detail, and stamina. Of course there was a showroom where Vicki and Jerri tried to buy rugs. Unfortunately for all, the credit card machine would only take our guide’s local card and he wasn’t willing to spring for their purchases :( :( Our hotel, The Quba Palace, was our destination for the night. It exceeded all expectations. It’s a 5-star luxury resort on rolling acres of golf courses and woods. We have remote controlled window shades in the room and enough mirrors on the walls to satisfy any narcicist. Dinner was a 5 minute ride away for another lovely meal. The pre-main dish salad offerings get better and more varied. We’ve enjoyed pickled everything, greens (including raw dill, which is actually mild and tasty) tomatoes in pomegranate sauce sprinkled with ground walnuts, mushrooms in cream, and of course, cheeses and breads, The meat dinner was four hamburgers (could be considered kofta) with roasted vegetables and sublimely seasoned fries, Dessert was my dream. There was creamy rich vanilla ice cream and a chocolate volcano cake, which we dubbed our own mud volcano. It was over too soon, but we were ready for bed. Tomorrow we have an early start for Khinalug, a remote village higher up in the Caucasus. Toby

Mud and More

Photos: Bubbling mud volcano, David with bag booties, petroglyph

Oct. 14,2022-Gobustan, Azerbaijan Some practical matters: Maximum income tax is 22% for the wealthier class. Our guide usually comes in at 18%, but during Covid it was reduced to 5% and he got a government subsidy. Education is free to grade 11. Everyone is entitled to free higher education based on entrance exam scores. Over a 400 means university of their choice anywhere in the world. With a high enough score students get money beyond tuition. Under 200 means trade school. Health care is free, although insurance companies are forming to offer “private” care. Being an oil rich country, Azerbaijan has developed an upper class with disposable income. Baku has many high end designer stores especially on a promenade affectionately called “oil worker street.” We headed SW along the Caspian Sea past oil rigs, wells, and pipelines. Even the resorts and public beaches were encroached on by industry. We changed from our van to private cars to navigate the area around the MUD volcanoes. The wasteland moonscape was strewn with varying sized mounds of MUD at the top of which were bubbling pools of MUD. It’s so oil rich there is oil seeping up from the ground. We were given plastic bags to cover our shoes and proceeded to clamor up the MUD slopes. Other than fighting to stay upright, it was a fun challenge. Our guide and drivers steadied us when needed and showed us pictures of themselves soaking in the therapeutic warm MUD caldrons. I dipped a finger in and found it tepid. “So where are we in relation to other countries?” I asked. “Only 150 miles from Iran,” was Latif’s answer. Oops. Our next stop was an outdoor museum where cave dwellers carved images into rocks. Petroglyphs at least 40,000 years old were reachable by a steep stone pathway. School groups were cavorting up and down the route as we creeked and crawled our way up. Latif was great at pointing out the sketches and it was easier to identify them the more we saw. The most recent carving was by Roman scouts. David’s take was “you’ve seen one bull you’ve seen them all.” Lunch was on our own today, but we never had time for it. Latif fed us dry cookies to tide us over. We pushed on to the carpet museum where we learned we couldn’t afford any of the hand loomed products of Azerbaijan. There are no machine made rugs here. A popular design is “buta.” It probably originated in Persia and is popularly known as “paisley.” It was adopted by Scottish weavers from Renfrewshire Paisley and the name stuck. We heard a nearby group speaking Italian and when Latif greeted them it turned out to be Israelis whose parents were from Italy. The 5 of us were utterly trashed when we got to the hotel at 3:30. Our room hadn’t been cleaned. When I called the desk they wanted to know if I was just reporting it or if I wanted it made up. I settled for new towels. We fitfully napped until we could rationalize going to dinner and navigated the steps that blend into the sidewalks for no apparent reason. On our way to Fountain Square men approached us with menus promoting their restaurants. One told David he was Pakistani. When David wasn’t impressed, he added that he was a Christian. David just said, “I’m not’” and walked on. They’re not overly aggressive, but one guy, thinking we were Israelis, wanted to be sure we knew his mother went to university in Haifa. We chose Mado for no other reason than it was crowded with locals. It’s menu is pictorial and tri-lingual, an Azerbaijani Denny’s expect for the tri-lingual part. We ordered cheese guzleme ( flaky flatbread rolled around filling), a chicken shish kabob seasoned with sumac (I’m loving that spice), and lamb in pomegranate sauce. We hit the streets with more pep in search of a pen. We mimed and gestured our way to a basement gift shop where they had an array of school supplies and my TWO new reliable pens. Success. Tomorrow we squeeze into the van for a 3 hour ride to the northern mountain area of Guba (or Quba ). Toby