Turkey: Images 18

I told you this place is crawling with cats. Actually this is at the dock of one of the small islands in the Marmara Sea, just off the coast of Istanbul.

Meet my friend Tugba. (It is pronounced Tooba. The g is supposed to have a breve on top, but today my computer is not cooperating.) I stayed with her on the big island my last weekend in Istanbul. She has like a million cats. One of which wakes you up in the morning by purring in your ear and prodding you with his paws.

Street scene on the big island.

View of another island from the big island.

This building is supposed to be the largest wooden building in Europe. However, since this island is off the Asian coast of Istanbul, rather than the European coast, I don't think this building is in Europe.

Turkey: Images 17

Ah...Turkey...Should I return?

Sculpture in the park in Izmir.

more cats

The ramp to no-where! Or rather, the ramp from no-where.

Boats in the Istinye neighborhood of Istanbul.

Turkey: Images 16

The travertine terraces of Pamukkale.

Sarcophagi in the necropolis of the ancient city of Hieropolis.

Some colomns in Hieropolis.

The ancient amphitheatre.

This hot spring has been a health spa since ancient times.

Turkey: Images 15

Capadocia, a landscape unlike any other.

Early Christians lived here. And they carved churches inside the rocks.

As time went by, their paintings got more detailed. You can see the older artwork where the paint peeled off.

It is quite amazing.

They also had underground cities. I would be scared if the lights went out.

Turkey: Images 14

The first thing you see when you arrive in Capadocia early in the morning is a sky full of balloons. The ride is a bit expensive - like 200 Euro - so I skipped it.

But Capadocia is unlike any place I've been before.

This is where we stayed. Inside this rock. The rock, which was formed by vocanic eruptions a long time ago, is very soft. You can carve it with a spoon.

This is a nice hotel. All the rooms are underground.

The grapes here are very sweet. We did not steal any. The people working in the vineyard gave us two bunches.

Turkey: Images 13

Amasra, a small city on the Black Sea.

View of the Black Sea from a cave.

This was a funny scene. There was a little fish in that plastic container. This young cat and a few others didn't know how to get the fish out. Then an older, much more experienced cat came and snatched the fish and ran away. He then played with it until it died and then lost interest in it.

Another view of the Black Sea.

Meet my friend Alicja. She is not muslim. She just thinks headscarves are pretty. Everyone thought she was my wife, and we used that to our advantage in the market.

Turkey: Images 12

Safranbolu is a World Heritage City because of the old Ottoman architecture.

More Safranbolu.

School children in Safranbolu

Puss 'n Boots

We ate grapes straight off the vine, without washing them, and did not get ill.

Turkey: Images 11

The Grand Bazar

The Egyptian Bazar

A fish market

A good lunch for 8TL in the Aksaray neighborhood

cats, cats everywhere

Turkey: Images 10

An old cemetery in Istanbul

Istanbul University

The old city wall

A street with a large Turkish flag

Sunset along the tram line.

Turkey: Images 09

Images from the Harem.
The eunochs area.

Unfortunately, most of the harem was roped off and you're not allowed to explore. Not really worth the additional 18TL.

The royal toilet.

The room where the sultan entertained guests.

The sultan's room was locked, so I put my camera up to the keyhole and took this picture.