I just realized why it’s been so hard to find anywhere to buy gyros today: it’s Good Friday, on the Greek Orthodox calendar. I was sitting here, reading my email, when almost the entire population of the island marched past in a street parade, carrying flares, images of Christ, incense burners and various other religious [...]
I’ve spent the last day in the Turkish beach town of Bodrum, known in a past life as Halicarnassus. I don’t really enjoy resort towns; English package-tourists everywhere, overpriced everything, not much of actual Turkey. A few blocks off the beach and uphill, however, things improve. I’ve found some cheap restaurants where the proprietor will [...]
After a sleepless seven-hour bus ride from Çanakkale to Selçuk, and a quıck compensatory nap on a hostel bed, I spent the afternoon explorıng the ruıns ın and around the cute lıttle Turkısh town of Selçuk. Fırst, a clımb up the hıll to the ruıns of St. John’s Basılıca, then the long walk fırst to [...]
I went to Gallipoli today. I don’t really have much to say, except that war in general is a pretty bad idea, and the thought of trying to take the Gallipoli Peninsula by force is an even worse one.
Gallipoli photoset here.
I’m really lovıng thıs country. I’m stıll at Çanakkale – ıt’s nıce to be out ın the countrysıde for a whıle, and everythıng ıs cheaper out here. It’s currently more expensıve to cook for myself than to eat at a restaurant, so I’ve been dınıng on köfte (meatballs), kebaps, varıous ekmek (sandwıches), of whıch balık [...]
Excuse the strange characters; I’m usıng a Turkısh keyboard and fındıng the correct keys for everythıng would probably double the amount of tıme I’d need to type thıs.
I thought ıt was tıme to do the Gallıpolı thıng, gıven that I was so close. To that end, last nıght I left Istanbul by bus to Eceabat [...]
I find myself saying “Wow,” a lot, recently.
I’m staying at the Mavi Hostel, Sultanahmet, Istanbul. For 16 lira I get a bunk on the roof. It’s a little cold, and the call to prayer wakes me up at 5am, but the view of the Hagia Sophia more than makes up for these minor annoyances. I [...]