The ferry from Samos,
Greece,
took Fiona & I to the port of Kusadasi. I was full of trepadation
since all I knew of Turkey came from the great film 'Midnight Express'. We
visited Ephesus, we saw the ruins of the temple of Artemis, one of the
Ancient Wonders of the World. From there we went to Pamukkale, a
spectacular natural feature. We visted Izmir during the trade fair and
accommodation was very difficult to find. We stayed in a cockroach covered
small room; but it was magical to be awoken by the sound from the minarets
of the muezzin at sunrise. Istanbul was a vibrant city; the political
situation was reflected by armed soldiers at many of the street corners.
Our
Inter-Rail 1984 tour continued through
Greece and Yugoslavia to
Venice, Italy.
We departed
Greece and
continued our party in Turkey. We found people friendly in the west but
had problems in the Kurdish areas in the east. Cappadoccia was a
fascinating area and we had a great time with belly dancers and turkish
baths. The truck crossed into Iran but since most of us could not get
visas, the Salmon Rushdie affair was still in heat, we toured the Black
sea coast. From Istanbul we flew to another world;
Pakistan.
The good ship Omega safely floated us from the
Ukraine to the
grand port of Istanbul; this great city always has an exotic feel. We made
a pilgrimage to Gallopoli and a visit to Troy before flying off to
Egypt.
