YA BA DA BA DOO! Christmas in a Cappadocia Cave

The air is crisp but the cave is warm.

We have finally slowed down in Turkey. In Istanbul most of our time was spent filling and refilling in documents for our Iranian visas but now we have come to a stand still in the magical area of Turkey known as Cappadocia. You can see the whole place in 3 days on 3 different tours: the red tour, the blue tour, and the green tour, but Marc and Heidi are on a different type of tour...the non-tour!

Christmas Day was spent trying to find a phone that would work and shopping in the streets of Nevesher. Marc got some fresh honey from the back of a car, a roasted chicken from the butcher's window, some warm bread, and some fresh produce from a tiny backstreet. We enjoyed our Chistmas dinner feast.

When the sun shone on Boxing Day, we knew that it was the right time to explore some of the surrounding hills. Nicolas and Judith (our new French friends) joined us for a dolmus ride to Ucusar and after a deranged camel and a silver shop we headed up the slope. Like children we climbed up and up into the tiny rooms that were carved out hundereds of years ago to make this castle. We warmed up in a Turkish pizza shop and walked back to Gorome (after another stop for Nicolas in the silver shop) under the full moon.

The Things She Carried...

Mountain Co-Op Equipment backpack; Masterlock; Canada badge, Ireland badge, yellow flower badge; long black jacket; fleece jacket; striped linen pants; black long sleeve thermal shirt, red long sleeve t-shirt; 4 pairs of underwear, 2 bras; 2 pairs of good hiking socks; swimsuit; green scarf; black scarf; green t-shirt, black t-shirt; black pants; jym jam bottoms; yellow wrap; 2 tank tops; linen jacket/top; beige skirt; cotton dress; bandana; hat; yellow linen shirt; white linen pants; mosquito net; yellow rain poncho; shammy towel; sleepin bag and silk incert; 27 tampons; playing cards; 3-in-1 game; sewing kit; extra pockets and fabric; tube with large drawing paper; strawberry Kool-Aid crystals; hiking boots and insoles; 1 neck pouch; 2 money belts; whistle; 2 daypacks; sketch journal; 20 sheets of watercolor paper; 20 sheets of acrylic paper; my resume; greeting card; 7 envelopes; a sheet of stickers; painters palette; watercolor board; 100 blank postcards; plastic sheet coholsers with copies of important documents; lined journal; 5 black markers; toothbrush, toothpaste, and floss; toenail clippers and tweezers; plaque remover sticks; Iris handcream; Nytol, Mersyndol and cold tablets; wet wipes; empty pill bottle; red notebook; word search book; 2 pencil sharpeners; 10 tubes of acrylic paint; white eraser; glue stick; water container for painting; 4 paint brushes; 14 colored pencils; 6 pencils; mascara; lip liner; nail file; Avon cuticle vanishing cream; string bracelet; necklace charm; ribbon; colorful bracelet string; tiny wedding cake (bride and groom) decoration; hair brush; overpriced shampoo and conditioner for Derry highlights; deoderant; anteceptic mouthwash; nuts; musli; winter hat and mits; address book; 4 hair elastics; shaver and 6 blades; and now I will continue because there is more...tube with large drawing paper; red bag #1 (Opinel French knife, Swiss Army knife, multiple gadget with pliers and screwdriver, 2 emergency fruit bars, dental repair kit, 3 months worth of Doxycycline, Mersyndol(codeine), Tylenol, Alleve, 70 weeks worth of Mefloquine, suppositories, 34 Immodium tablets, 26 Cipro tablets, 25 antihistamine tablets); red bag #2 (Bullfrog sunscreen, cable ties, 2 inhalers, more sunscreen, Lonely Planet health travel book, sensodine toothpaste, dental floss, echineacea vitamin C tablets, table salt, 4 hair elastics, worry dolls on a string, 240 woman's vitamins, sterile medical pack, reminants of a medical pack); red bag #3 (scissors, tweezors, nail clippers, snake bit kit, rehydration solution, more pain relievers in little packages, lightstick, flashlight, matches, first aid cream, anti-itch cream, 42 alcohol and anticeptic wipes, cleanser, safety pins, tensor bandage, emergency blanket, thermometer, Irish Beleek shamrock, triangular bandage, little angel, 28 various band-aids, 16 butterfly closures, first aid ointment, first aid book, eye wash kit, sterile gloves, eye pad, 7 Q-tips, insect bite swabs, 10 extra Ziplock bags, 2 instant ice packs, sterile pads and gauze, box of waterproof matches, bicarbonate soda, Pristine water purification system part A and B, Ben's 95% tick and insect repellant); large Cool Aid strawberry flavor; empty film container; Lonely Planet "Read This First Africa" book; Lonely Planet "AFrica in a Shoestring"; various pages from "Africa by Road"; Chaco sandals; mini padlock; sunglasses with string and cloth cleaner; finger puppets; folic acid tablets; chapstick; shimmer stick and mascara; nail clippers and tweezers; and a can opener.

Ferry - 2 million; Coffee - 5 million; Dinner - 40 million; Dolmus - 12 million; Wedding Rings - 4 million; Riot Police...Priceless

On a good day in Turkey, millions of people in Istanbul move rhythmically like a gentle breath in and out through the streets. On a bad day Istanbul holds her breath leaving a bystander with a feeling of tension. On a really bad day thousands of riot police line the streets protecting themselves with shields, guns, and tear gas. Today just happens to be one of those days...

When we arrived to meet Dirim and her husband in Kadakoy everything seemed fine. The clouds were filled with rain but many people were out meeting with friends and enjoying the day. After crossing the street, Marc and I noticed that there was a large pack of police with shields on the far corner. We found a spot to stand by the theatre and waited for our 12 o'clock meeting. Didn't seem like the best place to be but Dirim was always very careful to tell me where not to go in the city and I was sure that she would be right along.

After waiting for over and hour and attempting the phone card twice with no success, several new packs of police similarly armed, marched past us. We were definiately in the middle of something big. When the flower selling gypsy women packed up their daisies, we took the cue and made our way down the road. Then we noticed that each side street was blocked off with police and armored cars. One last try with the calling card and we reached Dirim. She thought that she had said to meet at 2pm not 12pm but she would hurry and be there in 30 minutes. She told us how to get to a coffee shop near by and we would meet there.

As we approached the coffee shop, Marc heard chanting in the distance. We didn't wait to see who was coming. While we enjoyed our Nescafe, police and police photograpers came in to the coffee shop to get a clear shot at the gathered crowd. They locked themselves in one of the rooms in the cafe; no one was very forthcoming with any details.

Finally Dirim arrived and we left the coffee shop straight into a flag waving, chanting crowd of the Turkish Communist Party, surrounded by thousands of armed riot police. We all jumped in a taxi and went to lunch...Dirim apologized the whole way.

The prices have changed in Istanbul in 6 years but some things are still the same.

It Really is All Turkish to Me...

If you know Turkish for, "I have 6 carpets already. I do not need another carpet" the vendor will reply, "...well you could always use one for the seventh day."

If you say, "I have 34 leather jackets already." ...then he will invariably say, "well why not buy one as a gift for your cousin he will appreciate it."

Street hawkers are still about selling roasted hazelnuts, street bread, and shoeshines.

Have grilled fish right out of the Bosphorous, enjoy a ferry ride, check out the covered Grand Bazaar with 4000 shops and you will really know what a headache is!

Fine palaces and mosques that pierce the midnight sky with a Turkish moon to light up the silhouette.

East meets West here as 32 million people share this city perched on 2 continents realising that no-one really has personal space.

Sophia's Hıdden Gathering Places

Converted apartments now selling homemade Bulgarian wine for 2 leva. Secret locations disclosed by local artists. The Art Hostel is a meeting place for young talent and weary travellers that creates an opportunıty for open lines of communication and a grassroots appreciation for the resurgence of visual, performance, and musical talent. Everyone is eager to mingle and the talents are less than mainstream - from street performers who travel Europe juggling fire to DJ's who mix the beat of far off lands.

Locals vet travellers to see who is worthy of more than a five minute introduction. No need to be suspicious, the exchange ıs fair. Five kinds of travellers may be a slight stereotype but I'm sure that the locals have seen sımilarities in the parade of wanderers who have made their way here.

Word of mouth and a strong humanitarian cause draws interesting people to this underground oasis of creativity. Art projects with orphans and open space for conspiring and creating have created a forum for the resurfacıng of hidden talent in Bulgaria!

Bombed Out Belgrade

Belfast looks lıke paradıse compared to thıs. NATO bombed Belgrade, Serbıa so that ıt would serve as a warnıng to Mılosevıc.

It ıs brrrrrr ıce cold so we are takıng advantage of the wınter weather by checkıng out all of Belgrades cınemas. Thıs report ıs a bıt shockıng so we wıll edıt ıt for our vıewers concerns.

Cınema 1 (lets call ıt because I cannot pronounce ıt by ıts Serbıan name) was very nıce.

Cınema 2 was also very nıce and warm.

Cınema 3 was hot, hot, hot ın more senses of the word than one.

We stayed ın our fırst hotel, also a very nıce experıence.

The aır was not smoggy, polluted or contaıned partıcles of acıd raın but I wondered why my monogrammed hankerchıef,ımported all the way from sunny Ireland was fılled wıth black boogers.

If the weather ın summer gets to be 40 Celsıus, everyone can take off work. Funnıly enough, the temperature gauge on thermometers only goes up to 39 Celsıus.



Unfortunately,the real story cannot be told...unless ın person.

4 Degrees Celsius & we're lovin' it in Budapest, Hungary!

Well,

Picture the scene if you will...ice cool temperatures, Ukranian Ural winds and goosebumps all over. Such was the task of your beloved narrators that they would endure such frigid temperatures all for the price and glimpse of life at one of Budapest's thermal pools.

A day at the pools is pretty routine for most people living here, there are just so many to choose from but we picked a good'en. The neo-classical splendour and rich architecture could not be more symbiotic if it tried. Older men with swimming caps played chess on marble stands in the center of the warm pools while there lady friends did water gymnastics in another pool over the heated whirlpools from underground.

Extra perks included massages, dining facilities and lap pools, together with plunge pools after the sauna all set in the most idyllic location.

Daschund Saved from Imminent Death

As the car slowly started to roll away from the curb I called out to Marc that there was no driver. Flashbacks from his childhood flooded his mind as his eyes connected with the frightened daschund's in the back of the old Skoda. Remembering the time when his own grandfather had left him in the grocery van and it began to roll down Marlborough Avenue, Marc lept off the sidewalk and chased the car as it rolled through oncoming traffic toward the rushing icy river. With all his might (and the help of the metal baracade) he brought the ol' rust bucket to a stop and that little Czech daschund will live to see another day. There was no hero's welcome for Marc just an appreciated high paw from the mutt.

It's True What They Say About Prague

This city is stunning! The multi-color buildings are decorated with interesting classical designs, lavish gold trim, and unique statues. The fine details could keep you busy looking for hours. Even the smog leaves a romantic mist on the city's gothic spires and medieval rooftops.

We arrived in Prague on Monday and enjoyed the breathtaking archiecture for the last 3 days. After carrying our overweight backpacks through many tiny streets and alleys, Marc let me rest a while in a beautiful square while he went off and found us a place to sleep. Our Lonely Planet guide from 1997 wasn't much help for accommodations in 2004.

On Tuesday, after touring the castle walls and cathedral, we settled down for some lunch at a cafe called Mount Steak. On offer were crocodile, cobra, zebra, ostrich, kangaroo... We just had the daily special (fried cheese for Heidi and steak and rice for Marc) by candlight in this cozy converted cellar.

After our fill of sightseeing we went to see the Bridgit Jones movie and had pizza for dinner.

Today we have arrived by train (and bus) in Cesky Krumlov.