more than the mitten

after hearing about my whirlwind bombay-turkey-baltimore-richmond-boston-newyork-michigan itinerary some people said, 'don't you ever get tired of traveling?' to which i would respond with a quizzical 'of course not!' (is such a thing possible?) so from new york it was on to detroit to meet with good friends.

we didn't spend long in detroit, just long enough to have some crêpes, head to a good ol' american backyard barbeque (although some canadians were present) and stop at a local brewery (royal oak, quite good). then we were on the road. our destination: the upper peninsula. in just a few hours we found ourselves surrounding by evergreens and heading over deep blue waters. once into the UP we stopped for some essentials (local beers, homemade beef jerky and goofy fridge magnets) and continued on toward our first campsite in munising. we pitched our tent before dark and got set for the main task at hand, cooking by campfire. (the lesson here: always go camping with good cooks, indian if possible. food takes a while but it's worth it - definitely the best food i've ever had at a campsite.) between michigan beers, hookah, and our indian spread it was a great first night.

first of the falls

the next morning we set out to see the local landscape, beginning with some of the many falls in the area. well, after a leisurely breakfast, about half an hour of souvenir shopping (note: that would be the three guys and not me, the sole female) and a stop for gas, that is. some of the falls were just steps from the road and others we had a short hike to get to. one of the latter was on our way into pictured rocks national lakeshore, right on the banks of lake superior. i'm not hugely enamored of waterfalls, unless they're particularly spectacular, but these were nice enough.

a superior lake, indeed

our next destination was the real showstopper: miner's castle rock. the view is stunning, the crystal clear turquoise waters, the sweeping shoreline with jutting cliffs and tufts of evergreens. we must have spent 20 minutes there, just marveling at the sight, taking nearly identical pictures again and again, unable to resist the urge to click. we eventually dragged ourselves away and made our way towards our big hike to the shore. by now it was mid-afternoon. it was a long hike to be sure, and we were in the woods for a good portion of it.

lone kayak

finally we made it to the water. golden sands right up to the placid blue water. and freezing, of course, being nearly in canada. didn't stop us from dipping our toes in, of course. in fact my three friends decided to strip down and enjoy one of the nearby waterfalls (much warmer water there) while i wandered along taking pictures. (i don't think they enjoyed the inevitable chaffing when they got back into their now-wet clothes.) the weather was perfect and we had a vista to match, which made it awfully hard to drag ourselves away and continue on our hike.

lone tree

but onward and upward, back towards the cliffs that overlook the water. we continued on until we were just starting to get a good look at those sparkling waters. we could see where the trail continued, tracing the edge of the lake with intermittent breaks in the edge to enjoy the view. it was then, though, that i had to point out that it was nearly 6pm and going to get dark soon. we had already been hiking for several hours and wouldn't be able to finish the loop. we'd have to turn back and soon, just to make it back before dark. this was met with frustration and annoyance by my friends, who could see (as i could) that the views would only get better. much as i wanted to see more i knew we'd have to turn around or risk getting stuck in the dark woods with no lights. this didn't seem to be a deterrent for my friends who insisted they'd 'figure it out'. despite their stubbornness we did eventually turn around, blaming me for their missed opportunities. sometimes it's hard being the voice of reason (read: only woman). and i didn't even point out that if some people hadn't lollygagged through breakfast or spent a half hour shopping for silly knick knacks (my impatience was always met with 'what's your rush?') we might have had more time for what certainly would have surely been spectacular views. sigh!

as we made our way to the end of the trail it was already starting to get dim, particularly in the shade of the evergreens (again i held my tongue!). we made for the car and headed straight back to the campsite, ready for a big dinner. dinner this time was hot dogs and whatever food we had left over, again washed down with some local brews.

well it did have a nice fire pit

the next morning, after lingering over breakfast and packing up, it was out of the U.P. and back to the mitten. this time we headed down the west side (the pinky, i guess?) to traverse city, which promised to be an adorable town. the drive was more than four hours and by the time we arrived at our campsite it was already starting to get dark. the campsite, if it can be called that, was not what we'd expected. we were surrounded by RVs and pitched our tent on gravel. the whole campsite (fine, RV park) was just off a big road - we could actually see a storage facility and a home depot just down the road. so we swapped the starry skies and woodsy campsite for the lights of cars passing on the highway and the hum of nearby generators. ah well. we restocked our food supplies (one plus: the grocery store was just down the road) and were once again treated to fireside indian fare, courtesy of our master chef.

summer on a fork

another day, another slow morning. there's no rushing these guys, as you may now have surmised. in fact by the time we made it into town it was practically lunch time. we stopped at the grand traverse pie company for sandwiches and soup. and pie, of course (how could we not?), which was full of michigan blueberries, and thoroughly delicious.

the drop-off

finally we were off to sleeping bear national lakeshore, a bit of a drive. we stopped first at the visitors center to get our bearings (bear-ings. get it?) at this point i don't think i have to tell you that my companions spent a chunk of time reading the posted material and purchasing magnet.. eventually we also determined which hikes would be best. we took a few of the short scenic drives before making our way to what was by far the biggest sand dune i have ever seen. essentially a sheer drop down to the lake, it must have been nearly a half-mile to the water's edge! i'm sure that's an absurd exaggeration but believe me when i say the people at the bottom were absolute specks. the view was almost surreal - the plateau tapering off into a nearly vertical mound of sand that seems to fade into some of the bluest, most ethereal water you've ever seen. you have the impression that if you go down too far you'll eventually tumble and just keep sliding all the way to the bottom. or, like my two half-witted friends, you may stupidly decide to go down intentionally. it's true, many people had decided to make the trek up and down. however these people seemed, well, fit, and as though they knew what they were in for. my two buddies ran giddily down without so much as a bottle of water - which they later regretted - but with the car keys still in their pocket - which we all regretted when it took them more than an hour to reach the top again. running down was all too easy, and they were happy to splash about in the blue waters of glen lake. but coming back up was complete misery (according to them). for every step they took forward they seemed to slide a half-step back. before long they had taken off their shirts and wrapped them around their heads (a tad melodramatic, perhaps. this was, after all, michigan, and not the sahara). we tried tracking their progress but soon grew bored and instead tried to count how many people went down and back in the time it took them to trudge a few dozen meters. they stopped constantly - once to vomit, we later learned - and by the time they finally made it to the top, just flat out collapsed, exhausted.

views from our second hike

while we had a ball mocking them for their shortsightedness (literally, perhaps - that hill did not look nearly as long as it was) our major detour had cost us the time for another hike that had sounded so nice. not only that but soon after we found out that people aren't meant to climb up or down that hill at all - it's a major cause of erosion which is already a problem, as you might expect of a sand dune that leads to the water. there's another sand dune that's supposed to be used specifically for running and climbing up and down. oops.

we pressed on to our next hike, one that took us through fields of queen anne's lace and other little wildflowers, sandy bluffs and views of the lake under a now cloudy sky. we felt a few sprinkles but mainly the passing wind and threatening clouds just made the scene look all the more dramatic. upon finishing this loop we made our way towards the small beach where we celebrated our various victories with a few UP brews (one must always have beers on hand for such an occasion) and a dip in the lake. it was cold at first, as one might expect, but actually tolerable.

doesn't get much more local

our final stop of the day was perhaps the most rewarding. we just had to try MOOmers, local homemade ice cream with its own dairy farm. (there's a shop in downtown traverse city too, but what fun is that?) evidently it's been voted the best ice cream in america (by whom, i'm not sure). i can see why - something about enjoying creamy delicious ice cream while overlooking fields of the cows that helped produce it just makes you feel good. we gobbled ours down as we watched said cows lazily graze in the field as the sun started to set.

from there it was back to the campsite for one more night of campfire cooking (read: use up all the leftover food) and the next morning we were off. we made one last stop in the town of traverse city (there were used bookstores to scope out!) which is certainly quite cute. i can see why it's been named one of the cutest towns in america - although i wouldn't want to be around for the arctic winds coming off that lake in the winter. from here it was back on the road to detroit. we may not have exactly made the most of every excursion we had but i will say i'm glad i finally got to experience more than the mitten.

old new york

every year or so i get this nagging desire to go back to new york. i've been there probably half a dozen times by now, each time for only a day or two. and, while it would have been nice to get to attend the opening of the new islamic art wing in the met (i don't know how i got invited either), i figured sometime after i got back would have to suffice. so from boston i hoped a bus down to new york - and at $12 it was more expensive than both my legs from dc to boston combined. i should preface this by saying that this is by no means a 'what to do on your first trip to new york'. it's not a statue of liberty/empire state/museum (well okay i went to a couple of those) kind of visit. each time i'm in the city i cross a few more items off my never-ending list of its offerings.

can't go wrong with tiles

i arrived in the city around midday and made my way to brooklyn where i was set to stay at my bombay roomie's former place. it's a great place right in fort greene, with bay windows and apparently a rotating group of students and young people cycling in and out over the summer. so one more person didn't seem to matter much. i quickly headed out to grab a late lunch and ended at up at olea, a self-described mediterranean taverna. and what's dining in new york good for if not feeling like you're somewhere else? i had some kind of flatbread with tomatoes and nuts and enjoyed the discarded NY times.

mixed media

then it was over to manhattan, where i was all set to meet some friends for a trip to the met. we'd first met while spending a summer in jordan studying arabic so i had hoped the islamic wing wouldn't be too uninteresting for them. we were not to be disappointed. i wouldn't have expected anything less, frankly, with a reinstall taking as long as this one did. quite literally every time i went to the met (in other words every time i'm in new york) i checked the second floor in hopes of finding the islamic wing finished. always, i was disappointed. i believe this reinterpretation was eight years in the making. well worth it. the many galleries were grouped thematically and geographically, and even included a section for contemporary art. architectural elements are incorporated wherever possible, as with the little tiled niches (originally mihrabs) or the complete moroccan courtyard. (check out this video for some idea of the level of detail that went into its construction.) my friends were just as captivated as i was (or they were very good sports) and put up with my incessant picture taking and endless lingering over ceramic tiles. i was very happy to test out my iphone - much easier for museum photos, and quite a good camera too.

circle takes the square

after thoroughly soaking up the islamic wing, josh, randa and i set out for an evening snack before they had to head back to new jersey. we enjoyed some fancy soups and then unfortunately had to go our separate ways, just as some rain started to fall. i made my way downtown and met the new roommates for a movie at the IFC center, where i had fond memories of seeing the helvetica movie. that's right, people, i paid eleven dollars to watch a documentary about a typeface. here instead it was kumaré, a documentary about a man posing as a guru. having just returned from india it brought up a lot of conflicting emotions about the exploitation of exported indian culture and people's idea of spirituality in general. we discussed this, appropriately, over dosas at a little indian cafe where i had to physically restrain myself from singing along with the faint hindi tunes i could hear. from here i followed the brooklynites to a number of bars that could have easily been in richmond - a mix of craft beers, PBRs and bar games.

torana arches on a jain temple or park slope, brooklyn?

the next day i was up and out the door early to enjoy the brooklyn flea market, conveniently located about a 2 minute walk from my temporary apartment. i couldn't bring myself to shell out the 12 bucks for the lobster roll i'd heard so much about but instead treated myself to a dulce de leche donut. probably the first donut i'd had in.. years? i wandered the market, both admiring the wares and appalled at the prices. if there's one thing i know it's appropriate flea market prices. (no matter, i found a yard sale a few blocks away and scored some necklaces.) i did, however, get a few vintage buttons that should make an awesome ring.

there's probably some metaphor for meditation here

from there it was back to manhattan and into midtown. i began at the rubin museum of art (just can't get away from south asia) where i saw lots of buddhas, and thankfully plenty of other deities too. and some lovely mughal manuscripts too. from there i bounced around the flatiron district, popping into cafes for the occasional scone with lemon curd or cup of coffee. up to the flatiron building, which has to be one of my favorite landmarks, across from which i stopped for a break. i realized i was just opposite the famous shake shack and tried to determine if my low to moderate hunger was worth the wait in the enormous line. in the end my impatience won out. walking again under the shadow of the flatiron i spied a crowd starting to gather. it was none other than heidi klum, filming what looked like a commercial. i ogled for a minute or two and then continued walking over to the strand - 18 miles of books, and i can't seem to leave with out one or two. it's like south bombay all over again.

harbor dusk

after a much-needed respite and very overdue phone date in union square i was feeling refreshed and ready to tackle the evening. that meant meeting up with aforementioned hosts at the south street seaport. i don't think i'd ever been there. and frankly it's pretty cheesy. sort of baltimore's inner harbor meets shopping mall plus probably a bubba gump shrimp restaurant for good measure. but the view of the boats on the river and skyscrapers behind was unique. and the sunlight fading behind the brooklyn bridge? well that's pretty magical. we lingered there and half heartedly listened to the live music accompanied by a handful of tourists breaking out their moves. then realizing we were hungry and that we'd rather not eat at TGIFriday's we set off on foot. we weren't sure where we were headed at first but eventually ended up in little italy, probably about a mile away. and cheesy as it might be, there's something rather lovely about dining al fresco, enjoying your spaghetti bolognese under the perpetually hanging lights. with the stream of tourists walking past and the late day summer heat lingering in the air, you could almost believe you were in italy. a fitting end to any trip to new york; some things never get old.

goodbye, brooklyn

 

breezing through boston

well, i made it back to the states. after taking care of some necessities (orioles game. friends and family. museums) and making some quick stops in DC and richmond i did what anyone would do after being gone for 10 months.. i got on a series of buses to visit a city i've never been to. thanks to megabus and my knack for planning way ahead, i had scored some very affordable tickets and, after many hours of travel and some fitful bus sleeping, arrived in boston, greeted by early morning light. walking out of south station i found myself in the middle of boston's business district, too early yet for even the busiest of businessmen.

of railings and rowhouses

i managed to make it to my friend yasmeen's place, a friend whom i hadn't seen since my summer in jordan. (she doesn't have facebook either so, you know, it feels like even longer.) she lives in one of these charming brick townhomes and swirling wrought iron railings. the inside is what i like to think many of these boston interiors look like - a dark corridor filled with musty furniture and turkish carpets. her place was similarly haphazard, full of antique furniture but littered with the textbooks and notepads you'd expect of a busy law student. despite my early arrival, my gracious host treated me to some vegan 'chocolate' pancakes and fancy maple syrup which i enjoyed in a well-appointed green velvet chair.  

we spent our morning catching up while also running some errands yasmeen needed to tend to before her upcoming trip. along the way we stopped for lunch at veggie galaxy (noticing a theme here?) where we supped on some very tasty veg food and vegan milkshakes (which, apparently, if you're vegan, are a very big deal).

as it grew closer to evening we made our way back to yasmeen's and i planned to head to the MFA, quite proud of myself for arriving on their one free evening a month. which made me even more incensed when, encountering a locked door, i was curtly informed that the museum was closed for a private event. after expressing my disappointment, having planned this quite literally months in advance, i was told it was on the website. after leaving in a huff, i did some fact checking. turns out it is on the calendar of events... listed after about 18 other events occurring on that day.. which can only be reached by going through several screens. it's very possible i will hold this against the MFA forever. only time will tell.

rosy skies over a cheery gazebo

perhaps in a way it was for the best. instead of meandering the halls of the MFA, yasmeen and i had a little more time together. we walked the streets of harrison. mostly residential.. charming colonial townhouses punctuated by community gardens and corner cafes. we grabbed some kebabs (well felafel for my friend) in a little mediterrean place and talked to the proprietors as we treated ourselves to ice cream, too. yasmeen, it seems, has been much better at keeping up with her arabic.. then back to yasmeen's where her friends dropped by and we capped off the evening with a nice indian movie. i didn't even it make it through half (which, to be fair, with an indian movie is typically the duration of an entire hollywood one) before konking out. i guess an early morning that starts on a bus can have that effect on you.

hahvad yahd

the next day yasmeen set out early on her long drive to toronto and bid me, and her house (where she was graciously letting me stay), farewell. i was off on the bus to do some exploring of my own. one easy bus ride over the bridge and i found myself in cambridge. stepping off the bus i found myself in front of harvard and its ivy gates. i didn't linger long but i did enjoy a walk across the quads and between stately buildings.

cheery cafe stop

having finished with harvard (probably a tad faster than most students) i explored cambridge, making my way towards harvard square. along the way i popped into bead shop and found no shortage of bookstores (go figure). i punctuated my walking with much-needed respites at mediterranean cafes, of which the area seems to have no shortage. algiers cafe and andala coffee house were welcome breaks from the heat with cozy interiors and middle eastern touches (which i think adds to just about any decor). i've always heard that boston is a walkable city, so walk i did. all down mass avenue (which by the way has one of the best goodwill book selections i've ever seen. and i've seen quite a few), past the MIT campus and over the longfellow bridge. and did i mention how hot it was? if you thought new england in june wouldn't be well into the 80s, you'd be mistaken.

come sail away

though i was in a hurry i lingered over the longfellow bridge, with its picturesque salt and pepper shakers and sailboats below. one has the feeling those sailboats are always there; it must be one of the better views of boston. sweating by now and walking briskly to make up for all that picture-taking time, i at at last made it to the MTA stop on the far side of the bridge. side note: did you know boston's fare cards are called charlie cards? i confirmed this is a tribute to the kingston trio song about the ill-fated charlie and the boston MTA, a fact which delighted me, remembering the song vividly from my childhood.

the hot sun still shining brightly, though it was nearly 5, i made my way toward the harbor. i met an old college friend at the barking crab, where i was advised to go for beer and seafood. can't argue with that. we sat in what was essentially a covered picnic area with long continuous wooden tables. a huge party one table over was just finishing up what must have been 1000s of dollars' worth of lobsters. we were a little less ambitious, opting for beer and clams. i'm not actually sure if i'd ever had clams before (outside of a chowder) but on the water in new england seemed like the right time to start.

representing infinity

next up was the ICA - institute of contemporary art - on what just happened to be its free night of the month. (do you see how perfectly i had planned this out?? curse you, MFA!) we poked around the permanent collection and checked out the brand new exhibition from josiah mcelheny, some pictures of the infinite, a really fun installation that plays with ideas of time and space. and were also quite photographable. we sauntered slowly through the galleries, poked through the store and made our way out. almost as good as the artwork, though, were the views from the many windows out onto the harbor. i do love cities on the water.

oh look, more sailboats

from there allison and i had a leisurely stroll around fan pier, across the bridge and over to the harbor, parts of which seemed very much like georgetown to me. not having quite had our fill from our seafood hors d'oeuvres, we sought out some more libations. we stumbled upon blue inc. where we sampled some great small plates and fancy cocktails. it was lovely catching up and a great end to a wonderful whirlwind trip to beantown.

and i can say for certain i'll be back. there's so much i didn't see.. the city's unique history, some architectural gems and, the way i see it, the MFA still owes me a free visit.

strolling through stamboul

after our last overnight journey it was back to istanbul. after some snacks and phone games we hunkered down for another night of bus sleeping, pros by now. in the morning we were shuttled off the bus to a parking lot where we waited for a van to (we hoped) deposit us downtown. it worked out and by 10 or so we found ourselves back in - where else? - good old taksim square.

we made our way back down tarlabaşı boulevard, that wide avenue lined with restaurants and shops. we were in search of a cheap spot for a bit of lunch but it seemed we were a tad early. after some slight soul-searching we settled on mcdonald's because, man, that soft serve looked good. judge us if you must.

just a little fishin' hole

then the name of the game was shopping. courtney only had a few hours remaining in the city so it was time to pick up gifts - turkish delight, fresh pepper, evil eyes, spices, that sort of thing. we wandered through some alleys near taksim and got what we needed, electing not to venture across the river to the chaotic bazaar (although we did stop to admire all the fishing poles along the bridge). we made our way up towards galata, where we found some turkish music shops for a CD and music recommendations and some slightly more unique crafts. here we found a lovely streetside eatery for lunch. much more accommodating about swapping bread for rice than elsewhere (thankfully!), although the iskender kebab i had paled in comparison to the ones in bursa. i guess that's the risk you take having the real thing.

a tableful of treats & tea

we did some more meandering and people-watching around taksim and made our way to a cafe where we found we could have a plateful of assorted turkish delights and baklava. seemed like an ideal spot to spent our last hours together. we recapped the trip and lingered over tea, but eventually it was time for courtney to catch her bus to the airport (coughfourhoursearly). thus abandoned, i made a few essential stops (read: internet cafe) and caught up on some journaling. when dinnertime rolled around i took my time deciding between various outdoor establishments. the owners' cajoling did little to entice me (quite the reverse actually) and i settled on a place where i could get a nice platter and a cold beer without being troubled too much. there was a soccer match on inside, which might have helped with the latter. i spent a pleasant hour eating and writing postcards before making my way back north to büşra's place where, by now, she would have returned from university.

don't worry, she wasn't really touching it

while sad to have been left by my good friend, i was very fortunate in having büşra as a host and guide. she really helped me see a side of istanbul i never would have. we started off taking the bus downtown and made our way to the central touristy spot. our first stop was the turkish and islamic art museum, which was first on my list (not a surprise, if you know anything about me). we both delighted in the beautiful examples they had - elaborate illuminated Qur'ans, carved wooden boxes, iznik tiles.. so much more. turns out büşra shares my love for traditional carpets. (i don't usually include many people shots, but isn't she just adorable?) we steppe out the large wooden doors and into the green courtyard just as the call to prayer was beginning at the blue mosque. a lovely end to our visit. actually the real end to our visit was the gift shop, which was full of postcards and bookmarks of tiles, which i also found lovely.

we thought of trying to go in said mosque but it was particularly crowded so we thought better of it. i was itching to go to haggia sophia (since the last time i'd been there was massive scaffolding all the way up to the dome) and büşra thought she might take the time to go pray. she would have probably joined me but for the cost of admission, which is prohibitive. i myself was on the fence about going, despite really wanting to get a good look at the interior. but büşra graciously offered to let me use her student pass for a discount (not terribly ethical of us, perhaps. but her heart was in the right place, and really i'm just as poor as most students.) i tried to get in unnoticed when, much to my chagrin, i was pulled aside and questioned for not being 'büşra.' so much for that, i thought. well my ordeal was far from over. before i knew what was happening they had confiscated my friend's card and said i couldn't get it back until she came. i protested, explaining that she would be gone for over half an hour and that it was a nice gesture on her part that she shouldn't be punished for. i stubbornly waited at the ticket window, saying i'd wait as long as i needed to, until the brutish cashier called for a guard to come escort me away. the guard came over, looking apologetic and asked if i'd step to the side, which i did. i continued to wait and the macedonian oaf of a cashier (fear not, turks, this was not one of your compatriots) had himself a little power trip, mocking me and telling me off. when my friend returned i sheepishly explained to her what had happened and, even still, they wouldn't give her back the card! and, bear in mind, she was much more graceful and tactful than i! ugh. feeling pretty lousy for having her card confiscated i apologized profusely, but büşra, been the sweet person she is, brushed it off good-naturedly.

doesn't get much more turkish than this

we decided to forget that unpleasantness over some lunch, in a bustling upstairs eatery just off the main square. a good meal, and not too pricey considering its touristy locale. next we made our way into sultan ahmat (the blue mosque) despite the crowds who, we figured, were always going to be there. the interior is as charming as i remember - soaring domed ceilings, dappled light from the stained glass and chandeliers suspended over our heads. but still full of people, and quite a difference from the tranquility of the sülemaniye mosque a few days before. from there we made our way downhill toward a shopping area i remembered visiting years ago. my friend patiently accompanied me as a searched for some factory-made tiles suitable for making a tray (felt weird to be passing up the handmade goods, which seemed to be more abundant). thought touristy, this seemed like our best bet for finding what i was looking for, which we eventually did. then it was time for a stop and another turkish treat - backgammon! accompanied by çay of course. (amazing how many culture love their tea, isn't it?) in fact i think i may have learned backgammon from a friendly carpet salesman in that very spot years earlier.

simit, mosque - very istanbul

our lokma

we continued on, winding our way through the streets until we reached the water. it was the beginning of that golden hour, when the afternoon gives way to evening and the sunlight over the water was beautiful. near the bridge families gathered for street food and, most likely, a break from the chaos of the nearby bazaar. simit, rings of bread with sesame seeds, seems to be particularly ubiquitous. we opted instead for lokma, a sweet, syrupy tread pretty that's somewhat similar to gulab jamun (sorry, still thinking in terms of india). büşra said it wasn't the best sampling but i had little to compare it with and was happy enough. side note: does it seem like my days/pictures revolve around food..? well perhaps they do.

evening sets in on the golden horn

onward! by bus, this time, to pierre loti hill. ol' pierre, as you may have guessed, was a frenchmen by birth but lived and wrote novels in istanbul, his writings garnering him a hill in his name as well as some criticism from later turkish writers. the hill, as you might expect in a 'city of seven hills,' was quite high and required a cable car trip. (is is me or does it seem like a lot of cities claim to be built on seven hills? edit: upon very cursory searching i uncovered wiki-corroboration) the destination is popular, resulting in a long line with a mix of people from pre-teen girls on an early summer outing to a bride and groom. we made it to the top, though, and just as the sun was set and the sky was fading from gray to blue. it was a lovely sight - istanbul is replete with those, it seems. we watched as each of the mosques dotting the hillside lit up and boats floated up and down the golden horn. when we were satisfied we walked along pierre loti cafe, filled with couples out for a romantic evening and families out for a holiday.

another food shot

it was dark and getting chilly so we made our way back down and onto another bus (so nice to have locals with you who know the bus routes!) back north to boğaziçi where we stopped along büşra's street for some pide, often described as turkish pizza. it was an unassuming place, with simple booths and several students milling about but, man, was that stuff delicious! i left full and very happy. once back at büşra's place we had plans to watch a movie but we were both so tired we just conked out.

so much bread!

up early the next day, we started out at a place on the corner with a big breakfast of bread (still very grateful to have fluffy bread back in my life) and tea. this proved to be good fuel for a big day of exploring. we started on foot, walking through the university campus, which was pretty similar to a college campus you might see in the states. interesting fact: they tried putting in a starbucks where one of the student cafés was but everyone just wanted çay so eventually they took the starbucks out in favor of the former café. i wonder how many times that's happened! we walked towards the water at the top of the hill and along the remnants of the wall of rumelihisarı castle, a fortress built by mehmet the conquerer, an ottoman sultan, in the 15th century. not a bad site to border your college.

castle, yalı, cafe: istanbul through the ages

we made our way downhill and ended up right along the water. we walked up the street, passing beautiful homes and bistros that somehow reminded me of san francisco. maybe it was the seagulls along the water, or the bridges we were passing under, but something reminded me of the west coast waterfront. one clear difference was the sporadic siting of the traditional wooden houses, or yalı, which i was more aware of, having just finished orhan pamuk's description of them in istanbul. a thoroughly pleasant stroll on a beautiful, blue-skyed morning.

from there it was another bus south along the water until we arrived at bebek, a very busy area filled with buses, ferries, businesspeople and shoppers. we popped into the little nearby mall so i could look for some shoes (what? turks have cute shoes; i wanted some) which i found for only 20 TL (about 10 dollars). then it was onto the ferry and over to asia. unlike the first time i rode one of these ferries, this was not the first time i'd been to asia, so in some ways it was a bit less exciting. but it was also a lovely ride across the water. and soon we were out and about on the asian side of town.

turkish delights

we walked quite a ways to meet büşra's friend, stopping only when essential (read: for window-shopping). eventually though we made it to a rather delightful little place, a charming cafe atop a small hill where families were dining or lingering over tea. it was quickly obvious why these two were such close friends, both have such sweet dispositions. we talked over tea, enjoying the sunlit view from our cafe table. after we were feeling sated we set out for another long walk, this time along the water. after a quick stop for an afternoon prayer we made it to our destination, the maiden's tower (whose legend naturally involves a beloved yet isolated daughter). it's quite a romantic sight, alone there in the water. but the view is enhanced by the ambiance - cushioned seats, plentiful tea and snacks, backgammon games and, in our case, golden afternoon light on the bosphorus. a pretty perfect way to spend my last evening in istanbul. as we boarded the boat to take us back to the western side of the city we were still treated to that dazzling sunlight glittering on the water.

boats on the bosphorus, a twinkling farewell

we boarded the necessary trams and buses to make our way back up north to büşra's neighborhood, stopping only when we got to the university area for one last taste of pide, at my request. we did take one last walk, to again admire the nighttime view from the hills of boğaziçi. as breathtaking on my last night as it was on my first, if a little more bittersweet. i'm sure i only scratched the surface of what istanbul has to offer. it's a city i could see myself spending lots more time exploring, although i think i'd need a few years to do it justice. so don't worry, istanbul. as i so often say, i'll be back!

capping it off in cappadocia

so the morning after our day in konya we found ourselves back at the bus station bright and early. i tried to find something to eat for breakfast (more pastries) while courtney was left to deal with a very insistent bus station employee. eventually we made it onto the bus where we had a lovely ride, chatting listening to music and sharing my favorite new snack of moong dal (fried yellow lentils - salty, not spicy) and m&ms. delicious (and gluten-free, if anyone's interested), you should try it.

around lunch time we found ourselves in cappadocia. well, almost. while we were in the region of cappadocia, our bus dropped us off at the bus station outside of the town of göreme, our destination. we weren't bombarded at the station by hoteliers and tour guides, but we did get a shakedown from someone inside the 'information booth' inside. he conveniently neglected to tell us that the bus to town leaves every half hour until minutes after it had left. but if we sign up for his tour, they'll drive us right to town. convenient. we ended up waiting for the shuttle bus, after getting a map of where we had to walk to find the other bus to get to göreme. not confusing at all. we got on the bus and hopped off at a crossroads that seemed like where we needed to be. we walked on for a while, inquired after the bus stop, got further directions, turned and kept walking. we walked quite a ways, and even had to stop for a little snack. eventually i went into a hotel and asked where we were on the map. thank goodness for hotels, where they always speak english and always give directions. re-oriented, we walked on, more confident this time. we walked and walked and walked until we came to what looked like it was out of town, turned left where we thought we were supposed to, and found ourselves on a deserted residential street. thoroughly discouraged and at this point getting cranky, we asked someone at a nearby shipping store for help. courtney managed to find someone who seemed to speak some german who offered to give us a ride to where we needed to be. unable to fathom walking any farther with our bags, we decided to overlook the fact that he seemed to be shipping rocks from the trunk of his car. (...) so we hopped in and soon found ourselves at a stretch of small restaurants and convenience stores. it didn't look terribly promising, until we spied the other foreigners with backpacks. hallelujah! we waited for the shuttle bus and finally - finally - arrived in göreme.

once we arrived it was a matter of finding a hotel. we didn't want to get taken advantage of because we were tired and hungry so we resolved to find a reasonable hotel. of course it was the only city where we were both paying for lodging, so we could afford to spend a little. we figured staying in a cave hotel would be worth it. again, we were not at all harassed by hopeful hoteliers when we disembarked our shuttle bus (silly guide books). instead we made our way into the small tourist office which was empty except for an employee playing a game on facebook and a wall filled with hotel posters. we made a careful study of them, asking the guide to tell us which ones were the least expensive and still in caves. we eventually settled on one that seemed to fit the bill. the gentleman called the hotel for us, booked our room, and had them send for a van. talk about service!

our cave dwelling

we were escorted up the small hills and winding streets of göreme, and dropped right at our hotel. we dumped our stuff and took a few minutes to revel in the awesome-ness of our cave-room, complete with craggy walls and turkish carpets. we were pretty excited (someone may or may not have jumped on the bed a little; i won't say who). after relaxing and relishing our new digs we made our way down the hill towards the 'canal' (a laughable little concrete trench with maybe a trickle of water - not even worthy of a photo) and our mid-afternoon lunch. i opted for lahmacun, a crispy flatbread with meat and tomatoes, sometimes called turkish pizza, and courtney, mercifully, had little trouble finding some gluten-free options, for once (although they were, once again, inexplicably more expensive for less food. sigh.) we had a nice meal, right by the canal, and noted that there seemed to be very few tourists around. odd, we thought, for june. ah well, more for us to enjoy.

could you top us off?

after our lunch we meandered around the small town, poking into a few shops, some piled high with carpets, others filled with tiles and all sorts of souvenirs (some of which were definitely from india, i noted). we decided to take it easy for the rest of the afternoon and headed back to enjoy our hotel. we spent a little while catching up on computer things (oh, hello wifi!) and such, while i played some music from my turkish playlist in the background to really set the scene (turns out one of my turkish CDs is even called 'cappadocia'. how's that for appropriate!). when we had finished up we ventured upstairs to enjoy the view of dusk settling over the valley. we ordered a few glasses of local wine and sat out on the terrace, writing postcards (one of our favorite pastimes) as the blues in the sky deepened and the lights came on, illuminating the fairy chimneys (what they call the unusual rock formations; i'm not just being whimsical). so yes, we were pretty content.

we had a few feline visitors

before we realized it, it was past 9 and our hotel's kitchen had closed for the night. i guess that late lunch had filled us up. no matter, we made our way down the hill to a local restaurant - very lively and warm inside, but we thought we'd see if we could manage to get something to go. the family running the restaurant was super accommodating and whipped us up some phyllo dough/feta cigars and hummus to take back to our inviting room. we enjoyed our impromptu room service and followed it up with some tv (well, internet tv) and a reserve supply of milka chocolate. and before you judge us for spending the night in our hotel room, let me remind you that it was a cave room. so, yeah.

the eyes have it

the next morning we were up early for a buffet breakfast and off early on our day of hikes. we bypassed all the buses going into the valleys and decided to walk the mile or so to the open air museum. on the way we discovered this really great tree full of evil eyes outside a pottery studio. there was also a tree/cart full of pottery and shards, but it wasn't quite as picturesque. also along our route were horses and lovely views of the rocks in the distance. all those suckers speeding by in the buses missed out.

forbidden photo

eventually we arrived at the museum and switched the backpack on our way in (we resolved to take turns carrying our stuff). even though it was early, the sun was out and we were already feeling the heat. luckily the cave dwellings were nice and cool. the museum itself is composed of various churches, monasteries and nunneries that date back to the 11th and 12th centuries. in some of the chapels the paint on the walls was quite intact; in some entire scenes were visible. even more impressive was the church across the road. it was covered with the admission to the museum, but could easily have been missed since it was outside the entrance. entire surfaces were covered with paint, and not just faded sepia but deep blues and golds. i even managed to sneak a photo (to be fair, someone else was taking photos openly. turns out she was a journalist or something.) anyway, onward and upward. uphill, that is.

valley of the rocks

back on the path we had views of the fairy chimneys (some less chimney-like, more like conical heads or very pointy white sand dunes), the hills beyond and some little flowers along the way. en route to our hiking trail we happened upon a campsite with a small convenience store where we picked up some pistachios and dried fruits. we also got confirmation that we were headed the right way. not too many signs on this road. eventually we made it to the trail head and down into the valley. the trail at first was downhill and though it wasn't horribly steep, it was rather difficult to get down those dusty slopes without slipping. courtney decided to use the lack of friction to her advantage and scooted her way down. it seemed to work pretty well (as well as being entertaining for me). once we were more horizontal things got easier. we were down in the bottom of this small valley, looking up at the tall trees and rock formations. in the sides of some of the rocks we could see openings that had been cut out. pretty neat. we pressed on, passing very few fellow hikers and only one little cafe, perched beside a little cave. a very pleasant walk. once we had made it to a clearing we stopped near a tree for our picnic lunch - comprised of some provisions saved from breakfast, a bit of cheese and nuts from the grocery store and the dried fruits and nuts. it was a nice little meal. it was a tad windy, but still sunny and pleasant.

anybody home?

we continued on, now surrounded more by open fields and hills in the distance. we walked quite a ways, passed a picturesque cemetery - carved tombstones in the midst of little purple flowers - and eventually came to a small town that had expensive postcards and a few pottery shops, as well as a series of dwellings carved into the top of a hill. we didn't venture up; we were already pretty tired. instead we continued on, onto more wide open fields. we generally had the path to ourselves - except when we were passed by a group of obnoxious teenagers on ATVs - laughing as they drove too close and dirt clouded up from under their wheels. charming. we weren't certain that we were on the right road but figured it had to lead back to the town and, sure enough, after a few minutes we could see the familiar minarets.

lingering light on the rocks

we made our way back to the hotel and had a much-deserved rest. and as a reward for our full day of hiking (and frugal lunch!) we decided to treat ourselves to a nice dinner at the town's best restaurant, according to our guide book. we wandered around for a while (you kind of have to rely on signs posted for hotels and restaurants) but eventually found it. we came in just in time - even though there were seats reserved, we managed to get one of the last open tables. we placed our order with high expectations. the sun began to set so we excused ourselves for a few pictures. we managed to snap a few of the setting sunlight on the rosy rocks just before the raindrops started to fall. then back inside for our much-anticipated meal. everything was.. well just strange. all the food seemed like it was courtesy of chef boyardee, including the tomato soup with tiny meatballs. we couldn't help but giggle - which only made matters worse since everyone else in that (very full, remember) restaurant was inexplicably quiet. we picked at our food and then left, giving up our table for hopefully more appreciative patrons. back to the hotel to supplement our meal with more of our chocolate reserves.

balloon's eye view

our last day we thought we'd get up early to at least watch some of the hot air balloons, even if we couldn't go for a ride ourselves. (our lead for getting a good deal fell through.) at first, nothing. then all of a sudden we saw massive balloons rising up out of the rocks. i'm sure their view from up there was pretty great, but ours wasn't half bad either. we watched until the sun came over the distant mountains then made it back to our room to start the day.

turkish toilets?

from here it was another bus ride to derinkuyu, one of the underground cities. there are several in central turkey and they really are cities - this one once housed more than 20,000 people. first built (and inhabited) in the 7th century BC, the spaces were later occupied by refugee communities. the underground lairs included churches, stables, wine cellars. of course now it's hard to tell one space from another, but it's still fun to crawl through little tunnels and duck into niches. we had a ball exploring and taking one or two requisite goofy photos.

please excuse my selfie

on our way our we stopped at some of the commercial stalls that invariably pop up around touristy locales. we comparison shopped and eventually decided on a few items - picked a set of lovely turquoise ceramic bowls, each with a slightly different design. these items, supplemented by some earrings and other small items we picked up back in göreme's shops, rounded out our shopping. we had some time remaining before our evening bus so we had a long leisurely afternoon of lunch followed by tea and hookah while writing postcards. pretty perfect.

we took a walk as the sun was just beginning to go down and got our last looks at cappadocia. then it was onto the bus for our final ride - back to istanbul!

seljuk sites

a rather uncomfortable overnight bus ride (i guess i got spoiled with those semi-sleepers to goa) and we woke up at the konya bus station. we made our way out and to the nearby tram stop. we took it a few stops and got off at the apartment complex our would-be couchsurfing host had arranged (he ended up being full but his friend elif was closer to the station so it worked out). we waited out front for a while, eventually found a payphone to get a hold of her (again, the whole no cell phone thing proving a hindrance) and soon were brought right up. elif had a great place, complete with a guest bedroom with a bunk bed. elif had to run off to work but graciously left us to rest and freshen up. we had a much-needed rest to make up for our night on the bus and then  left refreshed.

gardens over lunch

so we hopped back on the tram and after about 15 minutes found ourselves in the center of downtown. it seemed konya was quite a bit smaller than bursa. the center of town was quite nice. immediately to our right was a large outdoor cafe that looked like it belonged in vienna or next to an ice skating rink. in front of us was the central alaeddin hill, around which the town centers. we walked a little up and around the hill and continued towards the historic part of town. we were searching for a restaurant the guide book had recommended that had a nice view of the mevlana complex. we found it but they were evidently booked up with tour buses. thanks but no thanks. we found another place not too far and had it almost to ourselves (well, until a bus group showed up. i guess you can't avoid them.) the view, though, for our meal was lovely. we could see right over the walls into the grounds of the complex. turns out, rose gardens look pretty good from any angle.

those turkish roses

back to ground level, we followed the walls around to the entrance of the grounds. the complex, or mevlana dergahı, was originally the site of the rose garden for the seljuk palace. the seljuks, who predated the ottoman empire, settled both in anatolia and iran (obviously these were the former). i was particularly excited to see their former capital due to their penchant for using turquoise and black tiles. the conical tower at right being one of the most prominent examples. we spent quite a while taking pictures in the gardens and generally enjoying being surrounded by roses before making our way to what is now the mevlana museum. the museum is devoted to telling the story of the original whirling dervishes. they do so with life-size dioramas and text panels in the original cells where the dervishes would have stayed. it gave a pretty good impression of what their daily lives would have been like, not bad.

bells and stones

then we made our way into the mausoleum itself. the tomb was built for mevlâna jelaleddin rumî, commonly known as rumi, the sufi poet. he was also the founder of the order of the dervishes and so naturally his tomb became a rather important pilgrimage site, and consequently rather crowded. inside the building was quite elaborate - gold and decoration on every surface that glittered in the low light of the glass lanterns. and just outside, tombstones with carved calligraphy and surrounded by (guess what) roses and small fountain. unfortunately the selimiye mosque was closed for renovations. we took a final stroll through the grounds and made our way out.

famous candies

we walked up a smaller street, past stalls overflowing with bags and bags of the chalky white candies apparently famous to the city. a little farther on we passed a later, 18th century mosque. quite different in appearance, more like a church of the time. we passed on without going inside and continued back towards the big street that led to the hill. we stopped into an internet cafe to catch up on some things and i nibbled on some of the aforementioned candies. they taste exactly like you'd expect them to. we walked on, and on the way we noticed even the post offices and banks had colorful tiles built into their facades. i like that in a town.

ceiling tiles

our next stop, fittingly, was the tile museum. i was more than a little excited about a museum filled with tiles (just to reiterate here, i really like tiles). after paying a modest price we slipped in to the small museum, just a few rooms - formerly the karatay medrese (school). the walls were covered - well, almost covered, with tiles recovered from the seljuk era. that same turquoise and black, with all types of geometric patterns and kufic scripts. it's so striking - i often wonder why we only see iznik-style tiles reproduced today. i think the seljuk ones would be just as beautiful. the museum itself was small but had some nice literature on how and the tiles were made and what the common motifs were. during the seljuk era konya was a major center for glazed tiles and brick, which is evident in the extant architecture. in a smaller room there were examples of different one of a kind hand-painted tiles that often featured figures and animals, most in that distinctive eight-point star shape.

this doesn't quite capture it

we walked out into the museum's small courtyard that featured some lovely flowers and a sun-dappled leafy trellis. when we left we took a look at the impressive facade to the small complex. with its muqarnas niche over the doorway, dark stone patterns, and petals filled with script, it was quite elaborate. even better, across the street we found a little ice cream shop. we had been hoping to find a place, as i was having trouble putting into words the unique consistency of turkish ice cream. we paid more for the ice cream than we had for the museum tickets, but it was worth it for the experience. it had that signature taffy-esque, almost chewy quality to it. it actually broke my spoon! still quite tasty. oh, and the shop itself seemed to be an old little building too. nice in its own right.

incredible minbar and tiles behind

our next destination was back up the hill to the alaeddin mosque complex. the mosque wasn't much to look at from the exterior; with its plain walls it almost looked more like a castle complex. we went in what seemed to be the side entrance - there was a large door was in the middle of the adjacent wall and into the mosque. it was very plain inside, and looked surprisingly modern, in spite of the marble columns. kind of like a church basement. but then we got to the mihrab (it wasn't visible right away) - it was spectacular! that same marble muqarnas vaulting bordered by band after band of seljuk tiles. all kinds of patterns in those same two shades. and the size was just monumental. next to it was the wooden minbar (stairs) that was just as intricate - perhaps more. it was created with the kündekari technique, whereby a wooden structure is assembled using only fitted wooden grooves on the sides of each piece - no nails or glue. then of course each of those geometric pieces has elaborate carvings of interlaced arabesques. quite remarkable. (i had studied a similar piece earlier, if you're wondering why i know so much about this rather obscure practice.) as we were leaving we were informed that we were not supposed to take pictures (which we honestly didn't know - i say this despite my somewhat blemished track record); luckily i had already got what i wanted.

minaret in brick and tile

from there it was down the other side of the hill. we went off in search of an interesting looking mosque i had seen somewhere and, after wandering through a few side streets and consulting a few locals, we found the mosque on an otherwise unassuming street. it had quite a unique minaret, with patterns made in that distinctive glazed brick. the mosque was very small but had a nice little courtyard surrounding it.

yes, that glob is butter

we stopped for a bit and then made our way back towards that central circle. on the ring road we discovered a place that advertised knafeh. of course i insisted that we stop in. i've been drooling over thoughts of knafeh since the last time i'd had it in jordan. it wasn't quite as good as what i'd had in amman, but still good in its oily gooeyness.

by then we had just a few minutes until we were supposed to meet our couchsurfing host (the original one). we grabbed a table at the central cafe - the last one, though there were many - for some tea and postcard writing while we waited for görkem. after a few minutes he found us, evidently coming straight from work in his nice suit. he came bearing gift bags, full of pamphlets and info on konya.

konya from above

we followed him to the hace veys zade mosque, the largest and newest in the city, where we were meeting sally, another couchsurfer from montana. she was hard to miss - super tall with a short pixie cut. we popped into the mosque briefly, spacious and empty inside. after that we hurried off to the restaurant görkem had picked out for us; he wanted us to make it before the sun had set. when we got there we understood why. he took us to a revolving restaurant - at the 42nd floor of the seljuk tower (sort of a misnomer, obviously it's a rather new building). we made it in time for the sunset and took a walk around the observation deck. konya's not much from above but it was a nice way to get perspective on the city. once inside we were treated to what was a rather expensive meal (all on the company card) - we were each more or less instructed to order one of the traditional dishes on the menu. various combinations of spiced meat, peppers, onions, rice and baskets full of bread. it wasn't bad, although a less formal meal would have been more our speed. still, we'd never been to a revolving restaurant so it was novel if nothing else.

from there we left to meet elif and some other friends at an outdoor cafe. there were seats all around a lovely pond, illuminated with colored lights, complete with passing swans. we met the other group, about six of them were there already, and joined them for çay and hookah. we had a lovely time discussing this and that - traveling and impressions of turkey. around 11 or 12 we headed back with elif on the tram (and learned that the city apparently bought them from germany) to her place and promptly collapsed into our bunk beds.

so there you have it, a pretty perfect 24 hours in konya.