Istanbul to Ankara to Karaman

This morning we woke up at 4:45 am and left the house by 5:10 am to catch a bus to Ankara. And then 4 hours after we made it to Ankara, we caught another bus to Karaman for 4 hours where we are staying for the next 7 days. 

Before we left Istanbul, I said goodbye to the view from our bed room, because I was going to miss it greatly every morning...

Ankara is the capitol of Turkey and is also the place where Ayse went to College. It was there in Ankara that she and Ross met at a real estate office while he was trying to find a place to live because he was working there for his company at that time. It was a treat to visit this city that had so many memories for Ayse. She was so happy to be able to show it to us.


On our way to Ankara, we passed the sea... and it looked like this...

And like this... Yes, that is a mosque down there...

In Ankara, we had 4 hours to kill so we took the subway to the main hub of the city and walked out to streets looking like the picture below. It was beautiful, all the colors that were around us. This area is a cross roads of sorts where a lot of people come and a lot of students visit. There are shops and places to eat and it is very busy but yet very quaint.

We ate lunch there up in an open air restaurant (basically a second floor restaurant with not walls- simply just a railing to keep you from falling off). We ate a typical Turkish dish, Doner (pronounced Dunar) which consists of Lamb, tomatoes, pita bread, and a small salad. It was delish. A little too much bread, but other than that delish!

We did some people watching while we were up there.

Hello.

Then Ayse wanted to take us to a park where her and Ross would go when they lived there. But I couldn't help myself when I saw these chandeliers of sorts hanging in the middle of the roads. They turn them on at night and I can just imagine how incredible it must look! I wish we had stayed for it, but we couldn't! But aren't they rad!??

We arrived at the park and there were these mass amounts of pigeons everywhere. It is always a little hard to know what to expect when Ayse says she is taking us some where because she usually just says something like "Lets go to the park" and then you show up and it isn't what you thought at all. Like this park for example, it was a bird park. Awesome, right???

These pigeons were sooo comfortable with humans that I was just walking right next to them and they wouldn't even move! See how close I am to them!

Also, there was a pond full of swan and geese.  I haven't ever seen real swan in person, so I was particularly excited to see them so up close and personal. They were huge! Like as big as a medium sized dog. And they were just beautiful.

And then there were these really cute little gooslings? geeslings?? haha But seriously, cuteness.

Then She took us to her favorite dessert place and I got this Chocolate ice cream that had an almost gummie like texture. It was sooo tastey and sooo, different? but in a good way. Sometimes I wish the states had cooler places to eat.

Once we squeezed in a little bit of Ankara, we got back on the bus and drove for 4 more hours to Karaman where Ayse's parents and family live. This was a bit of a big deal to come here and meet them. This is one of the main reasons for this entire trip.  It was so that I could meet the only extended family John really has. The pressure was a little daunting especially because I knew they didn't speak english. haha anyway, I knew it would be okay, but I was still nervous nonetheless. When we arrived everyone was sooo incredibly excited to see John after 6 years and to meet me. Everyone in the family had gathered for this. It was very sweet to meet them all, especially his grandparents. His grandpa is 81 years old and his grandma is 70. His grandpa was so sweet to me, he motioned for me to come and sit by him and he would try to hard to talk with me. I couldn't understand him but he would just hug me and I knew it was alright. It was like there was a bond formed so quickly. He is a sweet sweet man. Also, it was a hoot to see the two orphan children that Ayse brought stuff for. They were just adorable and such a joy to watch as they opened up there gifts.

This is one of the orphan kids Benjamin. He is almost 5.

And his sister ( I can't remember her name right now). She is almost 7. Their mom was Ayse's niece. She died a few years ago and so Ayse has felt the need to help take care of them so that they don't end up in an orphanage. It is very touching to see the love she has for these two kids. They also just adore her.

Ayse's sister does fantastic needle work. She took these two towels and added the lace to them for john and I. On the hand towel she has added to the top an evil eye in her needle work. Evil eyes are everywhere here. An evil eye represents protection against evil thoughts or evil deeds. It is believed to ward off those things in an effort to protect you.

Remember, this is all hand done.

I am so grateful to have been able to meet John and Ayse's family tonight. I am looking forward to getting to spend more time with them. I am not sure how well I will get to know them, since we can't speak, but I still feel a part of their wonderful family. It's so great to be here!

Istanbul... for 3 days...

After our luxurious plane ride, we had to stand in this horrendously long line to get a visa. I guess in order to come into the country of Turkey, you have to have a visa? I wasn't clear on the details, other than I knew that John and I needed to get one in order to be legal in Turkey. haha. Luckily the line moved fairly quickly. It wasn't as bad as waiting for the indiana jones ride at disneyland,  but it was still long and frustrating! The counter that we had to reach was below the "Visa" sign... 

I don't remember if I had mentioned how the first night that we got here, we immediately got ready and went out! Pelin, Ayse's dear friend and the woman we were staying with in Istanbul, wanted to show us Istanbul at night. She took us to this restaurant that sat right on the edge of the Marmara sea. This is the sea that separates the asian continent and the european continent (even though they are both still turkey) from my understanding. So basically, we could see across the way to the other mass of land. There were boats in the middle and lots and lots of light and music. It was very... romantic. That's a great word for it. We sat outside in candle light while Frank Sinatra played in the background. I know, weird right? haha. Anyway, we just sat and relaxed and enjoyed the ambiance and the company. It was very picturesque and totally a fun surprise to be there and see such beauty. I tried to catch photos of it without looking too much like a tourist. I was unable to be successful in capturing a "great" photo of it.

The thing is, we haven't been doing "touristy" stuff yet. The things that we have been doing are what turkish people do normally. So catching photos hasn't been quite as casual as I would like it to be. I did however, catch this great one of a cool building. It actually looks like it could be from disneyland, except its real. It was sooo beautiful.

We walked along the coast of the sea, and it seemed that everyone was out! It is so hot and humid here during the day that everyone comes out at night and eats dinner around 9 or 10 pm. We even walked past a park at 10:45 pm and the entire park was full of parents and their kids playing on it! It was a sight to be seen!

We just walked and walked, and then we reached this almost Bazaar like place where there were cobble stone streets that were narrow with lights and people and people selling stuff. Handmade jewelry, and good food. The city of Istanbul puts on free concerts often. So we walked over to a free concert in this area and it was awesome! There were so many people! I regret not getting a photo of that!

We decided to sit at a nearby restaurant called "The House" and get a bit of tea. I was surprised by how much tea they drink, all the time. And the majority of it is fresh and herbal. The one we had that particular evening is called Apple tea. and this is what it looks like when they bring it out to you.

It includes fresh cut apples, a few slices of oranges and lemons, and a little white jar of honey. Also a tea pot of fresh seeping tea. What you do with it is you combine the ingredients and it makes for some delicious sweet apple tea. So we just sat there and enjoyed the live concert and drank tea... Oh to be a European.

I came home that evening to discover this rad toilet. Square??!! Is it too weird that I was excited by a square toilet? haha... 

While we have been in Istanbul for 3 days we have being just literally shopping and eating... and shopping and eating... and shopping an drinking tea and shopping and eating. It has been fun! We have been introduced to the fashion of Istanbul! What I didn't know was that Turkey is a pretty fashionable place, mainly Istanbul. They have awesome stores here and it has been fun to integrate with the people.

Something that I have been trying to do is to learn some key words with the language. It has been SO difficult for me to do. Things are pronounced in certain ways and my tongue just cant do some of the ways that their words require. Like it was not made to say some of the words. haha But the people here are kind. They are incredibly patient with me. They will even try to speak english to me. Also, with some of the languages I have picked up like spanish, some of the words connect to english words. Not in Turkish. Nothing sounds english except for maybe when they say salad... makes it a little difficult for me to learn it.

What has been neat though is seeing John pick it up. He hasn't been here for 6 years and he used to come at least once a year with his mom. I usually have no idea what is going on in conversations but it is cool to watch John laugh at what is being said, or smile or nod...He may not speak it super well, but its cool to see him picking up and remembering it and understanding it.

Moral of the story is.....

WE ARE HERE!!! IN TURKEY!!!!! AND ITS AMAZING!!!!

Alright. Now that I got that out... let us begin. I have a lot to tell you because some great things have been happening. 

I'll start you off with when we were checking our luggage and ourselves into our flight with Turkish Airlines. We had a bajillion bags to bring with us. Alright, okay... only 6 large bags and 3 carry ons, but still... it felt like a lot because they were full and heavy and we had only 3 of us lugging them around the airport. So we get there and this kind, turkish man behind the counter began helping us, asking for our passports, putting those flight stickers on our bags and making small chit chat. Ayse (John's mom for those of you who don't know by now) asked him if he was turkish and he was. They began speaking turkish to each other and I realized at that point that there was going to be a lot of this feeling of "I have no clue what is going on" since I don't know the language. I have to just smile and nod most of the time, which isn't sooooo bad. Anyway, they spoke back and forth and afterward, Ayse mentioned that he had asked why so many bags and she told him it was because 5 of them were for her orphan children. (see how big the bags were below) They were full of toys and clothes and things to bring happiness to a couple of orphan kids that she loves here in turkey. And that was that. We left him and begun our trek through Toronto airport to our boarding gate. We got there and it was HORRIBLY packed. Like, a line for a mile. It was insane but fascinating to watch all who was going to Turkey and noticing who was turkish and who wasn't. When we finally got on the plane and were directed to our seats, to our surprise, the man who checked us in was soo touched by Ayse's love for her orphans that he upgraded our seats to Comfort Class! I didn't even know something like that existed, but to my amazement it does!

I was embarrassingly excited about this. John played it way cooler than I did. And I had to be careful because I was taking so many photos that people were looking at me and totally judging. But wouldn't you take pictures if you were served a menu on the plane? Or if you could lean your chair so far back that you could actually get a good nights rest on a flight? Or if your chair could become like an recliner where it lifts your feet up? or where you had your own personal TV with different channels and an assortment of like 150 movies to choose from?? AND they give you slippers, pillow, blankets, and a little package for refreshing your breath, hair, skin, and feet??... Wouldn't you want to remember this moment?! Do you judge me for taking photos? Don't... I know you would have done it too. ;)

(The pictures are a little out of the order that I wanted them in and most of the photos were taken with my iphone (it didn't have such an obvious flash) so they are a tiny bit blurry)

Ayse getting the luggage ready..

See these bags!!! SOOO many! Ayse only really let us take a carry on with our stuff so she could take the orphans things. It was hard narrowing down what to take, but I am glad she is so willing to give to these orphans.

John, playing it way cooler than me on the plane.  Look at the space!!! And the wide seats!

Every meal came with these little salt and pepper shakers. Cute right? And smart...

My own personal TV. I decided to watch "New Year's Eve" (I think thats what it's called)

The slot where my side table came out of...

This was seriously the coolest thing from this experience, a reclining chair...

Dinner.... A little blurry, but you get the idea (yes that is 2 salads, salmon, and a pasta dish with warm bread)

Again, the recliner. John was such a good model.

This was our breakfast menu... They served us Dinner immediately when we got on the plane and then 2 hours before we landed they served us breakfast! Please look at the detail of the meal on this menu.

Dessert after dinner. On the right is an orange creme brulee of sorts. Did I mention they had a chef on the plane?

Dinner menu in the middle. Still so much detail. Look closely. English is on the right side of the middle. (Whitney, I thought you might enjoy this)

Breakfast. An Omelette. Fruits, bread, cheese, cucumber and tomato. (very common turkish breakfast)

I feel like she gives a little perspective by how much space we really had.. 

The flight was a spectacular experience. I didn't know it was possible to enjoy a 10 hour plane flight. I usually feel wiped, and sick and usually when I step off the plane I feel like I need to kiss the ground because "I have MADE IT! I survived!!!" But with this experience, I felt like I could have flown for another 10 hours... weird, right?

So, the moral of the story is... Donate to orphans when you travel some where far and it may get you bumped up to Comfort class where you can be comfortable. They weren't joking people.

GO PRO...

John just got a GO PRO Camera for our trip! He is setting it all up for our trip!

This meansssss.... VIDEOS to come on this here blog about our radical trip to TURKEY! PS... We leave tomorrow!!!! 6 weeks of Turkey here we come!

Every sunday needs to end this way...

Last sunday, we had the pleasure of visiting the home of Wayne and Joann McLeash. This home holds fond memories for me because it was where my bridal shower in Canada was held. It is incredible beautiful. And the backyard is so serene. We were invited for dinner and company.

Well the company was a pleasure. We were there not only with our family of 4 and the McLeash's, but also the Diaczun'z as well. We ate outside in the back yard and below are pictures of our view....

This is Joann and me. She is such a lovely woman. And I had such a great time getting to know her better!

They live on Lake Ontario... Like right on it as you can tell. This is why I said every sunday needs to end this way, out on a veranda of sorts, enjoying nature and the weather...my kind of sunday.

Just a reminder to get your ducks in a row...

Also, we were able to go to the Toronto Temple and afterwards ran into Ward and Laurie Fuller! 

Walks, Ball games, Friends, and Drive-Ins....

It's about time I update my going ons since my last post. The thing is, honestly, we are just relaxing... not doing a whole lot. Simply enjoying just being here at John's parents home. It is so incredibly different than being at my home in CA. There were only 3 people that lived in this home.. at the most. No one comes and goes as often as in my home growing up (if you can't remember, I have 10 siblings). So the experience here has been quiet and serene. It has been nice.

One of the things that we have been doing a lot of is taking walks. It is fascinating to me to see how many people here in Canada who like to take advantage of their parks and of being outside. Beside the fact that the weather has been great (with minor humidity), I have noticed that they have incredible landscapes and natural beauty all over the place. Its like living in nature and all the joys and beauty that come with that, whilst still living in a nice suburban home and all the eminenties that comes with that. It is a perfect balance of the two. Below is a nice walk we were able to enjoy the other day... this is just part of a local park. no biggy...

We also went to a Toronto Blue Jays game! It was awesome because they Blue Jays played against the Orioles and the Blue Jays won 4-1. The cool part was that all of the runs that they got were Home Runs. It was a fun game!!

John and his dad waiting outside the stadium with their matching hats! haha

The stadium 

The sky was incredible that evening!

John's mom and I went shopping and she is so little that the hats she was trying on would just engulf her!

John and his mom at Johnny Rockets!

There is a little downtown area near Johns home called Streetsville. It was so cute and quaint. John and I walked to it and had Shawarma's and went to the local stores. It was great!

We met up with our good friends at Yordale mall and ate at a restaurant called "The Pickled Barrell" It was great company and good food!... Can't get better than that!

Nate, Kyle, and John

Me, Brittany, and Emily

This house salad was seriously sooo good that it made me make this face!!

The Clan!

We also went to the Drive-in! It is actually a big deal here in Canada and still something that a lot of people do. The last time I went to a Drive-In was probably when I was in 5th grade and the movie Boe-Finger was playing! So crazy! We saw Madagascar 3. It was fun!

These girls make me smile! Brittany and Emily

Our View

We have been having a blast!!! We have been so lucky to spend time with good friends! We don't get to see them enough because of living in the states. We are glad we were able to see them while we have been here! They have driven down to see us (we have been without a car) more times than we had expected and would have done more! We are sooo grateful for their friendship! :) I am sad cause we don't have photos with the fourth couple of our group, Brittany and Ben! Brittany just had a beautiful baby boy just last week. Congratulations to you both!!!