Turkey to Berlin

At a horse farm in turkey
In Ephesus
Waterfall in Turkey
At the site of Troy
March 6, 2010
Travel
Arrive in Turkey at around 7pm. It is very cold and the long underwear is getting pulled out along with the heavy coat and gloves. It was late but we still went and had dinner. The hotel is super nice and feels like high class to me due to being in the different places. Although the hotel the last night in Bangkok was really nice as well.
Dinner was under a bridge. There were a bunch of restaurants there. Aysen got us to one of them and we had pasta and meat along with soup and salad. Here soup is served and then salad. So its almost always a full course meal.
When back at the hotel I packed my backpack for the next 2 nights. Turkey feels like luxury now due to the nice hotel. Have to head to bed because its an early day tomorrow.

March 7, 2010
Breakfast was wonderful. It had the bread and cheese still but there was scrambled eggs and coco puffs. I loved it but I still would like some good French toast or a omelet filled with cheese and ham. After breakfasted headed to the bus and we made it out on time at 8am, no more Indian and African time! We were on the bus for about 2 hours before getting on a ferry to take us to Canakkale. There we headed out to see the ruins of Troy.
When we got to Troy it was cold and windy. It was very exciting to see Troy because of translating Virgil’s Aeneid in High School. The Iliad and the Odyssey were talked about more because is talks more about the location and the reason why Troy was found. It has about 9 cities on the site. Omar and Virgil’s Troy was most likely 6 and 7 Troy because that was when the time fits and during the 7th the doors are barricaded along with huge water jars and small houses. The reason it was buried is because the houses were of mostly mud brick and the brick when broken was just left in the city. The sea is now far from the city due to soil kept falling into the bay causing a marsh to appear causing mosquitoes to come making people leave the city. The horse used in the production of the movie Troy is in Canakkale as a gift from the people who made the film. Aysen kept telling us we were going to see Brad Pitt until we got to the horse.
We then went to the Hotel Helen. There we had dinner. For desert there was a wonderful mouthwatering chocolate pudding. It was very good. After dinner we had a short class and then given free time to work on things. The town is very cute. In Turkey Greeks were living and then after the World War I the Greeks had to move to Greece and the Turks into Turkey so a lot of the building have Greek look to them.

March 8, 2010
Got up and had breakfast at 8am. Then I packed up and got to the bus. We headed to the University.
We were given a tour of the Agua culture and oceanography labs. After that they gave a presentation of the underwater world. It really made me want to come back and dive the waters here. Tea was served as well. After that we headed off to lunch.
Lunch was hamburger. It was ok but it did satisfy my hamburger cravings. After that we were off for a long bus ride again to the hotel that was about 3 hours away.
So most of the day was stuck on the bus. When we were almost thee we had to stop because the bus had problems. It got fixed and we were on our way in less then a half hour. Car problems just seem to be following the group.
When we got to the hotel we had tea before dinner. The dinner was good, except for the cold veggies. I was so full that it was hard to eat everything. Then Aysen presented 2 chocolate cakes for Ladies/ Womens day. I ate as much of the slice as I could. In the end I was so full that it hurt. We also got olive oil and soap as a present from Aysen and her husband.

March 9, 2010
Woke up refreshed and had breakfast at 9am. I got my day pack together and headed to the bus for a long day.
The first stop was a island to see a Greek church. The island had a small Greek fishing village look and must be busy in the summer. I watched as a cat and dog had a little fight with barking and hissing going on. Denny pulled us away saying we are not here to observe cats and dogs. There are lots of cats here in Turkey, almost more then in Egypt. The church is suppose to be restored but nothing is happening. It was pretty but the rain was making it no fun to be outside.
We got back to the bus and drove about an hour, I swear I am seeing most of Turkey from a bus. We stopped at a place that makes olive oil. In the old building there was a small museum. We took a look around and the owner explained a little about what the different machines did. Then he took us to the new building and showed us how it was made. The making season is over now but during the season they have about ten tons of olive oil made a day. It was then taste testing the oil. It is a lot like wine testing and was funny watching people try it. I was hungry and I am sure others were too so we left in order to get food.
Lunch was very filling made by Aysen husband. Food just kept coming of meat, bread and pasta. We were suppose to have a picnic but the weather is cold and was raining earlier so we where in a heated gazebo. By the end I was very very full. At least I got to walk it off as we took a jeep up the mountain. We then hiked down to a beautiful waterfall.
It was fun to explore on our own. I loved being out in the environment like the old days. I miss the days of outdoor days like Alaska, Hawaii, the field trips in India, Maldives and Tanzania. So refreshing to be outdoors. A few of the boys got in the freezing cold water like crazy people. Then it was hike back up time and I had no problem YAY!
All of us were cold so we went back to the lunch spot and had tea and warmed up by the stove. Then back on the bus to the hotel. Relaxed until dinner. Dinner was good but for the cold veggies again.


March 10, 2010
Same wake up time but had to make sure I had everything with me this time. I had breakfast and then got on the bus again for another long ride.
We headed toward Bergama to see Pergamum. In Bergama there are over a thousand Greek houses and they are not allowed to be torn down by anyone here. Also on some of the houses were names at the tops made by the Greeks when they felt because they hoped to return again. I saw numbers on the houses as well and I wonder if they were the numbers for the Greek houses in the City. We stopped at a old temple that was turned into a basilica and now mosque with some areas of ruins. It was cool to see but I would have liked to explore inside it.
We then went to Acropolis of Pergamon. We had a guide that not bad. He kept saying my dear guest or dear friends when he wanted our attention. It was interesting to see this city on the hill that looked out over the land. In the distance was the old remnants of Roman aqueducts. The city was taken over many times but was mostly Greek. Then when the Romans came it was given by a Greek King to the Romans as a gift. There is an area that the alter of Zeus stood. It was taken down piece by piece by a German and now is in the Pergamon Museum in Berlin. It was cold and windy and once again I was hungry. We headed down the mountain/hill to the city.
Lunch was a buffet of Turkish food. Some of it I had tried before but some was new. It was a good meal. When finished it was back on the bus to see the first Ancient Hospital ruins. That was very interesting but still a bunch of ruins. The only reason it could have been abandoned is because the Acropolis was. I like seeing these ancient ruins that most people think are only in Greece, Rome or other places.
Back on the bus for another long 3 hour ride. We go to the hotel and had dinner. The place is very touristy. Dinner was ok but I think the other hotels had better food.

March 11, 2010
I was so tired last night that I slept like a log. As soon as I hit the pillow I was out. This morning I was up by 7:30am because I wanted to have breakfast at 8am to be ready to go at 9:15am.
The bus ride was a lot shorter, about an hour. We stopped and used the ATM and then headed towards Efes which is the biblical Ephesus. It was so wonderful to see the place that the Apostle Paul went to. The city was a mix of Greek and Roman because there was Greek writing and Latin as well. Sorry Mr. Rossbach but my Latin translating skills have gone down. I did recognize the word for noble. We walked through the streets and looked at different parts of the city.
On a funny note when we got to the toilets that have been mostly reconstructed all of us students sat down and took a group photo. It was really funny. Liz is getting back to her old self with jokes and singing again. We took a group photo at the library and then headed to the amphitheater.
At the amphitheater David and other were trying to get some people to sing. They kept asking other and finally I semi volunteered to sing Amazing Grace to show the acoustics of the place. So it came to be Becky, Me, Liz, Nate and Allen. We sang it and it was thrilling. If I could have remembered the rest I would have continued. It was thrilling to hear the sound. I loved it and kept getting louder because the sound was so beautiful. I was really proud of myself. Amazing Grace was then stuck in my head for the rest of the day. Look what this trip is doing making me almost fearless of certain things like singing in front of a huge audience or climbing mountains of unstable sandstone.
After that I picked up some postcards and then went back to the bus. When I got on Aysen put on my wrist a bracelet that she had gotten for me and the girls for having courage and singing. It’s the evil eye, that in Turkey is like a protection, with green beads and a lion with moons and keys. The boys got magnets. Singing paid off because now I have a souvenir and some bragging rights.
We had lunch and then went to the St. John Basilica. Supposedly the body of the Apostle John was buried here but not coffin or body has been found. It was a beautiful set of ruins. Most reconstructed due to an earthquake leveled the place. It was used as a mosque when the Turks invaded. After that we went to the place that supposedly is the house of the last day of Mary, Jesus mother.
Anyways we then headed back to the hotel and I repacked and worked until dinner. Dinner was good today. There was chicken off the bone and French fries! It s was good and I have been eating too much. Tomorrow we go to an Alumni house and then start the trip back to Istanbul.

March 12, 2010
Today was a early morning as well as a long day. We were out of the hotel by 8:30am for the long drive.
The first stop was at the house of an Alumni. It was their horse farm and vineyard. Melis, her husband and parents showed the group their horses. They have thoroughbreds and some Arabians. They breed the thoroughbreds and have about 120 horses all together. One of their Arabians just one a race yesterday. It was a good time being with the horse and petting them.
After looking at the horses we were showed the winery. They have just started and have their 2008 and 2009 wines for sampling. The 2008 they made by hand and the 2009 was made with help of machines. In 6 to 10 years look for the company Mosaic because it was good wine. I got to try the 2009. It was really good wine.
We then headed to lunch with Melis and her family. They were very kind and paid for the group and well as gave us wine for the bus ride. We then walked around the small town. We stopped because these were some pastries that tasted like donuts that people were handing out. It is a tradition that after 40days after a death in the family the family members pay for a company to make these and hand them out to people. The daughter asked us over and said that her father would have been very happy because he always loved feeding people. It was very tasty.
We then got back on the bus and had the 5 hour drive to the hotel. I was going to go crazy after awhile. We did have some goodies, wine and juice on the bus. It seems every time we are on the bus I am getting fed something. We finally made it to the hotel around 8:30pm
It is really nice hotel, even nicer then the last few. This is 5 star and the dinner was delicious that once again I ate way too much. Afterwards a group all went down to the thermal pool for about 10 minutes. As soon as I got in it was super nice. The water was look warm and felt really good after being in the bus for so long. Unfortunately we couldn’t stay long because it was closing but it was nice for those few minutes.
have lots of work to do and hopefully I can get it all done before leaving Turkey.

March 13, 2010
Was up by 8am and down at breakfast around 8:30am. I was one of the first ones there, even beat Denny, who is an early riser. We left the hotel at around 10:30am. We are in Bursa and went and saw the Green Mosque, which is a tomb and then the mosque built after the tomb. The town was really cute but at the same time had some New York flare to it.
Then at a 2 hour bus ride to the ferryboat. It was a 45minute ferryboat. On the boat Denny handed out chocolate and then got us grilled cheese sandwiches. I like the ferry and did not like having to get back on the bus. The final bus ride was 2 hours to Istanbul.
We then stopped to view the Bosporus that separates the Europe and Asia side of Turkey. We are staying on the Europe side now. We went over a huge bridge from the Asia to Europe side. Before going to the hotel we went to the bazaar. It is one of the largest bazaars in Turkey. The group was given 2 hours to explore. was fun but I felt like 2 hours was too long of time. All the shops got repetitive and the prices where high with many not willing to barter with you.
It was then time to go to the hotel and then dinner. At dinner I had chicken kabobs. They gave us soup, then salad and dips for bread before the main meal and then fruit for desert.

March 14, 2010
Woke up for breakfast and then headed out around 10am to go sightseeing. The first stop was the Hagia Sofia. It is an old Christian church from when Istanbul was Constantinople. It was beautiful and the restoration is making it really interesting. When the Turks conquered they covered with about 5 layers of plaster. They have uncovered a few of the mosaics that were very nice and its would be cool if they uncovered them all because I think they are much nicer pieces of art then the painted flowers. After being there 2 hours many people were ready to go and I was getting hungry.
We then waited for prayers to end to go into the Blue Mosque. It has another name but I don’t remember what it was called. It was very pretty with the ceramic tiles. It was hard to get good pictures because of the way the lighting was. I was very hungry and other people must have been too because then we headed to lunch.
Lunch was pizza and I finished one just by myself. The people at my table started complaining about free time so finally I got tired of the complaining and asked Denny. At first David and him said no due to having to have class. In the end we got free time until 7:30pm, which was dinner. I went with Liz, Brenna, Becky and Allen. We got some scarves and then went and got candy. It was this thing that tasted like bubble gum and ice cream. It was soft and very good. We then went and dropped off postcards then headed to find a café with real coffee and pastries. We found a ice cream and café. I had a cappuccino and raspberry cake. It was mouth watering, delicious cake that put a smile on my face. Wow that was redundant lol. The others got stuff and it was really good to lighten the mood. I was very much happy by the end.
It was then back to hotel. Had dinner around 7:30pm. Lots of food again and Aysen brought sweets. After that we had class.

March 15, 2010
Today woke up early compared to some people. I had breakfast and then headed back to the room to finish some homework, which I am still behind in. I went to find a post office but couldn’t find it. It was a really nice day today and it was refreshing to go out and walk. At around 10am Denny gave out food money. We had to find our own lunch. Its good because people have been bitching about not being able to go and find their own food.
I found a place that made a kabob sandwich and took it back to the room for lunch. I ate it there and finished more work be for going down to meet the bus.
The was the fasted we had ever gotten on something. The bus was blocking traffic so we all rushed and threw the stuff on and headed out in about 10minutes or less. We then drove to the airport where Aysen said goodbye. The plan went to Latvia and we rushed off due to a late departure and it turned out that flight was delayed as well. We got sandwiches because Airbaltic does not even give free water! We arrived in Berlin around 8pm. I changed money and sadly the dollar is no longer an advantage. We then took the public bus to the hotel.
The hotel is Pension Funk. It was a set of apartments for rich and now a hotel style place to stay. It really is nice and it feels like I stepped into something from pride and prejudice. All the rooms have antique furniture and the pillows are feather pillows and feather comforters. It was to be 5 girls in the room but one girl moved to a room to make it a triple so now only four girls.
After everyone got settled in we headed out to find something to eat. I wanted a pub but it didn’t work. One of the girls wanted Pizza and I spotted one place that said Pizza for 1,50 euros. So we all went there instead of McDonalds. It was good. I was able to get pizza and a coke for about 3 euros. It was fun to relax and laugh with people.
In the art gallery there is an artist featured that was a graduate from Hiram.

March 16, 2010
Class was held from 10am to about noon. David talked about Berlin and its history and such. Denny then presented us with our transportation passes and maps. I marked out a few places that I wanted to go but that might be scratched. At the zoo is an aquarium that I want to go to now. So maybe Thursday is shopping and then the zoo on Saturday and then church and gardens on Sunday.
We then got on a bus to the center hub of buses and trains. Got on a free double decked bus and went to old East Germany and stopped near the opera house and Humboldt University. The first stop was the memorial that was originally made by the east Germans to those oppressed by the Third Reich. After East Germany and West Germany came together it was turned into a memorial of those oppressed by tyranny, aka the east Germans. So the statue replaced the eternal flame. It was very interesting to see and hear the history.
Then it was to the museums. First was to be the Egyptian and then Pergamon but a huge crowd came ahead so we decided to do the Pergamon first. It was awesome seeing the alter of Zeus and pieces from Athena’s temple after seeing the Pergamon site in Turkey. There was also the Gate of Ishtar and other Babylonian artifacts. I was glade to see those because I have only seen them in pictures.
We then headed to the Egyptian Museum but they wouldn’t let us in : ( so we headed back to the hotel. Took the bus again and headed back to the hotel. Once there I washed some clothes and then headed out to dinner.
I went with Liz, Caitlin and Matt. We walked a lot trying to find a place. Finally 3 of us got currywurst, fries and coke. Liz got a vegetarian meal and joined us. It was really good. The lady who ran the shop knew very good English and we found out that she was from Greece originally. She was really nice and I wouldn’t mind going back before leaving Berlin. Liz and I then headed back trying to find a place for internet. Turns out Starbucks gives free wifi. I got some star bucks and then we went back to the Pension Funk. I talked a little with the other American group saying how happy we were to hear English and understand what someone is saying.
Then went back to Pension Funk and cleaned up my area and organized a little bit so it doesn’t look to bad when we have class in the room tomorrow.