Plan: Turkey

Just over two weeks until I depart for Turkey! The ball is rolling. Shit is happening.

I've pretty much accumulated all the gear and knowledge I'll need for this trip. I splurged a little and bought a new (and smaller) backpack since I'll only need a minimal variety of clothing for Turkey's warm climate. I also picked up a sweet pair of Patagonia trail shoes that are still fashionable to get me into bars if need be. My new passport arrived in the mail the other day. I managed to fill up a twenty four page passport in less than two years, so I have to keep the momentum going and fill up this new forty eight page passport by the time it expires!

Here's the rough idea of what my plan is for Turkey: (of course with me, all plans are subject to change)

This map doesn't include my four days in London, which will be hella sweet since I'm going to reconnect with some old friends and drink in some centuries old pubs. First I fly into Istanbul(A) where I'll spend a few days roaming around that famed city, checking out the mosques and bazaars. Then from there I hit up Pergamum(B), an ancient Roman city that is much less touristy than most, which is perfectly fine by me. I forsee a lot of chilling out time on the ruins that overlook the city. From there I'll head to another, bigger, set of ruins, this one A LOT more touristy. Ephesus(C) is the second biggest ancient city in the world, and is supposed to draw huge crowds of tourists, so I'm thinking I'll be in and out on that one. After that it's straight for the beaches to Fethiye(D), and from there I'll hike a section of the Lycian Way to Oludeniz(E), another beach paradise. Just south of those two cities is Kabak(F), a tiny town that is supposed to be a more laid back, backpacker friendly place, nestled in a deep valley with it's own small beach that looks amazing! Then I'm on to Antalya(G), a nice seaside city, to use as a base to explore the ruins in the surrounding countryside, and whatever else I feel like making part of the adventure. Kizkalesi(H) will be the next destination. It's supposed to be quite off the beaten track, is hot, has a nice beach, and also has an old crusader castle on an island just off the coast. Sounds pretty awesome to me. After I'm done there I'll head north to Cappadocia(I) and wander the surreal landscapes that make up that area. Expect some awesome pictures from there! My journey to the last place will be by my favourite means: train. I'll journey from Cappadocia to Kars(J) on an overnight train, and will hopefully pass a lot of amazing scenery on the way. Kars will be quite the change in scenery from the beaches to the mountainous region on the border of Armenia. There I'll see some old Armenian churches and fortresses set alongside deep canyons. And by then I think I'll be out of time. I would like to go see Amasra, a beautiful port town on the Black Sea coast, but I doubt I'll have any days left, and a flight straight to Istanbul will be the last travel in Turkey. Four weeks of travelling and only being able to see half the country really puts in perspective how large of a country Turkey really is. I'm already thinking I'm going to love this country. And that makes me really excited.