We set off from the hospital at midday on Thursday, in a very comfortable van. It rather resembles a hearse, but we’re both very pleased it’s not. Our driver, Arun, speaks no English and Cherrie and I hardly speak for the 8 hour drive of leg one. We are both exhausted, but our intrepid photographer never ceases
It was a beautiful drive (841kms), with just one quick wee stops. We each felt a relief at being out of caves and hospitals. We arrive in Denizli early evening and the first thing I do when I get into the hotel room is shower. Heaven. We order room service, a pasta and salad each. But our order loses something in translation, and we receive one pasta, one salad and one fork. It’s enough for us, and I quaff down my portion, wash the fork so Cherrie can consume the other half.
There are more public pets here, but more like public pests tonight. They bark all night, I bark all night and altogether a most unsuccessful sleep for us both.
The next morning we set off on the 4 hour drive to Bodrum. Over the range and down to the Aegean coast
Arriving at 1.30pm we sleep for a couple of hours in a comfortable room on a hill above the town. Although we’re frankly not sure where the town is, but intend to rest and not tour.
Bodrum is hilly, and I mean hilly, and the driveway to the hotel is steep. The wind is blowing fiercely, note the tree.
We arrive by plane from Istanbul, into Cappadocia in Central Turkey. Even from the car we witness this surreal landscape
This paragraph is for Bryan Pennington, and any other geology geeks amongst you. “Cappadocia, situated in the Central Anatolia Plateau in Turkey is characterised by widespread volcanic rocks (lavas, Ignimbrites and pyroclastic deposits) alternating with fluvio-lacustrine sediments of Miocene (around 10 million years) to the Quaternary age.” We’ve never seen anything like it. Even though it’s raining, it’s startling.
We arrive at our cave hotel (everything is a cave here) at 5pm and are picked up at 6pm to see the Whirling Dervishes. Cherrie did not really know of them, and amused me when she enquired as to what time the Whizzing Devonshires started. As it turns out, her title is quite apt. A supposedly religious ceremony, this performance we see is more touristy than ever. It’s a quasi-serious show, accompanied by a trio
And performed by four, plus ‘high priest’ who simply walks slowly around the 5m diameter arena, all in black. The god they worship is represented by a 40watt red light globe on a goat skin on the floor. One of the four is clearly a European with classical dance training. His arms are extended wide, rather than in the upward thrust to where the red globe should be – that is on the ceiling.
The audience, of perhaps 300 tourists, seem as impressed us. Out of respect for the ceremony we are asked to remain silent and take no photos, but of course there is a photo opportunity post performance! I sit throughout feeling pretty crappy, and nearly choke trying not to cough, but occasionally I do so, into a handful of tissues. The Devonshires did not react. Mercifully, this tourist trap took only 45 minutes, including photos, and we were back at the hotel by 7.45pm
Monday 6 May 2024
As you know, we had cancelled our scheduled balloon flight at 5.30am today. It was cancelled anyway, because……it’s raining.
Neither of us feel well this morning, so we make a call that perhaps should have been made earlier. We call for a doctor. An English speaking paramedic is at our room within the hour and pronounces that I have pneumonia and Cherrie has an infected throat. He drives us in his car to the private hospital, no sirens blaring. We are seen very quickly by an English speaking Internal specialist in a private room. Back down to the treatment room where blood is taken from us both. Cherrie is hooked up to in IV drip
and I am wheeled to the CT scanner. Within minutes it is reported that my right lung is in a bad way, my bloods speak volumes and I must be admitted for IV antibiotics. And so I am.
When I posted this on FaceBook, Guy Noble commented that I looked like I was wrapped up as take away food. I assure you there is a big beef bun in there.
Kapadokya Hastanesi is a relatively new hospital and I am in a private room, built for two but occupied by just the one foreigner. Now, I have had a little experience with hospitals in my day and I must say that I am getting very good medical care here. But the cultural differences are stark. We are in a very family orientated culture in Turkey and I gather that family look after their own in hospital, in terms of providing personal care, water and some food etc. I am fed, indeed, but it’s not overly appetising.
Poor Cherrie is finally dispatched back to the hotel with antibiotics. The hospital provides a shuttle service and so Cherrie is able to come back and forth, with some advance planning.
It’s Cherrie’s job, despite her being under the weather, to buy fruit, water (bottled water only, tap water not to be drunk throughout the entire country), tissues etc. I have been given no gown and cannot wear my nightie because it is culturally insensitive to do so. Therefore I remain fully clothed the entire time. There is one sheet on the bed plus the doona. The mattress is stuffed with old newspapers and the pillow with cotton wool wrapped marbles. The bathroom is equipped with a sink, toilet, a paper towel dispenser and toilet paper. There is a phone shower, but no recess, and there is no way that one could have a conventional shower without flooding the entire area. Maybe it’s meant for just certain body parts, and that family members bring nice fluffy towels from home. I’m not sure that paper towel will cut the mustard for me. The bed sheet is not changed for my entire stay. But I’m not here for comfort.
Google Translate proves a boon for communication with the nurses.
Tuesday 7 May 2024
The sun is shining bright, and the balloons are back in the air, after a two week hiatus due to weather.
Mercifully, Cherrie is feeling a little better today, so after her pastoral, and shopping delivery, to me she manages some touring
In my honour, she throws a pot
And catches up with some old timers
And so many dogs, known as Public Pets. They belong to no one, are tagged by Council, and fed by anyone who cares. They are placid and seem to be well fed, but there are many who are lacking tags
As always, Cherrie’s eye go to flora
She continues on her tour, and to offer you some relief I shall allow the pictures to paint the words
Today my bloods are better but my lungs are still in trouble. I reiterate that the medical care is excellent and I am on all sorts of drips, pills, nebulisers etc. They are doing everything they can to make me better, and our travel insurers are on the case.
We are extremely fortunate that the one man tour operator we chose to put this tour together for us in based here, in Cappadocia, and he has been fantastic with all the changes that have had to be made.
And, how fortunate we are, to have each other
Wednesday 8 May 2024
Today Cherrie spends with me, sitting beside my bed in her capacity as photo editor of this blog. I am starting to feel better and hopeful of a release tomorrow. They don’t slow the medical care down and are very attentive to those needs. I cough and cough, which is most unfortunate, because a severe cough in a woman my age has uncomfortable consequences. Sandra Clyne, I wish I’d noted.
Cherrie has moved from our cave to a cheaper cave today. We were to have moved on to Ephesus today, but again our tour operator has come good with his incredible flexibility and good humour.
Nothing else to report.
Thursday 9 May 2024
This morning Cherrie declares she is sick of living in caves. I guess that means that our future in Cooper Pedy is in some doubt. I am declared fit enough for discharge, with lots of mobile medications. I am unable to fly for a few days, so Ismail, our tour man, has arranged a car and driver to take us to Bodrum for two days of sun before returning to Istanbul for a day before the long flight home. It is a 10 hour drive and so we break the journey overnight.
I am released at midday, with medical care right up to the exit. Literally my infusion is finished and canula removed immediately prior to leaving the hospital. I am farewelled by a bevy of people I have never seen before in my life, except for the tall dude who is my doctor. And Cherrie of course. Medical tourism at work here
More about the drive in the next blog.
Here we are with Ismail, our amazing tour operator, at midday about to set off on the long drive. Ismail made all the changes for us, so many, so often, and with such good grace. Anyone wanting to tour Turkey, Made in Turkey Tours highly recommended.
We leave Hungary and head for Turkey. Not with any Greece.
We arrive in Istanbul
It’s May Day. Labour Day. There are 250,000 people marching, against Erogan’s decree not to march. The entire city is locked down and barricaded off. We are met at the airport by a car, and the driver warns us that the usual 30 minute trip will take longer and that he will take a most circuitous route in order to get round the demonstration, which was extremely widespread. These photos were taken from the car
Indeed it was a slow trip. It took us 2 hours to get to the hotel, and even then it wasn’t actually the hotel. Our driver finally took a one way narrow street the wrong way, up a very steep hill, and stopped at the barricade. He then made a phone call and opened the doors. He removed our suitcases and the barricade was opened for us. A pair of porters (is that a trunk of porters?) met us and escorted us across a deserted highway, into the staff entrance of the hotel, through a maze of corridors, up a service lift, down a corridor, up another service lift and voila (as they don’t say in Turkey) we were in the lobby. It’s now nearly 8pm and I am whacked. Straight to bed for me. She turns on CNN and discovers that there have been 257 arrests in Istanbul.
Here’s a photo from our hotel room. This is the street we crossed to access the staff entrance, and the next morning when all demonstrations are forgotten
Thursday 2 May 2024
Neither of us are feeling good today, and we cancel our tours. I spend the day in bed. Cherrie walks up to the Pera Museum, which she finds interesting
The Galata Tower was on our list to see but it is closed for renovation. Looks like lots of stairs to me, so a good thing.
On the way back Cherrie indulges in coffee and a sandwich
What a city of contrasts
She delivers me a curious salad croissant, complete with microwaved lettuce, and she has also visited a pharmacy to stock up on potions for both of us.
What a sad sack of a day in Istanbul. Oh, and it’s still raining.
Friday 3 May 2024
Today we cram as much as we can, but it’s not enough. First to the Palace area where we visit St Sophia’s Mosque (Sophia is not a woman. Of course she’s not. Sofia is a term for something. We’re only half functioning and so cannot complete this explanation)
Wonderful trees outside the Palace
Speaking of the Palace
A nice view of the Bosphorus from the Sultan’s terrace
Did I mention the cats?
We are both tiring, and so a quick visit to the Grand Bazaar before returning to the hotel
Will these bugs ever leave us we wonder? At least we’re losing weight. Oh, and it’s raining.
Saturday 4 May 2024
A quick run around the Blue Mosque
Before the full treatment at the Turkish Bath. How I wish Cherrie had had a camera with her. Actually, reject that thought. We are starkers, all modesty scrubbed away. Covered in very expensive mud of some sort, we are seated opposite each other on low marble benches and next to a marble basin which continually runs water. Not recycled I pray. It has already taken both attendants, hers and mine, to extricate me from the bench to an upright position once and here they are about to have another go. But this time, all that is achieved is my projecting across the marble floor on my large and very slippery bum. Laughter all round. In a military operation of kinds (Tim, Derek, remember) I am upright at last. We exit the Haman two hours after entering. We are the only ones shining. It’s still raining. But it was a memorable, and wonderful, experience.
At midday we board a boat for a two hour cruise of the Bosphorus. My knowledge of world geography is surpassed only by my knowledge of quantum physics. I did not know that Turkey is surrounded by three seas. The Black, Aegean and Mediterranean. Nor, that Turkey occupies two continents. Even Istanbul sits in both Europe and Asia. It is the Bosphorus Strait that separates them.
The rain has stopped and the sun comes out for a brief moment
We sailed with dolphins
That sun was fleeting
Cherrie takes the wheel
To get a closer look at Popeye. Olive Oil and SweetPea were below deck, making spinach pie
Curious pruning
At 2pm we are all boated and washed out.
Back to bed, but we do rise for a stroll to dinner. We have difficulty finding food that appears appetising to us, but needs must. How else will we keep our figures? The crowds of Istanbul are out and about
In bed before 8pm. At the end of our trip we have one more day in Istanbul before flying home. May we please be feeling better by then, so that we can experience this city with all faculties in working order
Sunday 5 May 2024
It takes 20 minutes to get to the airport on this sunny Sunday morning. We arrive at 11.20am for a 1.30pm flight. And just as well, too. So many people, so much confusion. There is a queue for the wheelchairs, so I walk to the gate. It’s a distance but we take our time and arrive to another very long queue. A very nice wheelchair man, as it were, spots me, and in an instant I am sitting at the head of the queue, with my carer close behind.
The sun is shining into the plane. We’ve now seen Turkish sun.
We were booked to do a balloon flight over Cappadocia at 5.30am tomorrow. But we are in agreement that such an early start, in what will be very cold temperatures, is not good for our health, so we have cancelled.
Saturday 27, Sunday 28, Monday 29, Tuesday 30 April 2024
Roger is waiting for us on the pavement when our taxi pulls up from the boat on Saturday morning. He lives on the Champs Elysees of Budapest, a short stroll from the Opera House. His apartment is superb, and of course beautifully designed by this world admired, Tony Award winning designer.
The weather is just glorious and we waste no time getting out and about. Roger takes us on the underground train to a square and then leaves us to our own devices. The underground here is the second oldest in the world, next only to London, and the wonderful thing is that all public transport is free for people over 65. Just carry ID to prove date of birth and you can move around the city freely, literally. Both Cherrie and I are insulted when we are not asked for our ID.
First stop, first of many beautiful wide open spaces, is Heroes Square, with the National Gallery to one side
We determine to return here to the Gallery either on Tuesday and walk over to the adjoining City Park
Which is seething with families and frivolity. This fellow was playing I’d Rather Have a Hammer Than a Nail. Of course he was
And then found ourselves in the middle of an enormous fete, or fair. Not sure the difference. Let’s call it the Fair of Disaster Management
Uncharacteristically, we managed to get through without a disaster, and found the Museum of Ethnography
An amazing building which curves out of the ground. We climbed to the top
And admired the views
We walked back to Roger’s, admiring the amazing architecture of this beautiful city
Roger had made a dinner booking at a local restaurant and we enjoyed shared plates and a lovely local wine. Followed by a cocktail opposite the Opera House
On Sunday we headed off early to explore the local area.
All the buildings in this beautiful city are spectacular
Just like my mother, I’ll chat to anyone who’ll listen
And as we walked past the theatre, renowned for Shakespeare, we found this statue. The photos are not as clear as I’d like, but the skull is holding the head. Alas poor Hamlet, I knew him
There are lots of statues in this beautiful city
Today we take Roger to lunch by the Danube. Both Cherrie and I feel we are coming down with colds, so rather than the long post lunch walk we had planned, we return to the apartment to rest.
That part of the blog was written on Sunday. Since then I have developed bronchitis and Cherrie a razor blade throat. We did half a day on Monday, I was in bed all day Tuesday and on Wednesday we flew to Istanbul, where we have rested far too much. Still not great, but soldiering on. Fortunately, I had bought antibiotics with me.
Here follow photos of Budapest. No commentary, sorry.
The only real explanation need to be the bathroom atomiser. Back in the ‘90s Roger designed sets and costumes for a wonderful Australian musical by the late, great Nick Enright and Terence Clarke called SUMMER RAIN.
We did fit in a tour of the splendid Opera House
We flew out of Budapest on Wednesday morning. But, we’ll be back. We missed too much and there is so much to see. And our world renowned, Tony Award winning, designer friend says we are welcome!
And this morning it’s the same, without the lights
What a city to end the cruise in. We have one more night on board before we go to stay with Roger Kirk in his Budapest abode. Included in our cruise is a “Panoramic Tour of Budapest”, still with walkie non talk, and we are excited to see what is clearly a very beautiful city
There’s much building work happening, still catching up from the Communist regime
We head up to the Castle, which is a good idea obviously because a few others are there before us
Who do you think the castle belonged to? Well, Marie Theresa of course. She clearly needed a castle or palace for each of her 16 children
The hordes had invaded the Church
We escaped as quickly as we could and sought the views. A little bird told us where to go, as it were
For the views
And so we did
Others found a cosy coffee spot
And I found the Dunce’s caps
We returned to the boat for lunch
And then immediately headed out on foot to find a memorial we had seen from the bus. I shall translate this plaque below for the ease of my reader. TO THE MEMORY OF THE VICTIMS SHOT INTO THE DANUBE BY ARROW CROSS MILITIA MEN IN 1944-45. ERECTED 16TH APRIL 2005
Clearly very moving.
Back on board, we pack and head up to the final dinner, which can’t start until the verbose ‘Hotel Manager’ makes a speech, a long one, which includes him singing “My Way” with frightfully clever new lyrics. You can imagine how much we loved that. But then we had to listen to the Captain talking about how we were the most amazing group of passengers they’d ever had on board and how they long to see us back on board very soon.
Out of our cabin at 8am tomorrow, and off to meet Roger. Budapest has already stolen our hearts.
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