Category: Berlin to Turkey via Budapest 2024

Saturday 11 May – Tuesday 14 May

In Bodrum, we do absolutely nothing for two days. We are both exhausted and not yet fully recovered. On Saturday the sun is not shining but at least it’s not raining. The hotel has lovely artworks throughout the light and airy foyer, painted by Turkish artist Ali Atmaca. Fortunately, too large for hand luggage

My hair is a disgrace, after four days in hospital and nearly five weeks since my last cut. So on Sunday we seek advice from the front desk as to where I might get a haircut. The sweet young man rings his girlfriend for advice and then identifies a salon nearby – although everything is a taxi ride such are the inclines and cobblestones of this strange place.

It’s called Kuafor Lisa and the taxi driver takes us to where the young man at the hotel has shown him on Google Maps. It seems that Bodrum is extremely spread out, with small villages throughout. We know we have reached the ‘village’ when taxi slows, and I excitedly advise the driver that I see the salon. We walk in to a completely empty salon with one man seated at a desk, playing solitaire on his computer I think. He agrees to give me a haircut (sign language) and studies my face before producing the scissors. He is early 60s I would say, and extremely good looking, with a head full of white hair, tanned face, smart white linen shirt, jeans and loafers. He gives me the best hair cut I’ve had for a long time, and Cherrie is so impressed that she gets a hair cut too. Whilst she is being attended to I go outside to look around. It’s then that I see Kuafor Lisa, a few doors up. We are at Kuafor Hanan. Kuafor apparently means hairdresser. I retreat back into Hanan’s Kuafor. This man is an artist. He looks at the shape of the face, and cuts to it. When we pay him a paltry $50AUD for both cuts and thank him very much, this handsome man smiles.

He has one tooth in his head.

Lisa must think we’re still waiting for the flat tyre to be changed!

Since we’ve left the hotel anyway, we take the cab to the Marina, where we see a mast or two.

We slowly stroll along the waterfront

It really is very beautiful, but this town seems to lack a heart, a centre.

These busts remind us of Bryan, and his exhibition last year of the most influential men and women of science. We’ve not heard of any of them but….

The Public Pets are well cared for

And so, exhausted, we retreat to our hotel room. We’ve done Bodrum. Oh, we did see a boy buoy as we walk to the taxi rank

From our hotel we watch the sun set over the Aegean Sea, just as it sets over our healing stay in Bodrum

On Monday we return to Istanbul. Collected from the hotel at 1.30pm, we’re both a little apprehensive about flying, but it’s fine, except for the hour delay which gets us to our Istanbul hotel after 7pm. A mezze in the restaurant does nicely.

On Tuesday, our last day in Turkey, we are feeling well enough to venture out. We were both pretty unwell when we were last here, and somewhat underwhelmed. Plus it was raining. But on today it’s a glorious sunny day and we are staying in a much nicer part of town this time, in a hotel recommended by Roger Kirk. We walk to the Istanbul Modern Art Gallery, right on the Bosphorus, and enjoy the exhibitions

Now we see the magic that is Istanbul. This waterfront truly is lovely

And we sit and soak it up.

When it comes the time to use the toilet, the only one we can find is The Family Room. This photo does not show the scale, but there is a normal, adult, toilet, and the tiniest child’s one, about 600mm high.

Being the experienced tourists we are, sometimes we don’t take the advice

As we walk back to the hotel, we pass the public pests and are influenced by their advice. We rest too

And so, here endeth our Berlin, Dresden, Danube, Budapest and Turkey adventure, which included much poor weather (although we are aware that our friends in Sydney and south have been tormented by constant rain) and too much illness. As we sit at Istanbul airport now, awaiting our flight to Singapore and then on to Sydney, we know that there is no place like home

Thursday 9 & Friday 10 May 2024

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.

Sunday 5 May 2024

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.

Wednesday 1 May 2024

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!

Next stop, Istanbul