After traveling for a couple of weeks in some European countries I wanted to find a country with a mild winter climate and where people are not only looking at each other as possible virus catapults on two legs.
Turkey was just perfect for that! It is a super diverse country with amazing modern cities such as Istanbul or Izmir, ancient ruins on the south and west coast, forested mountains on the northern Black Sea and amazing hiking opportunities in the steppes of Central Anatolia. The southern Mediterranean Coast around Antalya made a perfect base for the cold European winter months.
The two things I liked in Turkey the most are the warm-hearted open people and their amazing delicacies. An invitation for a Çay or even a meal with some locals occurred nearly every day and hitchhiking was never as easy for me as here.
After I arrived by plane at the Black Sea Coast in Trabzon, I traveled a little inland and made it to Göreme, a town in the breathtaking Cappadocia region. Hikes there were amazing and Göreme made a great base for day trips in that region. The next city was Konya in Central Anatolia, known for whirling dervishes and architecture. It's also one of the most conservative cities in Turkey. From Konya I took a bus to Antalya and had several hikes along the Mediterranean South Coast. With a mild 22 degrees winter it was just perfect for outdoor activities. In Pamukkale I visited the famous white calcium-coated cliffs and old Roman ruins. From there headed off to Izmir, where I spent 2 weeks in Sercan's home.
At the end of my Turkey stay a terrible earthquake with a magnitude of 7.0 occurred in the region of Izmir. I was laying in bed when the room started to shake. Everyone ran out of their houses, some people crying and praying. More than 700 residential buildings were seriously damaged or destroyed. It was the deadliest earthquake in the Aegean Sea since 1955 and 117 people in Izmir died, more than 1,000 were injured. RIP.
Teşekkürler Türkiye!
5 Highlights:
- Hiking in magic Cappadocia
- Back Sea City Trabzon
- Having a bath in a hot spring in Pamukkale
- Visiting an empty Antalya region
- Exploring Turkish customs in Izmir
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| Visited places in Turkey |
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| Arriving in Trabzon |
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| Climbing a hill in Trabzon |
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| Beautiful mountains of Northern Turkey |
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| Switzerland or Turkey? |
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| Sleeping in a cave hostel in Göreme |
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| Turkish Coffee |
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| Cappadocia |
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| Amazing hikes with zero tourists |
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| Hiking to neighboring towns of Göreme |
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| Hitchhiking a truck in Central Anatolia |
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| Break in different planet landscapes |
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| Pide!! |
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| Konya |
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| Antalya Coast |
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| Another bonus of Turkey: Tons of Cats |
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| 1 Euro meals |
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| Sunset in a hotspring, Pamukkale |
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| Amazing Roman ruins in Pamukkale area |
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| No it's not snow, it's calcium |
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| Friends followed me during a hike |
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| Izmir |
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| POV: Cooking a meal in your kitchen in Turkey |
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| Izmir one day before the earthquake |
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| One of hundreds |
