Lynn to Win

The day for the first boat trip of the year turned out to be a gorgeous sunny day. A group of about 20 of us got on a van for a half hour drive out of town. At the dock in Ucagiz we boarded a double decker boat and set off to see the tiny tourist town of Simena. Simena is a few shacks built around ancient ruins, including a castle at the top of a hill. The Lycians We sailed over the ancient sunken city of Kekova that was destroyed by earthquakes. The water was so clear, but either there wasn’t a lot to really see under the water…

Arriving in Kas At Dalaman airport, the shuttle was waiting for my flight to arrive. A couple of other passengers got on, and we drove through valleys and hills, with the sights of snow capped mountains and moss covered ruins along the way. And then the sea! The turquoise coast of Turkey. Did you know turquoise comes from the french word for turkish? So these waters are actually the namesake of the colour! The shuttle dropped me off on the main square of the tourist part of Kas, and the driver told me to turn a couple of corners to find my hotel. Kas is so small that I found…

My last trip to Turkey In 2005 I travelled to Turkey and joined a small group adventure tour to travel around the country. The tour was jam-packed with historical sites in western Turkey. Highlights were Cappadocia, Pamukkale, Ephesus, and Kas (pronounced like cash). Kas is on the Mediterranean Coast in the southeast, also known as the Turkish Riviera, also known as the Turquoise Coast. Kas was my favorite place on the trip. So I decided to get back to Kas when I returned to Turkey. The other places were amazing but Kas felt like a place I could stay for a while. My favorite place in Turkey Kas is a…

For the next two afternoons, we met with our dance teacher Ezgi to see some sights in Istanbul. Quite a few of us went along the first day, taking taxis. Our meeting spot was to be the Grand Bazaar, a huge marketplace in the old town of Istanbul, Sultanahmet. Most of the famous sights are in this area, at least a half hour drive from our hotels. The unexpected sights of Istanbul are interesting too. My group ended up at the Spice Bazaar, another huge marketplace a long walk away from the Grand Bazaar! It’s a great spot for shopping also, but not where we needed to be. Ataturk You…

The dance festival As I mentioned in my previous post, I’m going to Istanbul to attend the 10th annual Istanbul Dance Festival. It’s billed as the biggest afro-latin dance festival in the world! Salsa – Bachata – Kizomba and many related dance styles, 4000 dancers from all over the world attending, shows every night with the professionals performing, workshops led by the pros for all levels of dancers, vendors selling dance shoes and outfits. It’s a lot! Getting to the festival The dance festival is at the Pullman, a huge convention hotel located close to the Ataturk airport – which is now closed to international flights. (It was partially destroyed…

First let’s go with the boring but necessary stuff. To travel to Turkey, you must follow the rules of the Turkish government. To come home, you must follow the rules of the Canadian government. Do a little research before your trip to make sure you don’t have any issues. What you need to get to Turkey – or any country Turkey’s entry requirements must be followed. For other countries I have travelled to I have found the official government website with entry requirements. I cannot find such a thing for Turkey! However there are two good sources to follow – the Canadian government website https://travel.gc.ca/destinations/turkey, and the national airline Turkish…

I’m going to Istanbul soon! It’s one of the largest cities in the world, around 15 million people. It’s unique in that it straddles two continents, Europe and Asia. You can see highlights including the Blue Mosque, Topkapi Palace, and the Grand Bazaar. Turkey is amazing I did a tour of some major sites in Turkey back in 2005. There are unique natural and historical attractions, and you can throw in some adventure – Cappadocia and Pamukkale Ephesus and Troy Turquoise Coast, the best paragliding in the world are just a few of the reasons to visit Turkey. Turkey has a feel of the Middle East. It has a westernized…