"Turkey - A Mix of Good and Bad" a Turkey Travel Page by His_Beloved

My work contract in Japan ended on July 28th, so I decided to go home via "the long way" by visiting Turkey and England before flying home to Spokane, WA. Unfortunately, I was only in Turkey for four and a half days; I truly wish I could have stayed longer to explore the beauty of its people, land, history and culture. Turkey is a very beautiful and culturaly rich country.

After arriving in Istanbul, I headed directly to the main Otogar and hopped onto an overnight bus to Selcuk. Arriving early the next morning, I checked into my pension, ate some breakfast, and headed off with a couple of other travelers to see the Ephesus ruins, the museum, the Basilica of St. John, and the final home of the Virgin Mary - phew! Yup, did the whole tour in one day. The next day I just hung around Selcuk, walking around and talking to shop owners. I met lots of wonderful people (and drank about 20 cups of tea). I really had a good time, and found the people there so friendly and helpful.

That night, I jumped back onto a night bus and headed back to Istanbul, arriving at Sultanahmet about 10:30 AM. After unloading my stuff at my guesthouse, I headed off to explore. The best thing about Istanbul is you can spend a week exploring one area without ever taking a bus or tram to another part of the city. During the two days I was there, I was able to see the Topkapi Palace, Aya Sofya (Church of Divine Wisdom), the Basilica Cistern, the Blue Mosque, the Grand Bazaar, and several other things.