Happy Holidays from E-Shoe!

How are you spending your holidays this year? For us, it's been quite the eventful year.

Over the last almost five months, we've already passed through 10 countries, most of which were totally new to us. While it's mostly been a pleasure, we've also had our share of obstacles, setbacks and lessons in travel. It may be surprising to hear, but traveling can be tiring, especially if you're working along the way.

Thus, we are currently taking a little vacation from the vacation, so to speak--after migrating south of the equator to evade the winter for the year, we're taking four days on the sunny beaches of Zanzibar to bask under the unrelenting African sun and recharge.

Quite a nontraditional Christmas for us! Here, instead of the Christmas trees and wreaths in the West, or the "illuminations" of Tokyo, they hang arches made of palm leaves with tropical flowers. In place of snow, we have white sands. The closest we've come to Santa red is the unhealthy pink glow coming from my sunburn.

We'll hopefully be back in no time to posting more of the small mountain of travel accounts and stories we've accumulated to this point, but in the meantime we'd just like to wish all our friends, family and readers a happy holiday season, wherever you're spending it.

Merry Christmas, and Happy New Year's!

Turkey: Blue Cruising on the Turkish Riviera

Turkish gulet on the Mediterranean

While Pammukale was fabulous and Fethiye was no slouch itself, one of, if not the highlight of Turkey for both of us was our four-day cruise through the Mediterranean. They sure don’t call it the Blue Cruise for nothing!

Turkey really does have a little bit of everything: friendly people, fine cuisine, a storied history, and beautiful natural features.

When we first put Turkey on our list of destinations, my expectations were to see a bunch of mosques and gorge myself on doner kebabs in Istanbul, then maybe check out some Biblical ruins spotted across vast swathes of dry land. Japanese input from Akemi added Pamukkale and Cappadocia to the list—two fine destinations in their own right, to be sure. While I was aware of Turkey’s position sandwiched between the Black Sea and Mediterranean, neither of us really had any expectations for the Turkish coastline. What a huge oversight that was!

Çalış Beach in Fethiye

The truth is, Turkey has over 8,333 kilometers of coastline in total and is a perennial beach destination for Europeans. While things certainly get warm enough to swim along the Black Sea coastline to the north, the real draw is down south.

Turkey has the Aegean Sea to the west between it and Greece and the Mediterranean to the south. Just south of Selcuk in Kuşadası is where things really start to get interesting—the area from Bodrum to Alanya draws enough European visitors to earn it the title “Turkish Riviera.” This section was the focus of our Blue Cruise: Fethiye to Demre, with stops at St. Nicholas Island, Firnaz Bay (near Kalkan), Kaş, and Kekova, to name a few.

Sunset on St. Nicholas Island

A modest crew accompanied us along with 18 other travelers of all ages and creeds on our gulet, the traditional mode of ocean transport in these parts. We were originally a little concerned about things being too crowded and getting along with everyone, but this soon proved to be no concern at all. The crew was wonderful, and everyone got along swimmingly... quite literally, in fact. There was plenty of space for everyone and then some, and they provided us with enough snorkeling equipment to get by.

While our quarters below were a little tighter than we’re accustomed—and this coming from someone who’s lived in some rather tiny Japanese apartments—they snugly provided all the necessities: a bed, just enough room for our two bags, and a fully equipped bathroom with shower.

Most of our time on the boat, however, was spent up on the deck. The hammocks were perfect for reading or just taking in the sea breezes while the boat took us from place to place.

There were also a bunch of day beds on deck which were a great alternative to the cozy rooms below, especially during the hotter summer months from what I hear. We were fine in October with a blanket or two. Imagine if you will dozing off while gazing at the stars, then waking to see the sunrise over the horizon.

Sunrise on the deck

Another highlight of the trip was the meals—the entire trip is fully catered with three meals of delightful Mediterranean cuisine a day. Being Turkey, there is of course a tea break in the mid afternoon for a light snack as well.

We spent plenty of time between meals working up an appetite hiking through the Butterfly Valley and around St. Nicholas Island, swimming and snorkeling through clear blue waters and exploring small fishing villages along the coast.

Kaş from above

Akemi takes the plunge

Ready to sign up? While our cruise left from Fethiye, other options sail from Bodrum, Marmaris, Kemer and Demre, the terminus of our voyage. The company we used has 2-day, 4-day and 8-day packages with various destinations and itineraries, so check their homepage and see what works for you!

Cruise info

V-GO Yachting and Travel: http://www.bluecruisesturkey.com/

Season: March to November (weather permitting)
Fethiye-Olympos cruise:

• Starts from: Fethiye
• Finishes at: Olympos
• Duration: 4 Days/3 Nights
• Places you will visit: Fethiye, Oludeniz(The Blue Lagoon), St.Nicholas Island, Kalkan, Kas, Kekova, Gokkaya Bay, Andriace, Myra, Demre, St.Nicholas Church, Olympos
• Official prices:  €165-209/person

Last but not least, did I mention how great the people were? I will not soon forget the great times we spent with crazy Brazilians (and one Brit) on this boat. Also, goats now hold a special place in my heart. Vai Brasil!

Turkey: Saklikent Gorgeous!

When we originally arrived in Fethiye after a lovely visit to Pamukkale, we had but one thing on our minds: the Mediterranean. This was our first sea or ocean on this trip, and we were there to take the Blue Cruise. Everything else was just gravy.

After purchasing our cruise tickets, we had four days to see what was going on in and around Fethiye itself. Luckily for us, there’s quite a bit. Probably our favorite destination in the area was a place called Saklikent.

Saklikent Gorge

Saklikent, which means "hidden city," is home to a quite sizable gorge. Even the widest of lenses won't capture the dwarfing height of the cliffs or the roaring of the currents coursing below. The scale of things really puts you in your place.

The gorge is 18 kilometers long, four of which are traversable by foot. This is no walk in the park though.

It’s starts off easily enough—upon paying the 5 TL entry, you go through turnstiles and enter the gorge along a raised walkway for the first 100 meters or so with the cool stream bubbling below. That’s the extent of the man-made paths though; from here, you just have to wade into the water. The majority of the time it only covers your feet, but it does get waist-high in sections.

At the end of the path is a small opening where you will no doubt be approached by a guide. They’ll tell you that it’s dangerous to go ahead alone and offer to chaperon, but we did just fine alone. To be fair, the water does get deep in some areas, especially after rain, and currents can be dangerous. They close the gorge to visitors during the rainy winter months for this reason. 

When we were there though, they had one person posted just the other side of the first deeper section. I heard that there were more such guides strategically placed throughout the gorge, but we didn't see any. This might only be true in the months with more foot traffic. In any case, the able-bodied should be able to wing it, but guides are available for those not too sure of themselves. If you’re not comfortable climbing up wet rocks in what amounts to a shallow river, better safe than sorry.

Knee deep in giddy awesomeness

Walking through the gorge is sheer joy. Remember when you were a kid and went to go play in the creek in those woods at the edge of the neighborhood? It’s just like that, except this time the creek is deeper and flanked by 300-meter high sheer cliffs. And the water is a milky shade of blue thanks to sand deposits reminiscent of the travertine in Pamukkale. On second thought, maybe it isn’t so much like that creek back home.

Not your run-of-the-mill creek

The water is also quite chilly—thanks to the towering natural walls of the gorge, sunlight rarely reaches the waters, if ever. I’m sure it’s quite a delightful break from the heat of summer months, but it can take a little getting used to when we went, at the end of the season in October. It was by no means unbearable though, even at this time of year.

Here's some info to assist on your visit.

Saklikent Details

Entrance fee: 5 TL/person
Season: Roughly April to September, depending on weather and water levels. We went in early October and were fine. Going late in the season will be much less crowded, we hear.
How to get there: Saklikent is about an hour by dolmuş from Fethiye for 8 TL/person. Be sure to confirm the schedule for the bus back if going by dolmuş—it was 6 pm when we visited. Renting a car will be more comfortable if you have the budget, but at 50 km, it's a bit far for scooters. Other than Fethiye, it can also be accessed from nearby Antalya, Kaş, or Kalkan.





Precautions: You will get wet here, and the rocks are slippery. Wear a swimsuit, or at least pants that can get wet. Water shoes or some form of shoe with good grip that you don’t mind getting wet are recommended—absolutely DO NOT wear flip-flops! Rental shoes available if needed.

Also, be mindful of any electronics you bring. Even if you don’t slip, anything in your pants pockets will get wet. There was also a waterfall that we saw, maybe 1.5 kilometers or so into the hike, that you would have to pass under in order to go any further. We turned back here as we didn’t want to risk ruining the camera, but you might be able to get further with a waterproof backpack.

River Restaurants

Saklikent has the perfect remedy for the hungry stomachs of adventurers fresh back from their river treks. The riverside restaurants here aren’t just beside the river, they have tables sitting on top of the river flowing out of the gorge.

You know you want to sip some fresh-squeezed pom juice here

For those more interested in the food than the views, they have you covered, too. Those able to stave off hunger for another 200 meters or so can head past these restaurants to the right upon exiting the gorge to another set of restaurants. These serve up generous portions with all-you-can-eat salad bars for a low 10 TL.

Eat here for 10 TL!!

And there you have it. If you make it down to the Turkish Riviera, don't forget to make time for Saklikent!

Turkey: The Cotton Castles of Pamukkale

Have I mentioned yet how much we loved Turkey? Because it really is quite a wonderful place. One of Turkey’s more well known attractions is Pamukkale. As the saying goes, a picture is worth a thousand words. This is definitely one of those moments.

See what I mean? Stuff like this really does put the “wonder” in natural wonders. How exactly does a place like this come to be? The name Pamukkale itself means "cotton castle" in Turkish, but that doesn't really explain it. Long story short, the travertine pools of Pamukkale are the result of calcium carbonate minerals. The minerals are deposited by the flow of water surfacing through a series of natural hot springs.



You can see this carbonate in the form of soft silt that packs almost like white mud at the bottom of the terraced pools all the way up the slope. It feels strange squishing between your toes, but many seem to think it’s good for the skin. The minerals also give the water a mystical light blue tinge during daylight hours.

The water in the travertine pools is lukewarm at best, getting progressively hotter the higher up the hill you get. While admission permits you to dive in if you want, I’d say the pools accessible along the path climbing up the hill are more aptly described as deep foot baths suitable for wading. Whatever you decide, dress accordingly; also keep in mind that you will be asked to walk barefoot through the entire area to preserve the surfaces.

The Ancient Pool 

At the hill’s crest is a separate resort called the Ancient Pool, reminding us that this area has been a tourist attraction since Roman times. Made famous as Cleopatra’s bath, this pool supposedly gives you a true opportunity to bathe in between Roman columns and ruins which fell into the pool during an earthquake in the 7th century.

I say supposedly because with our meager budget, we were too cheap to pony up the additional 30 TL it costs to gain entry. We learned afterward that if you ask, you can view the pools for free as long as you don't get in. This is secondhand information though, so I haven't confirmed it directly.

Heiropolis 

It doesn’t stop here though—Cleopatra’s bath is merely the beginning of the ruins of the ancient Roman city of Heiropolis. Perched above the natural pools, Heiropolis served as a popular spa in Roman days. Unlike the baths, they don’t charge extra here, so view to your heart’s content. It’s nice, but nowhere near as impressive as Ephesus or Aprodisias.

Entry to Pamukkale and Heiropolis will set you back 20 TL. The optional Ancient Pool will run an additional 30 TL. At least one couple that did pay told us they enjoyed themselves, so you judge for yourselves whether the additional expense is worth it.

Whether you decide to take a dip in the pool or not, Pamukkale is a travertine wonderland for photogs, especially around sunset. The raw beauty of the place is stunning, and this goes double once the sun gets lower in the sky. While buses do make it more than possible to visit Pamukkale as a daytrip from either Selcuk, Fethiye or other regional cities, we recommend staying for the sunset and staying the night. The grounds don’t close at night, so stick around as late as you want.

Pamukkale at sunset

Dissenting opinions—is it worth it? 

Talking with others that visited Pamukkale, opinions were worryingly divided. I think this has to do with expectations. Some were disappointed that many of the pools were now dry, which is unfortunately true. I believe this damage is a result of hotels that were built over Heiropolis in the mid-20th century. The hotels and roads up to the top were removed when Pamukkale was declared a World Heritage Site. Still others were probably expecting to go for a swim, then faced with a steep 30 TL price tag on top of the normal admission and decided against it.

If you appreciate natural beauty and are just going for the view, however, you will most definitely enjoy yourself, especially if you’re camera-happy. While it’s a shame that the far section of pools is totally drained, the near side pools are the epitome of natural beauty and more than worth the price of admission.

Pamukkale is on the short list of most every traveler going to Turkey, and with good reason. Don’t leave it out of yours!

Good Restaurant: Lamuko’s Lokanta 

First, there are plenty of budget meal options in town for those on a budget. We chose to splurge a bit for dinner though and were glad we did! For the first time in our then three months on the road, we opted for a little taste from our home, Japan.

While there are plenty of imitators in town, Lamuko’s Lokanta offers authentic Japanese food made by its Japanese owner with ingredients imported from the homeland. If you’re hankering for some good, home-cooked Japanese food, this is the place for you. And if all you really know of Japanese food is sushi and Benihana's, this is a great place to broaden your horizons. If you're not sure what to order, you can't go wrong with the oyako donburi (chicken and egg, mixed over rice).

Daytrip Option: Aphrodisias 

For those of you that want to see Ephesus but don't like the crowds, Aphrodisias may just be the option you're looking for. We researched it and in the end decided it wasn't for us, but a few friends that did go spoke very highly of it. The ruins are well preserved and a bit cheaper than its more famous counterpart in Ephesus, but it's a bit out of the way and thus often overlooked. This means more open views over largely uncrowded ruins for those that do choose to put in the effort to get there.

Temples, mosques, churches, castles, ruins—in any of these cases, we've found that you can only see so many before you start getting burnt out. For this reason, unless you're a big history buff, limiting yourself to just Ephesus or just Aphrodisias might be enough for you if done properly.

While accessible by dolmuş via Denizli, renting a car or even guide might be an option worth looking into for those interested in visiting Aphrodisias.

One last Pamukkale picture for the road!

Now Entering Africa

Here we are, back from a short work-induced blogging hiatus, extended a day or two by an unexpected medical pitstop. We’ve also hit a milestone—a new continent! We’ve both been to Egypt, but that’s north of the Sahara. This time we’re diving head first into the world’s final wild frontier: Africa. Akemi's been to South Africa at least, but for me, this is totally uncharted territory.

And what better introduction to a new continent could there be than Ethiopia? Right off the plane, you can just feel that this quirky little country is different... but more about that when we get to it.

Last time with Turkey, we posted our plans and asked for suggestions. While we did come up with a fairly good route through Turkey, all the suggestions we had made it that much better. Safranbolu? Loved it!

We try not to look at guidebooks, so people are our best source of info. Locals and fellow travelers alike, the best way to find out what there is to do somewhere is to ask someone who’s already been there. This is doubly true when in Africa, where it seems a lion fart can knock out internet connections.

So we’re going to try this again—who’s got some good advice on Africa? [Andy, Dave, Steve, we're looking at you!] Again, we have a basic idea of what we want to see, especially for our first stop, Ethiopia, but are looking for a few out-of-the-way twists to keep things interesting. We’ll break this up by country, giving our basic plan and ideas.

Ethiopia 

As mentioned previously, Ethiopia is our first country in Africa and my first time going Sub-Saharan.



Checking out the map, you can see that our focus is on the north. We fly into and again out of Addis Ababa, avoiding what I hear can be a rather hairy southern border with Kenya, complete with bandits (which may or may not be hairy). I also hear that overland transport in this area is... shall we say less than optimal—two days in a bus from Addis Ababa to Bahir Dar to cover 550 kilometers doesn’t sound like my cup of Ethiopian coffee—so we’ll be utilizing some surprisingly cheap domestic air routes for this part of the world.

The basic route of Addis Ababa, Bahir Dar, Gondar, Aksum and Lalibela are all interconnected rather well with air routes, basically making them interchangeable in terms of order. We’ll play it by ear, but will probably use land transport between Bahir Dar and Gondar, and possibly to Lalibela if the rumors I hear of vastly improved roads in that neck of the woods are true.

Our wild card for Ethiopia was whether or not to add a few days and another stop to the list: Shashemene or Harar, maybe? We now have a few days to kill before we can fly as we're waiting for our Brazilian visas, and those are our ideas. Being the home of Rastafarianism, Shashemene sounds just zany enough to be a fun distraction, mon.

And here's the rest of the African leg of the trip:

Kenya 

From Ethiopia, we fly from Addis Ababa into Nairobi, Kenya to start the overland portion of our African expedition.

As you might have suspected, one of the biggest questions we had on Africa was what to do about a safari. I’ll go into more detail when we recap later, but we've decided that despite the added costs, we’re destined for Tanzania and the Serengeti due to the migration patterns and our timing.

The disappointing thing is that that leaves us with little to do in Kenya. Nairobi doesn't exactly sound like the most inviting place in the world, and if we’re not looking around for a safari guide then I’m not sure it’s worth it. I hear it’s a likely place for tourists to get targeted by thieves, and that they don't play around. Maybe that assessment is unfair, but I’m just going by what I've heard.

Is Lake Nakuru with its flamingos worth a daytrip without going on a full-blown safari? Are the lazy beaches of Lamu worth a stop with the Almighty Zanzibar looming just around the corner in Tanzania? Am I missing some other hidden gem here? I’m thinking it might be better to give Kenya a pass this time and focus our attention on Tanzania in the absence of good suggestions to the contrary.

Tanzania

Even if you don’t know Africa, you've probably heard of a few of the attractions in Tanzania. Serengeti. Kilimanjaro. Zanzibar. I mean seriously, how could you not want to go to a place called Zanzibar? It sounds like a magician’s name or something. I think I might just name my next pet after it. THE AMAZING ZANZIBAR.

As noted above, if you’re plans are to safari and hit the beach all in one sitting, Tanzania wins. Our safari will be a total of 5-6 days, first touring through the Serengeti and Arusha park, then over to Ngorogoro crater and Lake Manyara. This will be followed by... Zanzibar the Magnificent.

We’re also thinking that a train ride from Dar Es Salaam to our next planned stop, Zambia, sounds like a lovely way to jet across the countryside. I’d love to add something less touristy in there, whether it be Kenya or Tanzania, and will be keeping my ears wide open for suggestions along the way. I hear that anything south of Dar Es Salaam is a good bet.

Zambia

The train from Dar Es Salaam just so happens to terminate in Lusaka, Zambia. Serendipitously, we just so happen to have a friend who moved to Lusaka earlier this year, so this stop is a no-brainer! After a short recharge here, our new party of three will venture south to Victoria Falls before heading into...

Botswana

Botswana makes the list here for one simple reason: it’s easy. The easiest, in fact. Zimbabwe is a disaster waiting to happen—besides an African traveler advising us to steer clear, I think Monopoly money is worth more than their currency at this point. And northern Mozambique is a mine field of problems—literally. In some areas north, there are mines left over from wars past. I’ve thus heard that the best path into Mozambique would be to first go south, then enter from South Africa. That doesn't really help, for our purposes.

Other than transit, what will we do here? Well, our newly implanted Zambian host tells us there are some nice national parks, so we’ll discuss that one with her and get back to you.

South Africa

Our African terminus, South Africa. So much to see, but how much time will we have at this point to see it? Between reuniting with Akemi’s host families in Durban after too many years and flying out of Johannesburg to our next continent, will we even have time to get out to Cape Town on the other side of the country? I certainly hope so. We also hope to meet a few people we know in Pretoria if there’s time.

And there you have it. Enough to fill two and a half months? Probably. Would we consider other options along the way? Definitely. Or are we underestimating how long it takes to get around in Africa? You tell us.

Nepal pictures up!

I finally took some time to go through all these pictures that are piling up! I've gotten through the Nepal batch, including everything from our time in Pokhara, Kathmandu, Bhaktapur and Nagarkot. Now I can move onto the almost 3,000 pictures I've taken in Turkey over the last month!

Here's a little preview: click on the links for more.

Pokhara: (blog) (pictures)

Amitabha Monastery: (blog) (pictures)

Boudhanath Stupa: (pictures) 

Basantapur Durbar Square: (blog) (pictures)

Swambhunath Stupa: (blog) (pictures)

Downtown Kathmandu: (blog) (pictures)

Bhaktapur: (blog) (pictures)

Nagarkot: (blog) (pictures)

Selcuk, Turkey: more than just Ephesus

So long Nepal, hello Turkey! We are seriously loving us some Turkey—the food is fabulous, the culture is rich, and the waters are a robust mix of just about every shade in the spectrum between blue and green. Just what the doctor ordered.

We flew into Istanbul; you'll have to forgive me for saving the biggest city in Turkey for last as it is both our first and last stop on the Turkey circuit. With that, we'll start off with our second stop: the small town of Selçuk (pronounced "sell-chook").

Library of Celsus in Ephesus

Ephesus

There's really no question what the main draw in town is: the ruins of Ephesus (Efes to the locals). Ephesus lays claim to the largest, most well preserved Roman ruins in Turkey and draws crowds commensurate with such distinction—for those who only see one set of ruins in Turkey, this is the most likely candidate.

While most package tours will make a day trip out of Ephesus from God knows where, the independent traveler's consensus is to stay in the nearest town: Selçuk.

The sheer scale of Ephesus is remarkable. It was a city, after all, and not a small one at that. The estimated population of Ephesus in its prime is 250,000, a full five times that of the current population of Selçuk.  And to think, they've only uncovered about 25% of it!

Streets of Ephesus

This fact is even more astonishing once you actually see the place for yourself—as-is, it will take you at least a good hour for even a quick run through, although that might require some actual running. I'd recommend 3-4 hours to do it justice.

One of the most amazing things here is that the overall city is already intact to the point that you can actually imagine it in its heyday. There are vestiges of homes, main roads, public toilets... even proper drainage facilities! That's right, this means that ancient Romans mastered what still eludes Indian engineers to this day. (I kid, but it's true)

Library entrance

The two most well-preserved edifices unearthed here have to be the library and the theater.

The library facade is just massive, supposedly designed to appear as if it could hold even more than its original 13,500 scroll capacity. Sounds like the architect was a tad bit insecure.

There are two theaters, the larger of which is supposed to be the biggest still standing. It is also used for performances to this day, as signaled by the modern flooring laid over the original stone.

Perched atop the smaller of two theaters

As we soon found out, Turkey has mastered the art of nickel-and-diming for add-ons. Ephesus is no different—in addition to the 25 TL entrance fee, they try to squeeze another 15 TL out of you for the audio guide and then 15 TL more to see the terraced housing. We got neither and were satisfied. If you leave really thirsting for more, the Ephesus museum in town is supposed to be nice for 10 TL.

Ephesus was also a city of biblical importance. Unless you believe Dan Brown, this is where the apostle John took Mary to live out their final days and write his Gospel of John.

If all this interests you, check out St. John's Basilica in Selçuk. The house of Mary is also up the hill, but is quite the hike coming from town.

But wait, there's more!

The cozy streets of Şirince

Şirince

If you have an afternoon to spare, I'd highly recommend hopping a short 20-minute ride up to the wine village of Şirince. Take the dolmuş ("dull mush," Turkish for minibus) from the Selçuk otogar (bus station).

Along with the standard red, white and rose varietals, Şirince wineries offer a wide selection of fruit wines. We sampled strawberry, kiwi, apple an blackberry, to name a few, and even took a free tour of the factory. In all honesty, Turkish wine isn't the world's greatest, but free samples always taste better!

More free samples? How can you say 'no' to this guy??

Other than the wine, this quaint little village has excellent views with which it attempts to foist its overpriced boutique hotels upon unsuspecting tourists. Looking beyond this and the endless knickknack booths, we enjoyed just taking in the picturesque views while walking the steep streets up to the church near the top (for those that care, this one belongs to John the Baptist).

The virgin Mary: making tea taste better since 0 A.D.

We spent a good half day here, but it might be a little too close to home if you're used to European wine country. Spending a morning in Selçuk and the afternoon in Şirince sounds about right to me.

Other than that, Pamukkale is close enough to reach in three hours and thus day-trippable, but we opted to stay a night so we could see the sunset.

Recommended accommodation: Atilla's Getaway

We could not recommend Atilla's Getaway enough! Both the dorms and private rooms looked nice, and an extra 5 euro gets you a fabulous home-cooked breakfast and dinner every day. It is here that my love affair with menemen began. (I hope Akemi understands!)

Mmmenemen!

It's a little out of town, but they offer free shuttles from the otogar. This minor inconvenience conveniently places Atilla's within walkable distance of Ephesus—there's a quite pleasant path that cuts right behind the rear gate and drops you at the ruins in about 40 minutes. Just ask the staff for directions.

Also, if you were interested in Mary's house, this might be the easiest way to see it. Just turn left instead of right when you hit the main road.

Yes, this is what it looks like every night

Atilla's Getaway

Phone: +90 (0) 232 892 3847
E-mail: info@atillasgetaway.com
HP: http://www.atillasgetaway.com

And there you have it! from Selçuk,  we hopped the train over to Pamukkale via Denizli. More on that next time.

Now all I need to do is catch up on photos! More on Flickr to come soon.

A hidden Kathmandu delight: Amitabha monastery

There are a handful of sites which make the mandatory check list for any visit to Kathmandu. You've probably run across the names Durbar Square, Swayambhunath, Boudhanath, Bhaktapur, and maybe even Nagarkot... even if you can't quite pronounce them all.

One gem of a site that often gets overlooked is Amitabha monastery, also affectionately referred to by locals as the White Gumba (Gumba means 'temple' in Nepalese, not these). We were fortunate enough to have our local hosts escort us out to Amitabha one sunny Saturday afternoon and were pleasantly surprised with what we found.

Main hall of Amitabha

A few fun facts

Amitabha gets overlooked by many for a few reasons.

First, it's only open to the public on Saturday. If your schedule doesn't have you in Kathmandu on Saturday, a trip here would really only give you a nice view of the gate, and maybe some irritated monks (note: these are nowhere near as amusing as irritated monkeys).

Second, it's not exactly the easiest place to get to. It's quite a hike if you're coming from Thamel, like most travelers are; from Thamel, it's more than twice the distance of Swayambhunath and is up in a quite hilly area. That, along with the often confusing bus system means that a taxi or private car is probably your best bet here.

Still, hiking would not be the worst option in the world for those up to the challenge. The area is quite scenic once you get outside Ring Road, and the hills could even serve as a warm-up for your upcoming treks. Just be sure to bring a comfortable pair of shoes!

The hills are alive with the sound of Buddhist chanting music

The payoff

So why should this be on your list of places to see in Kathmandu?

Well first, it's far enough out of town that the surrounding area is quite pleasant, and Amitabha's elevated position gives it quite the good view.

A Buddha's eye view of Kathmandu

The grounds themselves are also quite expansive and highly elaborate. The giant golden Buddha atop the hill is preceded by cascading statues all the way up the grounds. The entire hike up the giant staircase, you'll pass by numerous murals, fountains and statues, each more ornate than the last.

The front gate of White Gumba—not so white

The true draw here for me though was the interior of the main temple hall itself. This is the most elegant, colorful Buddhist temple I have ever laid eyes on, and I've seen quite a few. The overload of colors is simply amazing; it is a feast for the eyes that truly has to be seen to be appreciated. The monks must agree with me as they have unfortunately forbidden photography. Tis a shame that I cannot share its beauty, but luckily there's enough else going on here to keep the photogs happy.

So for the traveler that has seen it all in Kathmandu, I offer up the White Gumba. You won't be disappointed!

Have any hidden gems of your own you'd like to share? Let us know!

Having learned our lesson, we chose to forgo the 3-day overland transit this time and just fly to make our transfer from Delhi to Istanbul. Look forward to reports from Turkey in the near future.

For more pictures of Amitabha, check out the folder on my Flickr account.

A trip through the Kathmandu Valley: Bhaktapur and Nagarkot

Sunrise over Nagarkot

While there's plenty going on in Kathmandu, any trip here would be remiss without venturing a little further outside the city limits. While there are certainly other options out there, two popular destinations that fit together in a nice little package are Bhaktapur and Nagarkot. Here's our experience.

Bhaktapur

Statues and Jain temples in Bhaktapur Durbar Square

Bhaktapur is located a deceptively long 13 km away from Kathmandu—with the road conditions, the trip will easily take an hour.

If you take the bus, they'll drop you off in front of a gate just a few minutes walk from yet another Durbar Square. As I mentioned last time, however, if I had to pick one then this one is the most impressive; it was damaged in an earthquake in 1934, making it more spacious than its Kathmandu and Patan counterparts. No worries though, there are still many temples, statues and gates-o-plenty for your ogling pleasure.

Intricate wood carvings in Durbar Square

If you choose to go through the main gate and pay, the entrance fee is 1,100 rupees.

The streets of Bhaktapur

Other than Durbar Square, Bhaktapur is a good place to just wander the streets. The aforementioned tremor also means that a good portion of the homes and buildings here are newer, giving a different look than the age of Kathmandu.

Juju-dhau sighted!

Along the way, be sure to wander by a stand for some juju-dhau—literally, the "king of all yogurt." I'm not so sure about that assertion after some of the damn fine lassis we had in India, but it's still pretty good and worth a try. It's basically local honey poured over chilled yogurt and served in a ceramic container. Make sure to fit this princely treat into your pauper's budget.

Nagarkot

A hazy sunrise over the Himalayas

Nagarkot's claim to fame is its views—at 2,195 meters, it commands a spectacular view of both the Himalayas to the northeast—including Mt. Everest—and the valley to the southwest, making it a great spot for both sunrises and sunsets on clear days.

Being caught in the tail end of a lingering rainy season, we weren't so lucky in that regard; even so, the views were great. As with the rest of Nepal, I'd recommend coming in the winter if possible.

Lookout! This tower is missing its ladder

There's a lookout tower about 3-4 km outside of town at the very top of the hill Nagarkot finds itself on. While this is arguably the best place to get that picture-perfect view of things and shouldn't be missed, it does get a little crowded up there. The tower itself is a little hard (but not impossible) to climb as the ladder is severed from overuse.

Walking there from town will take around 40-60 minutes, so plan accordingly. If you don't want to walk in the dark for sunrise, your hotel will be more than happy to offer you a shuttle, for a fee.

If you're not into crowds, the views are still good from the road to the tower for sunset and from many of the hotels for sunrise.

There are a few options to get to Nagarkot from Kathmandu, but most of them involve you first getting to none other than Bhaktapur. First, there's the bus. Just take the bus from Kathmandu to Bhaktapur and transfer. For a little more than the bus, you could also rent a private car or hail a taxi for the most convenient trip up the 17-km road.

Lastly, you could hoof it. There's a 13-km trail connecting Bhaktapur and Nagarkot, allowing you to take in the spectacular views of the Nepal countryside at your own pace. I don't know that I'd want to hike both ways, but it looks like it'd be a pleasant enough 3-4 hour hike for at least one way.

If you have a smartphone or iProduct, you can probably get away without having a map. A quick search on Google Maps outlined the hike on my iPhone (4), and the GPS locator will work even without wi-fi access.

Overlooking terraced fields from my perch

Plenty of shorter treks are also available departing from Kathmandu and going through Nagarkot. Check with tourist offices in Kathmandu or your hotel for more info.

And there you have it! As usual, stay tuned for the rest of my pictures to come on Flickr.