Vietnam was a country that I was apprehensive about before our arrival. Reading travel blogs and listening to other travelers, it seemed there were quite a bit of negatives stories about being scammed by kind old ladies, professional hackers, and everyone in between. Reportedly we were expected to bargain for everything – even food –…
So. We’re back home. A little late on this update… because life started. Like full swing. In the first two weeks we unpacked all of our possessions (or almost all), scrubbed the house, painted the living room, and had a welcome back / Sergey’s 30th birthday (!) party. Sergey started a new (old) job, and…
STATS Days on the road: 426 Number of beds: 9 Countries visited: Russia, US – states: NY, CT, OH, MI, IL, MO, TN. Postcards sent: 0 Thoughts Atlanta, Georgia has the busiest airport in the US, which serves as a hub for Delta jets. This entire month, save for the first five days, we’ve been back in…
STATS Days on the road: 397 Number of beds: 7 Countries visited: Albania, Turkey, Russia Postcards sent: 15 thoughts As we head back stateside, we’ve been thinking lots of homecoming. Although it is bittersweet, we are definitely ready for some comforts of life with a more permanent address. So rather than dwelling on drawbacks of our…
A compilation of experiences on our last day in Turkey. We flew from Ankara to Istanbul to visit with Pete, Adrienne and Vivi for one more time before heading back to Russia. This particular view is from the rooftop of Mama Shelter, Istanbul, where we had pre0-dinner drinks )
We visited the Ankara archeology museum on our full day in Ankara. Definitely worth a look, lots of fascinating artifacts, and a nice garden to boot.
Shopping in castle district in Ankara! I am a big believer in collecting pieces during our travels. We’ve sourced items for our home pretty much in every country we’ve visited, and in Turkey sort of hit the jackpot. Plenty of well priced items for sale – they might not be the most authentic — though we…
A visit to the Anitkabir, the eternal resting place of the father of modern day Turkey – Ataturk. A fascinating insight into modern Turkish culture, value system, and national identity. An absolute must if you are in the area.
Arrival in Ankara after (another) torturous bus ride. Turkey is really big! and buses take forever. But then again — they are cheap and convenient.
A day hike out to the Ihlara Valley, which is considered to be a remote and unique area of Cappadocia. We didn’t think it was the best attraction – particularly taking into the account the expense and the time it takes to get to the valley, but we still enjoyed it. Take a look at the…
Exploring cave churches in the Zelve Open Air Museum — this one is a bit off the beaten path in Cappadocia, but actually turned out to be a pretty neat and extensive site. Lots of climbing, lots of fascinating dwellings — definitely recommend.
Enjoying our first day in Cappadocia with a 360 panorama of the magical landscape from the Uchisar Castle. Its possible to visit a few of the “rooms” in the castle — which aren’t much more than hollowed out caves. But still – its kind of fascinating ot imagine people carving these, and then living here!