Cappadocia day 1

We left this morning at about 1:30AM. mad crazy early and I hardly slept on the bus, even though I had two seats to myself. We arrived in the region by 5:30AM, and drove through with the sun rising. After arriving at the hotel, I roomed with Charlotte and re-met the German girl I met in the museum with Cynthia. We ate breakfast, and I managed a quick shower before we left at 8:30AM.

(the center rock far far away is supposed to be “Virgin Mary.” To the right of her on top is a curled snake.)

Our tour guide was really sweet and I loved the way she spoke. First she took us to Imagination Valley to see shapes in the rocks, and then to another area to see and learn about the rock formations.

After that, we went to a village to explore some rock buildings. People still lived here only 60 years ago!!! It blows my mind!

After that, we saw a pottery demonstration. I took a video of it, but of course, we were all “really mature” (myself not included) about watching it happen. We had the chance to buy some pottery for 50% off, and lots of us ended up with extra discounts which was shweet.

This is their Red River, with the moving bridge…I kept singing “Red River Valley” while here, haha.

Finally we went to the Goreme open air museum. I find it most interesting that the history of this place as I know it differs from what the Turks know to be true.

Tonight’s party was to be “Turkish night,” with cultural stuff and a belly dancer. Really cool, but with the lack of sleep, I wasn’t feeling up for it. When everyone else napped and got ready, Charlotte, Kristin and I wandered through Urgup looking for wine. We bought a 6TL bottle, figuring we’d try the better wine tomorrow at the wine tasting before we leave Cappadocia. Charlotte wanted to find the way to the top of a bluff overlooking Urgup, but Kristin and I were too tired. We poked around in an antique store and then settled in a pastanesi with cay, sahlep and baklava. We both ordered in Turkish, so I’m extra proud of us! Charlotte found us there and we wanted to some other shops.

It was really strange though. The shop owners all spoke decent to relatively good English. I’m so used to talking about them and their prices right in front of them without them knowing it, so it was really strange not being able to do that!

After dinner, I was not feeling well. Charlotte, Kristin and I got together in Kristin’s room to drink wine and learn Backgammon! Charlotte taught us, and Kristin won, haha.

Moree traveling tomorrooowww~

~Han

 

Touring Ankara

Today we went to Ankara Kalesi and the Anatolian Museum of history. I looked up the names of these places in Turkish so I could get around alright, and we departed for our adventure at about noon. We took a dolmus to Ulus and taxi’d to the Castle.

We wandered and explored the castle some.

Much of the stone used to build these walls were taken from other buildings. Somewhere around this place, there’s a toilet in the wall xD

Amazing views of Ankara from here.

We went to the market right outside, where we ran into Ali, Keka, Merve and an architechture class on tour! That was so random. We hung out in the area so Cynthia could see some of how the professor taught.

We spoke with Ali some, and his friend from England (who is Turkish, and had a veeery interesting English/Turkish accent).

After, we walked to the museum and explored. It was so cool–the main building was an old bazaar! I got a Muze Kart, or Museum Card, which is a 10TL card that I can use to get into any museum in Ankara for 1 year pretty much for free. I only had to pay the cost of the card. They scanned my ODTU ID and put that picture on my card, so there’s a Study Abroad stamp across my face, hahaha.

No idea what these pots are do.

We walked back to the taxis and hopped one to Kizilay because I wasn’t quite sure how to get to Kizilay from where we were. We walked some and found the Ankara mosque, it was so amazing and impressive.

On the way to get the dolmus back to ODTU, I saw this store. The name made me laugh so hard. xD We went back, took a rest, and then went for dinner in the Carsi. Then we walked next door for some cay/coffee, since she had to stay up until around 3 to board her plane. After that, we wandered to Arkabace for a final baklava, and so Cynthia could grab some food for on the plane. We talked a lot about study abroad requirements and such, and we decided that days like today, where I had to get us around based on what I’ve learned, language barriers and such, should be worth credit as well.

I made sure she had my number in case she got in trouble, since her plane was leaving at 4 and she would have to get there via mostly public transpo. I didn’t hear from her, so I assume she got home safe. =)

~Hannah

 

Concert~!

My choir’s concert was today. It took place in the “Architecture Amphitheater,” which I was expecting to just be an auditorium. No, this was a legit amphitheatre. So cool! It reminded me a little of the Little Theatre in HCRHS…but so much cooler.

The American choir came and practiced with us on the 2 songs we would sing together, then on their own. Then they went to get food. I hung around to try to talk to them some. But they were completely disinterested in anyone except the people they came with. There were 2 or 3 METU students who were accompanying them around, acting as translators and such. They were the only non-US people that the students really cared to talk to. Only one spoke with me…to ask me how she could buy water from the kantin. I was really disappointed. I kept trying to tell myself that they were just tired but…couldn’t really bring myself to fully believe it, you know? It was beyond just being tired but reacting to things around you. They wouldn’t talk to me when I tried to start conversation, and would only sit with and talk to the people they came with. =\

Claire, Charlotte and Nina came to see my concert though! They took pictures for me, lucky you! <3 Gokce Gokdogan also came, and it was so wonderful to see her! I didn’t get to talk to her for but a few moments, since she had to get back to campus before her curfew.

There was a really huge crowd here actually! It was awesome. I’m still trying to figure it out. =) Two composers were here, one that composed a song we sang with the other choir and one that did a song that the other choir sang on their own.

So this is the American choir in their performance-gear. They had some really lovely songs with great harmonies and melodies and sounded fairly good overall.

And this is our choir, in all our loveliness…and I still think we sounded better

I found out that our director, Haser Tek, is actually a famous Turkish tenor in the opera. He doesn’t have a falsetto, and has a really lovely voice. I do enjoy listening to him, and I’m usually not a tenor-type of person!

And this is all of us together.

After all that was over, I still had to get my second series of the rabies vaccine. But it was like 9:30 by that point, and I hadn’t heard from Gokcer about it all day (I had texted him in the AM). So Claire offered to go with me. I went back to my room and found my hospital papers, changed into pants (that skirt was cowld!) and went to the lady by the desk. Since it was 10:15 by this point and I wasn’t sure how long it would take, I wanted to let her know where I would be so I wouldn’t have to sign in on the tardy paperwork. And I actually told her in Turkish that I was going to the hospital and she understood and I was so happy!!! So proud of me. So I went and met Claire outside the gate by a bar called “Drunk.” It was pretty funny xD I hear it’s actually a decent place? Will check it out some time.

We caught a taxi outside the bar and I gave him the paper with the name of the hospital. He didn’t quite know where, so he took us in the cab and drove around calling and texting people to find out, hahaha. He pulls up to a hospital that isn’t the one we needed, and asks for directions. So we get to the right one, and when I go to pay, he told me (in Turkish) that he would wait. Claire and I got out and went to the security guy to let him know where we were going, who gave us directions. I was so happy (again) that I was able to say “Biliyorum” for the first time, which means “I know”! So proud of me, hahahaha. Went and got the shot, which was really easy. I think I’m beginning to not be phased by them, so long as I don’t look at it, haha. Either that or the nurses here are really good. It’s funny though, two shots are in my arm with 3 moles, each right next to one of the moles. I hope the third is next to the last mole, because that would just make me laugh.

We hopped the cab back to ODTU (seriously just wrote TCNJ) and I decided to go with the girls to Beypazari tomorrow. Very exciting, should be an ultra fun time.

~Han