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This is the article that will be published in a US magazine about Family Le Brun holiday... TURKISH ADVENTURE September 16-30, 2006 Background The trip and crew were put together by Tom and Angela Lebrun to realize a life long ambition to sail the Aegean and visit the ancient sites of Turkey. We all concurred, and signed on as “Crew Turkey.” Turkey, Istanbul in particular, has laid at the crossroads of civilizations and trade since the early movements of people and agricultural practices from the “Fertile Crescent,” centered on the Tigris and Euphrates Valleys, to other parts of Eurasia and North Africa 8,000-10,000 years ago. Many civilizations have established a presence in Turkey, including the Assyrians, Greeks, Romans, Persians, Byzantines, and Ottomans. Archeological sites abound, perhaps the best preserved in all of the Mediterranean. Today, Turkey is a secular democracy that leans to Europe but retains a strong Asian influence. The predominant religion is Islam, though actively practiced by only a minority of the population. Turkey has an application pending for membership in the EU. This has set off a loud internal debate over issues of national sovereignty and religion. Some European countries have also expressed concern, mainly over religious differences and disparities in economic development. Hopefully these issues will be resolved in the not too distant future. Big stumbling block Cyprus and the Greeks We found the Turks extremely friendly, attractive (particularly the women!), and industrious. There are few signs of extreme poverty or homelessness. Istanbul is a bustling city, full of antiquities and modern trappings, including markets galore, modern mass transit, and a busy harbor. The Bosphorus and Dardanelles remain key transit points for oil originating in Black Sea terminals and goods moving from Europe and other parts of the World to rapidly growing Central and Eastern European countries of the former Soviet Bloc. Day 1 – Saturday, September 16 Ann and I arrived first, at around noon after a 13 hours flight from Cincinnati over 7 time zones. Following the principle of immediately adjusting to the new time zone, we skipped a nap and toured the neighborhood of the hotel, in close proximity to major attractions such as the Blue Mosque, Topkapi Palace, and St. Sophia Church. The neighborhood was also blessed with many small and large hotels, restaurants and shops. Rugs galore! Judy’s flight from Mexico City via New York arrived at around 1 am. She had been scheduled to travel with us from NYC, but missed the flight due to bad weather en route. The Lafferty’s, all alone for the evening, elected to dine on the outside terrace of the hotel (Yesil Ev), a small boutique hotel that was once an Ottoman mansion. We had our first taste of Turkish food, including lamb meatballs, lamb chops, and borek (deep fried, filled pastries). Afterwards, we ventured across the street to an outside café to watch the performance of a single whirling dervish. This had been Ann’s top priority, so we checked it off the 1st night. Day 2 – Sunday, September 17 The Lafferty’s met Judy Sorrell for breakfast at the hotel. She had arrived during the night, sans one suitcase lost by the airline (it finally surfaced the next day). We dined on scrambled eggs floating on a bed of water, plus other Turkish delicacies that were a bit more palatable. We decided on the spot to try to have all future breakfasts at the Four Seasons around the corner, where the Lebrun’s would be staying. The three of us spent the day touring two sites, St. Sophia’s Church and the military museum at Harbiye. St. Sophia’s (Ayasofya in Turkish) was built in the 6th Century as the then largest church in Christianity. It’s an amazing engineering feat for its time, with a domed ceiling that spans more than 100 ft. and rises more than 15 stories. It remained a Christian Church until the 15th Century, when it was converted to a mosque and remained so for 500 years until turned into a museum in 1935. When converted to a mosque in 1453, Christian frescos and mosaics that had covered the walls and ceilings were concealed by stucco. This has been painstakingly removed by museum workers over the past 70 years to reveal incredible workmanship and art. The Military Museum houses an extensive collection of armament and other military gear from the Ottoman era through World War II. It’s huge. One could spend a full day wandering its many rooms. But the highlight of the museum is a daily military parade, or Mehter concert, featuring Turkish soldiers dressed in vintage Ottoman wear playing a number of musical instruments, most notably the drum. The beat of the drums is deafening, and was intended to instill fear in enemy lines. It certainly put us on edge, and we soon retreated by cab to the sanctuary of the Yesil Ev! It was a most memorable experience. The Lebrun’s and Neville’s arrived late in the day and met the rest of Crew Turkey for a welcoming dinner at the Yesil Ev Hotel. The Lebrun’s had traveled from a vacation in Venice, and the Neville’s from their home in Boston. Day 3 – Monday, September 18 Following an early awakening at 5:30 am by dueling mullahs at nearby mosques, calling to prayer the faithful for the 1st of 5-times daily, and after breakfast, all of us except the Neville’s (who had a separate itinerary) walked the short distance from our hotels to perhaps the highlight of Istanbul, the Topkapi Palace. It was built by Mehmet as the seat of Ottoman power following his conquest of the city in the 15th century. It remained the sultans’ palace until moved to a new site on the Bosphorus in 1855. The Topkapi Palace is today a museum occupying a vast site overlooking the Golden Horn. We spent most of the day touring its many buildings, including most notably the Harem where upwards of 800 concubines were looked after by a contingent of Black Eunuchs, male slaves who had been castrated so as not to molest any of the sultan’s ladies. It was the objective of every concubine to attract the attention of the sultan, and to produce a son, which would then make her one of the most powerful women in the empire. Other important stops on the tour included the Treasury, displaying an 86 kt diamond and the famous emerald and diamond encrusted Topkapi Dagger. Late in the afternoon we walked to the most famous of Istanbul’s many markets, the Grand Bazaar. While somewhat touristy, it’s the most amazing market we’ve seen anywhere, with over 2500 shops extending over many, many square blocks, all covered. They sell everything from jewelry and clothing to spices and candy, and everything in between. Bargaining is a must. As an example, Angela bought a box of Turkish candy for the seemingly low price of 20 Turkish lira (about $14). Later we bought 4 identical boxes for 25 lira. Angela, a buyer of great repute, of course was very disappointed that she had been snookered. Following a few hours in the market, we wandered to one of the many sidewalk restaurants for dinner. We fortunately found the Rameli Restaurant, which served the best fried calamari we’ve had in ages, including PV. Note: we made it a point throughout the visit to sample fried calamari in as many restaurants as possible. We all appeared to like it, and fortunately it’s one of the specialties of Turkish cuisine. Day 4 – Tuesday, September 19 Per our earlier pledge, we had breakfast with the Lebrun’s at the Four Seasons Hotel, only half a block from the Yesil Ev. The omelets and fried eggs were thankfully not bathed in water (we found only Turkish breakfasts not to our liking – we loved everything else). After walking maybe 5 miles the prior day, we decided this day to take a leisurely ferry trip up the Bosphorus to the Black Sea. There are many sights along the way, including numerous fortifications dating from the 14th Century, Ottoman palaces, freighter traffic, and mansions galore. We disembarked at the eastern terminus of the Bosphorus, on the Asian side, to again sample the fried calamari. The return trip to Istanbul got us back with time to spare to tour the 2nd most famous market in Istanbul – the Spice Market. The ancient Spice Market has expanded with tourism to include about as wide an assortment of merchandise as found at the Grand Bazaar. Its many alleyways and narrow aisles are a treat to explore, particularly the section for pets and the many bins of about every spice available in the world. Adjacent to the market is the Rustem Pasa Mosque, one of the oldest and prettiest in the city. After removing our shoes and the ladies donning head coverings at the entrance, we explored the first mosque of our trip. As with others we visited during our stay, as well as the Topkapi Palace and other Ottoman structures, the mosque was covered in beautiful mosaics and murals. After a brief rest at our hotels, we met for cocktails on the roof terrace of the Four Seasons, overlooking the lighted domes of the Blue Mosque and St. Sophia. Spectacular! We decided to have dinner at a nearby seafood restaurant that specialized in seafood. We found it very busy, with little chance of eating for an hour or more. So, we moved on to another recommendation, about 4 or 5 blocks away, but hard to find. After wandering the back streets of Istanbul, and asking directions along the way, we finally landed at our destination, which turned out to be a pleasant find. We enjoyed a 3-course dinner – an appetizer of a wide variety of “tapas” from sea bass ceviche and caviar to dandelion salad; a main course of grilled fish of choice; and dessert of a crabapple and cinnamon tart. All drinks, including wine, were included in a fixed price of less than $25 each. We staggered home with the assistance of a guide from the waiters’ corp. Day 5, Wednesday, September 20 On our last full day in Istanbul, we elected to see the remaining “must see” attraction in Istanbul – the Blue Mosque. This magnificent mosque was built in the 17th Century. Rather than a single large dome, it has a number of lateral half domes resting on enormous columns. The entire ceiling and walls are covered with elaborate Ottoman tile work, judged the best craftsmanship in all of Turkey. The mosque is surrounded by well-kept gardens, the ancient Roman Hippodrome with 2 large obelisks, a Mosaic Museum, and an upscale marketplace. The mosaic work in the museum was uncovered in 1933, and is believed to be part of the courtyard of Constantine’s palace. The marketplace had more of the same merchandise we’d seen elsewhere, but of higher quality (and price). Jerry bought a painting by a local artist for a bargained amount that essentially depleted his wallet. This turned out to be the best buy of the trip, as explained below. While Jerry remained behind in the market to negotiate the art purchase, the remainder of the group ventured across the square to tour the Basilica Cistern (ancient underground water storage tanks built by the Romans). Following this, the group walked a short distance to the Archaeology Museum, located within the Topkapi Palace grounds. It contains more than 1 million objects, including importantly a number of intricately carved sarcophagi dating from the 4th Century BC. They are truly magnificent. The group retired to a late lunch at the Yesil Ev. What followed reflected the group’s priorities – Jerry napped, Ann and Judy went shopping, Angela had a hair appointment, and Tom exercised. For dinner, we decided to take the tram from our neighborhood to a typical Turkish restaurant near the Spice Market. It was rush hour, so the trams were extremely crowded, standing room only, body to body as in Japan. In the chaos and jamming of passengers, Jerry’s wallet was lifted. We should have known better to take such a crowded train, but that’s another story. Fortunately, Jerry’s wallet had very little money, as he had spent it all on the painting earlier in the afternoon, but did have 2 credit cards. Calls to the 2 credit card companies were immediately placed, so nothing in the end was lost, other then Jerry’s pride. Lesson learned. Needless to say we returned from the restaurant by taxi. Day 6 – Thursday, September 21 We awoke early for breakfast at the Four Seasons, prior to going to the airport for a flight to Bodrum to begin our sailing adventure. Bodrum is a California-style resort city on the Aegean, with beautiful hillside villas, a large marina containing 1,000+ luxury yachts, a long, landscaped malecon, and stylish shops and restaurants. It’s full of expats in addition to Turks, most looking like jet-setters. The harbor is crowned with a fort built by the Crusaders. Bodrum dubs itself the “new St. Tropez” of the Mediterranean. What a change from the hustle and bustle of Istanbul. We checked into the Butterfly Hotel, owned by an American expat from Boston and his Turkish male companion. It had only 7 rooms, with a great view from a hillside overlooking the Aegean. The rooms were comfortable with good service, including drinks by poolside. We of course all participated, following the long journey from Istanbul. Following drinks, Tom and Jeff headed off for Bodrum to visit with the charter boat company. The rest of us walked to town an hour or so later, with plans to meet Tom and Jeff for dinner. We finally got connected, and dined at a sidewalk café specializing in Turkish fare. Day 7 – Friday, September 22 After breakfast on the terrace of the hotel, overlooking the Aegean, the boys walked to the offices of the charter company to finalize plans for boarding the boat on Saturday. We also discussed forecast wind directions and potential routes for the upcoming week. Our plan going in was to try to sail north to get within a short drive of Ephesus, which we all had as a “must see.” We were advised by the charter company that winds for the week were predicted to be out of the south, contrary to prevailing winds at this time of the year generally out of the north. With this turn of events, it was decided to take a day trip out of Bodrum to Ephesus on Saturday, returning in time to take possession of the boat late in the afternoon. We made arrangements for a car and driver to pick us up at the hotel at 9 am the following morning. While the boys were handling these arrangements, the girls made a scouting trip to the local supermarket to see what was available for provisioning the boat. We met afterwards and all traveled by bus to the local outdoor marketplace to look for linens that the girls had seen being used at the hotel, featuring beads interwoven within the fabric. No luck. So we walked back to Central Bodrum to visit the castle guarding the harbor entrance. The Crusader Castle of St. Peter now houses a wonderful museum, which includes among its vast collection a number of ancient artifacts recovered from ship wrecks off the Turkish Coast, some as early as the 2nd Century BC. The Castle was originally constructed in the 15th Century by the Germans, but refortified many times over the years by succeeding rulers. As recent as 1915 it was bombarded by the French, as Turkey had sided with the Germans in WW I. Following a tour of the castle, we walked to one of the 8 wonders of the ancient world, the Mausoleum of Halicarnassus. It was totally leveled by an earthquake in the 15th Century, and later cannibalized for building materials for construction of the Castle. It takes a great imagination to visualize what once existed, but reconstructions by archaeologists give a good idea of what it had looked like. Day 8 - Saturday, September 23 Following an early breakfast and check-out, we were met by our car and driver for the 3 hours drive to Ephesus. Ephesus is beyond description. It simply must be seen. It’s perhaps the most extensive and best preserved Greek/Roman ruin in the world. Ephesus was first founded by the Greeks in the 10th Century BC, at what was then the mouth of a river flowing into the Aegean. It was subsequently ruled by the Persians, then Alexander, and finally the Romans in the 2nd Century BC. The river has silted the valley leading up to Ephesus, to the extent that today Ephesus lies a mile or so from the sea, thus negating its earlier importance as a trading seaport. The city was abandoned in the 6th Century. Ephesus occupies about 2 square miles, with numerous temples, monuments, fountains, baths, and other structures, all fairly well preserved. Archaeological work continues, but the task is overwhelming. Included in the ruins is a stadium that seated 20,000 spectators, very impressive for the times. We were overwhelmed by what we saw, but maintained a fairly brisk pace so as to have time to also visit the nearby Basilica on Ayusuluk, where Mary, mother of Christ, is thought to have spent her final days in the company of St. John the Evangelist. The Basilica is a modest stone house set in the forest above the ruins of Ephesus. It’s a quiet, peaceful spot, overseen by a group of nuns. Many pilgrims visit the site daily, leaving behind notes of love and requests for blessings, attached to a fence in front of the Basilica. On the way back to Bodrum, we stopped at a roadside restaurant recommended by our driver, which served a traditional Turkish shish called cop sis. These are skewers of small barbequed pieces of lamb, accompanied by grilled onions and peppers. Each person is served about 20 skewers, as they are quite small. We found them very tasty, and returned to Bodrum on full stomachs. We were clearly on the road to weight gain during the trip, but decided we’d accept whatever was meant to be. Upon arrival in Bodrum, the girls went shopping for provisions, and the boys delivered our considerable luggage to the boat. Our home for a week was named Kirawira, a 44 ft. catamaran owned by a Dutch investor. It slept eight in 4 staterooms with private baths, with more than adequate public spaces. It was only 2 months old, so in great shape. Following a final briefing by David, a Brit employed by the charter company, we went ashore for a pre-departure meal at a local pizzeria. Day 9 – Sunday, September 24 We got underway at noon, destined for our first stop at Cokertme, at the north end of the bay. It rained en route, with very light winds, so we traveled by power the entire 4 hours, arriving at 4 pm. Some of us wore wrist bands that promised to avoid motion sickness, and indeed we arrived without incident. The confidence that this inspired prompted some to abandon the wrist bands for the remainder of the week, and it worked! No one got sick the entire trip. We moored the bow, while securing the stern to a pier, with the assistance of restaurant employees who wanted our business that evening. Tom and Jeff’s inexperienced crew performed admirably (?) on Day 1, as proven by our being in the same spot the following morning. The Navy League would have been proud. Dinner was ashore, obviously at the restaurant that had provided assistance. No need to tempt retaliation in a foreign port. The meal turned out to be very good – mostly seafood. Day 10 – Monday, September 25 Following breakfast on board, most of the crew went ashore to explore the quaint little town, with a population of about 500. We got underway in late morning, destined for the next major bay on the north shore – Akbuk Limani. We had good winds, so were able to finally sail most of the way, arriving mid afternoon. The boys performed well on this our first try at sailing, but found upon arriving at port that the anchor winch motor was not working. We were therefore forced to dock at a restaurant pier, alongside another sailboat belonging to a South African couple who assisted with our lines, maybe in fear we’d lose control and damage their boat in heavy winds. I guess we looked like polliwogs. After docking, Tom offered to launch the dingy to permit a tour of the bay. While cruising the waters nearby, Tom’s first attempt at reversing the engine resulted in the gear shift lever breaking off and sinking in about 10 ft. of water. He called on snorkel volunteers to attempt a salvage operation. Judy, Jeff and Jerry stepped forward, and were transported to the area where Tom believed the lever was lost. In short order, the lever was located and retrieved by Jeff. It turned out the lever must have been broken on an earlier charter, and glued back on to appear undamaged. So now we had a dingy problem as well as a non functioning windlass motor. We called David at the charter company to request assistance with the anchor motor and dingy engine. After a telephone diagnosis, he agreed to drive to the pier the next morning to attempt repairs. The Doge Restaurant at the pier was operated by an amazingly friendly family, who offered a feast of fresh fish, calamari, french fries, salad, and much more. We dined under the stars, in a quiet and beautiful cove that had a population of no more than 25 people. Could it get any better than this? Day 11 – Tuesday, September 26 We stayed in port awaiting David’s arrival. He arrived at 2 pm, and quickly determined we needed a new windlass motor and a new dingy engine. He agreed to meet us the next day at our scheduled port of call with the new equipment. We spent the rest of the day exploring the nearby shoreline and tiny village. Judy tried her hand at fishing, with no success. Others rested, read, and simply enjoyed the beauty of this small bay, ringed by mountains and pine forest. We stayed overnight at Akbuk Limani, and thankfully dined again at the Doge Restaurant. It was just as good as the previous night. The owners did not speak any English, but Judy found that by yelling “bread” as loudly as possible, she did indeed get bread. The day was not a total loss! Day 12 – Wednesday, September 27 We got underway at 10 am, to do some sailing as winds were good at 15-20 knots. We had not far to go to our next port, so had plenty of time to spare. We sailed across the bay to Cleopatra Beach, known for its bead-like sand. It’s a popular tourist destination for gullets sailing out of Bodrum. Gullets are locally made wooden sail boats, quite large at 60 ft. plus, and traditional to Turkish waters. The woodwork is exquisite. We found the beach very crowded, and decided not to attempt an anchorage among so many boats. What a shame, as the island had a number of ancient Byzantine ruins as well. We headed for our ultimate destination, the port of Karaca. We moored at the Godova Sailing Club, run by a very helpful British lady. The facilities were 1st class, with showers (a luxury after using the cramped bathrooms on the boat), a restaurant, internet access, and close proximity to a little town with shopping for foodstuffs as well as linens. The girls couldn’t wait to check it out, and were soon in town with a couple of the male sailors in tow, visiting the shops and scouting for a restaurant for the evening. David arrived with the two new pieces of equipment in early evening. He was accompanied by his lovely new Turkish bride, a British friend who owns a boat in the Bodrum Marina and his wife from Hungary. They had made the 3 hours journey to not only fix our boat, but to see more of the Turkish countryside. They planned to dine in Karaca after repairs were made, and then drive back to Bodrum that night. We all decided to have dinner at the Godova restaurant. It turned out to be very good, with loads of variety and attentive service. Too much wine was consumed (a constant throughout the trip), and we were amazed that David and party would attempt the 3 hours drive back in the dark on a country road. Quite ambitious, but a piece of cake for the young and adventurous. Day 13 – Thursday, September 28 We spent the entire day sailing, as winds were favorable and we had but a short distance to travel to our next destination, Amazon Creek. By now Crew Turkey was a well oiled machine, and had the boat under full sail, making about 5 knots. Captain Tom didn’t need to reprimand the crew on too many occasions, and bliss reigned throughout the boat. We arrived at Amazon Creek (so named because overhanging trees give the appearance of a jungle river) in late afternoon. We anchored in very shallow water, less than 3 meters, alongside just a few other boats. We launched the dingy in an attempt to explore up river, but couldn’t make it past the entrance due to shallow water and rocks. The anchorage was secluded, among feathery pine trees that looked like those found in Italy. The waters were covered with jellyfish, a problem throughout the Med due to over fishing of their natural predator, the tuna. We ate dinner aboard, out of necessity, and in an attempt to work off our inventory of food and wine. We boarded with 2 cases of wine, one case of beer, and 3 bottles of vodka. By the end of the evening there was little left. Job well done! Day 14 – Friday, September 29 We set sail early at 8 am for our final leg, a return to Bodrum. We had a slight mishap departing Amazon Creek, as our towed dingy broke loose and had to be retrieved, to the embarrassment of the entire crew. Tom took it in stride. After all, he had recruited and trained Crew Turkey, and wanted to return to PV with a strong sense of pride in his accomplishment. Again winds were good, 10-15 knots, and we sailed most of the way to Bodrum, arriving 2 pm. We were met by David, who guided us to our berth in the marina, and checked the boat to be sure all was in order. Not a single problem was uncovered. Crew Turkey had survived unscathed! Again we had dinner on board, using up most of the remaining scraps. Our chef, Paula, had done a superb job of preparing meals throughout the voyage, and was given a hearty “bravo zulu” by the crew. Captain Tom was honored with a parting gift, a wallet made from his favorite material – duct tape. Day 15 – Saturday, September 30 We all gave our goodbyes, and went our separate ways to our homes in Mexico and the U.S. Captain Tom and Angela were flying to Dallas after an overnight in London, and then on to PV the next day. Judy was flying to PV via Brussels and NYC, following an overnight in Istanbul. Jeff and Paula were flying to Boston via London, and Jerry and Ann were flying to Cincinnati via NYC, after an overnight as well in Istanbul. Crew Turkey was being disassembled, but agreed they may meet again if the right sailing opportunity comes along. J. Lafferty/10/10/06
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