Suceava, Romania

When we arrived in Bucharest on Sunday evening, we decided to walk to a hotel. We spent 30 minutes wandering the streets, looking for accommodations. It was dark and cold, and we were surrounded by depressing communist style concrete apartment buildings and abandoned factories. Randi and I enjoy pretty cities, skyscrapers, pleasant architecture, or even quaint villages. From our small first glimpse of Bucharest, we weren’t all that impressed. Thus, we decided to hop on another night train and head north to Suceava. Back to the train station we went. After our glimpse of Bucharest, I was a bit dumbfounded by the lovely, colorful city landscape inside of the McDonalds at the train station. The city of Bucharest should take note.

Upon our early morning arrival in Suceava, we walked down the street and checked into the first hotel we saw. Eventually, in the early afternoon, we ventured outside and stumbled upon a hostel offering tours to the nearby UNESCO World Heritage Monasteries.  We spent the day visiting the Voronet, Humorului, & Moldovitei Monasteries. The lovely frescoes on the interior and exterior were painted in the 16^th century under the threat of Turkish invaders. They were most likely painted for aesthetics, as bible illustrations for illiterate congregation members, and in reaction to encroaching Protestantism. The frescoes were beautiful and well preserved. At the last monastery we visited, we enjoyed a guided tour led by a friendly, Orthodox nun. Randi and I enjoyed getting in touch with our spiritual sides and gaining an appreciation of 16^th century art.

 

On a side note, I would like to add that both Randi and I were surprised to discover that many of the local Romanians had Randi’s nose! Despite the locals lack of English, I’m convinced that we received such a warm welcome due to Randi’s nostrils.

~ Stacy

First Stop: Istanbul, Turkey

As luck would have it, Stacy and I ended up getting three extra days off, and were able to begin our two week semester break a few days early.  We took a midnight bus and arrived bright and early in lovely Istanbul.  This city loves us.  The first time we were here we stayed for free and this time around we were given a free upgrade to a private three person room!   We spent our first day booking our train tickets to Romania and visiting Topkapi Palace.  The palace was built in 1453 and was inhabited until the 19^th century.  We had an early evening with dinner that included hot wine, which would end up being a staple with most meals for the rest of our trip.  The next day we were up bright and early to enjoy a morning cruise on The Borsphus.  Before disembarking and with some extra time to kill we enjoyed free tea at one of the numerous restaurants along the coast, as we were the first customers of the day!  The cruise is a great way to see the city and though the water was a little choppy we both enjoyed numerous cups of apple tea and the scenery.  We then headed to the National Palace which is only accessible by group tour, but was well worth the trip.  Though we only toured half of the palace it is perfectly symmetrical.  We then headed to the famous Grand Bazaar.  This place is gigantic and took us back to our trips to Chatachuck in Thailand.  It is also just as easy to get lost in and we did have to make a few back tracks to find our exit.  We then made our way to see a traditional Turkish show: The Whirling Dervishes.  This is a religious ceremonial dance were men perform a seven part ritual to obtain Sema.  A ritual that is a spiritual journey, which the soul makes to God as it becomes mature and attains unity.  After this journey, the soul returns to its human body and serves humankind again.  It was very interesting to see something so spiritual performed in front of us.  The whole performance lasted about one hour and as it is so spiritual we were not allowed to clap or acknowledge any appreciation for the performance – it ended and everyone filled out without speaking.  We were both glad to have gotten a little more Turkish culture in our travel experience.

 

On Saturday we geared up for a 10 hour time kill before our night train to Romania.  We were able to chill at our hostel coffee shop till around 4.  With only school back packs and purses it was an easy walk to the exciting Taksim square for some more sightseeing and a movie (The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo).  We then made it to the train station just in time and were escorted to our cabin.  Luckily we didn’t have a third person staying with us as the room was very small with only the beds for sitting on.  We both slept great and after two fairly easy border crossings we were able to sit back and relax for our 22 hour journey to Romania.  The scenery consisted of beautiful mountains covered in snow and small little villages of concrete housing.  The time passed quickly and before we knew it we were in Romania! 

~ Randi

Christmas and New Years in Ankara

Christmas - I know Stacy and I have been a little lax in our blogging, but since we just got back from a very eventful trip we now have many things to share…so get pumped!!!  To back track a little here is how we spent Christmas and New Years.  About a week or two before Christmas Stacy began hinting she wanted a tree.  I was a little less keen on the idea, but once we saw some very affordable baby trees and ornaments, I relented and we spent a lovely evening decorating for Christmas.  We also watched numerous Christmas movies to put us even more in the spirit and as luck would have it, it snowed on Christmas day.  This was a little more exciting than usual as neither of us had seen snow for over a year, so we enjoyed the light dusting.  We spent Christmas day with our friends Rose and Amy at a lovely hotel with a Christmas buffet.  It was not as amazing as last year but Champagne was included, though we didn’t know until we left or we would have had more than just a glass each.  Stacy and I then returned home to open gifts and indulge in some junk food.

Then on Tuesday Carl, the other foreign teacher, and I were gifted with a special two hour lunch in our director’s office, complete with the music teachers serenading us and the portion of the Koran on the Virgin Mary.  It was a very thoughtful gesture complete with gifts and we also each received a 20 lb turkey.  Then before I left for the day all my female co-workers had gifts for me as well; they wanted me to feel at home on this very special time for me in my country.

Also about two weeks after Christmas, Stacy and I both received our care packages from home, better late than never!  We feel very blessed to have such loving families and it was nice having an extended Christmas by receiving gifts from home!

New Years - We spent New Year’s Eve in Ankara. We joined our friends Mark, Pricilla, Amy, Rose and Mary.  We ended the evening on a roof top bar and saw the fireworks show, which consisted of only four fireworks.  Though we had been anticipating a little more of a celebration, considering everyone was walking around in Santa hats and Halloween masks, we had a really nice time.   We then spent New Year’s Day at home and went all out and made no bake cookies, a nut and candy mixture, Turkish cookies, and Chicken wraps.  So basically we spent the whole day eating and watching movies on the couch: a perfect way to relax and recharge before starting work again on Monday.

~ Randi 

 

Thansgiving & Teacher's Day!

This year, Thanksgiving was on the same day as Teachers Day! Upon my arrival at school, the table in the female teachers lounge was set up with silverware, a white table cloth, and delicious Turkish food! As all the teachers gathered to eat, I couldn’t help but feel reminiscent of my Grandma’s Thanksgiving table; although, this feast was minus any men! After breakfast, children paraded into the lounge delivering gifts and flowers. I was also requested to visit a few of my classrooms, where the children presented me with gifts, hugs, kisses, and a rehearsed, “Happy Teacher’s Day!” Some of the gifts I was given resembled those that would be included on a Muslim wedding registry! I was given a serving bowl and spoons, a vase, some home decorations, a towel set, a coffee mug, jewelry, a Muslim prayer book, scented prayer beads, a Muslim style sweater, a scarf, homemade cards, and a bunch of bouquets and roses. Randi and I felt quite loved and special. Both of us thought that if we had to be away from our families, this was the way to celebrate and give thanks!

Later, we went to our favorite mall for a fancy pasta dinner. We purchased some wine. Unfortunately, 4^th times not a charm for me. While Randi’s been savoring her sweet wines, I’ve been pouring mine down the sink.

~ Stacy

Fairytale Castle - Ankara, Turkey

Last weekend Stacy and I both decided it was time to mix some culture into our weekly trip to Ankara; so Saturday morning we got up bright and early and traveled to Ankara Castle. Stacy had also mentioned she wanted to visit the Museum of Anatolian Civilizations; as it turned out it was located just below the castle, we were able to hit up both places in one trip. The museum was very interesting and is situated in an old bazaar that was gutted and transformed into the museum due, to Ataturk's desire to establish a Hittite museum. The museum is host to numerous exhibits of Anatolian Archeology, beginning with the Paleolithic era, and continuing chronologically through the Neolithic, Early Bronze, Assyrian trading colonies, Hittite, Phrygian, Urartian, Greek, Hellenistic, Roman, Byzantine, Seljuq and Ottoman periods. We were both very surprised with the many exhibits devoted to the worship of Women and their honored position in society. Times have sure changed in Turkey. Though the museum was small, the exhibits were all very interesting with some of the artifacts dating back to as far as the second half of the first millennium BC. After Stacy took advantage of the lighting and numerous photo ops we made our way up the hill to Ankara Castle.

Ankara Castle sits upon a hill overlooking much of the city and gives a breathtaking view of older parts of the city as opposed to the modern metropolitan Kizilay. Along the steep climb one walks though a quaint bazaar with numerous shops and cafes. It is touristy, but the buildings are old and weathered.  The shop owners are little old men and women so there is still a sense of history amongst the rugs and scarves. Much of the castle is weather beaten and not intact, but was still really beautiful. We climbed up to the second story and while I braved the narrow walk way to overlook the city, Stacy kept a safe distance from the edge. The timing worked beautifully as we reached the top just as the sun was setting over the villages surrounding the castle. Red tin roofed houses were a nice change from the concrete apartments that dot much of Ankara. We will for sure make one more trip here before leaving.  On our descent we found the main bazaar of Ankara and meandered around the many shops, stopping now and then to examine the rugs and jewelry stores. It felt a little like being back in Thailand, with tourists’ shops and stalls selling everything from clothes to cookware. We both really enjoyed seeing a different side of Ankara and also adding a little culture to our otherwise downtown city weekends.  When we visited again in the spring, it was just as lovely.

~ Randi

Bayram

This past week, due to the sacrificial Muslim holiday, we enjoyed a 5 day weekend! Since the holiday fell right before payday, and everyone was low on funds, we stuck around in Ankara.

On Saturday, some friends (Rachel, Amy, and Jilly) hosted a Halloween themed party. The night before we were mistakenly informed that we could only purchase liquor that evening, so we rushed off in our pajamas (as if we don’t stand out already) in search of supplies. We were, obviously, over eager to celebrate one of my favorite holidays! Randi, also, spent much of that evening making a lady bug costume out of a sheet and tissue paper. I, the less creative one, dressed up as a cheeky kitty! We had a lot of fun celebrating Halloween and afterwards went out dancing, minus the costumes!

During our holiday we spent quite a bit of time shopping, watching movies, reading (we’re in a “Game of Thrones” unofficial book club!) and exploring the city with friends. On Sunday, after Randi witnessed our neighbors slaughtering a cow from our window, we decided to remain indoors.

Randi and I visited our first Hamam, a Turkish bath. We were surprised by the lack of modesty amongst the Muslim women, but I guess amongst other women their levels of exposure are far more relaxed. Good thing we’re not too modest! I am pro-boob lifts after the experience and there were some sights I wish I hadn’t seen! While lying on marble platforms, we received body scrubs. I have a phobia of dead skin. I can’t even be around friends who are peeling due to sunburn! So having dead skin shaved off of my body and then having to turn around and lie in it was an issue for me. After that ordeal, we returned to the main room and rinsed ourselves off with bowls of hot water. Next, we received a bubble (bath soap) message. This was much more enjoyable for me, except for the part where the lady got soap in my eyes and threw buckets of water over my head. Randi found this a little less enjoyable as she had to grasp the edge of the marble platform for fear of being shoved headfirst onto the floor. Still, Randi intends to go every month; I’m thinking one or two more times before I leave. Next time I won't wear my contacts, which should help with the unfavorable views and the soap in my eyes.

~ Stacy

Cappadocia, Turkey

After being in Turkey for almost two months, Stacy and I were finally able to get away and see more than just malls and city streets of Sincan.  We spent the past weekend in lovely Cappadocia, which is about a 4.5 hour bus ride from Ankara.  We made the trip with five other teachers, who all happen to be girls, it was a lovely ladies weekend.  We all met up at the bus station and caught a late afternoon bus.  This worked out beautifully as it was dark by the time we coasted down the mountainous, curvy, road into the city.  We left behind the city lights and arrived back in time, even with substantial fake lighting it was still breath taking.  Goreme is the main city in Cappadocia and lies in a valley surrounded by the unreal rock formations which take you back to the Stone Age.  As one of my teachers quoted "It’s like the Flintstones" and that is exactly what it looked like!  Seeing all the formations lit up, gave Goreme a slightly haunting look, this was very much appropriate as Halloween was just around the corner.  We successfully found our hostel and lucked out with a dorm room “cave” with seven beds.  I of course made a bee line for a bed next to a heater.  We then made our way to, what we were informed as the only pub available, Fat Boys.  There we enjoyed the company of fellow travelers and also relished in not being judged with drinks in our hands.  We all had a lovely evening and some of us even joined a game of pool, while those of us, me included, preferred to just watch. 

The next morning was our only full day in the region so we booked a full day tour, including a descent into the underground city.  I should also mention Cappadocia was quite a bit colder than we had anticipated, this is why in the first half of the photos most of us are hunched together trying to stay warm.  Though we were a pretty large group on our own, we were also joined by five other people.  We began our day by heading to a lookout point that gave an amazing view of the city, where we were informed how Cappadocia came to be.  Having never been very good at geology here is very brief description:  due to numerous earth quakes and the geology of the area, this unrealistic world was created by numerous volcanic eruptions and earth quakes.  The underground city was created to harbor fleeing Christians from religious persecution by the Muslims.  They created the city underground because of how easy it was to form the rock that was unearthed during the volcanic eruption.  A very extensive city was built, spreading a good 10 km with separate colonies.  We were actually very surprised to learn the Christians were only forced underground for about five months seasonally; many of us had thought it was a great deal longer.  During the underground tour we visited the graves/morgue, wine cellar, school, church, confessional, baptismal area, and also the area where enemies were crucified. Underground was very well lit and much more spacious than the Cuchi tunnels of Vietnam, I did a lot better this time around while being underground.  After emerging from underground, we were all very happy to see the sun and noticed the lovely change in temperature.  We made our way to Ihlara Valley, which is the second biggest valley next to the Grand Canyon and the only one hike-able by people.  We then began a 3.5 km hike through the valley, surrounded by rock formations, many with visible windows and doors.  It was a lovely walk and very surreal to look up and see all the old homes.  Lunch was next on the agenda, followed by a relaxing car ride through the city.  Our last stop was the monastery Selime Kalesi.  This did involve a bit of climbing which is not my strong suit but I am happy to report that no injuries were incurred.   We spent our second night at Fat Boys once again and were able to rise early enough to catch a noon bus home.  All in all, we had an amazing weekend with some truly awesome people.  Though it would have been nice to have had one more day to see the rest of the sites and do a little more exploring it was a very successful first weekend getaway!

~ Randi