Monday, February 20, 2017
Thursday, April 7, 2016
This was a trip that i long wanted to do but i also was aware of some issues that could turn it less pleasant . The language would be one of these issues, as well as the religion and tradition. I am not exactly a fan of Muslim countries, and i have traveled to Tunisia and Egypt but through travel agencies which is easier.
The idea was to visit some of the most interesting points of Turkey (historic sites, no vacation areas like Izmir, konya, etc ..), then on to Athens and returning to Turkey through Bulgaria. Some things went well, others very badly, but in the end i do not regret anything .., almost anything ...
The idea was to visit some of the most interesting points of Turkey (historic sites, no vacation areas like Izmir, konya, etc ..), then on to Athens and returning to Turkey through Bulgaria. Some things went well, others very badly, but in the end i do not regret anything .., almost anything ...
Here is the full travel itinerary:
4, 5, 6, 7, 8 Istanbul
4 - Arrival in Istanbul: Nothing scheduled
5,6,7,8 Visit to the city
8 flight to Goreme
8, 9, 10, 11, 12 Göreme
8 - Arrival in Göreme and accommodation: Nothing scheduled
9 - balloon ride (if weather conditions allow)
- Museum Visit the open
10 - Excursion to determine
11 - Excursion to determine
12 - Flight to Izmir
12, 13 Izmir / Selçuk / Ephesus
12 - Izmir - Take train 13: 51h to Selçuk and accommodation
13 - Selçuk: Visit to the ruins of Ephesus and other
13, 14, 15 Selçuk / Denizli
13 - Arrival to Denizli by train and accommodation
14 - Visit to Pammukale
15 - Flight to Athens
4, 5, 6, 7, 8 Istanbul
4 - Arrival in Istanbul: Nothing scheduled
5,6,7,8 Visit to the city
8 flight to Goreme
8, 9, 10, 11, 12 Göreme
8 - Arrival in Göreme and accommodation: Nothing scheduled
9 - balloon ride (if weather conditions allow)
- Museum Visit the open
10 - Excursion to determine
11 - Excursion to determine
12 - Flight to Izmir
12, 13 Izmir / Selçuk / Ephesus
12 - Izmir - Take train 13: 51h to Selçuk and accommodation
13 - Selçuk: Visit to the ruins of Ephesus and other
13, 14, 15 Selçuk / Denizli
13 - Arrival to Denizli by train and accommodation
14 - Visit to Pammukale
15 - Flight to Athens
Day 1: Istanbul
After a nice flight with Turkish Airlines (for me the best company I traveled) arrived at the international airport (Atatürk) of Istanbul. It was quite late so we limit ourselves to explore the surroundings of the hotel and dinner at a nearby restaurant. The hotel i stayed is very basic but for travelers with limited resources is very cheap, and is located close to major attractions.
Day 2: Istanbul (New Mosque, Egyptian Bazaar, Suleymaniye Mosque, Sehzade Mosque, Cruise on the Bosphorus)
It was a beautiful sunny day so I made some changes in the travel guide to take advantage of the cruise on the Bosphorus, as the next day would bring rain and snow.
After a nice flight with Turkish Airlines (for me the best company I traveled) arrived at the international airport (Atatürk) of Istanbul. It was quite late so we limit ourselves to explore the surroundings of the hotel and dinner at a nearby restaurant. The hotel i stayed is very basic but for travelers with limited resources is very cheap, and is located close to major attractions.
Day 2: Istanbul (New Mosque, Egyptian Bazaar, Suleymaniye Mosque, Sehzade Mosque, Cruise on the Bosphorus)
It was a beautiful sunny day so I made some changes in the travel guide to take advantage of the cruise on the Bosphorus, as the next day would bring rain and snow.
 |
| New Mosque (in turkish: Yeni Cami or Yeni Valide Camii) |
Wednesday, April 6, 2016
Starting with the story:
Situated in Turkey, in the region of Central Anatolia, Cappadocia is a magnificent region whose main attraction is its peculiar rock formations result of volcanic phenomena and subsequent erosion. It has a vast historical and cultural heritage, from underground cities to homes and churches carved in the rocks, a set of elements that did not go unnoticed and UNESCO in 1985 declared the Goreme National Park World Heritage Site.
Situated in Turkey, in the region of Central Anatolia, Cappadocia is a magnificent region whose main attraction is its peculiar rock formations result of volcanic phenomena and subsequent erosion. It has a vast historical and cultural heritage, from underground cities to homes and churches carved in the rocks, a set of elements that did not go unnoticed and UNESCO in 1985 declared the Goreme National Park World Heritage Site.
Civilization in this inhospitable area began thousands of years ago when people like the Hittites settled here. Later
other people coming from other parts of the globe passed through here
and left their cultural mark, the result was a fusion of cultures and
very different religions. But in fact, are the geological formations the main cause that made this area so famous for this worldwide. Its
"lunar" landscapes are full of rocky calcareous and capricious
formations whose shapes soft composition meant that the man could dig
and work building their houses. This type of housing is known as "troglodite" and despite being
characteristic in the region is not unique as many may think.
Due to its geographical location, Cappadocia was part of trade routes which made it an attractive target for the intruders. To protect themeselves from atacks the local people built huge underground cities that would be their refuge for thousands of years. It is estimated that older cities have more than 3000 years and some can and should be visited as is the case of Derinkuyu, Kaymakli, Ozkonak and Mazi.Durante the Byzantine period, some of these buildings have been converted into churches and decorated with frescos on walls and ceilings.
What to do:
Cappadocia offers a bit of everything and there are activities for everyone. The ideal is to stay long enough to not have to do those package tours including many activities that will surely leave you very tired and at the end you dont enjoy anything. The most famous leisure activity in the region is the hot air balloon ride where, if the weather conditions permit, will lead you to fly over the most famous spots in the area as the "Love Valley" among others.
Then there are some travel agencies that offer "day tours" that include various activities such as underground cities, hiking in the most famous valleys as Pigeons Valley, Red and Rose Valley, among others. The most famous packages are the Red Tour, Green Tour and Blue Tour.
Then there are many other activities such as horseback riding, quad bike, hiking and more. Check here for more activities.
When to go:
The best time is in the summer or spring, because winter can bring negative temperatures to the region (when I was there in January were -14 degrees), but the winter can be truly charming as evidenced by these pictures:
Due to its geographical location, Cappadocia was part of trade routes which made it an attractive target for the intruders. To protect themeselves from atacks the local people built huge underground cities that would be their refuge for thousands of years. It is estimated that older cities have more than 3000 years and some can and should be visited as is the case of Derinkuyu, Kaymakli, Ozkonak and Mazi.Durante the Byzantine period, some of these buildings have been converted into churches and decorated with frescos on walls and ceilings.
What to do:
Cappadocia offers a bit of everything and there are activities for everyone. The ideal is to stay long enough to not have to do those package tours including many activities that will surely leave you very tired and at the end you dont enjoy anything. The most famous leisure activity in the region is the hot air balloon ride where, if the weather conditions permit, will lead you to fly over the most famous spots in the area as the "Love Valley" among others.
Then there are some travel agencies that offer "day tours" that include various activities such as underground cities, hiking in the most famous valleys as Pigeons Valley, Red and Rose Valley, among others. The most famous packages are the Red Tour, Green Tour and Blue Tour.
Then there are many other activities such as horseback riding, quad bike, hiking and more. Check here for more activities.
When to go:
The best time is in the summer or spring, because winter can bring negative temperatures to the region (when I was there in January were -14 degrees), but the winter can be truly charming as evidenced by these pictures:
Friday, April 1, 2016
On one of my trips to Europe, I had the opportunity to meet one of the most famous Nazi concentration camps in the world located in Poland.
Not a nice place to see, and in fact a lot of people asked me why did I go there if it is a place so horrible! As George Santayana said: "Who does not know the history, you risk the lives it again !!"
Not a nice place to see, and in fact a lot of people asked me why did I go there if it is a place so horrible! As George Santayana said: "Who does not know the history, you risk the lives it again !!"
Wednesday, March 30, 2016
In 2012 I made a trip wich for me was memorable. I always wanted to go to Thailand but after searching travel agencies i was not very pleased with the limitations imposed by the same and the exorbitant prices. The rates were around 1200 to 1600 Euro per person including only 6 days at the paradise, a 20 hour flight and then 2 days in Bangkok and 4 in Phuket or Phi-Phi?? No thank you! That´s when I organized my first big trip.. I spent twenty days in Thailand, saw Bangkok, Ayutthaya, Chiang Mai, Phuket and Phi-Phi, and made many tours and I had great fun and spent the same amount that the agency asked me for 6 days !!!
The experience went beautifully, and after these years, I decided to come back to visit neighboring countries in a long and wild ride (not as crazy as some staying there for months and months, but I have a job and do not live in my parents' house!). The idea was to visit Laos, Vietnam and Cambodia in 27 days without rushing it too much, and in the end I think it went well...
Itinerary:
01 - Lisbon / Madrid / Beijing / Bangkok
02 - Bangkok
03 - Bangkok
04 - Vientiane
05/06/07 - Vang Vieng
08/09/10 - Luang Prabang
11/12 - Hanoi / Halong Bay
13 - Hué
14/15 - Hoi An
16/17 - Ho Chi Minh City
18/19/20/21 - Phu Quoc
22 - Ho Chi Minh City
23 - Phnom Penh
24/25/26 - Siem Reap
27 - Bangkok
01 - Lisbon / Madrid / Beijing / Bangkok
02 - Bangkok
03 - Bangkok
04 - Vientiane
05/06/07 - Vang Vieng
08/09/10 - Luang Prabang
11/12 - Hanoi / Halong Bay
13 - Hué
14/15 - Hoi An
16/17 - Ho Chi Minh City
18/19/20/21 - Phu Quoc
22 - Ho Chi Minh City
23 - Phnom Penh
24/25/26 - Siem Reap
27 - Bangkok
Day 1 - Bangkok
Now, as I said at the beginning of this post, I have been here in 2012 and for that reason (and because I didn't have time) Thailand did not enter this script, only two days in the capital for some rest after the 30-hour journey !!! Who wants to include Thailand in this script must add at least 3 weeks. And don't think that, just because the travel agencies can allocate a lot of destinations and activities in only 7 or 15 days of travel, that can be possible or reasonable! So we must be realistic when making our roadmap as we must rely on some unexpected events, as well as with fatigue and budget, of course.
Now, going back to the 30-hour journey i referred before, wich leads me to the error number 1: What was I thinking when I booked a flight with 2 stopovers ??? If you can don´t doi it!
Now, as I said at the beginning of this post, I have been here in 2012 and for that reason (and because I didn't have time) Thailand did not enter this script, only two days in the capital for some rest after the 30-hour journey !!! Who wants to include Thailand in this script must add at least 3 weeks. And don't think that, just because the travel agencies can allocate a lot of destinations and activities in only 7 or 15 days of travel, that can be possible or reasonable! So we must be realistic when making our roadmap as we must rely on some unexpected events, as well as with fatigue and budget, of course.
Now, going back to the 30-hour journey i referred before, wich leads me to the error number 1: What was I thinking when I booked a flight with 2 stopovers ??? If you can don´t doi it!
From the airport to the city (Silom or Chinatown):
On the arrival at the international airport Suvarnabhumi, there are some options to take you to the city center. I do not recommend taking the taxi because there are too many schemes and hardly anyone uses the meter (even if they say they do) and I have no patience for haggling! So I went by sky train which was a great choice, fast and cheap. Just follow the signs for SA rail link (in the basement). Buy
tickets for City Line to Makkasan.In Makkasan, follow the signs to the
MRT Phetchaburi (underground) station where you purchase another ticket to
the train station Hualampong.All of this is around 3 euros !! China Town and Silom Square are very close areas to the Hualampong
station where you can get the night train to Nong Khai (for those going to Vientiane).Who
wants to stay in other city areas like Khao San Road ignore the Sky
train because the final stop is still far from the street and you have to take a taxi
anyway. So you will have to take the taxi and good luck with that! Do not forget to ask (or at least try) the driver to turn on the meter and do not negotiate because you will always loose. If he doesn't want to turn the meter on try another until you succeed. Will be about 400 THB to the center.You can also go on the bus (airport bus) which costs 150 THB and stops
at the end of Khao San road.
Arriving...
On the first day we arrived around 16h, and after leaving the bags? at the hotel ... Wait a minute! Where are the bags ?! Oh of course! I forgot that Air China lost our bags or delayed as they prefer to say! We only get the bags next morning ... However we went to China Town wearing shoes, jeans and blouse under 40 degrees in one of the most sweltering cities in the world! We had to buy some clothes later on in Silom Square.
On the first day we arrived around 16h, and after leaving the bags? at the hotel ... Wait a minute! Where are the bags ?! Oh of course! I forgot that Air China lost our bags or delayed as they prefer to say! We only get the bags next morning ... However we went to China Town wearing shoes, jeans and blouse under 40 degrees in one of the most sweltering cities in the world! We had to buy some clothes later on in Silom Square.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)
