Author: Genn

One half of Wayfaring: Still.

Of Chinese and Japanese Gardens

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Towards the western end of Singapore lies two very beautiful parks that I’ve visited like, three times in my entire life. While Singapore is not considered large by any measure, I’ve always lived in the North/Northeast region with the exception of my 4 undergraduate years and the west does seem very far to travel to.

It just so happened that we found a fantastic home boarder for the girls a couple of years back, and the sweet couple S & D with their golden retriever Kobey reside in the west. They had been requesting to visit Paris ever since news of her cancer diagnosis broke. I didn’t think it nice to ask that they travel all the way to our house just to visit her since she was doing quite well. And so, I proposed to meet them at Chinese Garden. It was a struggle; I wanted to bring both Paris and Belle out together, but the mister put his foot down on this matter. He claimed that I would not be able to take care of both girls while still trying to catch Pokemon monsters (was a little crazy over Pokemon GO at that time). Which wasn’t entirely untrue. ๐Ÿ˜›

Chinese Garden is over 40 years old, and was modelled after Northern Chinese Imperial style of architecture and landscape. Entrance was free-of-charge and we were immediately greeted with the signature red doors typical of such architecture the moment we walked through the tri-archway entrance.

Paris was in a good mood, being out with me alone and all (i.e. without her pesky younger sibling) and obliged when I frequently made her sit to let me take a few pictures. And what is a visit to the Chinese Garden without posing in front of the Twin Pagoda, a landmark synonymous with the park itself. Although it was in the late afternoon, the sun was still shining mercilessly and I noted that Paris was fast heating up. Her smiles were waning by the second, setting alarm bells in my head. It was time to quickly locate a water point (plentiful within the park, but just have to locate them) and retire to a shady spot while waiting for S & D to join us.

Clearly Paris found her zen spot and started meditating. ๐Ÿ˜† She was on her best behaviour that afternoon, which made handling her a piece of cake. That was until she spotted her favourite boarders – she disobeyed my instructions and ran towards them, unleashed. Thank heavens it was a short distance and that she didn’t scare any other park-goers in the process. For those of you who do not live in Singapore, my worry may seem needless but you see… Singapore is made up of people of several races and religion and dogs are not always welcomed. Even ultra-friendly ones like golden retrievers.

S & D and their golden Kobey were too, clearly happy to have finally met Paris since her surgery. Like everyone else who has seen Paris, they commented that she didn’t look like she has cancer. That works like a double-edged sword, I reckon, about Paris looking all normal. On one hand we kinda stop treating her like a fragile porcelain vase and let her live her life rambunctiously like she always does, yet on the other hand, we tend to forget and think that she is normal when she isn’t. Case in point, I recently felt lumps on her tummy and was very alarmed, wanting to send her in for a checkup immediately. The mister had to remind me that she is a cancer patient, regardless of well she appears to be on the outside. I have to repeatedly manage my own expectations.

Our target that afternoon was to walk the dogs and… catch Snorlax! At that time, I still had not caught one while S & D caught several in their home! As we were strolling across to Japanese Garden (it is linked to Chinese Garden but closes at 1730hrs while Chinese Garden closes much later, at 2300hrs), S & D’s friends together with their newly adopted shiba inu caught up with us. And thus, we started walking as a group of five plus three dogs. Attracted quite a bit of attention heh.

We were greeted with beautifully manicured bushes the moment we entered Japanese Garden, a strolling park modelled after the Muromachi and Momoyama periods of Japanese history. It is a beautiful park but we didn’t have much time to explore it because it was nearing closing time (about 30 minutes prior), and a park staff in his buggy had started driving round the park to vacate park-goers. According to S & D, he does this tirelessly every single day. Respect.

We’d spent several hours away from home by then and Paris seemed tired as she lagged further and further behind. Not wishing to over-tire her, I bade farewell to S & D and their friends. It was a long drive home with occasional traffic jam on the expressway. Fortunately Paris took the opportunity to take a nap and had regained most of her usual bounce by the time we got home. Or I would have gotten an earful again.

The Quintessential Beach Park

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Mention East Coast Park (ECP), the largest park and a beach park almost 15km long built entirely on reclaimed land located to the south-eastern part of Singapore, and it will trigger beautiful memories in many a Singaporean. Most of us would have gone cycling with friends, or spent nights with classmates at the chalets during our school holidays. It was our frequent haunt when the mister and I were dating, like it was for many couples. And recently, a congregation point for people playing Pokemon Go on the hunt for rare Pokemon monsters, I being one of them. ๐Ÿ˜†

With the mister taken off shift and clocking more regular hours meant that we can’t bring the girls out on weekday mornings as often as we would like to. I had, on two separate occasions, brought the girls out with me to ECP individually and walked them according to what their stamina allowed. Paris doesn’t tolerate long walks well nowadays, hence my walk with her was restricted to a small area around the food centre. She did a lot of sniffing around while I caught some Pokemon monsters.

And she felt adventurous enough to jump up to a narrow breakwater. It was a picture-perfect moment but I was also fearing that she might slip hence my tight grip on her leash while I photographed her. This old girl still possesses some of her taste for adventure yet! ๐Ÿ˜€

With Belle on a separate day, it was all about walking and walking to locate the elusive Pokemon monster. We covered so much ground walking to and fro I think she might have regretted her initial enthusiasm about coming out with me. But no matter how tired she was, she continued trudging along beside, sometimes ahead of me (she was determined to walk to the car haha!). We once had another golden retriever Sugar before we got Paris, and if Sugar was in the same position as Belle that day, she would have sat when she got tired and stubbornly refuse to budge. Belle’s willingness to continue along with me despite her tiredness may not seem much to someone else, yet having seen how Sugar had behaved, I have to say that Belle has a very sweet disposition and her main aim is always to please us. It isn’t very important at this point (with Belle being still young and healthy) but this is something we have to remember as she grows older because she will push herself very hard just to keep up with us.

We finally made it to Bedok Jetty, a fishing jetty where fishing is allowed. We didn’t walk the whole length of it since I didn’t want Belle to get too near the fishermen with their fresh catch, hooks, lines and what-nots. Not safe for an inquisitive dog, if you know what I mean. Belle was happy to pause for a photo break. And as always, a ready smile for me.

To complete this post on ECP, I made a third visit within 3 weeks, this time with both Paris and Belle and the mister in tow. While this series of posts is essentially about Paris and her adventures, I do try hard not to neglect Belle in the process. The girls were picture-perfect wearing head bows I newly sewn for them. It was a perfect day with good weather. And if you live in Singapore, you would know that good weather is hard to come by these days since we are now officially in ‘haze season’.

The girls were happy to be out together with us, but I really don’t enjoy walking the girls together (even if the mister and I were each holding on to one); the girls are really competitive and they cannot stand seeing the other one being ahead. So they end up pulling their leashes. Argh.

Despite waking up and leaving home really early, the sun was still too blazing hot for the girls to bear. I had a picture in mind when I brought them to this bench at Bedok Jetty but they obviously have other ideas. They refused to sit on the stone bench (which was still cool, I checked), ending in two entirely poses. Hence this hilarious shot.

Then Belle decided she liked the shade better too, like Paris. These girls are just… such jokers. ๐Ÿ˜†

One last parting shot at the Bedok Jetty and we headed back to the car. Along the way, we came by many picturesque spots. Really spoilt for choices but I hastily chose one relatively shady spot since the girls were becoming uncooperative.

And our last stop was at the large field just by the carpark. It was rare to see the field empty; usually during the weekends there would be at least one soccer game going on. With much difficulty, the mister and I finally got the girls to settle down just long enough for some shots. Then they decided they have had enough. Yup, they simply stood up and walked away. My sassy furkids.  Haiz…

While processing this set of photos, I’ve encountered considerable difficulty in trying to balance between under and over-exposing the pictures. Very difficult because Paris now has a white face, and that Belle is also starting to grey. We shall have to try leaving home even earlier for our next excursion so that the girls can enjoy themselves a little more before they get frustrated with the heat, and for another selfish reason – easier for me to process the pictures.

Alright! Time to send them off for grooming!

Singapore’s 1st UNESCO Heritage Site

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In 2015, Singapore’s very own Botanic Gardens was inscribed as a UNESCO World Heritage Site. I remember beaming with pride as I read the news because I have such fond memories of the colossal Gardens as a child. It was always a treat when my parents brought us there occasionally. And in recent years, I too enjoy bringing the dogs out to the Gardens for walks. It’s a very large garden (by Singapore’s standard), occupying 82-hectares of land located at the fringe of Singapore’s shopping Street – Orchard Road. And due to its recent elevation in status, more tourists have been visiting the garden. We acutely felt it when we brought the girls out there this weekend. A fortunate thing that our schedule worked out somehow and good weather was forecasted so we forged ahead, leaving home as early as 7.30am hence managing to avoid the crowd that started streaming in around 9am.

Considering Paris’ health condition at this point, we were not too ambitious about covering much ground at the Gardens. It was a simple enough strategy – to make it to the iconic landmark of the garden that is the Bandstand, and then to the Swan Lake. The bandstand is clearly a favourite spot of the locals; when we arrived at gazebo erected in 1930 there were 3 different groups of people already absorbed in their various activities. Some indie filming was going on to the right, a group of ladies were practising yoga to the left, and a group of fresh graduates wearing their convocation gowns and mortarboards were taking commemorative photographs at the back. Well, it certainly isn’t hailed to be Singapore Botanic Gardens’ iconic landmark for nothing. ๐Ÿ™‚

The girls didn’t seem to want to remain on the grass patch (I suspect ants were biting them since I was also bitten) so I quickly snapped some pictures with a profile of the bandstand in the background and then brought them back up to the pavement while waiting for the group at the front of the bandstand to clear the area when they were done. Paris and Belle were much happier to oblige when we got them to sit on the pavement.

We didn’t have to wait long. By the time we had the front of the bandstand to ourselves, I have already got the girls prepped with hair bows. Most people who came across us couldn’t resist the urge to take picture of the girls because they looked so sweet! Inside, the girls were feeling anything but. They were hot, bothered and thirsty as it was exceedingly humid at the Gardens although it was still early in the day. We too, were perspiring profusely.

We found a bench nearby for the girls to take a rest while the mister walked back to the car to fetch their water bowl and bottled water. The girls took the opportunity to indulge in their favourite past-time – people watching. Since they were too tired to stray off, I wasn’t watching them too closely, allowing them to explore around the bench freely. Both decided that it was a good idea to nestle under the bench together. These girls… sometimes I simply cannot fathom what go through their minds. ๐Ÿ˜†

The mister loves the girls to the moon and back. And his love is reciprocated by both Paris and Belle, without a doubt. They see him as the Alpha of the pack and most of the time, only listen to his instructions. As I was making my way down to the centre of the grass patch (to allow the girls to do a sport of sprinting towards me), I turned back and saw a picture-perfect moment – all three of them were looking at me from the bench. I’m thinking of printing this into a large poster to hang on one of our walls at home.

After ample rest and water, we proceeded to the Swan Lake. Kind of an anticlimax because it wasn’t very picturesque. Perhaps the cloudy sky did a great disservice to its beauty. In any case, the girls were exhausted and we decided to call it a day there and then. Didn’t even get to meet up with our friends who wanted to see Paris since they were only coming much later.

As we were leaving, I commented to the mister about how nice it is that entering and visiting Singapore Botanic Gardens doesn’t require any fee. We have visited parks and gardens overseas that collect an entrance fee. I hope it remains this way; the Gardens has become such an integral part of our lives.

This is Home, Truly

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And home is where the heart is.

Singapore has recently been plagued by weeks of unceasing wet weather. This, combined with Paris’ increasing lack of stamina and us letting the busyness of everyday life overwhelm us, meant that we have not been venturing out much with the girls. All it took was a little reminder (from a friend whose dog is losing the fight against the same cancer) that her life hangs by a thread to snap me back into reality. The very same afternoon, we were blessed with good weather. Without nary a hesitation, I brought Paris out round the neighbourhood to sniff the flowers.

Paris wasn’t interested in the flowers. ๐Ÿ˜† She preferred sniffing the grass, lamp-posts and watching children swim and play in the pool. I let her set the pace, and spent some minutes standing by her as she stood and watched all the activities. While I have intrinsic faith that she will not venture somewhere she isn’t allowed to if I unleash her, she was kept leashed for the benefit of our neighbours (a lot of whom have inexplicable fear of large dogs, even one as friendly-looking as Paris). The mister said this is exactly the reason why he likes to walk her late at night – he could unleash her while she walks around the estate sniffing at objects/structures that interests her. I, on the other hand, prefer not to give her walks close to her bedtime. This old girl needs her sleep.

The park connector was much better; less crowded so I could unleash her to let her walk at her own pace. She didn’t walk far at all, keeping within 50 metres of our estate while concentrating on sniffing every single tree she came across. As I watched her, I couldn’t help but feel a tinge of sadness. Age and cancer have taken such a toll on her health in the most obvious ways; other than the apparent weight loss, she has also lost her appetite for adventure, preferring to stick to the familiar.

Paris does not like to be photographed. Especially by me since she was my default subject when I was first introduced to DSLR almost a decade ago. I have to confess that I used to make her pose for a long time while I fiddled with the cameral controls, thus testing her patience so. Till today, she frequently refuses to smile (or stop smiling if she was) whenever she sees a camera pointed at her. On the two days I brought her out in the afternoon, she was clearly in a good mood, blessing me with some pictures of her smiling broadly. Dogs will be dogs – they just love the outdoors too much not to smile. ๐Ÿ™‚

And now, a parting shot of Paris taken at home, just to show that she is such a gorgeous golden retriever. She may not be born to champion parents unlike Belle, but Paris possesses a very sweet face. Don’t you agree?

We have another outing scheduled for the weekend. Hoping for good weather so that we don’t have to reschedule. If there is anything I learnt from other owners of dogs having the same cancer, it’s that this cancer hits hard with no symptoms and that we should cherish every extra day we get to spend with her.

Reservoir in the Heart of the City

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* While we love travelling, in particular to Europe and Japan, our beloved home country has much to offer too. This is the first of a series of posts we’re intending to share on this space to document our cancer-striken golden retriever’s adventures in Singapore the garden city as we countdown to her last days with gratitude.

It was a gorgeous day on my birthday, the day we both decided to take leave from work in order to bring our two golden retrievers out for a day of fun. This day was also perfect in many other ways: it was a weekday, and a non-school holiday! Singapore in general, is not dog-unfriendly. However, ignorance is still rampant so there are laws in place to address that (or vice-versa), for example dogs must be leashed at all times outdoors and certain strong breeds even have to be muzzled. I have golden retrievers, which are truly the epitome of friendly, yet we’ve had numerous strangers asking us why they were not being muzzled as required by the law when we walked them outside. This ignorance and many others, do get to us at times. We’ve resorted to bringing them out to places where we think there will not be people milling about. Which brings us back to this day. Given that it was truly a normal weekday, we had the Marina Barrage Grass Roof almost exclusively to ourselves.

But the weather was definitely too hot for a sit-down picnic that I had envisioned while packing all the necessities for one. What was I thinking! ๐Ÿ˜† While Paris and Belle were overjoyed to have the large grass patch to roam without a single care, they were also fast heating up. Good thing that we prepared sufficient chilled water for them.

The mister watched them closely, especially Paris now that she does not have a spleen (and has cancer) – it means that she will tire out a lot more easily but as a dog, she does not know to pace herself. I was behind camera lenses almost the whole time trying to capture the beautiful moments of our furkids having fun.

A lot of coaxing was involved to get them to finally settle down and sit for the mandatory shot with a panoramic view of Marina Bay and Singapore’s city landscape as the backdrop. They were not very keen to sit for long since they would much prefer to be sniffing around. I am so glad they at least cooperated for some good pictures.

After a short respite in the shade that involved some cake-eating on our part, we decided to bring the girls to Gardens by the Bay. Weather was still gorgeous, but since it was nearing noon, the sun was also upon us mercilessly. Despite that, Paris and Belle were nice enough to let me capture the above shot. Well… Paris obviously had ran out of patience and was in the process of standing up and moving away but Belle our little sweetheart was still sitting prettily till we released her.

We tried to stick to shady areas for the rest of our walk in Gardens by the Bay. It was very hot, yes, but the heat also ensured that the group of tourists who were sneakily taking selfies while trying to fit our dogs in their pictures left quickly as soon as they came. I’m really fine with strangers wanting to take pictures with our photogenic dogs but asking us for permission would be nice.

Towards the end of the trip, Paris was back to her uncooperative self where photo taking is concerned; she repeatedly refused to look into the camera no matter how we called out to her or coaxed. I think it was indication that she has had enough and we should call it a day, which we promptly did.

Paris was exhausted when we brought her home. We realised even the 3-hour short excursion tired her out. Good thing that she recovered soon, after a long nap in the air-conditioned room. Future outings, we have to keep it to less than 2 hours.

Why Travel?

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Me with NLights

Genn’s Perspective

It’s a question I’ve been asked more than once over the years.

“Why do you travel so much?”

It’s a fair question. My parents have probably wandered the same thing, especially when another trip appears on the calendar not long after we’ve just returned from one. And for a long time, I wasn’t sure how to answer. The easy response is that everyone spends their time and money differently. Some collect watches, some buy designer handbags, some enjoy fine dining. We choose to travel.

But that never felt like the real answer.

Travel has become less about seeing more places and more about seeing life more clearly.

Each journey reminds me how small I am in a world that is unimaginably vast. Standing beneath towering mountains, watching the sea hurl itself against ancient cliffs or wandering through streets that have existed for centuries before I arrived and will remain long after I’ve left–it becomes difficult to believe that my own worries are as overwhelming as they sometimes seem.

Travel has a way of putting life back into perspective.

It also changes me in quieter ways. Every unfamiliar places asks me to be curious instead of certain, patient instead of hurried, open instead of assuming I already know. Even when I return to a destination I’ve visited before, I discover something different–not because the place has changed, but because I have.

Perhaps most importantly, travel gives us something increasingly rare: uninterrupted time together. Away from work, routines and responsibilities, the days become wonderfully simple. We walk. We talk. We get lost. We share meals that stretch into long conversations. These moments have become some of the richest parts of our lives, not because they happen somewhere extraordinary, but because we are fully present for them.

I used to think that I travel to discover the world.

Now I think I travel to remember what matters.

Life has a way of filling itself with obligations, deadlines and distractions. Left unchecked, I can become consumed by them. Travel doesn’t solve life’s problems, but it gently resets my perspective. Somewhere between leaving home and returning, the noise becomes quieter, gratitude becomes louder, and I find myself again.

So why do I travel?

Not to escape my life.

But to return to it with clearer eyes, a lighter heart, and a renewed appreciation for the people and ordinary days waiting for me at home.

Wilson’s Perspective

I travel because life is too short to stay in one place, and because different destinations give me different reasons to smile. Japan is my happy place: castles, temples, the Shikoku pilgrimmage and onsen all make me feel like I am stepping into a world I truly enjoy. There is something special about being there–part history, part peace and part “I could stay here longer.”

Korea and Taipei are also meaningful because my wife goes there, so these trips are not just about the destination, but about sharing the journey together. Europe is for a bigger dream: my wife wants to see the other side of the world, and I am happy to be the travel companion on that adventure. As for the USA, that one is more serious–it is for work, so I go there with a different mindset.

In the end, I travel for a mix of love, curiosity and duty. Some trips are for the heart, some for famiy, and some for the job. And honestly, that makes life a lot more interesting.

Turkish Delights: A Photo Gallery

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This being a typical package tour, a lot of activities were packed into the few days we had in Turkey. Regrettably, some of these places weren’t properly document with our camera, considering how languid I was midway into the trip.

Some of the more interesting sights and scenes have been selected to be highlighted in this picture gallery, more as an attempt to remind ourselves of the happy memories we did possess of the trip rather than merely documenting for the sake of it.

  • At the start of our trip, as we were crossing Sea of Marmara to get from Istanbul to Bursa. Totally captivated by how the sun rays streamed through the dark clouds.
  • Seagulls in flight as we ferried across the sea. An opportuned moment captured by our camera.
  • In the cobbled streets of Bursa, we came by a scene where Turkish women were making local naan.
  • It was mesmerising watching the women work.
  • The hard work behind weaving carpets. It’s amazinghow these women can do such intricate designs without any reference.
  • Another essential process of carpet making, retrieving silk strands from silkworm cocoons.
  • Really reminds me of cotton balls.
  • How the cocoons look like when the silk strands have been removed.
  • Panoramic view of Istanbul close to dusk.
  • Entrance to Grand Bazaar in Istanbul, one of the oldest and largest covered markets in the world.
  • Over 4,000 shops within the Grand Bazaar, but nothing we could bring home without exerting too much effort.
  • Hagia Sophia with its four minarets spotted in the far distance as we cruised down Bosphorus River.
  • Bosphorus Bridge, the suspension bridge that extends between the Asia and Europe continents.
  • A closer view.
  • Along the banks of Bosphorus River, where locals fish and mingle.
  • Came by this interesting little shop selling local ltos of chocolate.

I’ll admit that Turkey was not my desired vacation destination, at least not during the time we travelled. I wanted to tour Greece but the mister found the package to be costly, hence the next best option.

Despite this, the rainy weather and my bout of food poisoning that cropped up during the trip, it still was an enjoyable trip. Eye-opening and educational, especially the visit to the carpet factory and the mosques. Till today (2021, the year I’m writing this post ๐Ÿ˜ณ ), I lament the fact that we didn’t take a balloon tour at Cappadocia. Not that we could. In the mister’s words, ‘There’s no toilet on the air balloon’. True, that. Even if I my condition had improved by then, the jitters of being in the air would have given me a tummy upset again anyway. It was a decision for the best.

Of the numerous posts I’ve written on this travel blog, I’ll say researching and writing on Turkey in particular Istanbul has been an exceedingly enjoyable and fulfilling task, in no small part contributed by my captivation with the Roman Empire. This pleasant discovery has rekindled my resolve to complete the unfinished parts of this blog before our next possible trip.

Ankara vs Istanbul

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Ankara vs Istanbul.

Angora vs Constantinople.

The new vs old capital.

Which of them is the capital of Turkey?

Did you get it right? Don’t fret if you did not. It’s a common misnomer to think that Istanbul is the capital of this country bridging Asia and Europe. Incidentally, it is Istanbul that straddles between these two continents. It is also Istanbul that has a long history of being the capital of the Eastern Roman Empire but no, it’s not the capital during modern times. Ankara is. Ask this question and I assure you eight out of ten persons will reply ‘Istanbul’. The ninth is either a native or has been to Turkey and knows the correct answer, while the tenth is simply good in general knowledge.

I’m no historian, and it’s virtually impossible to summarily dismiss Turkey’s entire history into a paragraph or two. I can only grasp the couple most important eras the country has been through: the Byzantine Empire and the Ottoman Empire. Being so strategically located, I can only say that Turkey has been through quite a bit of turmoil throughout history. Do bear with me as I try my utmost to summarise these two important periods in history.

The Byzantine Empire

The Republic of Rome was founded in 6 BC. It started expanding shortly after, but only moved out of the Italian Peninsula in 3 BC. For centuries following, the Romans were unstoppable in their quest to expand territory.

The Roman Empire was at its largest extent under Trajan in AD 117. By the 3rd century, the entire empire was deemed too large to be ruled by one single emperor. In AD 286, Diocletian split the empire into two along a northwest axis just to the east of Italy. Diocletian himself became the emperor of eastern half and made Maximian the emperor of the western half.

Fast forward to AD 324 when Constantine I was in reign. He built a new imperial residence in Byzantium (also known as Constantinople in late antiquity, and Istanbul in the modern world) and named it the new capital of the Roman Empire. That began the Byzantine Empire, which survived the fall of its western counterpart in AD 480 until the fall of Constantinople in 1453 to the Ottoman Empire, almost a good 1,000 years later.

The Ottoman Empire

Founded in 1299 by Osman I, the Ottoman Empire had its base just south to Constantinople. The taking of Constantinople in 1453 was the empire’s first step to growing into a powerful empire, expanding its might deep into North Africa, Europe and the Middle East.

Anatolia (also known as Asia Minor) which comprises most of Turkey as we know today, became part of the Byzantine Empire after the split of the Roman Empire into east and west. Notably, it was one of the first places where Christianity spread wide and far. By the end of the 14th century, much of Anatolia had already fallen to various Anatolain beyliks (something equivalent to lords).

Fast forward to Nov 1918 when Constantinople was occupied by the British, French and Italian troops following the end of WWI. A much weakened Ottoman Empire had no choice but to commence the process of partitioning the empire and that eventually led to the creation of a total of 39 new countries.

Turkey gained independence on 29 Oct 1923 after the Turkish War of Independence was won, at the same time, naming Ankara as its new capital.

Anakara is historically known as Angora. With a total population of 5.6 million, Ankara is the second largest city in Turkey, coming in behind Istanbul. It is famous for several things including Angora wool from Angora rabbits and mohair from Angora goats.

Our tour of Ankara was limited to only a train station nearby our lunch location and the mausoleum of Mustafa Kemal Atatรผrk, also known as Anฤฑtkabir. After our lunch while waiting for our coach, we strolled to the nearby train station to take a look. I was genuinely surprised by how modern the station is, considering what a long history Turkey has. Train stations in Paris most certainly do not even remotely look like this.

We entered the Atatรผrk mausoleum grounds via the entrance of the Road of Lions, and were introduced to the two sets of sculptures bearing great significance as they represent the population. The group of women sculpture ‘represents the Turkish womenโ€™s pride, solemnity and determination, even in the deepest grief of losing Atatรผrk‘ and ‘By the grievous expressions in the faces of all three statues, solemnity and power of will proper to Turkish Nation are expressed‘ in the group of men sculpture.

The country has great respect for Mustafa Kemal Atatรผrk, who was the leader that led the country to victory during the Turkish War for Independence. He also became the republic’s first president.

The solemnity of the site was acutely felt everywhere we went. We visited the mausoleum on the 10th death anniversary of Atatรผrk, six days after the actual day. There were people aplenty, especially in the building. We had no idea if the significant day ten days afore had anything to do with the crowd, but if I were to hazard a guess, I would say it probably played a part. That made our tour of the interior rather haphazard and quick since there were just too many visitors that afternoon. I think we spent more time enjoying the spacious plaza than indoors.

The only group picture we took on the entire trip.
Young children having an excursion to the mausoleum with
their teachers.

While waiting for our transport toward the end of our visit, a group of young Turkish children walked by, waving their flags enthusiastically. We found them cute as much as they found us… strange? ๐Ÿ˜†

Enroute and we sighted a typical Turkish dovecote with pigeon holes for the birds.

From Ankara, we headed back to Istanbul, our first and final destination the next morning. It typically takes over six hours by coach, but since we already left Ankara last evening and stayed somewhere between these two cities, we took a little over four hours to arrive at Istanbul. Where we immediately began our walking tour, to my dismay.

Our first destination: Sultanahmet Square, also known as the Hippodrome of Constantinople or Hippodrome Square. During the Byzantine Empire, it was a square where sporting events like chariot races were held and throughout the period, it was central to social activities being held in Constantinople.

Constantine I was immensely proud of Constantinople, and it was evident from the way he and his successors spared no efforts in adorning the Hippodrome, including cutting an obelisk into three parts in order to transport it all the way from Egypt. The emperor who commissioned this move was Theodosius and thus the obelisk was renamed from Obelisk of Thutmose III to Obelisk of Theodosius.

From the Hippodrome Square, we saw a tall minaret in the distance and were told that it belonged to the Blue Mosque, our next destination, followed by the inimitable Hagia Sophia. These two mosques will be covered in the next post; they are important enough to deserve a post of their own.

Of Cotton Castle and Fairy Chimneys

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After the visit to Ephesus, we were whisked off to a leather apparel factory, which unfortunately took up too much of our time that we arrived at Pamukkale, our next destination, much later than planned.

Pamukkale, meaning ‘cotton castle’ in Turkish, is a town in southwestern Turkey most well-known for its mineral rich thermal waters that slowly trickle down cotton-white travertine terraces. The most pervasive image of Pamukkale most people would have has to be white terraces with numerous mini craters filled with sky blue water. This was unfortunately nothing close to what we saw when we arrived close to sundown.

At the entrance to Pamukkale.

The white travertine terraces were, to our dismay, not white at all. Not even remotely close to white, to be honest. It looked like too many visitors to this site have trampled on and dirtied the once pristine white formations.

The picture above was heavily edited. Don’t be fooled by how bright it looked; it was almost pitch dark by then. Encouraged by our tour guide, we gingerly took off our shoes and walked around in the thermal waters to have a feel of it. Given how dark it was, we didn’t venture far from the designated pathway.

Since we didn’t get to see much of the site, we were promised that we would be brought back here again next morning for a quick look before continuing on to our next destination. Reluctantly but cautiously, we made our way back to the coach that brought us to our accommodation for the night.

And that was when trouble ensued. I started having the runs the entire night, together with stomach cramps. It wouldn’t be exaggerated to say that I’ve gone to the bathroom close to 20 times before we realised that something was very wrong. The mister sought help from our tour leader, who in turn got in touch with a local doctor to come look in on me. I went to the bathroom another ten times before he arrived, and gave me an injection to alleviate the symptoms. That injection cost us 100USD. ๐Ÿ˜ฎ At least it worked; the bathroom visits reduced sharply after the doctor left.

From there on, the trip went downhill for the both of us. For the next couple of days, I almost never got off the coach for sightseeing, sleeping my way through while nursing the bout of stomachache (which very much later my local GP told me it was for certain a bout of food poisoning) unless it wasn’t possible for me to stay in the coach. Many a times I had to coax the mister to go sightsee without me. He would hastily go down, take some pictures, and rush back to the coach to accompany me without lingering. I felt bad and wanted to get well quickly, but it took several days for my stomach to settle again.

I think the group was rather disappointed that we only got to stop at the foot to take pictures of the terraced travertine instead of entering the attraction again. But there was a schedule to keep to, and it was the best our tour leader could bargain for. Kinda wished we didn’t have to go to the leather apparel factory.

After lunch, we headed for Gรถreme, a town in the Cappadocia region known for the strange naturally-formed rock formations called ‘fairy chimneys’ and hot air balloon rides over the region.

At first glance, the striking fairy chimneys looked really strange to us. Being the good student that I once was, I listened intently as our tour guide started explaining how the geologic processes that commenced millions of years ago first created this unique landscape. Then volcanic eruptions brought ash to this region, which settled and hardened into tuff. Tuff is relatively soft and porous, resulting in rather ingenious ways of using the interesting terrain, chief among which, homes. But this wouldn’t have been possible with simply tuff alone. Along with tuff, basaltic igneous rocks resulted from the violent volcanic eruptions also cooled and settled. Since tuff and basalt erode at different rates, million years of weathering resulted in the mushroom-headed tall columns that we see today. And it’s all natural, not unlike what we see in Meteora, Greece or Zhangjiajie, China.

Cappadocia sat along the historic Silk Road trading route. Prior to that, it was also centrally located, bringing to its region centuries of conflict between warring empires. For that very reason, the town was raided, plundered and invaded several times over the course of time. Natives had retreated into the area, and chiselled into the rock to escape political turmoil. Later, it also became an area of refuge for fleeing Christians escaping from persecution of the Romans, then the Muslims.

The niches chiselled into the fairy chimneys are such amazing work of art! They may not look much from outside, but these columns formed a network of living quarters, churches, stables, stores etc. like a small town would have. And if you look closely at the columns that have been preserved in this open-air museum, one can clearly see how the each room of each dwelling was being utilised.

Of course, these houses were not sufficient to help the refugee Christians escape from their persecutors. Oftentimes, they also had to retreat into their subterranean hideout cities when they heard/saw hostile forces approaching. We visited one of several in the region – Kaymakli Underground Town.

If Kaymakli was anything to go by, these underground towns were really not built for the clastrophobic or the giants that walk amongst us. Some areas were so small we could barely get through. It also reflected something that is universally true – grit and resilience in human beings should never be underestimated. In spite of the extremely harsh living conditions, life went on for the refugees. And in the face of adversity, they even built such remarkable underground towns! Nothing but admiration for them.

The last site we visited in Cappadocia before we left was to the Pigeon Valley. As the name suggests, it’s a valley where a vast number of man-made pigeon holes have been carved into the tuff. We have learnt throughout history, seldom did our ancestors do things out of boredom: the pigeons that lived in the valley in the past used to be trained as message carriers. In modern times though, this practice has gradually become archaic. Very few pigeons now still live in the valley although this stretch has become a rather popular hiking trail.

Throughout our tour of Turkey, we kept coming across this blue eye emblem. They come in the form of glass pendants, earrings etc. It is called the Nazar Boncuk, the evil blue eye. It’s supposedly an ancient talisman in the Middle East, that protects the owner/wearer from the bad energies caused by jealousy or envy toward the person. I truly wanted to purchase a small souvenir with the blue eye, but the mister insisted he wanted nothing of that sort anywhere in the house at all. He’s cautious (and perhaps superstitious) like that. And so, we left Turkey with none.

Whatever rocks his boat, I reckon.

The Ancient City of Ephesus

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Ephesus (near Selรงuk in modern day Turkey) was an important ancient landmark. Especially with respect to Christianity, since it was mentioned several times in the Bible. Even the tenth book of the New Testament was a letter from Paul dedicated to Ephesian Christians.

Given its significance, it was fortuitous then, that after traversing from the Istanbul Airport to the western coast of Turkey adjacent to the Aegean Sea, our first stop was to the House of the Virgin Mary. It was said that Mother Mary travelled to Ephesus together with St. John the Evangelist, whom Jesus Christ entrusted his mother to as his newly adoptive mother during his crucifixion, and it was here that they lived.

While the Catholic Church neither confirmed nor denied the authenticity of this house in which Mother Mary has lived and died, three Popes have visited this site namely: Pope VI, Pope John Paul II and Pope Benedict XVI. I would think the gesture alone speaks volume, to say the least, nevermind the official stance.

The ancient Baptismal font located near the entrance of the site.

The House of the Virgin Mary was located a mere 9km away from the ancient site of Ephesus, and what greeted us in the early afternoon when we visited was a picture of serenity. Greenery surrounded the site, and we were rather surprised to find ourselves the only visitors to this rather significant religious site. And as with most ancient Christian shrines, the dried up baptismal font was located near the entrance and was the first sombre reminder that we have entered a religious site.

We walked a little way ahead to catch up with the group (we dawdled and lagged behind while taking pictures) and came to a halt as we patiently waited for our tour group mates to make their way into the nondescript stone house via a tiny doorway. It gave me a great opportunity to stray away from the group once again, to the chagrin of the mister.

None of the original furniture remained in the house, if my memory serves me well. The interior has been converted into a chapel, wherein by the time we entered, was almost void of visitors. I lit a candle, said a little prayer, and we made our way out.

We explored the rest of the site, and came by the holy water taps and a wishing wall! There were three taps in total that released holy water. We didn’t know the difference between the three taps and randomly chose one like everyone else did. Water was cool and provided some respite from the afternoon sun, although in general the whole site was shady from the carefully pruned greenery that surrounded us.

The wishing wall though, was impressive and a rather curious sight to us! We’d come across bridges and walls filled with love locks, or in Japan, Shinto shrines with trees tied with paper ‘bad fortune lots’. But this, a wall filled with personal possessions of wishes, was a first.

On our way back to our accommodation, we passed by this bronze statue of Mother Mary. To us, it really seemed like it was erected by the roadside, in the middle of nowhere. Yet I believe its location was not a coincidence, given its proximity to the House. We alighted from our coach, crossed the road to take some pictures of the statue of Madonna and Ephesus in the distance before embarking again, calling it a day.

In comparison to the tranquility we experienced at the House of the Virgin Mary, Ephesus was bustling with activity when we visited the following morning, despite the drizzle. It came across as rather strange that the former was skipped despite its proximity to Ephesus. We were glad we took up an organised tour that didn’t opt to skip it.

Ephesus was an ancient port city, and at a time, was populated with close to a quarter million of people, coming in a close second to most populous Rome. Excavations revealed that there was already an ancient human settlement in the area since the Neolithic Age. It went through numerous changes over the centuries that reflected a long human history and cultural traditions, from Hellenistic to Roman Imperial and early Christian periods.

Piles and piles of rocks greeted us as we walked through the ancient archaeological site, and they would have been totally unintelligible to us if not for our local guide. To be honest, even with his explanation, we couldn’t quite visualise the past grandeur of this ancient site that was once deemed to be the most important Greek city.

The mister was impatiently waiting for me to be done with picture-taking.
Incidentally this picture turned out to be one of the most iconic pictures I’ve taken on this trip.

It was drizzling and we had to tread slowly over the slippery rocks, careful not to slip and fall. And finally, we came to a site that didn’t require too much of our imagination. All of us could tell that it was an amphitheatre of sorts, and true enough, that was the Odeon, a small theatre with a capacity of 1,500 spectators.

Back in 2007 when we visited (I’m really only writing this post in 2021, 14 years later), we were stepping all over the ancient theatre. It wasn’t disallowed. I wonder if things have changed now, in order to preserve the site. Degradation of archaeological sites due to natural causes through the course of time is a harsh reality all archaeologists fear and deal with on a daily basis. They really don’t need further destruction due to human negligence.

More ruins along the way as we meandered through the site. This round, more carvings and ornamental stones than random stones stacked on top of each other. In fact the white stone carving is one of the Greek goddess Nike who personified victory. Call me ignorant – I didn’t know there was a Greek goddess named Nike! ๐Ÿ˜ฎ

And if you think you know what this is, you are probably right. It was the public latrine and everyone recognised it at first glance. ๐Ÿ˜† We discussed at length on whether we would use it. To be honest, I’m really not so sure… given a choice, I would rather go home.

And at long last, we arrived at the Library of Celsus. This library was built at the behest of Gaius Julius Aquila, a consul in imperial Rome, in honour of his father. At its height, the library was believed to have contained a repository of as many as 12,000 scrolls and was said to be the third largest library in the Roman empire, behind Alexandria and Pergamum.

A fire or earthquake was believed to have destroyed the interior of the library and its contents in the 3rd century. The facade withstood the destruction, only to be destroyed during an earthquake a few centuries later. It laid in ruins quietly over the centuries until 1970 when a team led by a German archaeologist commenced a reconstruction campaign. Between 1970 and 1978, the facade of the ancient library was carefully reconstructed either from the pieces found at site or copies made from some pieces that were already acquired by museums. It was by and large a vastly successful reconstruction project, if you ask a layman like me.

And the last monument we arrived at before leaving the archaeological site was the well-preserved Grand Theatre of Ephesus, first constructed during the Hellenistic period and later, to be modified several times during Roman times. When it was fully functional, this theatre could hold up to some 24,000 seated spectators. With the Grand Theatre as our end point, we had some time to explore the area. By then, crowd at the archaeological site had visibly thinned. We were quite possibly the last group of people to clear the site for the day.

Leaving you with a picture of how impressive the Grand Theatre looked from afar as we departed.