“We are having too much fun”

26 September (Pamukkale)

After eating the hotel’s breakfast which included a delicious cheese boerekos we set off for the site at Pammukale. We started at the site of the Roman ruins. The site was huge and there were some very evocative ruins that we saw from afar. We tried to get to the huge amphitheater but what with the need for snacks, toilet stops and finding it difficult to four wheel drive the stroller, before we knew it, we were at the complex that housed the antique pools.

One of the attractions of the huge information centre was a spa known as Dr. Fish, a treatment Karen had read about in South Africa, where Garra Rufa fish are placed in a tank and used to eat the dead skin cells off your feet (which are also placed in the tank). The feeling was ticklish and surprisingly relaxing. It was a 20 minute treatment and my feet felt amazing afterwards!

We then tried out the 36 degrees natural spring pool – which is about the temperature of a luke warm bath. Eitan was very reluctant at first to go in but his lovely sister Yael convinced him that it was a good idea. The pool was full of Russian women, all with stunningly beautiful figures, having ‘model’ photo’s taken of themselves. The children, including Ma’ayan had a wonderful time, particularly chilling on the moss covered steps and playing with the stones Yael had retrieved from the bottom of the pool.

After about 2 hours in the warm water, we decided to go and explore the terraces for which Pamukkale is famous. A long outcrop of pure white travertine rocks that look like they are made of snow, some filled with water cascade down a steep hill. The scene is stunningly spectacular and world class – brilliant. Along the way down we found magnificent little pools where the kids played joyously in their underwear, sliding down the terraced pools, and running and jumping into the shallow water, it was hard to get them to leave! Eitan said ” we are having too much fun”.

Then began the long trek down the terraces, where we found another warm water pool which we had to drag the boys out of. The walk down was a lot less slippery than we thought it would be and was next to terraced pools all the way down. We had to walk barefoot in order not to damage the stones and we were not allowed to wheel the stroller. Even Ma’ayan walked down surprisingly well and the scenery was really beautiful.

We went to a relaxed restaurant overlooking the terraces for supper and then fortuitously bumped into our tout or guest house owner from the night before while we were booking our bus ride for the following day and he offered to take us back to our hotel.

Still on the rails

25 September (Pamukkale)

Woke on a the train and the kids explored their new and exciting environment. They found a friend who gave them lots of junk to eat.Train running 3 hours late on an about 9 hour supposed journey which is where we are writing this. Hope we have not missed our station.

We did not miss our station and were very lucky to get a connecting train from another station in Izmir to Denizil about 4 hours away, from where we hope to take a bus to Pamukale..

It was a very easy connection to Pamukkale by mini-bus after darkness and we were duly met at the informal bus stop by a toute or operator who recommended the ‘four seasons hotel’. Playing good cop, bad cop Evan went to check out a hotel that the book recommended as having a six-bed dorm and serving vegetarian meals. The place was in darkness when Evan arrived and there was no safe play area so he decided the vibe was better at the four seasons so off we went to our bright pink room.

We ate supper at the hotel which was a bit of a rip off and by the time we got settled and to bed it was 11pm. Kids managed very well considering the heavy traveling but need to run around when we got to the hotel. Yael even had a swim in the pool, the others were more cautious.

Late boats and trains

24 September (Istanbul and night on the train)

Went in search of the Synagogue in the vicinity of the tourist sits enclave we found mentioned on the Internet. Some locals pointed in a direction others said there was none. At last we found an unnamed building that was covered with security cameras, was nicely whitewashed but a sign of it’s purpose was conspicuously absent. A man at a neighboring tea house said in Turkish what sounded like it was the synagogue, signaled that it was closed but then wrote on their hand the date of rosh hashanah and time of service indicating it was then. Some time after an old man and his grandson came out of the mini compound (morning service had finished), and very warmly invited us to come back for rosh hashanah.

We joined a 2 hour boat ride along the Bospherous karen had arrange which left very late from the jetty just after the synagogue. This trip showed off the magnificence of Istanbul with incredible mosques, minarets everywhere palaces, upmarket hotels ( Karen fancied the Four Seasons) and private residences as well as a number of cruise ships along the banks.Yael felt wheezy, Eitan and Aryeh’s were fascinated by the boats and the crew fixing and cleaning the boat and Maayan gave her dad no reprieve running up and down and trying to climb over the deck .

We needed to catch the ferry to the station to catch a night train to city from where we were to catch a sleeper train to Izmer from where we were to take another train. The first train was on time but the 23hoo departure to izmer was delayed an hour. On the station Aryeh and Eitan slept on Karen, Yael was starving and Ma’ayan entertained the station with her antics and received two stuffed animals (not real ones) from admirers. Very helpful locals had to help virtually carry the sleeping boys into their train beds.

Web 0, Walking the streets 1

23 September 2011 (Istanbul)

Children travelled well. Yael discovered the inflight entertainment, Eitan just wanted to sleep and did, Aryeh struggled to settle and lay on Evan much of the time, Maayan slept in the bassonette for a short time but slept on Karen or had to be active a most of the time. Karen gave the flights -3 out 10, Evan would have given it a 5 passmark.

Arrived in Istanbul with no accommodation booked. We had tried to pre book numerous places from South Africa on the web but were told that everything was full. We went to the airport hotel booking kiosk and were told the same thing. We declined their shuttle offer and took a comfortable and quick train and tram to our accommodation area.

Our first stop was the travel agency that had booked our train ticket to Iran. The agency also said there were no free rooms in Istanbul due to many conferences, high season and the art bienalle. Karen went to the park with the kids while Evan went in search of the elusive accommodation. Karen was tasked with, coming up with plan ‘B’ which was better than plan c, Shabbat in the park. Fortunately the first but shabby looking place Evan tried had an available room which was the perfect family room with an incredibly beautiful” roof-top view over-looking the famously beautiful Sultan-Ahmet mosque. In retrospect there is a plethora of lodgings in the city, so finding a room was no big deal.

After sunset with the mezuim of numerous mosques calling for prayer was very evocative.

Fit for travel? You be the judge

22 September 2011

Some people have wondered if we would be able to travel around Turkey and Iran with 4 young children. As you will see it is a wonder we were able to leave South Africa even without kids.

Firstly, while filling in the Iranian visa forms Karen suddenly discovered an Israel entry stamp of which she was unaware. This necessitated an an urgent visit to Home Affairs for a temporay passport (Iran would accept a temporary passport as long as the old permanent passport was attached) . Home affairs, unlike your correspondents were super efficient and the new full passport was ready in a week.

Secondly, with the passport delays and slowness from the Iranian embassy we only got our visas on the Tuesday and we were leaving on the Thursday. Stressful because we were not sure the application would succeed.

Thirdly the Consulate forgot to return Karen’s new permanent passport. We had to send an urgent courier and only just got it (the staffer had to stay after the office had closed to wait for the courier) the day we have to leave.

Fourthly, when we got to the airport check in desk we discovered that Eitan’s passport was left at home. Evan had left it in the scanner as he wanted to use a picture for the blog. We had to arrange our local airport shuttle to meet our local house sitter to find the passport and bring it through rush hour N2 traffic to the airport where we got it 2 minutes before the airlines cut off . And Evan had complained we got to the airport too early.

Fifthly, we had 5 hours in Dubai to wait for our connection. Slept near gate. Casually walked up to gate to discover gate had changed to area 1 to 2 km away and had 10 minutes at a 3 year olds speed to get there. Rushed to a business class lounge to ask them to inform airline. Evan ran to gate. Made it but they held the plane for us.

Sixthly, at Istanbul in the passport queue Karen dropped the passports and Evan’s dispeared. Was it stolen? After 15 minutes of worry found that it had fallen into an odd place in a bag.

Quite a start for as experienced travelers such as ourselves but children blameless as yet.

About this blog

We are a South African family with 4 young children intending to backpack through Turkey and Iran. Our children are Yael (7), Eitan (5), Aryeh (3) and Ma’ayan (17 months).

This blog (if we can keep it up) is intended for friends and family, but for others it may serve as an encouragement or a heartfelt warning. Let see….