COVER STORY

SUNSHINE IN MY HEART

NOMICRON! The restrictions on leisure travel are showing no signs of easing. Last year’s questions have followed us into the New Year, even for essential travel. To go or not to go? What about different requirements in different jurisdictions? How will we navigate pre-flight screenings, tests, scans, masks, sanitizing...the works? But even as we dream of escaping to warmer climes and exotic locales, Dr Vicki Bismilla recalls her visit to Turkey in 2019 – a gloriously unfettered time under the sun.

By DR VICKI BISMILLA

Even though my husband and I have had the good fortune to be able to travel occasionally and see a bit of other countries, we had never attempted a group adventure tour until 2019.

As senior citizens, we decided to give it a go. We asked our son and daughter-in-law to accompany us and it was reassuring to have them with us. We chose a Toronto adventure tour company called G Adventures that specializes in in-depth and physically exacting overseas tours. Turkey has long been on our bucket list and this particular tour looked historically comprehensive.

The fifteen-day tour started in Istanbul, an enchanting old city spanning two continents – Asia and Europe. A boat ride on the Bosphorus revealed its breathtaking beauty and the many walks through its old cobbled streets, bustling markets and tempting bazaars left us thirsty for more.

Walking through the serene gardens of the Hagia Sophia, entering the hush of the Blue Mosque and just filling our eyes with the ancient history-echoing architecture made us realize that just a few days are not enough to do justice to this gem of a city.

But there were so many more cities to see, and so, on to our next big adventure!

As we headed east toward Cappadocia, we stopped at a salt lake. The lake dries up in the summer so we were able to walk on the salt, touch it and pick up handfuls of rough salt which was an amazing experience.

Our tour continued with intriguing adventures. One took us into a large, intricate, underground city of caves dating back to the 7th century BC, the Byzantine era, in which thousands of people hid for long periods of time together with their livestock. These caves were expertly built with breathing air vents, surreptitious chimneys, water sources and many chambers to house whole families during several wars in Byzantine and Ottoman history. But these were only the first of many incredible experiences.

The Cappadocia region of Turkey is like another planet. The huge expanse of rock formations is literally like the surface of a distant planet and there actually are families living inside many of these huge looming lava rocks reaching up to the sky.

The early morning hot air balloon ride was absolutely celestial! Drifting for an hour looking down on the rock formations and rugged terrain is an irreplaceable experience. Most of the fifteen travellers in our wonderful group were young people in their twenties and thirties, three who were slightly older and then the two of us, way older; but we happily hiked the gruelling trails of Cappadocia with our great local guide Umut and lots of drinking water under the blazing hot summer sun. It was rigorous but I would do it again! Cappadocia also lured us into its ancient 4th century cave churches with unique frescoes and Byzantine art.

We  attended a meditation session of whirling dervishes, a sacred dance performed as part of the religious observances practised by Sufi Dervishes of the Mevlevi order, followers of Rumi, whose tomb we also visited. Mevlevi (Master) Rumi (1207-1273) was a Persian poet, scholar and mystic whose sayings still permeate world literature and spirituality today and I find his seven principles greatly inspiring (see https://sufiway.eu/the-7-principles-of-mevlana-jalaluddin-rumi/).

A unique experience provided by this particular tour was a delicious home-cooked meal prepared by a local village family in their home.

We sat on the floor and ate at a low table while chatting with the family matriarch. She had prepared a special meal for me since she had been given advance notice of my being vegetarian. She made rice and a large half eggplant stuffed with delicious veggies and roasted. For the rest of the group she served grilled meats. A similarity to a desi tradition was the way in which dinner was served. Mezes (veggie and yoghurt dips) were first served with flat bread. Then the main course was served, but the matriarch did not eat with the guests – she fussed over us and made sure we were eating, while her husband and daughter-in-law served the hot food from the kitchen. The meal ended with hot Turkish apple tea served in small delicate glass cups.

An early morning hot air balloon ride…absolutely celestial! Image credit: CANMANDAWE on Pexels.

Later in the tour we stayed overnight with another village family, a special experience not easily attainable on other tours. Our hostess there was Seher whose home was lovely, serene, clean and comfortable. She has five immaculate rooms downstairs in which she has placed multiple mattresses to comfortably sleep three to four travellers per room with a clean shared bathroom. Seher, her children and her sister live upstairs. Her husband works in Serbia. Seher explained that many village husbands are forced to work away from home, some in far-off lands. The village economy is suffering as large factories are taking over simple agricultural functions which used to be the work of village families. Many villages in Turkey are experiencing depressed economies.

Elsewhere along this tour we were taken to visit a pottery artist, an authentic Turkish carpet-making co-op and a small business where local women use off-cuts from large factories to make crafts. But these small ventures are becoming endangered with industrialization. On another night we were housed at a beautiful Ottoman mansion converted into a guest house run by a local family. All three of these private homes where we ate served excellent meals and they made provisions for me as a vegetarian.

At this point I would like to apprise readers about food choices in Turkey. I realize that many desi readers are vegetarians so I share my experience as a vegetarian.

The food at restaurants appeared to be excellent and was enjoyed very much by all the rest of our group. There were ample grilled meats, fish, chicken, meat stews, etc., and all of it very attractively served. Doner kebab and shish kebab were favourites. Doner kebab is meat cooked in a vertical rotisserie, shaved and served in a bun with lettuce and tomatoes. Surprisingly, roadside restaurants at highway rest areas served complete, fresh cooked, self-serve, buffet meals with a good range of food. However, as a vegetarian I had some difficulty throughout the trip. Vegetarianism does not seem to be common in Turkey. On the first day when we were met by our guide in Istanbul and introduced ourselves to one another as a group of fifteen travellers, we went to a restaurant for supper. I tried the one vegetarian main course on the menu which was a stew baked in a clay pot. I felt that the veggies were over-cooked and the taste was not conducive to a desi palate. And this lack of vegetarian menu items continued to be the problem throughout the trip. At one roadside restaurant I found stewed green beans and at another stewed chick peas and at a third I found sautéed spinach. But for most of the trip I ate salads and cold mezes like yoghurt dip, hummus and egg plant dip served with very nice bread. I was surprised that I did not see pita served in most places and absolutely no falafel. Perhaps falafel is not a Turkish food. And one waiter was honest enough to tell me that the lentil soup was made from meat stock so I stayed away from that. At another restaurant I was informed that the rice was boiled in bone stock which our guide said was unusual because in homes rice is usually just boiled in water and is vegetarian. Breakfasts were no problem at all. There were always tomato and cucumber slices and a variety of breads and good tea and coffee. There were a lot of cheeses served at breakfast at the hotels but I do not eat unknown cheeses because I am not sure if animal rennet is used in the making. However, I must say that the lack of vegetarian options did not mar my enjoyment of Turkey.

Driving to the city of Konya and on to the beautiful coastal city of Antalya, we wandered the old cobbled streets, the pebbled beaches, and enjoyed lovely restaurants. This for us was the relaxing, reprieve period from active hikes.

Then came one of the most amazing adventures as we boarded a small fishing boat and headed out on to the Aegean Sea. With the exception of (scaredy-cat) me and one other person, all the rest of the group dived off the boat and into the crystal clear waters of the Aegean and swam to their hearts’ content. It was a sight to behold! Then at night the Captain and his crew laid 15 mattresses on the roof of the boat and we slept under the stars – breathtaking stars, so dense that they actually overlapped one another! After a nutritious breakfast and more swimming, we spent the morning exploring a local village and medieval castle before heading back to shore.

Next we travelled to Hierapolis-Pamukkale which is known for its huge areas of crystal white limestone and calcium carbonate mineral deposits left by the flowing waters of the River Menderes. We waded barefoot into the thermal springs interspersed among the terraces of the sparkling white hillside. The ancient Amphitheatre in Hierapolis caught my eye for its expanse and beauty. A warm-water natural spring offered more swimming opportunity for those who wished and some opted to visit the necropolis, a huge grave site dating back to the 2nd century BC. Then came the ancient Greek city of Ephesus (10th century BC) an incredible UNESCO site with a beautifully preserved library, marketplace-site and remnants of homes with intricate air-conditioning methods.

Dinner was served in a manner reminiscent of a desi tradition. We sat on the floor on rugs at a low table and the matriarch had prepared a special vegetarian meal for me.

My husband Yusuf at the amazing rock formations and fairy chimneys in Cappadocia.

In nearby Selcuk, we explored the remains of the temple of Greek Goddess Artemis, St. John’s Basilica and the Mosque of Isa Bey as well as a small enclave of wine stands in the picturesque village of Sirince.

On to Ayvalik, a city on the Gulf of Edremit across from the very close Greek Island of Lesvos. Here we wandered the fascinating ancient streets and enjoyed the breezes from the bay before relaxing at the Ottoman mansion that housed us for the night.

As we travelled on the bus, sometimes several hours between cities, our wonderful guide Umut told us about Ottoman and Turkish history, local issues and about family customs that interested me very much because so many customs mirrored ours as desis. A significant similarity to our desi community is the traditional Turkish marriage proposal as described by Umut. He said that when he and his girlfriend decided that they were ready to commit to marriage, his parents, uncle and other senior members of his family went to the girl’s house and formally asked for the girl’s hand. She served Turkish coffee and hors d’oeuvres to the guests and Umut said that she mischievously put salt in the Turkish coffee that she served him! After a big traditional meal the proposal was accepted and then the couple were considered engaged. The engagement usually lasts several months, but because Umut and his fiancé wanted to finish university, theirs lasted three years before the traditional Turkish wedding. Umut said that the groom’s entourage travelled to the bride’s town for the wedding and the bride’s parents were responsible for the wedding which hosted and fed a large number of guests. This whole scenario mirrors the way our desi families approach proposals and marriage.

Umut’s honest stories, though, were not only about pleasant topics. He explained that Turkey was struggling with the Syrian refugee crisis. There was a constant flow of refugees and with other European countries refusing to accept them, Turkey was facing the brunt. However, as travellers we did not see many refugee camps. There were a few scattered along our bus route and while they appeared clean, seeing the people was sad. But, unlike downtown Toronto where pan handlers have become a common sight, we saw no pan handlers in Turkey except on the very last day in an Istanbul market where we were touched to see several young Syrian boys rummaging through garbage cans outside restaurants.

We were told not to offer money because apparently there is a system where the lead boy whistles and dozens of peers emerge. So from Umut’s knowledgeable discourse we were given both pictures of Turkey – the breathtaking beauty and rich history as well as some difficult realities that the country is struggling with.

Next came Troy, the ancient city made famous by Homer’s Iliad and Odyssey, the fascinating works of literature that so many of us translated in our high school Latin classes. And how can we forget the story of the face that launched a thousand ships – Helen of Troy and the Trojan horse that smuggled soldiers into a sleeping city! But the next day brought a touch of sadness as we visited Gallipoli. The Battle of Gallipoli was part of the first world war that took place in the Gallipoli Peninsula from February 1915 to January 1916. Britain, France, Russia and its Allies attacked the Ottoman Empire to try and take control of the strategic Gallipoli Peninsula, a supply route to Russia, and to occupy Constantinople (Istanbul) but the Ottoman forces under Commander Mustafa Kemal Ataturk, defeated them. With almost a year of fighting both sides lost over 200,000 soldiers on each side. Australia and New Zealand lost a troop of their soldiers who made an amphibious landing along this coast and were ambushed. The Republic of Turkey (Turchia, established October 1923) has created a peace-filled memorial site named ANZAC (Australian and New Zealand Allied Corps) where the first President Ataturk installed a concrete structure bearing an inscription that says the fallen soldiers are buried in Turkey’s friendly soil and assures their mothers that their sons will always be cherished in Turkey’s bosom. This was a touching moment on the tour for all of us but most especially for our Australian and New Zealand friends in the group.

From Gallipoli we headed back to Istanbul where our tour ended. Just a few additional comments to provide insights for any readers considering such a group adventure tour.

First of all, the hotels used by this company were only three stars, so very basic. But as long as the beds, rooms and showers were clean we were okay. We did not spend much time in the hotels – just an exhausted sleep on clean beds, refreshing showers and a nourishing inclusive breakfast and we were back on our comfortable bus by 8:30 am and on to our next adventure.

The other thing to remember is that in addition to your pocket money you will need around $120 Canadian per person for tips. Also, most entrance fees to sites were included but there were a few extra sites that had to be paid by us which ranged from $8 to $20 Canadian per site.

All in all, a worthwhile and exhilarating adventure!

And another bucket list destination completed!

SUNSEEKERS, STAY INFORMED!

Image credit: KUNAL GOSWAMI on Unsplash.

From NEWS CANADA

Travel advisories can change at short notice. One day, the restrictions against all non-essential travel outside Canada and all cruise ship travel are easing and the next, they are right back in place.

Keep the following in mind while making your travel-related decisions.

The COVID-19 situation changes constantly and governments that have reopened their borders to tourists could impose strict travel restrictions suddenly if they experience an increase in cases or new variants emerge.

If you deem your travel essential and decide to leave Canada despite the advisories, note that the government of Canada may have limited capacity to offer you consular services.

While COVID-19 can make anyone sick, older Canadians are amongst one of the groups at a higher risk of developing a severe disease or other complications.

Other possible limitations

Local public health measures may be less strict than they are in Canada, potentially putting you at greater risk of infection.

You may have a hard time obtaining essential products and services, including medication, while abroad.

You may suddenly face strict restrictions at your destination, such as curfews, lockdowns and quarantines.

Your travel insurance may not cover medical expenses or cover you for an unexpected extended stay.

Flight options could be reduced, making it difficult for you to return to Canada. 

You must wear a mask or face covering at all times while travelling.

With quarantine requirements changing by the day, travellers might have to be prepared to quarantine for 14 days upon return to Canada.

Check out the latest information at travel.gc.ca/covid-19-security or find out more at Travel.gc.ca/oldertravellers and make safe and responsible travel decisions.