Cappadocia

After our brief and separate stints in other parts of Asia, we reunited in the Asian part of Turkey, spending three days in the beautiful and unparalleled region of Cappadocia.

We based ourselves in the town of Göreme, one of the towns in which people have built their homes into the rock for thousands of years.

The rocks in this part of the world have been eroded to form beautiful and strange shapes, such as these fairy chimneys.

Pigeon Valley

There is some great local cuisine...

...some great local pottery...

...and a combination of the two. Kebap cooked in a sealed clay pot

Cappadocia was a major site of early christianity, with many underground churches paying tribute to saints of the 4th century.

Persecuted for their religion, the Christians used underground cities to avoid plunder by Romans and later Muslims. Kaymaklı Underground City could shelter up to five thousand people.

While seeing the landscape on the ground and underground was impressive, it was only from up in a hot air balloon early one morning that we could truly appreciate Cappadocia. We haven't used the term "breathtaking" yet in the blog, only because we were saving it for something as breathtaking as this.

The pilots like to show off by going right into the valleys.

Upon landing, we received customary champagne, and a graduation certificate.

Half a World Away

We left Australia over 450 days ago, and in that time haven't spent more than three hours apart. But at the beginning of 2013 we went to visit our separate families on different sides of Asia.

Yaz went to Israel to see her parents, her brother...

...and of course her niece Yael.

Josh went to visit his parents and sister in India.

Josh's parents have moved to India for four years, living in New Delhi. If you're interested in their journey you can follow their blog at http://nerdendolinsinindia.blogspot.in/.

Annouska just happened to be around for an incredible ten days in an an incredible country. Here are some of the highlights.

Humayun's Tomb

The tomb holds Mughal Emperor Humayun and many members of his family.

The Bahai Lotus Temple

The Martyr's Column at the Gandhi Smriti, the spot where Gandhi was assassinated.

The squirrels of Lodi Gardens

The black kites that rule the skies

The city monkeys

On Sunday it was Jeff's birthday, so we (which here refers to Josh and his family unlike all previous blog entries where the term "we" refers to the blog's primary protagonists, Josh and Yaz) went on a food tour of the old Delhi.

It was delicious and a lot of fun as we learned how to eat the various dishes found around town.

Here you can see how to make one of the sweetest things in the world, Jalebi.

While the entire landscape of India is photogenic, the fact that the people are welcoming and friendly to foreigners makes for some wondeful photos.

 One day, Josh went to the muslim area of Nizamuddin.

The local mosque

Outside though, is one of Josh's favourite restaurants of the trip, because for around 20c you can pay for the lunch of a beggar.

On the second last day, Josh and his mum Beverly took a trip down to Agra to see the Taj Mahal.

If the front gate of the complex were placed in almost any other city of the world, it would be its main tourist attraction.

But it is nothing in comparison to what may be the most beautiful building in the world.

The Agra fort

We (now returning to the more usual use of the term which refers to Josh and Yaz) wish Beverly and Jeff all the best in India and hope to visit them soon. Perhaps the Odyssey II will be set in the subcontinent.

Meanwhile, in Tel Aviv...

Istanbul (Not Constantinople)

Istanbul was Constantinople. Now it's Istanbul not Constantinople. Actually the Turks called it Kostantiniyye, while others used the title Stamboul. Of course, Constantine called it New Rome after he conquered what was then called Byzantium in 330 AD. And we can't forget the original Thracian name of Lygos used by Pliny the Elder, or even the name "Augusta Antonina" which lasted a few weeks during the 3rd century AD. Why they changed it we can't say, people just liked it better that way.

We may as well start from the top of the list, with the Hagia Sofia.

Known as one of the Seven Wonders of the Middle Ages, the building was the centre of Eastern Orthodox Christianity for over a thousand years.

And then the city's greatest mosque for over five hundred.

Just one small section of the Topkapi Palace

The Tiled Kiosk at the edge of the palace.

We love Turkish food.

Freshly made gozlemes

And freshly smoked nargile

We went on a boat trip to see the sites on the European and Asian sides of the Bosphorus.

The Blue Mosque

Various Awesome Ceilings

Yeni Mosque

The fishermen of Galata Bridge

The Grand Bazaar (see earlier entry)

Now, if you remember from last year, we began our relationship on December 31st 2005. And since December 31st 2012 was our seven year anniversary, we celebrated by visiting seven buildings from the last seven centuries.

From top-left going clockwise: Wooden Houses of Sogukçeşme Street (18th Century), Hafiz Mustafa Delight Shop (19th Century), Topkapi Palace (15th Century), Republic Monument (20th Century), Suleymaniye Hamam (16th Century), Istanbul Spice Bazaar (17th Century) and Galata Tower (14th Century).

And we capped off 2012, which was without a doubt our most blog-worthy year yet, with a few drinks and an intercontinental fireworks display. It was Turkish delight on a moonlit night.