Turkey - Now it's Istanbul, not Constantinople

I loved my 2 weeks in 3 major areas [Istanbul (5 days), Kusadasi (4 days), and Cappadocia (5 days)] while walking over 100 miles in Turkey.  There so much you could say about how Turkey is a fusion of old and new or Christian and Islam history but instead I’ll summarize Turkey in three words and a few pictures:  Ruins, Religion, and Hills. 

Ruins:  From Hittite, Ottoman, and Romans to Turkish ruins Constantinople and now Istanbul has been the crossroads of the world for a really long time!

Religion:  Its an interesting blend of Christian and Islamic influences.

Hills:  I didn't realize that the number of steps I took on level ground can probably be listed on one hand...there are a ton of stairs and hills to climb, but all worth it!

Hagia Sophia is HUGE and magnificent.

World's largest tulip carpet (that's what they say anyway).

Inside the Hagia Sophia, they say the Statue of Liberty would fit in inside.  That's a dome!

Mosaic covered up by Muslims when they took over the Hagia Sophia church. Interestingly this helped preserve them. 

 View of the Hagia Sophia from the Blue Mosque.

The Blue Mosque

Yes, there are lots of lines.  Get your museum pass so you can skip most of them (as long as you don't try to use your metro card accidentally - that's another story).

Grand Bazaar.  Shopping at its oldest form.

Spices!  I think they are sanitary?

Don't miss the Cisterns.  

Stronghold along the Bosphorous.

Topkapi Harem - definitely worth the extra cost.

Suleymaniye Mosque.  Iconic mosque sitting on top of one of the many hills.

Dolmabahce Palace - has the world's largest chandelier in it!

Galata Tower - a great view towards Old Town.  According to Evliya Çelebi, Ottoman historian and traveller, Hezarfen Ahmet Çelebi flew as an early aviator using artificial wings from the tower to Üsküdar. The Sultan at the time initially taught of rewarding him, then changed his mind and sent him to exile in Algeria. Doh!

Okay, this isn't Turkey...its Samos Greece just a short ferry ride away.  Take a day to go see it!

Look at how cute this little old lady is.

Remember how I said there were lots of stairs?  That's a short run of stairs.

Afrodisias Hippodome was incredible - I ran like Chariots of Fire, or at least thought about it!

The Temple of Afrodite - one of the coolest places to visit as so few others go.

Laodikia is being reconstructed but has some nice ruins.

Pamukkale was amazing...just get there early to avoid the crazy crowds!

While this looks like soft white cotton and they say it doesn't hurt your feet to walk barefoot know that they lie!  The pain is worth it however.  

Google has this marked wrong (its 1 mile north) but the Akkoy Yukari Mosque is incredible.  Definitely take the time to go out of your way to see the inside of this camii.

That's some serious tile work! If you can, check out the old mosque next door with original wood murals.

 Ephesus crowning jewel is the Library of Celsius.  Make sure to start at the top of the hill and walk down - its more scenic and easier.
  

Cappadocia is filled with crazy cool rock structures.  This is a hike through Pigeon Valley.

People lived in this region since 2500BC and as recent as 1950!  Take the time to crawl around the many ruins.  There's no OSHA here!

Whirling Dervish ceremony was enlightening on a religious practice I didn't know much about.  Although I sadly still can't figure out how they don't get dizzy.  I got dizzy just watching them.

A balloon ride over Cappadocia is breathtaking.

Zelve allows you to view history up close and person.  

The Fairy Chimney's are similar to the Toadstools in Southern Utah.

Goreme Open Air Museum has neat old Christian churches.

Ilhara Valley walk includes seeing old Christian ruins as well as some natural beauty which looks a lot like the Snake River Valley.

If you want to see additional pictures I've taken please visit my photo album at TrekkingTrego Public Gallery. All pictures are available for purchase.

Yabba Dabba Doo: 1000's of years and 1000's of feet.

Many people have never heard of Vernal, Utah.  I don't blame them, for the most part.  Of course, most people haven't even heard of Utah!  Recently a friend introduced me to the Vernal area and I realized just how much of a hidden gem this location is.

Vernal Utah is over 3 hours drive east of Salt Lake City,  Utah. The drive is easy and uneventful.  There are several things to do in the area, more in fact, than I realized! We hit two main areas:  Dinosaur National Monument and Flaming Gorge National Recreation Area.

Dinosaur National Monument - 1000's of years
The actual monument area is one of a kind.  Not many people realize that Utah is one of the world's hotbeds for dinosaur bones and in prehistoric days Utah was the place to be - really!  I know it isn't now but things were different back then.  As a result, there are lots of fossil beds and areas with visible dinosaur bones.  I never imagined growing up that one day I could go somewhere and actually touch a real dinosaur bone which was just sticking out of the ground!

At the Quarry Exhibit Hall they have over 1500 bones visible and on display in their natural fossil bed area.  In addition they have lots of information on being an archaeologist and other types of scientists.  Its a ton of fun and makes Jurassic Park seem much closer to reality (well, okay, maybe not).  It didn't take longer than an hour to view this area but it was well worth it.

There are several hikes where you can see fossils as well as remnants of ancient civilizations in addition to settlers of the wild west.  I felt like the Flintstones were just around the corner, or at least the remains of Dino.  Doh!

The area is a wealth of history across literally eons of ages.

Flaming Gorge - 1000's of feet
North of Vernal, Utah about an hour is Flaming Gorge.  A dam was built in a deep ravine which created a beautiful 91 mile long lake in Utah and Wyoming.  The ledge of the canyon is 1400 feet above the water level at the Red Canyon overlook area.  There are several hikes which take off from this location which allow you to serpentine along the edge of the canyon peering down into the gorge just like you were a high soaring eagle.  It is an easy, level walk and you just go for as long as you want. We stopped along the way on a beautiful bend and just gazed down at the vista.  It is a spectacular vista.

All in all, this area has much more to see than anyone expects and in a way, that's great because there aren't any crowds and it really allows you to get away.  I just wish I had more time...I guess I saved some things for next time!

If you want to see additional pictures I've taken please visit my photo album at TrekkingTrego Public Gallery. All pictures are available for purchase.

Kanab Hiking Cheat Sheet - cuz I'm just not that lucky!

Hiking is one of my passions, and hiking slot canyons is definitely high on my list.  For spring break my friend Mark and I hit the trails near Kanab, Utah.  Most people go to the famous hike "the Wave."  Ever since Microsoft put it as a screensaver it is so popular that the BLM limits entry to just a handful of lucky people who win a lottery system.  As someone who has never won anything in a drawing - EVER - I figured my chances were slim to none.  I was right on that account - 4 days straight with no luck.  But, knowing my lack of luck we had planned other opportunities.  My favorites are below.

Wire Pass/Buckskin Gulch
This is by far one of the most spectacular slot canyons.  It is touted to be the longest slot canyon in the world.  It is about an hour east of Kanab.  A few years back I hiked Wire Pass and at the confluence of Buckskin Gulch I turned left (Slots - and I'm not talkin' bout Vegas).  This year I turned right and this is a much better option with more crevices twisting and turning through tight and tiny passages.  There are times of the year where wading through water is required but with no rain for the past week we walked about 2.5 miles past the confluence with no wading required.

We started at Wire Pass, awe-inspiring with the height of the walls, the tightness and the twists of rock.  Within a few feet of entry there is a large 12-15' drop.  Many people bring ropes to shimmy down.  That's the hard way.  Actually, just at the entrance of the slot canyon there is a small goat trail on the right side which allows you to rock scramble around.  This is an easy scramble and you are back into the slot in only 10 minutes.  It is way worth the scramble to not have to carry rope with you!  The other thing I like about this little bypass is that you get to see into one area of the slot canyon from above.

View into Wire Pass

With such narrow passage ways it is quite cold in the slot but about every half mile or so there are some bigger openings where sun filters down to the bottom and you can warm up.  I love this hike!

I hope I'm skinny enough to fit!

I'm glad I wasn't around when that logged jammed up there - high water!

After a long hike my favorite restaurant to refuel in Kanab is Escobar's.  Just be warned...it isn't open on Saturday or Tuesday of all weird days to be closed!

Paria History
There are a couple of short hikes in the Paria area which are fun and have some pretty cool sights.  Right off of 89 are the Toadstools.  The fun part about these hoodoos is you can walk right up and around them without being on a guided pathway.  Except for the electrical poles and freeway sounds you feel like you are in the wild (okay, not really). 

Next is a small hike to the Nautilus.  After walking up a dry riverbed for about a mile you come to this crazy rock formation that is in the shape of a nautilus.  Apparently the top fell down a few years back but it still interesting and bigger than you think as you walk through it. 

Swirly Whirly! (Thanks to Mark for the pict on the left)

Finally, the painted hills create a unique backdrop to some pioneer ruins.  Many of the painted hills can be seen right from the dirt road.  This is what I would advise.  Mark and I decided to be adventurous and trek over to get a closer look.  This wasn't a very good decision it turns out.  Let's just say that its a good thing that I know how to get out of a sink hole...the rest of the hike was a little squishy and muddy for some reason!? 

 

 

Coral Pink Sand Dunes
The sand dunes allow you to feel like your in a desert...wait...you are in a desert!  It is a few miles of large dunes as high as 100 feet high.  I brought a sled and some folks had snowboards, just make sure to wax them so you actually slide.  I didn't slide.

Red Canyon - Peek A Boo Slot
Timing couldn't have been better to hit Red Canyon, just a few miles north of Kanab.  This slot canyon requires you to hike (or drive if you can handle it) 3 miles through seriously deep sand to the mouth of the slot canyon.  By the time we got to the mouth of the canyon the sun was just at the perfect angle to filter down into the canyon and create some amazing colors.  The slot isn't very long and it isn't nearly as deep as Wire Pass but that allows the sun to beam in a give you the rich red coloration southern Utah is famous for.

We were also lucky enough to run into a really nice local who gave us a ride back in her jeep (Thanks Denise).  The 15 minute better than Disneyland ride vs. 120 minutes of hiking in the hot sand made our day!

My friend Mark taking some pictures - yes, this is the true color!

 

No, we didn't hike the wave but it wasn't for lack of trying.  In the end, these other options provided beautiful hikes which I'm sure I'll do again while I wait to find my luck.

You can view these and additional pictures in my Public Gallery or by clicking on the Photo Gallery Tabs above. All pictures are available for purchase.