This gallery contains 9 photos.
May23
Photo Recap: Ankara, Bogazkoy, Cappidocia, Antakya, etc.
Author Archives: Kittie
May22
Day 10: Maiden Castle
Why did we go?
Because of the ones who had gone before.
We swam in a crew of seven. Four of us called out instructions, warnings, advice. Two of us lagged behind, riding the waves on the strength of our fellows. One bobbed along in good cheer. Together, we bridged the moat and charged the castle.
We staggered over the seashore defenses, pricking our feet on the pebbles. We penetrated the walls unopposed. We scaled the battlements and admired the land that lay beyond, back from whence we came. We gathered together beneath the stars and rested there, in the serenity of a challenge well-met.
Why do we return?
For the ones who will follow.
May21
Photo of the Day: Hattusas
We made friends with the Sphinx guardians of an ancient Hittite capital.
More photos to come, once we leave the mountains for better Internet access! This image comes from our travels last Friday, May 16.
May20
Days 7-8: Urfa
“How do Muslims believe they are saved?”
We had settled onto a raised dais that once contained the altar of a church. Turks had re-built it as a mosque. Unlike the Hagia Sophia, the queen of Turkey’s re-purposed churches, this structure had no other visitors save our tour group. We had entered a silent hall, we women wrapped in scarves and long skirts, everyone barefoot. Overhead, iron bars pierced the marble Byzantine columns, reinforcing the stone. Across the floor, two men knelt in prayer. At our side, Mehmet concluded his brief introduction to the religion of Islam and invited questions.
In the silence that followed, I clarified my query: “How do Muslims get to Paradise?” Read the rest of this entry
May19
Photo of the Day
No, I didn’t ride the camel. Maybe next time.
May18
Day 6: Cappidocia
“When I pull this string, you will lose a finger. Are you ready?”
The carpet salesman looped a strand of silk around my index finger. He had graciously selected my left hand. I looked into his eyes and nodded.
He grinned. “American women are very brave, yes?”
Black belts are brave, too, I thought as I nodded again, grinning back at him.
“Okay, then. One…
“Two…
“Three!”
May17
Day 5: Bogazkoy
Losing four hours of sleep. Disturbing the locals. Exposing myself to long grass full of snakes, ticks, biting ants… Any number of difficulties might have dissuaded me. I even dreamed that the leader of our small expedition had appeared in my room in the earliest hours of the morning to cancel our expedition. Still, when 4:30am arrived, I awoke and forsook my bed.
We hiked west, out of our mountain hotel’s courtyard, down a dirt road, and into the hills. The call to prayer wailed at us, and the moonlight wept on us, but the hilltop beckoned us on. The clocks had not yet struck 5 am.
May16
Days 3-4: Ankara
Dinner in Ankara, May 15
Friday, May 16: I had allotted five minutes for riding to the third floor, collecting my suitcase, and boarding the bus. Clutching the remnants of my breakfast, I stared at the elevator numbers. Why weren’t they glowing? Why wasn’t I moving?
At our five-star hotel’s breakfast buffet, I had eaten fresh apricots, Brie on bread, smoked salmon, and five pieces of Turkish delight. The apricots baffled one of my classmates. “How do you eat it?” “It’s just like a peach,” I reassured her. She replied, “I’ve never eaten a peach before.”
Just as I was wondering whether I should go solicit that classmate for help, the elevator swung into motion. When the doors cracked open to reveal a young man with luggage in tow, I skipped out past him. Halfway down the hall, I paused.
This was the wrong floor. Read the rest of this entry
May15
Photo Tour of Istanbul
This gallery contains 20 photos.
May14
Day 2: Istanbul
Istanbul’s Grand Bazaar
This evening in the Grand Bazaar, we conducted a social experiment: First, I traveled in a group of four girls. There are three thousand vendors in the bazaar, and every other shopkeeper leaned out of his door to shower us with calls of “Hi, beautiful girls” and “Charming angels!” Then we asked Josh, one of our classmates, to accompany us. The heckling collapsed into “Welcome.”
By then we had beat half an hour examining their stock of scarves, jewelry, candy, and leather. Too cagey to buy and too nervous to browse, we were wishing our guide had allowed us less time in the market. “If I offered that shopkeeper five lira,” one of us wondered, “would he let me sit on his stool for twenty minutes?” “Why don’t they have a store full of benches for rent?” “They have that in Italy.” “In America, you can pay to sit in a massage chair.” “In America,” I pointed out, “the malls have benches for free.” The Turks expect more out of their shoppers.
May12
On the Road Again
Dark, brooding, and silhouetted against a crescent moon, Ataturk glowered at us through the bus windows. For three weeks, I will eat, sleep, and drink, in a land that has outlawed insults to his memory.
Last year’s Turkey crew paraded the portrait past the bus as they waved farewell. “Forty-nine weeks,” Dr. G commented, “since I last departed on this trip.” This year’s itinerary loops through Istanbul and back again. Most of all, I look forward to the chance for rest.
Aug31
Act II: The Christening of Quatty
What happens when you have long hair, and you sleep in a dorm full of girls? You braid it, of course! — or, rather, the girls do. Then your friend opens her treasure trove of hair ribbons, and she gives the girls a gift they will wear every day for the rest of week, whether it matches their outfits or not. In fact, some of the girls only bring one set of clothes. You notice that, and wonder why.
At least, that’s what Rachel and I did at Camp UNPES. During the first and only meeting between staff and volunteers, the head man, Roberto, encouraged us to love the children without restraint. “This isn’t America — you can hug them and pick them up!” He could have warned us how much love we would receive in return. Read the rest of this entry
Aug23
The Adventures of Quatty, Act I
Note: I returned home Thursday morning, August 15th, after a red-eye flight — safe but sleepy (and fully recovered from food poisoning!). My thanks to everyone for their prayers and support during the trip. Many photos and stories remain, so I plan to continue updating the blog through my journey’s conclusion.
Note 2: I struggled to finish this post — hence the two week plus delay in updating — and it nearly finished my instead. I credit my sister with the spark that finally kindled this saga of church camp. Read the rest of this entry
Aug9
Hello Goodbye
Our first Sunday afternoon in Ecuador reflected the pace of life there — for the missionary family at least.
After our early morning dining and outings, we relaxed with the kids, welcomed the new guests, packed up for camp, and detoured to the beach on the way. At times like these, Kevin and Beka often can’t confirm our plans until days or even hours beforehand. Living life with them requires a flexibility and calmness comparable to a weather vane’s: ever pivoting, ever erect.
This particular day, the breezes blew fast but fair. Read the rest of this entry
Aug5
Changing Perspective
Note: Right now, I am battling food poisoning, otherwise known as “the Jungle Diet” (guaranteed to drop pounds!). Beka has cared for me in every way possible, and I hope to recover soon.
Ezra and Joe acted as both tour guides and Spanish dictionaries for us on our way to the river. “How do you say…” and “I wouldn’t stand in the jungle grass if I were you.” Read the rest of this entry
