TURKIYE: Sailing in the Turquoise Coast on the Southern Shores of Türkiye

What better way to end our time in Türkiye than sailing on the southern Turquoise Coast on the Mediterranean Sea.

Türkiye's Turquoise Coast runs along the southwestern Mediterranean coast, from around Antalya west toward Muğla and Bodrum. 

It gets its name from the unusually clear, blue-green water.

We had just spent 18 days on the northern Black Sea coast, which is green, wet, with villages, tea plantations and dramatic mountain scenery.

In contrast, we then flew down to the southern Turquoise Coast where it is sunny, dry, HOT, beach-oriented, with ancient ruins and lots of tourism.

Both have their own charms.

TURKIYE: Turkish Faces and Hospitality

When we were along the Black Sea coast in northern Türkiye, despite language challenges, we met some of the friendliest, nicest and most generous people.

I will post photos of some of the people that graciously posed for me. 

This lady, with a farmers stall at the Amasra's Women's Market, agreed to let me take her picture. 

I finally coaxed a reserved smile out of her. 

After I took her photo and showed it to her, she offered me a taste of some of her fruit.

She must have been satisfied with my efforts.

TURKIYE: Tea Cultivation

Turkish tea (çay, pronounced chai) is the country's most popular drink. 

The average person in Türkiye drinks several cups a day, making the country one of the world's highest tea consumers per person.

Most Turkish tea is grown around the city of Rize on Türkiye's eastern Black Sea coast on the steep mountain slopes.

The region's mild, rainy climate is ideal for growing tea, and it produces nearly all of the country's tea.

TURKIYE: Mystic Mountains and Living Simply

In Turkey's mountain regions a yayla is a high-altitude summer pasture and seasonal settlement.

Traditionally, families would move themselves and their livestock from the lowlands to the cooler lush mountain pastures for about 3–5 months during the summer.

They stay in simple wooden or stone houses, graze animals, make products like cheese, butter and yogurt, and then return to the lowlands before winter.

TURKIYE: Coffee Culture

It seems that in most places we have traveled to, coffee is part of the culture, in some way or another.

In Türkiye, drinking Turkish coffee is a social tradition.

Turkish coffee is different by how it is prepared and served, rather than by the type of coffee bean used.

Turkish coffee is concentrated and served in small cups, similar in size to espresso, but it has a different texture because the coffee isn't filtered.

FULL DISCLOSURE: I am not a coffee drinker, so, I have to rely on what coffee aficionados (i.e. John) tells me.

TURKIYE: Sümela Monastery

Sümela Monastery is dramatically perched on a sheer cliff 300 metres (1,000 feet) above the valley below, in the Pontic Mountains near Trabzon, northern Türkiye.

It was founded in the 4th century AD, making it one of the oldest monasteries in the region.

The monastery was built into the cliff for a combination of religious, practical and defensive reasons.

Sümela Monastery is dedicated to the Virgin Mary and was an important center of Greek Orthodox Christianity, in primarily a Muslim country, for more than 1,500 years.

TURKIYE: Horma Canyon

The Horma Canyon hike, in Küre Mountains National Park, is a scenic walk in northern Türkiye.

The walk follows an elevated wooden boardwalk that winds through the narrow gorge above the Zarı Stream.

With the suspended wooden platforms it reminded me a little bit of the Caminito del Rey that we did in Spain at the end of last year.

 

TURKIYE: Preserved Ottoman Old Towns

Our next footsteps led us to the northern part of Türkiye along the Black Sea coast.

The Ottomans controlled the area since the mid 1400’s, and held it for roughly 450 years, until WW1.

We stopped in Safranbolu, slightly inland, with a well preserved old Ottoman city.

The name Safranbolu comes from saffron, which has traditionally been cultivated in the surrounding area.

By the 17th century Safranbolu had become a prosperous city as a trading and stopping point on the East–West caravan route between Anatolia and the Black Sea, part of the wider Silk Road network.

Safranbolu is a UNESCO World Heritage site because so much of the old town has survived.

 

PERU: The Stunning Northern Coastline

We had visited the Must-See places in Peru and wanted to get off the beaten track.

We figured the northern coastline would fit the bill.

The northern coast is a very different experience from the Andes mountains, with warm sunny weather, freshly caught seafood and sandy beaches.

We flew to Trujillo and rented a car to drive about 600km (360 miles) north up the coast.

We passed through fertile farm land and also dry desert stretches to reach Mancora. 

PERU: The Mysterious Machu Pichu

Machu Picchu is a 15th-century Inca citadel built high in the Andes mountains of Peru.

It sits at around 2,430 metres (7,970 ft) above sea level, surrounded by steep green mountains, clouds and valleys, creating a dramatic landscape.

Historians still debate exactly what it was used for. Perhaps a royal retreat, or perhaps a religious center, or perhaps a ceremonial place.

The unanswered questions add to its mystery.

PERU: High on Lake Titicaca

Lake Titicaca is the largest lake in South America.

It is also one of the highest navigable lakes in the world, sitting at about 3,812 metres (12,500 feet) above sea level.

It is in the Andes and shared between Peru and Bolivia.

For centuries, the lake has been home to Indigenous communities that still maintain traditional farming, fishing, weaving and ceremonies.

PERU: The Colca Canyon and Condors

The Colca Valley and Colca Canyon in southern Peru are about 160 km northwest of Arequipa. 

They follow the Colca River as it cuts through the Andes.

The Colca Valley is a green ribbon surrounded by high volcanic mountains, with villages, farms, and huge agricultural terraces carved into the hillsides.

Many of these terraces were built by pre-Inca peoples and many are still farmed today.

PERU: The White City of Arequipa

Arequipa is a colonial city in southern Peru.

It sits at about 2,335 metres (7,660 feet) above sea level and is surrounded by 3 volcanoes.

It is often called the “White City” because many of its historic buildings are made from white sillar, a pale volcanic stone created from eruptions of the volcanoes.

The historic centre is a UNESCO World Heritage Site and is known for its Spanish colonial architecture, large plazas, and churches.

BOLIVIA: The Faces of Fashion

Fashion can be a personal choice.

In Bolivia it can carry a lot of meaning beyond just appearance.

The traditional clothing worn by many Indigenous women in Bolivia, especially Aymara and Quechua women, is a visible statement of Bolivian culture.

The outfit has the traditional basics, and then, each woman adds her own personal touch. 

Not all the women wore the traditional clothing, but those that did, wore it with pride.

BOLIVIA: Capital Confusion

Bolivia is unique with two capital cities.

It is because of a political compromise reached after a civil conflict in the late 19th century.

Originally, Sucre was Bolivia's sole capital and the center of political power.

However, as the country's economy shifted from the silver mines around Sucre to the booming tin industry centered near La Paz, La Paz became more economically and politically influential.

So now, Sucre is the constitutional and official capital, where the Supreme Court is located.  

La Paz is the seat of government (administrative capital), where the executive and legislative branches operate.