I have always said that some families buy nice cars or some families buy big houses, but my family, we travel. I have been to more than half of the United States, Mexico, Canada, and I have travelled extensively through Italy, Ireland, Germany, Costa Rica, and now Turkey. My family decided to explore Turkey for a few of reasons; we could say we have set foot in Asia, Turkey would be a little easier on the wallets compared to anywhere else we wanted to go, and possibly the most important selling point for us, was the idea that Turkey is the crossroads of the world. Turkey connects Asia and Europe, East and West, Islam and Christianity. We were sure that Turkey would be a brand new and unique experience for us.
My parents always book trips through a tour company called Cosmos, we had used them for nearly every other trip and they do a fantastic job blending relaxation with adventure. My mom says if all the planning was left up to her and my dad they would end up getting a divorce before we even left on the plane. I suppose it’s a good thing they use Cosmos because Cosmos finds all the hotels, arranges breakfast and dinner, provides the transportation, and plans what sites we will visit and when. Cosmos groups about 30 travelers from various countries together on one tour bus and we spend the next two weeks eating together and taking pictures for each other. Cosmos has done a fantastic job picking knowledgeable tour guides before and we weren’t going to worry about that. It was a given we would use Cosmos for Turkey.
We touched down in an airport just outside of Istanbul. Okay, Istanbul is a city of about 15 million people and that is not an exaggeration at all. Buildings covered any open land in sight, people were all over the place, and cars moved at dangerous speeds. As with any big city, Istanbul smelled horrible, but it had a certain charm to it. Especially at night, the Bosporus looked beautiful with all the lights. All of us took a cruise on a ferry down the Bosporus and some of the mansions along side it were massive. Everywhere you looked there were two minarets reaching toward the sky, and you could tell there was a mosque hiding amidst the buildings. Next we saw the ancient city of Ephesus; it was amazing. There were remains of massive buildings, roads, and ancient backgammon games all over the historic site. Turkey is famous for its carpets and we saw a carpet factory, my parents spent the better part of two hours searching for a carpet to purchase. We saw the remains of Troy and of course a rebuilt Trojan horse. The WWI battlefield of Gallipoli was another major stop; the shore was as spectacular as the mountains around them, but it was a melancholy visit knowing the bloody battles that took place decades ago. We saw the massive Hagia Sophia and the breathtaking Blue Mosque. One of the wonders of the ancient world, the Temple of Artemis was also on the agenda.
My family and I saw many exciting things in Turkey, but the one thing I took away from the trip is the extreme similarities between Christians and Muslims. I realized for better or worse most people in the world have very common traits, no matter where they come from. Humans can be kind, hypocritical, or humorous, no matter what religion or what country; people are all very similar beings. That’s what I’ll remember most.
Dear Reader: This page may contain affiliate links which may earn a commission if you click through and make a purchase. Our independent journalism is not influenced by any advertiser or commercial initiative unless it is clearly marked as sponsored content. As travel products change, please be sure to reconfirm all details and stay up to date with current events to ensure a safe and successful trip.
0 Replies to “Trip to Turkey”
Comment on this article
This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed.
ok it was funny not like a formal article
Very informative blog.Much thanks again. Much obliged.
Wow, great article.Thanks Again. Great.
I’m extremely pleased to find this web site. I wanted to thank you for your time just for this fantastic read!! I definitely enjoyed every part of it and I have you saved to fav to check out new stuff in your website.
Really interesting post!
Thanks for sharing the article with the information we are actually looking for.
Well, I tend to be a very critical person with a critical bent of mind who always comments on others post emphasizing on the missed-out points. However, your writer seems to have done a great job as there’s nothing much that I can think of saying. It is an amazing write-up that is extremely useful for your concerned target audience. I’m definitely going to share this on Twitter.
Enjoyed looking at this, very good stuff, thanks.
Great info. Lucky me I found your blog by chance (stumbleupon).
I have bookmarked it for later!
Some truly great posts on this site, regards for contribution.
Very great post. I just stumbled upon your weblog and wished to say that I’ve truly loved browsing your weblog posts. After all I will be subscribing to your rss feed and I am hoping you write once more soon!
Pretty! This was a really wonderful post. Thank you for your provided information.
Wonderful blog! I found it while surfing around on Yahoo News.
Do you have any tips on how to get listed in Yahoo News?
I’ve been trying for a while but I never seem to get there!
Thank you
Rent a professional limousine service in Dubai with safety equipments
I believe you have observed some very interesting points, thanks for the post.
I pay a visit everyday some sites and websites to read content,
but this website gives quality based articles.
very useful topic
And very important
This is great,
I hope to do something like this
very useful topic
And very important
Please Fwd to author:
Your wallet has been found at IC Ranger station JTNP
Good day! Would you mind if I share your blog with my zynga group?
There’s a lot of people that I think would really appreciate your content.
Please let me know. Thank you
Heya i’m for the first time here. I came across this board and I find
It truly helpful & it helped me out a lot. I’m hoping to offer
one thing back and aid others such as you helped me.
Excuse for that I interfere … To me this situation is familiar. Let’s discuss. Write here or in PM.
This excellent phrase is necessary just by the way
I join. It was and with me. We can communicate on this theme. Here or in PM.
So many amazing selections! I wasn’t familiar with many of them. We just did Grapevine last week, which never disappoints. Christmas capital of Texas. ??????
Is it alright to reference some of this on my page if I include a backlink to
this site?
Thanks , I’ve recently been looking for information about this topic for a long time and yours is the best I have discovered so far. But, what concerning the bottom line? Are you certain about the source?
Thank you for your post.Really thank you! Cool.
wonderful blog !! love reading your post.
Greetings from Colorado! I’m bored to tears at
work so I decided to check out your site on my iphone during lunch break.
I love the info you present here and can’t wait to take a look when I get home.
I’m shocked at how fast your blog loaded on my cell phone ..
I’m not even using WIFI, just 3G .. Anyhow, great site!
Every weekend i used to pay a visit this web page, because i wish for enjoyment, for the reason that this this
site conations genuinely pleasant funny material too.
Eco-therapy or nature therapy, sometimes comprehensively called family-centred nature therapy or outdoor therapy entails using the environment of nature and its various elements to become involved in the autism therapy process for persons on the spectrum.
We love your offering these details for folks hoping to get more information about topics like this. Your blog page was well-written and well investigated, that is certainly considerably liked. I am generally seeking for new sites to follow and browse on a regular basis.
Thank you so much for sharing this blog with us. Really Informative blog.