A Call to Turkey 2006

                                                         

                                                    A Call to Turkey


During the winter months of ’06, a small group of friends started planning for a fall trip to Turkey. As we began to make these preparations, others looked on in wonder as to what would possess us to venture into such a volatile region of the world, especially to a country such as Turkey whose neighbors to the south and east were so unfriendly to the United States. However, the original group of 6 had heard nothing but glowing reports about Turkey and her people, so we began our initial inquiries into how best to see the country.

After looking into various offerings from US based tour operators, we decided to utilize a small Turkish owner/operated travel company out of Istanbul who had been personally recommended to us. I began corresponding with Mehmet Ozbalci ((Turfantastik Tours-turfantastic@turk.net) as to possible itineraries and pricing. His itinerary stopped at all of the”must see” sites as well as overnight stays in what were described as boutique hotels. This was a real selling point to our group, as we all preferred to avoid the larger hotel chains in our travels, preferring to stay in B&B’s or pensions.

Mehemt had proposed a 15 day tour commencing in September, just as the heat begins to subside and the bulk of the tourists have gone home. Hardly anyone travels during the winter months in Turkey, and while the mid summer months can be quite warm, the country still attracts tourists by the hundreds of thousands at that time of the year.

As you would expect, the cost for this 15 day privately guided tour depended on the number of travelers in the group. The price per person dropped substantially as our party of interested travelers increased. For a group of 12 the cost dropped to $2150/pp from $2850 for a group of six. This included all hotel stays w/breakfast, all dinners outside of Istanbul, a flight from Istanbul to Capadocia, airport transfers, and admission fees to all the sites visited, various day-boat excursions and ground transportation across Turkey. Airfare from Los Angeles is approximately $1000 via New York on American and Turkish Airways.

Our group of 12 began arriving in Istanbul on August 31st after stop-overs in almost every major capital in Europe due to the scheduling imposed by the airlines with regards to frequent flyer mileage usage. The drive from the airport to the Arcadia Hotel in Istanbul took us about 25 minutes along the water’s edge, then through the winding streets that looked as though they had been peopled by central casting. This old section of Istanbul with its cast of thousands and Hollywood set designs, complete with lighting and sound affects provided a grandiose welcome to this ancient Byzantine city.

As the last to arrive, we hurried to the rooftop restaurant via a 4 person elevator to meet up with the rest of the group. Upon stepping out to greet all of our friends, I was rendered speechless by the views before me. Directly in front of us was the “Blue Mosque” with its six minarets all lit up as if to physically challenge its neighbor to the left, the Aya Sophia. It was difficult to look past these two magnificent structures that were built almost 1000 years apart. The Blue Mosque was built by Mehmet Aga in the early 1600’s to rival the Aya Sophia completed in 537AD. The panorama of the city continued to amaze, as we sampled our first taste of Turkish cuisine and began getting accustomed to our cocktails with one ice cube. Additionally, we toasted our arrival and the beginning of this adventure with “raki” an anis flavored drink similar to the Greek’s Ouzo.

The call to prayer at 4:30am the following morning was a sure sign that we were not in Kansas as these melodic chantings emanated from the minarets, officially proclaiming our group’s arrival to this ancient Byzantine settlement and the beginning of our journey across Turkey.
Istanbul’s sites were in easy reach of our locale in the Sultanamet District which also has ample restaurants, shops, and an infinite variety of hotels. Our walk about this historic city began early the next morning as Mehmet called the role for our first day of touring. Due to the intimate size of our group, there was no need for the obligatory “tour flag” or umbrella with which to rally the lost members. It was just an easy stroll from our hotel to some of Istanbul’s most famous sites: the Byzantine Hippodrome, Blue Mosque and the Haghia Sophia.

We gathered, first, at the Hippodrome, the site of countless chariot races and the center of Byzantine and Ottoman life. Today, little is left of this sporting and political center with the exception of the Obelisk of Theodosius said to have been carved in Cairo and lugged across the continent and erected in AD 390. Next, we strolled across the courtyard and into the Blue Mosque. We had been warned that long pants would be required as well as covered heads for the women. We removed our shoes, and upon entering we were struck by the blue walls of tile, said to be in the tens of thousands, and stained-glass windows. The Mosque is an active place of worship as evidenced by the hundreds of prayer rugs on the floors. Just a short walk through some magnificent gardens, we were confronted by the Haghia Sophic (Aya Sofya, 537), considered to be the greatest church in the Christian world until Mehmet the Conqueror converted it to a Mosque in 1453. Today the building exists as a museum to the world and still a most impressive structure.
Because the history of Turkey spans several thousand years, and has hosted many foreign invaders and conquerors, it often becomes difficult to keep the Country’s time line straight. Early on, many of us decided to sit back, relax and absorb as best we could the sites and events that were being shared with us. The facts and dates would hopefully take care of themselves as our travels across Turkey continued.
After three days in Istanbul, the city continued to charm and amaze. The Basilica Cistern is an often missed site. Built in 532 AD to provide a continuous supply of water to the city in case of siege, today offers a welcome relief from the midday heat far beneath the city’s busy streets. Topkapi Palace, the home of various Sultans until the 19th century, hosts a magnificent collection of jewels and artifacts in a wonderful setting overlooking the Bosphorus. There is an ideal spot for lunch just outside the museum, with views over the waters separating Istanbul’s European side from its Asian side; the only city to reside on two continents.

The daily hustle and bustle that is Istanbul is that of an ancient city tentatively finding its way into the 21st century. One gets the feeling that the bargaining that goes on in the “Spice Bazaar” (est. 1660) and the “Grand Bazaar” (with over 4000 shops) will soon be an activity of the past, as the modern ways of commerce seek to streamline the bantering and do away with this time-honored, market tradition.
Day four, finds us departing on an early morning flight to the region of Cappadocia . This is one of the most photographed regions in Turkey due to the amazing volcanic rock formations that accent the landscape. Below ground is equally as spectacular, and visits to the underground cities with their cave dwellings and rock cut churches should not be missed The cave churches, with their magnificent frescos from the 10th century provide color and a rich sense of history to this unique area of Turkey. Our stay in Cappadocia, was at the well appointed Hotel Urgup Evi, a “cave hotel” which sits high up on the hillside offering breathtaking views of the valley below.
From the “fairy chimneys” to the underground cities, which in some cases housed as many as 10,000 people, we were amazed at the engineering skills that enabled the people to cut out these “Swiss Cheese” styled dwellings connected by paths, communal kitchens and incredibly deep wells. Many of these maze like structures are open to the public and are well worth the visit, but definitely not for the claustrophobic!
We then began our journey south to the coast and the city of Antalya with a stop in Konya, and the Mevlana Museum, home of the Whriling Dervish Sect whose members celebrate their faith through music and physical movement. This unique sect is taught to love everyone and everything while exhibiting unlimited tolerance towards other Muslims, Jews and Christians. Today, while mostly ceremonial in nature, the sect acts as goodwill ambassadors for a sometimes misunderstood country and religion.

After crossing the scenic Toros Mountains, we arrived in Antalya which is said to be the capital of the Turkish Mediterranean Coast. We stayed in the “old” section of the city where many of the buildings date from the Ottoman times and have been restored over the years as houses, hotels, pensions and quaint restaurants. Just a few short steps to the bluffs overlooking the harbor, the Hotel Dogan would be our home for the next two nights. This small hotel is a combination of 4 Ottoman style historic houses surrounding a manicured courtyard and small swimming pool.
The terraces and pool area were ideal for what had become a very important part of our trip………the 5’oclock cocktail hour …….at which time we recapped the high lights of the day, and shared all of our purchases and discoveries. As our trip progressed and we began depleting our supplies of duty free alcohol, our 5pm respite became more of a challenge and took us out onto the streets in search of spirits and mixes. With few exceptions, alcohol was available most everywhere in Turkey, with excellent offerings of beers and some wonderful red wines. Ice (“buz” pronounced booz) continued in short supply, and on some occasions it was kept away from the bar area and we suspected concealed under lock and key.

After just six short days our trip took on an air of relaxed adventure and exploration, as we tried to become “travelers” and not just tourists rushing thru a country. Our two and three night hotel stays allowed us to settle into an area, do some laundry, and familiarize ourselves with our surroundings before moving on. Dinner that evening in the Hotel’s courtyard was followed by a leisurely stroll down the cobblestone walks to take in the vistas overlooking the harbor and surrounding bays. What a charming way to end another perfect day in this very special corner of the world.

Antalya turned out to be a great base from which to see the ruins of the Roman city of Perge and the best preserved Roman Theater in the world at Aspendos, built in the 2nd century AD. In the afternoon we were left on our own to explore this unique coastal city.
While the women honed their bargaining skills on the local merchants, the men set out to sample some of the local brews. That evening our group shared an outdoor, cliffside restaurant with a young girl and her family and helped celebrate her 5th birthday with song and dance, as we all watched the sun vanish into the Mediterranean Sea.
The next day we detoured off the main road to the Mediterranean Coast and found the seaside village of Ucagiz. From there it was a short boat ride to the village of Kale, which is only accessible by sea and where we would spend our next three days. Kale is a small village with few inhabitants, but is world famous for its sunken ruins of Lycian Cities. Our stay there was at the waterside Kale Pension with its wonderful swimming area just off the docks that fronted the hotel. This small dock also served as the dinning area which was further complimented that evening by a partial lunar eclipse.

Dinners were always a relaxed event, consisting of a variety of courses and often extending late into the evening. The meals usually started with an offering of mezes, which could be anything from stuffed vegetables to calamari rings and all are familiar to the American pallet. Soups were numerous and usually quite delicious. The main dish was almost certainly some variation of lamb with sides of eggplant. If we were near the coast, fish would be offered, and was usually baked with the head still attached and the bones left in. Delicious breads of all varieties accompanied every course. While our dinners were always well-prepared, using the freshest of ingredients, the meals lacked variety and they soon began to take on a familiar taste as our trip progressed.

Our next day began early with offerings of bread, butter and honey along with the breakfast staples of salty black and green olives, tomatoes, cucumbers and the occasional hardboiled egg cooked somewhere between 3 and 5 minutes. My favorite was the “red bologna” that oft times graced the buffet line. Additionally, many in the group were replacing their first cup of coffee of the day with cay (tea) always with sugar and no milk. Personally, I think it was the pretty tulip shaped glasses that attracted everyone to the tea.

Our boat arrived back at the dock and we stepped directly onboard from our breakfast table to begin the day’s voyage. Kale Village is a stone’s throw away from the Island of Kekova and Asperiai, and the ancient ruins of the underwater Lycian Cities. While our boat was equipped with a glass bottom section, the views of the underwater ruins were far superior from the topside decks of the boat. No diving is permitted in or around these sunken remains as they are a protected natural treasure. However, we did make a swimming stop in a secluded cove before lunch so as to bask in the salty waters of the blue Mediterranean.
Lunchtime found us at another picture postcard stop. We shared the cove with a gorgeous collection of sailboats that were on extended overnight stays along the coast. Many travelers to Turkey will combine their land stays with a 3-5 night sail along the Mediterranean or Aegean coastlines. As the crew prepared the barbeques for lunch, we reflected on the sites we had seen, the people we had met along the way and our chance to renew old friendships in a truly unparalleled setting.
We were bid “gule gule” (bon voyage) by our hosts the next morning as we set off across the inlet to rejoin our waiting bus for the trip to Bodrum on the Aegean Sea. Our journey to the northwest included a stop in Dalyan and a boat ride to the sea, past the picturesque Lycian style rock tombs carved high up into the cliffs. We ended with a walk on Iztuzu Beach where sea turtles come by the thousands to lay their eggs. Over the years, with the help of “caution tape”, the turtles and sunbathers (some topless) have managed to coexist on this magnificent strip of beach that melts into the Aegean.
Bodrum is considered to be Turkey’s answer to a Greek fishing village with its white-washed homes draped by the ever present bougainvilleas, which added splashes of color to this pristine waterfront town. The quay was alive with captains trying to broker trips aboard their magnificent sail boats, many of them built here and in Antalya. Bodrum is a “hip” city with bars, clubs and restaurants desperately trying to become a part of the 21st century while at the same time respecting its own long standing history and diverse religious populations. Not an easy task.
The castle of St Peter, which dominates the harbor’s landscape, is well worth a visit, as it houses one of the most interesting underwater archeological museums in the world with shipwreck relics dating from the 14th century BC to the 11th century AD. The castle is an easy walk along the harbor’s edge and within easy reach of the lively waterfront market place.

As our adventure passed the three quarter mark, we were fast approaching Kusadasi and the out lying Roman City of Ephesus. It is said that Ehesus is the best preserved classical city in the eastern Mediterranean and a “must see” for every tourist to the area. Mehmet insisted on an early departure the next day so as to avoid the crowds that flock to the area via giant coaches dispatched from the cruise ships that regularly ply this part of the Mediterranean coast.
Ephesus is best enjoyed in the solitude and cool of the early morning and so we began our one-way decent to the “Library” along the main cobblestone road which is flanked by columns, gates and tombs all in various states of ruin and restoration. While all of the exterior marble has long since been removed by the “locals” the rest of the destruction is the result of earthquakes that have occurred over its almost 3000 year history.
The numerous baths along the way and the communal men’s toilets provided a unique opportunity to take some “goof” photographs in this otherwise, rather, scholarly arena. We were well ahead of the crowds when our group arrived at the Library. At one time this magnificent building held thousands of scrolls in it’s carved out niches. These scrolls along with other artifacts were well protected within the walls from the extreme temperatures and humidity present in the area which at one time had been very close to the sea.

We later realized what a rare treat it had been to visit and photograph this historical site in the peace and serenity of the early morning. When the crowds eventually caught up with us, Mehmet moved us off the Curetus Way and into the sanctity of the “Terrace Houses”.
The Terrace Houses must be visited in the company of a licensed guide and are probably the best example of what “life” was like during this period. This enclosed area is a terraced hillside of dwellings, whose excavations are currently in progress. The site provides a close-up view from suspended glass walkways of the exquisite mosaic flooring and frescos that adorn these residential ruins. Reluctantly, we ventured back out onto Curetus Way and towards the Sacred Way only to be confronted by the hundreds of people who had “joined” us in our stroll through history.
We made our way towards the Great Theatre alongside the elaborately constructed waterways and waste systems that pay tribute to those ancient civil engineers. The Great Theatre, rebuilt by the Romans between AD 41 and AD 117, could seat as many as 25,000 and until recently was a venue of choice by many touring rock groups until it was discovered that extensive damage was being done to the theatre as a result of the loud music and the thousands of concert goers. Our journey through Ephesus ended on Harbour Street, a magnificent tree-lined path that took us away from the ruins.
We took lunch in the nearby mountain village of Sirince on our way to Meryemana (Mary’s House). It is said that the Virgin Mary came to this area with St John to live out her remaining days. In 1967 Pope Paul VI gave credence to the site by proclaiming its authenticity. A lovely chapel sits in this wooded hillside area and it was certainly worth the hour or so of our time.
Having been over-whelmed by our visit to Ephesus, it was time for the group to begin thinking about getting back to Istanbul and our trip home. However, Mehmet had one more surprise waiting for us; the beautiful mountain village of Yesilyurt and the Cetmi Han Hotel. This Hotel is set into the mountainside, offering a serene collection of elevated gardens complete with hammocks, tables and chairs and stunning views of the opposing hillsides. The tiny village, just a short walk up the cobblestone road consisted of a collection of small shops offering olive products and the occasional display of spices. Once we had explored the shops and purchased some olive soaps, we all strolled back to our hotel to lounge about its luxurious gardens.

The courtyard setting provided an ideal backdrop for our final road trip cocktail party and a place to reflect on our experiences of the past two weeks. Dinner was one of our finest of the trip and an apt occasion to express our appreciation to Mehmet for all his planning and subsequent execution and to also say a formal good by to our driver Sadar, who would be leaving us the following day.
Before beginning our long drive back into Istanbul; we had one more stop on our itinerary, the ruins of Troy. Even though the ruins are part of Turkey’s World Heritage sites, Troy takes a great deal of imagination to be fully appreciated. Excavation of the site has revealed at least six ancient cities and possibly as many as nine, built one on top of another and dating back some 5000 years. If we are to believe Homer, then the Trojan Horse did play a crucial role in Troy’s history. However, most consider that the story is as bogus as the replica of the horse that guards the entrance to the site.
We moved on from Troy and headed for the ½ hour ferry crossing of the Dardanelles and the five hour bus ride back into Istanbul. For most of us this signaled the final days of our adventure across Turkey and a time to appreciate all that we had seen. Sharing this adventure with our longtime friends added a dimension to our travel that greatly enhanced the memories that we would all take with us.
I have been traveling about the world at every opportunity since I was fourteen years old. Fifty some years later, I still find the planning and anticipation of travel and the eventual trip, one of life’s great sources of pleasure. All of us on this trip would certainly agree that travel today has its share of hardships; whether it’s the myriad of security obstacles placed in our path at the airports, or just not enough ice in our drinks. Yes, it might be easier and safer to travel from the comfort of our armchairs and let Rick Steves handle the particulars; but if we had done this, then the “bad guys” would have won and we would certainly have lost.
Turkey is a safe, truly magical country and an exotic destination with a rich history that spans the centuries. Today’s Turks are proud of their Ottoman heritage and more than willing to share it with a western traveler, and that translates into unmatched hospitality. The country is rapidly moving into the 21st century and is beginning to emulate many of its western neighbor’s culture; and in doing so, will begin to lose much of what is so very special and exciting about today’s Turkey. My traveling companions and I will always be grateful that we answered this call to Turkey.
Submitted for your consideration and possible publication in your Travel Section:

Gary Brown
15291 Moulins Circle
Irvine, CA 92604
949 551-2220
gmbrown@earthlink.net

Australia '06 The Final Saga 4/3/06

                             Australia
                                  The Final Saga '06



It's Tuesday the 4th here......................Monday the 3rd there and we are in our final countdown and on the way home. When last we spoke, Susan and I were on our way to a small town on the southern coast called Robe. Thanks Cole's for the heads-up as we did stay at the Robe Heritage B&B. It was there that we began to think the final week of our trip. We had intended to loop around to the southwest and meander down to the ferry and the ride across to Kangaroo Island. However, we found ourselves in an area about as exciting as the geography between Bakersfield and Fresno..................no offense anyone. But it was flat and devoid of anything interesting so we adjusted and decided to head straight for Adelaide.....
A couple of days there and then down to the ferry and returning to the north and the Clare Valley and Barosa (two wine districts to the north of Adelaide)after Kangaroo Island (KI).....................that plan lasted until we arrived in Adelaide. We got off to a bit of a bad start arriving in town just prior to the rush hour.......thought we had a little bit of time until the Tourist Information office shut down......not realizing that we had just crossed thru a 1/2 hour time zone change..................that's getting a bit picky.
Did manage to get settled in to a great spot that was in the center of town. Began to explore before dinner and as "luck" would have it Susan located her biggest casino yet. It was located in part of the historic train station and even I couldn't resist throwing a few bucks at the "Aussies". We both had good luck and left with more than enough for dinner and our next day's travels.

We had thought of Adelaide for another day but weren't sure about the drive to the ferry early the next morning so after a quick tour of the city (to include the Adelaide Museum with virtually all of Adelaide's sixth grade students there.......................I thought museums were places of whispers and contemplation)........the circle bus around the city an finally to an Aborigine Expo.............................love it how every country has there own particular indigenous group to pick on. They really do need to give them their own collection of Casinos and be done with it.
Left Adelaide for the southern Fleurieu peninsula in our anticipated assault on Kangaroo Island and all the Kangaroos that awaited us..............Still no actual "out in the wild" animal sightings.........oh I take that back, I did sight a group/herd/collection/whatever of Emu...................and here I thought they only existed in cross word puzzles. Saw them off to the side and were able to sneak up on them..................sorry no photo record as they would have come out as 3-4 big rocks in the distant.

Located and wonderful wine district to the south of Adelaide called McClaren Vale and decided on a place close by for our 9am ferry crossing the next day.......dinner at the pub down the street where we consumed our 100th order of chips (fries) to date........Dr Atkins would not have been pleased with my diet.....Judy Hinch might......I start each day with cereal, milk, sugar, OJ.....maybe a banana......then it's on to toast and baked beans.....a cooked tomato or two and bacon and eggs.......chips for lunch.....chips for dinner.......then to bed on a full stomach.


The ferry ride across to KI is about an hour. Sloppy seas but the "Sealink" handled it just fine......we had cars trucks, campers......all helped to stabilize the ride over. Once there, it was off the Ferry and on to the tour buses and let the wild animal sightings begin. We left our car on the other side as we had booked two days of touring/one free day and two nites lodging all over the internet for quite a good price.

We hadn't however, bargained for the intensity of these tours. Arriving there at 10am we were not to return to the Lodge we were staying at until 7pm that evening. KI is a long 100+ km island with all the sights at one end and all of the hotels and lodging at the other or in the middle..................roads vary from paved to washboard with everything in between. The first day we took in the Bee Farm...........Eucalyptus Oil factory..........the wildlife park........then down to the beach and a visit with the Australian Sealion Colony......a walk along the beach with a guide amongst the seals...............they are out in the water feeding for three days.....then back to the beach for three days of rest. Just imagine how exciting sleeping sealions can be? The day did end on a high-note as Jeff and Jill will attest as we made it back for the 5pm pelican feeding. Quite a spectacular event but none the less a bit contrived.
The next day we were the first ones picked up for the day's touring and got the primo front seats......watch out Turkey Travelers as we jostle for position on the bus each morning. Took about an hour to pick everyone up then started the days events. Today turned out much better as we toured the Kelly Hills Caves......then to the "Remarkable Rocks" which really were.....then on to the "Admiral's Arch......all quite spectacular.

Ended the day at the Pure Sheep Dairy.........well if you've never seen sheep being milked your life has a big void. That evening we took the Ferry back and spent the next day touring the wine district to the South of Adelaide.

As I write this we are in Glenelg, a "lovely" beach town just a few miles from the airport. Tomorrow we flyback to Melbourne 7am then Melbourne on home arriving back in LA about the same time and day we took off from here.

Hope I haven't bored you all, but it gives me a record to look at when I get home.......it's a big country and we really did cover so little of it.........If you haven't been this direction, I'd warm up with a few trips to New Zealand then if you have the time and energies you can tackle Australia. I think we've got another Australian trip in us,

but I need a vacation first..................................gary

Hello Mates 3/27/06

                                                  Australia '06
                                                        Hello Mates

Greetings............................and thanx for all of your concerns with regards to the cyclone. It hit Australia way to the north but the implications are being felt all across Australia. Reminds me of what the US went thru with the devastation in New Orleans. Same sort of finger pointing with the politicians trying to explain away the cries of too little too late. Some things are indeed Universal. Its been fun being down here with the games going on in Melbourne. Great pride thru out the country especially since the Australians are winning most of the gold.
The coverage of the games is so one sided that all they seem to broadcast are those events in which the Ausies win gold. The games did end a day or so ago and the country seems to be returning to normal.
When we last spoke, Susan and I had just arrived in Hobart in the southern part of Tasmania. Tasmania has been a real treat...................still no Kangaroo sightings other than those beside the highway with Michelin Tire markings up their backsides. We decided on three nites in Hobart at a great B&B that had been recommended by our hosts from a few nites back.......the referral system continues to work for us. Jeff and Jill, we stayed in the battery district just down the way from Leena of Hobarts........my, you guys spared no expense as that was quite the hotel. We booked a coach tour out to Port Arthur Penal colony and a visit for the day.

Quite a place, never an execution, but nevertheless a real hell hole. For many tho, it was a job training experience for life on the outside. No one was ever sent there directly from England, you had to be a re-offender to be sentenced there. Everyone did 4-12 months in solitary......just so as to get with the program.....then your training began. An awful lot of people learned a number of job skills that were important to Australia. The jail operated from the mid 1800's until it closed in 1877.......very few escapes!
One of the biggest tragedies to take place happened about ten years ago when a gun man came on the grounds to take the tour and ended up gunning down 35+ employees and tourists. Needless to say this put a bit of a damper on the spot as a tourist destination but it seems to have survived as hundreds were touring the day we were. Saturday in Hobart was Market day, and like everything else we seen to find the similarities between the US and the rest of the world most striking. Saw the same Sun Glass displays and Sock displays we find at our swap meets.........some items a bit more crafty but still the items found there for

the most part could be found at any swap meet in the states. My purchase for the day was a CD of Chinese music This guy was playing his two string violin and I was sold.................only problem is that it is so soothing its difficult to drive while listening to this guy..................After the Market we took a day trip out of town to a Town called Richmond and then to the Royal Botanical Gardens back in Hobart. Very comfortable city with a great array of seafood...................got pretty good a driving around in traffic.........Susan lost a few bucks at the waterfront casino and it was time to move on.

Sunday, found us heading to the airport for our 1-hour flight back to Melbourne. Our flight back was un-eventful as airline flights should be and as we were landing back into Melbourne I couldn't help but feel that with Bush's ratings at an all-time low he could use some version of the Pan Am games to rally his supporters. It did wonders for Melbourne and Australia's Prime Minister.......Tony Blair was here........the Queen earlier on and even Prince Charles and Camila showed up for the festivities. Bush could call our games the "American Meddles" and invite athletes from all those countries whose politics the US has meddled in with somewhat questionable results.....

Can't you just picture the Iraqi delegation heading up the opening ceremonies followed by..........the Iranians, the Cubans, not to be out done by the delegations from North and South Vietnam........don't forget the Koreans both north and south...................and we could even field participants from the confederate and rebel states.....

It could be a "lovely" affair and a sure ratings booster for the President. He should really think on it as his ratings are even lower on this side of the Pacific..................oh well, couldn't resist that!

We turned our phone in back in Melbourne as it wasn't working and weren't really using it. Verizon didn't work here like Sprint did last time in NZ. Picked up our rental car at the airport and the gal behind the counter upon seeing our rental agreement asked if Irvine was near Tustin as she had flown to the OC twice to act as a delivery nurse for her girlfriend (what's the word I'm looking for?)........................asked her how she learned how to home deliver and she said she purchased a kit over the Internet..................that was trusting...............she did it twice with both deliveries under an hour.
Made every effort to avoid the city center of Melbourne as the games were breaking up and people heading for home. Circled the city and headed out to the southwest for the "Great Ocean Road" up to Adelaide and Kangaroo Island. Took us about an hour plus to reach the surfing beach of Torquay where we had lunch on the bluffs over looking a dismal surf day. Weather was gorgeous and the temperatures in the upper 80's.
Headed out for Apollo Bay and the beginning of the Great Ocean Road......compares in spots to our Highway One up the coast from San Francisco.......................I like ours better but this is pretty spectacular. About an hour outside of Apollo Bay we encountered a terrible motorcycle accident. Two riders dead, covered with make-shift blankets, motor cycles scattered about with the police just arriving...................put a bit of a damper on the rest of the trip................but we arrived safely in Apollo Bay to find a cozy B&B..........................Jeff and Jill, this trip beginning to sound familiar?
Awoke the next day to drizzles and fog.....................not a good thing since we were closing in on the "Twelve Apostles" and good weather is a must to see these magnificent structures along the coast........probably Australia's most photographed rocks along the Highway........................actually make that 11 Apostles as one of the massive rock stuctures fell over awhile back..........................but as they are always being formed and shaped by the sea they are sure to be back to twelve and certainly more in the years ahead. Actually the weather co-operated but was still cold and blustery.
Ended our day at Port Fairy several hundred kilometers from Adelaide. Found another great B&B to lay our heads (actually bump our heads) as Susan went for quaint and booked us into one with ceilings lower than our place in Catalina.......nice place and a wonderful dinner in town.....................still walking to dinner at night for fear of being pulled over....................sober I'm lucky to be on the right (left) side................

Today finds us headed to Robe (another Jeff and Jill stop) still about an 1 1/2 hours away in Mt Gambier (sp) We are headed for the Barossa wine district outside of Adelaide for a Day or two then to Kangaroo Island, back to Adelaide for the flight to Melbourne and then on home on the 5th.......................Matthew.....clean the house up we are on the way home...........................


.gary and susan

Greetings from Down Under Australia 3/22/06

                  Greetings from Down Under
                                                            Australia  2006

Greetings Everyone,
It really was a long flight, made a bit easier after upgrading to business class. We felt we got such a deal on the coach fare, that a few bucks more would be well worth it. United had just upgraded it's business class to an almost fully reclining seat so after a few drinks..............sleep wasn't much a a problem. Rosemary Howes, you would have hated the flight inasmuch as we took off on Thursday the 16th, missed the 17th(St Patrick's Day) crossing the international date line and arrived Sydney on Saturday the 18th. A short layover in Sydney at it was back on the plane for Melbourne (Melbun) where we joined most of the commonwealth from around the world celebrating the Commonwealth Games.

The City was all decked out hosting the games which consisted of the summer Olympics with only the commonwealth nations being invited......Australia, NZ, So. Africa, India, Canada, England.........didn't the U.S. once belong?.......................but we were not invited. 24 Hour coverage on the TV to include cricket, and lawn bowling.........about as thrilling as Olympic Curling. We were two nites in Melbourne getting quite good at riding the train system as well as the tram system. One of the oldest systems in the world and covers virtually the entire city. We stayed a bit out of town and thank god I didn't have a car then what with all of the tram tracks......me sitting on the wrong side of the car......and driving on the wrong side of the street had all the makings of a disaster....................my days of easy driving are about to end as we do return to Melbourne, pick up a car and head for the Great Ocean Road.......then on to Kangaroo Island then up to Adelaide.........but I'm getting ahead of myself. Had some great fun downtown with all the other tourists......all you had to do was to pull out a map and a host of volunteers for the games would descend on you to see if you needed help..............and usually we did.
It was nice tho, since almost everyone was from out of town and need help navigating the city. Had a great stay,with some fine meals.
Monday, the 20th we caught an early "Virgin Blue" flight to Tasmania, I have to say that Richard Branson really does know how to operate an airline...........he handles most of the in country flights in Australia......now New Zealand and he is beginning to operate through out the So Pacific as far north as Samoa. We arrived in Tasmania (its that big chunk of land to the south of Melbourne) a brief one hour flight. Off the plane to our rental car......

Here I go...............................We had rented a phone in Melbourne for the trip but it turned out to be about as clear as talking thru tin cans over a string................we plan on turning the phone back in, in a day or so. We did manage one phone call and got a room for the night. Into the town of Lauceston in the middle and to the north of the Island. Our B&B was a well kept secret as we couldn't understand directions to the place........lousy phone....and couldn't get thru the accent. After driving in circles for awhile we realized the B&B was in a pedestrian maul and couldn't be reached by car..........................finally arrived to a lovely place.........if you are here long enough one begins to use "lovely" more and more.......................Got our bearings and headed out of town for a walk up
Cataract Gorge for a "spot" of lunch and then returned to the car for a drive up the Tamar Valley to the northern most tip called Beauty Point and a short visit to the "Sea Horse Museum and Research Facility" Tasmania is a bit short on cultural spots but do their best when it comes to nature and the wilder things in life.

The Tamar Valley is quite a wine region but I'm still a bit hesitant to drink and drive with the level at .05 and
the jail time even harsher. Got back into Launceston and stumbled upon a Mexican Restaurant that wasn't half bad...............always enjoy trying the local cuisine.
We had hoped to spend another nite there but there was no room at the Inn.......so we headed out early the next morning for St Helens on the East Coast of Tasmania.......................about a two hour drive for those who know where they are going and are comfortable racing about on the left side of the road. Reached the coast with nothing special in mind as to where to stay or what to see. Even tho, Tasmania is touted as a natural habitat for species unknown anywhere else in the world, our only experience has been observing the "dead ones" that didn't make it across the road the nite before. Unlike the 'possums of New Zealand, the Tasmanian 'road kills" are a bit larger in scale.................the wambats........the wallabys........ and even the Tasmania Devils will all  play hell with the front end of your car should you encounter them at night..................it is still my hope to see live ones of the above species, that aren't caged or have tire marks across their bodies......Jeff and Jill have promised me live animals once we reach Kangaroo Island.

We made our way down the east coast to a lovely (there's that word again) town of Bicheno about 125 miles to the north of Hobart. Found a great B&B "the Old Tram Road Bed and Breakfast" ........decided to spend a couple of nites there and take some day trips out from the town. Great National Park system that we found out on the coast then back to the nature park to witness the 4pm feeding of the Tasmania Devils..............nasty little guys who really like there "meat"...............................my first live animal viewing!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Did see Australia's three varieties of snakes..................since there are only 3, and all are venemous............I guess it best to avoid snakes in general.
Today, we took a leisurely drive, down the coast to Hobart. The weather was dry but a bit overcast. Our hosts from Bicheno had made reservations for us in Hobart, and a good thing as the town is fairly well booked. Tomorrow, I take a break from the driving ritual as we have booked a coach tour out to the Port Arthur Penal colony.........weather is scheduled to head into the 80's (mid 20's centigrade to us locals).........so we should have just a "lovely" day of touring about.
Sunday we fly back to Melbourne to begin our drive up the Great Ocean Road on our way to Kangaroo Island then eventually on to Adelaide.........that's all for now..........................Matthew, don't kill Mom's plants and pick-up Trinity"s shit..................love to all...................your mate, Gary