As we sit here on the plane flying to Istanbul, I am excited to blog because we have been so busy the last couple of days and have had no time. We are meeting so many wonderful people and have been spending our time in their company.
Yesterday we both woke up in a sluggish mood and declared that we were going to have a "bum" day. This was shortly lived however when we decided that we would take a quick peak at Rose Valley and the quickness that we promised ourselves turned into hours! Hiking the valleys is addictive as there is so much beauty all around to be in awe of and in this valley in particular, lots of old cave churches to poke around in. Since Josh thinks he is Indiana Jones, we spent a long time searching every opening to each cave we saw in the hopes that we might discover something particularly amazing. We had irrational thoughts that we might find something undiscovered (as if the government hasn't combed the area thoroughly already!).
In the evening we met an awesome couple from Australia in our hotel and we shared dinner at a nice restaurant we had found a couple of days ago. We laughed over how much we had in common with James and Penny, even discussing mundane things like our favorite TV shows to see if anything differed (it didn't). Their travels end shortly but they were trying to convince us that Australia is worth a visit and that we could stay with them in Sidney...see how easy it is to become confused about an itinerary?
When we woke up today we really really promised ourselves that we would have a relaxing day because we were flying out tonight to Istanbul. We may have had a relaxing day (success!) but I can honestly say I had one of the most touching and heart warming days I have experienced on this trip.
We started the day with James and Penny and had a blast shopping for souvenirs. We compared haggling techniques with James and Penny being more blunt to ask directly for a discount and Josh and I trying the walk- out-of-the- store technique (it worked!). It was great to have them along to help us commit to some purchases as Josh and I can deliberate for hours and still not go home with anything!
When we arrived back at our hotel to check out we were welcomed with smiles and regret that we were leaving. We meant to venture out again for another walk before our flight but before you know it we are settling in and relaxing with the family who runs the hotel for the afternoon. They literally treated us like family and were so kind as to invite us to share their lunch which was amazing home cooked Turkish food. As always, it amazes me how well people can communicate a feeling of welcome and warmth without knowing a word of each others language. We sat at this large table with a handful of people, and without any words being said, I felt like I were sharing a conversation with each and every person.
One thing traveling has taught me is that human connection can be so powerful that it can transcend language. I almost wonder if speaking the same language can be a barrier to closeness sometimes because it is too easy to rely on small talk and innate details than to search for something deeper. I felt strongly connected to the mother of the family; by just looking into her eyes you could feel such warmth and kindness, like she would do anything to help you or comfort you in any situation. She had a great sense of humor and we had a lot of fun when she read the grounds from our Turkish coffee and said she saw chickens in my cup! I suppose that is up for interpretation!
We enjoyed the company of another woman that works in the hotel who is a refugee from Iran, applying for a visa to Canada. If it all works out she will be in Vancouver by February 1st and we excitedly exchanged information so she can get in touch when she arrives. One thing I can find difficult is the generosity of so many people. She wanted to offer me a gift and I had such a difficult time accepting it that I was coming across rude. I need to learn how to graciously accept generosity but it can be so difficult when you feel as though you have nothing to offer in return. I wonder about the reluctance of accepting things and whether this is a cultural thing from Canada or just something I struggle with. My theory is that as a culture we don't always mean what we say or what we offer, we simply do it to be nice and so if someone offers something where they will be put out, it is more polite to refuse. That's the beauty of traveling though, finding pieces of other cultures that you admire and adopting them as your own.
We could hardly leave the hotel when the shuttle came and we hugged everyone several times. It is unbelievable to me that we have only been in Turkey for 18 days but have met so many amazing people and I have truly been inspired by people's openness and kind-heartedness. Now off to Istanbul!
Yesterday we both woke up in a sluggish mood and declared that we were going to have a "bum" day. This was shortly lived however when we decided that we would take a quick peak at Rose Valley and the quickness that we promised ourselves turned into hours! Hiking the valleys is addictive as there is so much beauty all around to be in awe of and in this valley in particular, lots of old cave churches to poke around in. Since Josh thinks he is Indiana Jones, we spent a long time searching every opening to each cave we saw in the hopes that we might discover something particularly amazing. We had irrational thoughts that we might find something undiscovered (as if the government hasn't combed the area thoroughly already!).
In the evening we met an awesome couple from Australia in our hotel and we shared dinner at a nice restaurant we had found a couple of days ago. We laughed over how much we had in common with James and Penny, even discussing mundane things like our favorite TV shows to see if anything differed (it didn't). Their travels end shortly but they were trying to convince us that Australia is worth a visit and that we could stay with them in Sidney...see how easy it is to become confused about an itinerary?
When we woke up today we really really promised ourselves that we would have a relaxing day because we were flying out tonight to Istanbul. We may have had a relaxing day (success!) but I can honestly say I had one of the most touching and heart warming days I have experienced on this trip.
We started the day with James and Penny and had a blast shopping for souvenirs. We compared haggling techniques with James and Penny being more blunt to ask directly for a discount and Josh and I trying the walk- out-of-the- store technique (it worked!). It was great to have them along to help us commit to some purchases as Josh and I can deliberate for hours and still not go home with anything!
When we arrived back at our hotel to check out we were welcomed with smiles and regret that we were leaving. We meant to venture out again for another walk before our flight but before you know it we are settling in and relaxing with the family who runs the hotel for the afternoon. They literally treated us like family and were so kind as to invite us to share their lunch which was amazing home cooked Turkish food. As always, it amazes me how well people can communicate a feeling of welcome and warmth without knowing a word of each others language. We sat at this large table with a handful of people, and without any words being said, I felt like I were sharing a conversation with each and every person.
One thing traveling has taught me is that human connection can be so powerful that it can transcend language. I almost wonder if speaking the same language can be a barrier to closeness sometimes because it is too easy to rely on small talk and innate details than to search for something deeper. I felt strongly connected to the mother of the family; by just looking into her eyes you could feel such warmth and kindness, like she would do anything to help you or comfort you in any situation. She had a great sense of humor and we had a lot of fun when she read the grounds from our Turkish coffee and said she saw chickens in my cup! I suppose that is up for interpretation!
We enjoyed the company of another woman that works in the hotel who is a refugee from Iran, applying for a visa to Canada. If it all works out she will be in Vancouver by February 1st and we excitedly exchanged information so she can get in touch when she arrives. One thing I can find difficult is the generosity of so many people. She wanted to offer me a gift and I had such a difficult time accepting it that I was coming across rude. I need to learn how to graciously accept generosity but it can be so difficult when you feel as though you have nothing to offer in return. I wonder about the reluctance of accepting things and whether this is a cultural thing from Canada or just something I struggle with. My theory is that as a culture we don't always mean what we say or what we offer, we simply do it to be nice and so if someone offers something where they will be put out, it is more polite to refuse. That's the beauty of traveling though, finding pieces of other cultures that you admire and adopting them as your own.
We could hardly leave the hotel when the shuttle came and we hugged everyone several times. It is unbelievable to me that we have only been in Turkey for 18 days but have met so many amazing people and I have truly been inspired by people's openness and kind-heartedness. Now off to Istanbul!
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