Here is the slide show of some of our pictures of our trip to Istanbul, Turkey in February 2007. It was great seeing my sister, brother-in-law, nephew and mom. We had been to Istanbul before, but going back is always great.
For full size images, please follow the link below:
Thank you for reading all our posts and thank you for your friendship and love. The table of contents for the travelog is below with easy links to each entry:
All good things must come to an end and saying goodbye to family is especially hard.
Goodbye Mom.
Our first goodbye was to Mom who returned to London on the Sunday before we left. We were due to leave the following Wednesday. On the morning of Mom’s departure, Judith and Ahmet took us to this great restaurant where they served an awesome buffet breakfast. The restaurant was in an old fortress or something similar and still had the castle battlements. It was a great place to eat.
It was then that the reality of the impending departures really hit us but then we know that it only means there will be a future hello. We tried to spend the time constructively talking about the time we had spent together and the great time we wanted to spend with each other in the future. But the time passed all too quickly and we had to leave.
We took Mom to the airport in the afternoon and the security measures were stunning. While we were waiting for the plane we spent our final moments joking around and drinking coffee. The time together had come to a rather abrupt and all too sudden end.
Of course there were tears, but there was also joy that we had reconnected and that we had more shared experiences and more memories together. My nephew was sad to see his Aiya leave. He never says goodbye to people. He has said to many goodbyes in his short life.
Of course when mom left we promised to see her in London during Chinese New Year 2008. We will indeed be going home to the motherland then.
Goodbye Ahmet
After Mom left, Ahmet decided to drive us into Taksim for a few beers and some food. As we said earlier, Taksim is a great hangout. We loved being there and walking around the neighborhood. This time they were trying to find some games for Tibet. We were unsuccessful but the restaurant was wonderful, the beers chilled, the food great and conversation uplifting.
Ahmet was due to leave on the Monday morning. We asked him to wake us before he left so we could say goodbye. He didn’t. This is Ahmet’s way.
We were happy to spend the time with him. For Queenie to meet him for the first time was great and for me (Paul) to see him for the first time after 10 years was wonderful. We hope the next time we meet will be less than 10 years and that we can see him in Taiwan soon.
Goodbye Judith and Tibet
Our final day in Turkey was on a Tuesday. Judith took us to her school and we had breakfast together. Afterwards, while we waited for her to finish, we went down to a quiet park in the middle of Istanbul. There were birds and a lake, but it was winter so the park was a bit barren. As usual there was a smart restaurant overlooking the lake. We went there, had a few cups of Turkish tea and then wanted to leave. They didn’t charge us. Said it was for free. What a great country.
We went back to Judith’s school where we observed two of her classes. They were fun to watch. Kids are the same everywhere (Taiwan or Turkey) and watching them try their best to learn English is always fun. They seem to derive so much pleasure from it.
We spent the last night together at the restaurant in the Kultuur park. We ate great food and had a great conversation.
The following morning we woke-up and said a difficult goodbye to Judith and Tibet. They promised to come to Taiwan in Summer 2008. Here is hoping it all works out and that they can make it.
The Journey Home
So the journey home was also tough. On the way from Istanbul to Frankfurt there was a thunderstorm that seemed to get a little too close for comfort. Actually some lightning seemed to strike right outside the plane. We slept practically all the way from Frankfurt to Hong Kong and arrived as sick as two dogs as the people behind us had the flu and coughed all over us.
We landed in Hong Kong on a Thursday morning. Queenie left her iPod on the plane so we took a long time to get out of the airport as they had to recover it. In the evening I (Paul) had to attend a lecture on corporate finance. All good things do indeed come to an end…
Final Thoughts…..
Our family is truly international. My mother lives in England, my sister, nephew and brother-in-law in Turkey (and different parts of Turkey as my brother-in-law is on the ships), my father lives in South Africa and we live in Taiwan. Queenie’s father works in China and so we truly are in international.
Although we are a family apart, we are a family close at heart. We continue to love and care for each other even though the times we spend together are short. It is when time is a treasured commodity and not in abundance that you truly start to understand the impact and depth of your love for those you care for. Living apart is tough for us all but the love is real.
I guess the greatest lesson from this is that time is precious, and time with loved ones even more so. So next time you get mad with someone you love, put aside your differences and your pride, say you are sorry and get over it.
Sultanahmet is the must see district of Istanbul! It is the main tourist district with three of the biggest tourist attractions in Istanbul: The Topkapi Palace, Aya Sofia and the Blue Mosque. Each building and museum has its own special attraction that makes it worthwhile. The great thing though is that you can see all three sights within a day (but that would be very quick and there are also other things to see and do in Sultanahment). This time we just spent time visiting Aya Sofia and the Blue Mosque. We gave Topkapi a miss.
(Aya Sofia)
(The Blue Mosque)
The first time we went to Istanbul, we spent an incredible amount of time in Sultanahmet (at least three ~ four days). There is a lot to see and do there and since it is one of the main tourist sites it is relatively easy to get there (unless you are coming from my sister's house).
Since we had already been there once we weren't too fussed to go there again but then, after we found we had nothing to do one day, we dragged off Mom and Tibet for a crazy journey to the famous district. Once again getting there was a 90-minute journey on a bus, train and tram!
Another Long Journey Ends
By the time we arrived we were exhausted. Queenie wasn't feeling very good so we decided to find a café, get some refreshments and relax for a short while. We were in no rush as Mom and Tibet had also been to this area a few times before.
We found a great little café buried in the ancient walls of one of the buildings with a great view of Aya Sofia. We sat outside, ordered the usual Turkish tea and watched the crowd go by. It was still cold but sunny so we were enjoying the day out. We weren’t in a rush to see everything.
Memory of an Arrest
We have great memories of this place from the first time we visited in 2001. However, one of the most shocking memories occurred outside Aya Sofia. On one of the days I (Paul) was standing outside Aya Sofia where I was approached by an illegal street side vendor selling postcards. He started showing the postcards too me but I was impetuous and not understanding him reach for the postcards and took them from him to look at them. In a flash we were surrounded by police who handcuffed him, threw him in the back of the car and left us standing there in shock with me holding the postcard.
We were hoping this time not to cause too many waves and that we could get into and out of Aya Sofia without too much trouble. So, after our break we decided to start moving around a bit more. We headed off for Aya Sofia. The parks outside this landmark are beautiful and we really enjoyed the walk through the park and looking at the flowers and trees.
Horse Carriage
On the way to Aya Sofia we were distracted by some horses and a carriage. These were the latest tourist attraction (they weren't there six years ago). Of course Tibet wanted to go for a ride and so we did. We negotiated the price (sorry can't remember what it was) jumped on the carriage and off we went. Now these horses for a time run on the road between the cars, buses and trams. It can be quite scary. After a short time though, the horses turned off into the park beneath Topkapi palace. While on the road we managed to greet Istanbul (see video below).
So after a 20-minute hair-raising journey on the horse carriage, which we all thoroughly enjoyed, we were delivered back to the entrance of Aya Sofia alive.
Aya Sofia
After some debate we decided to go into the cathedral/mosque/world heritage site. Aya Sofia was apparently the first cathedral (Church) ever built. After the fall of the Istanbul it was converted into a Mosque. When Ataturk, the father of modern Turkey, took over Turkey from the Ottomans, he decommissioned it and turned it into a museum. Since Muslims do not have any images or representations in their religion, they had painted over the walls. Many ancient paintings have since been discovered on the original walls of the museum and so there is a lot of work being done to uncover the paintings so the world can see them now.
Aya Sofia is an impressive building. The main hall is huge and spacious. There are also many nooks and crannies which one can explore. It is certainly a must see for any first time visitors to Istanbul. We spent an hour and half inside Aya Sofia. We thought that would be enough.
The Blue Mosque
After leaving Aya Sofia, we got a bite to eat for lunch and then took a very short walk over to the Blue Mosque. This is another must-see structure and its free. We walked across the park to the Blue Mosque and went inside. There is no entrance fee but you have to take your shoes off. Also, non-Muslims are only allowed in the rear portion of the Mosque as the front is used for praying. You are also not allowed to sit on the floor at the back and of course they ask you don’t make a lot of noise.
The Blue Mosque is also beautiful and spacious inside. There is not much to see except stand there and take in the space and architecture of the building. We never went in at prayer time (I don’t think we can get in at prayer time but not sure) so there were only a few people praying in the front part of the Mosque. We stayed inside for about 15-minutes and then left as quietly as we came in.
The Carpet Street
After leaving the Blue Mosque we took a walk down to the carpet market at the bottom of the Blue Mosque, down some stairs. When we went to Turkey the first time many of the market store owners wanted to show us their carpets. We were fairly honest with them telling them we didn’t want to buy any carpets. They still insisted we go inside with them and take a look (I guess they thought we would change our minds). Unfortunately for them we really didn’t want to buy carpets but at each carpet show we were treated like royalty and were given tea and snacks.
This time however we were invited inside the stores but when we declined it was accepted. The first time we went to Turkey the country was in economic decline. Things are better now so we weren’t so desperately sought after.
We spent some time walking down the street, looking at the different shops. At the entrance to the market is a rather large outdoor café. Well of course after our meander through the streets we went to get some refreshments before the long journey home.
After taking another small break we headed out home. Another 90-minute journey saw us arriving back in time to meet Judith after work. Once again another wonderful day with Mom and Tibet had come to an end.
A short fifteen minute drive from my sister Judith's house is the Kultuur Park. This little park is a great place to drink tea, eat authentic Turkish food, smoke a hooka or just spend time relaxing.
On the first day in Istanbul, my sister took us to her school. We spent time in the afternoon playing with our nephew Tibet and in the evening we went to the Kultuur Park for dinner. On one side of the park is a bunch of traditional hubbly-bubbly restaurants. These restaurants are typically small and are geared for the Turkish men to come in and smoke hookas.
The décor inside is very simple and no one inside speaks any English nor are there any English menus so it is best to go there with someone who can speak some Turkish. We randomly selected a restaurant. It was really cold outside but inside was warm and welcoming and the perfect place for a meal.
Judith ordered some simple but incredibly delicious food that arrived very quickly. We also got reacquainted with the ayraan (Turkish yoghurt) and some other dishes that we had eaten in Turkey before.
While we were waiting for our food, three men walked inside, sat at the table opposite us and ordered tea and three hookas. It was the first time we had actually seen people smoking them and so we were quite interested to see how it all worked. Well, it wasn’t that exciting and I guess, instead of hanging out in bars, the men in Turkey would hang out in these places and smoke. Not much wrong with that.
The waitress, realizing we were tourists, also gave us a wonderful tour of their small kitchen. The stove was a coal stove, not electric, and the kitchen really looked very rustic, but it was very clean.
A Second Visit
On another day, after visiting the Marmara sea, my Mom and Tibet took us there for a few hours in the afternoon. We got to play some soccer with Tibet but unfortunately, after about 10 minutes, the ball landed up in a thorn bush and went flat. Well, what else could we do but stop off in another hubbly-bubbly, eat some snacks and drink some tea. And so we did!
The weather on that day was fantastic so we sat outside and chatted. We played some games with Tibet and just spent some great time with the family. We also got to see a little more of the park.
(All of us in the Kultuur Park)
The Silk Road Runs Through
On one side of the park are these ancient bridges and roads that cross over a river that runs into the Marmara Sea. One of Judith's colleagues told us that those bridges and roads were part of the old Silk Road that went all the way to Beijing. Well I doubt the traders went from there to Beijing but they certainly went some of the way.
The hill behind the Kultuur Park was known as the screaming or wailing hill (can’t remember the exact name) because the hill was so steep that when the camels went up it they would scream and wail in agony. Poor camels! Actually the hill was fairly steep. We had to drive up it whenever we went to the center of Istanbul.
On the river side of the Kultuur Park is a boardwalk and a few boats anchored to the pier. There were many seagulls flying around and it was just a great time spent watching the birds and relaxing.
A Final Dinner - Return to the Hubbly-Bubbly
The last night in Istanbul we spent with my sister in the same hubbly-bubbly we went to on the first evening. We ate the same food. It was a great way to spend the last night in Istanbul. It was great just relaxing and chatting after all we don't know when we will see each other again so we made the time count.
All in all we would say the Kultuur Park is a great place to spend an afternoon and/or early evening. It is relaxing, there is not much to do except sit and chat or read a book and drink tea and eat great, authentic Turkish food. If you are in the area, why not head out there and take a look.
Anyway, that's it for this time. Take care all Queenie and Paul
The Marmara Sea is that small body of water surrounded by Turkey. The chilled waters of the Black Sea flow through the Bosphorous into the Marmara Sea and then out through the Dardenelle Strait into the Aegan Sea. These are the waterways on which my brother-in-law Ahmet, a sea captain, learned to sail and the shores of the Marmara Sea is where he and Judith (Paul's sister) have made their home and where we chose to wander.
Just Like Heaven
On the first day, a short 15-minute bus ride saw us arriving in Buyukcekmece and, after walking for 10 more minutes we arrived at the shores of the Marmara Sea. What a sight it was! The expanse of the ocean exaggerated by the deep blue sky was a breathtaking view. The sunlight danced on the water and competed with the gentle breeze blowing chilled air off the calm surface of the sea. The absence of man-made noises and the gentle sound of the ebb and flow of the water amplified the effect. We thought we were in heaven. The congestion of Taipei and Taiwan and the lack of open spaces filled with the echoes of nature really help us appreciate moments like this.
We spent some time walking along the seashore playing with our nephew Tibet. There was an old airplane sitting on the pathway. We walked up to it but couldn't get on because the doors were chained.
We then found a restaurant that had a verandah overlooking the sea. We decided to sit outside and eat some breakfast. After some broken Turkish from my mother, some translations from our nephew, and some deft hand movements and attempted Turkish from us, we managed to place our order. What a breakfast it was! Our amazing breakfast comprised of a variety of delicious cheeses and breads (which are a rarity in Taiwan), sejuk (Turkish bacon) fresh juice and Turkish tea. While we ate, we watched the ocean and relaxed for the first time in a long time.
We must have sat there for a couple of hours. Tibet got up to play football with a can and Queenie and I joined him for a short while, but we mostly sat there chatting and whiled away the time. What a wonderful, stress free morning it turned out to be! Just sitting there with family on a Tuesday morning, in the bright sunlight overlooking the ocean is a treasured memory.
When we finally decided to leave, we bumped into a bunch of school children. They were very excited to meet someone from Taiwan and were very interested in talking to Queenie. Eventually Queenie taught them to say a few Chinese words. They thought this was fun. But we not being able to speak Turkish and them not being able to speak English meant that communication was brief. But we persevered.
Beautiful Park in Florya
The second day on shores of Marmara was spent in the district of Florya. We caught a bus from where my sister lives and my Mom navigated us to the park. To get there we had to hike through some kind of construction site that our nephew absolutely enjoyed.
We finally arrived at a fairly desolate park which did not look that attractive. We finally figured it out that we were at the wrong place! Never the less, we managed to negotiate with the driver of a car to take us to where we wanted to go. In the beginning he wanted to charge an exorbitant fee. But after I (Paul) laughed in his face he dropped his price.
We finally arrived at this amazingly flush park with trees and a trampoline. Well of course my nephew wanted to jump on the trampoline and, even though it was closed, the park attendant opened it for us and allowed him to jump for free.
After the trampoline we found this incredible restaurant perched on top of a hill that had amazing views of Marmara. Hiking up the mountain was fairly challenging but we eventually got there. The view and the food made the climb worthwhile. We must have sat there for at least an hour enjoying the food, the sunlight and the ocean view. It is not often we get a bird's eye view of the ocean in Taipei.
After lunch, we went for a long walk along the sea front. We must have walked for at least 2.5km. There were not many people around. A few pensioners, and a couple of kids but that was about it. The walk on the boardwalk was slow but pleasant.
We eventually crossed to the other side of the park and found (you guessed it) another wonderful tea-house. We went inside and of course Tibet was exhausted so he slept. We on the other hand watched the sea some more and chatted while we of course drank Turkish tea.
A Final Visit to the Shores
On our second last day in Istanbul, we decided to return to the first place we had gone to and eat breakfast there. It was much easier to order. The owner of the restaurant recognized us and brought us exactly the same food which was exactly what we wanted. This time however, after breakfast, we took a long walk to the tip of the peninsula and got a grand view of the ocean and the bay.
The Marmara Sea on a cold but sunny winter's day is a wonderful place to relax and breathe the freshness of life. Hopefully one day you can get there too.
You have all heard of the Pera Palas hotel right? It was the last stop on the Orient Express from Paris to Istanbul! It was the hotel made famous by Agatha Christie! It was where the famed Dutch spy Mata Hari spent a night or two! The Pera Palas is a a place of memories and history! It is Istanbul in a capsule: Grand, Historic, Bold and Proud. Some of the famous guests of the Pera Palas are listed below:
Room No:
Name:
Position:
101
Ataturk
Turkish President
102
Pierre Lotti
French Writer
103
Greta Garbo
Actress
104
Mata Hari
Dutch Spy
105
Franz von Papen
German Ambassador
106
Herriot
French Prime Minister
107
Elisabeth
Queen of Austria
108
Musbah Muhayei
109
Pierre
King of Serbia
110
Vasa Prihoda
Violin Virtuoso
112
Sir Edmund Poe
English Fleet Commander
113
Ferdinand
King of Spain
114
Ahmet Zogo
King of Albania
117
Edward VIII
King of England
118
Nivette De Valois
Ballet Teacher
119
Mary
Queen of Romania
121
Carol
King of Romania
411
Agatha Christie
English Writer
The Story Starts
What follows is a true story of comedy, of fate, of unfulfilled travels. Although the journey starts on the shores of the Sea of Marmara and ends outside the doors of Istanbul’s history and its treasure keeper! It is the story of a journey to the Pera Palas hotel! But it is not my journey! The story has its roots in another place.
My sister Judith moved to Istanbul way back in the middle of 1995. Ever since then my mother has faithfully traveled to see my sister on a fairly regular basis. After my Mom moved to London she went there three to four times a year so that she could be with family and get to know her grandson. Yet, allthough my sister and my brother-in-law Ahmet have taken Mom to every other conceivable nook and cranny in Istanbul, they have never taken Mom to the Pera Palas hotel!
The Beginning of the Journey There
So there we were, finally reunited in Istanbul on a crisp, winter’s Monday morning (read freezing cold). We had already planned the night before to go to Taksim, a bustling cobbled-street shopping center in the middle of Istanbul, and then walk to the Pera Palas and have lunch (or at the very least, a cup of tea!). Queenie and I had in our minds to overcome distance, language and all other obstacles to get my Mom into the Peres Palais, and we are a determined couple!
So early on Monday morning we set off. My sister lives on the shores of the Sea of Marmara far from the center of Istanbul. We were on the bus for over an hour. The highways were filled with cars and people going about their day! We finally arrived at the last stop and asked a million people how to get to Taksim. Eventually we were led to the subway, hopped on the train and, after two wonderful traveling hours on buses and trains (read arduous, hectic and crazy) we arrived at the entrance to the main Taksim street.
Arriving in Taksim
We spent some time at the exit of the subway (see video below)orienting ourselves and congratulating each other on managing to navigate so successfully to Taksim.
And then we started to look for the Pera Palas hotel. The way we did this was to walk up to random people and then say: “Eskuss moi, Peres Palais” and after much friendly banter (they could have been swearing at us or calling us fools) we headed in the general direction of pointed fingers!
But as they (don’t ask us who the they is!) say the real destination is the journey and so it was for us. We ambled down the cobbled roads of Taksim watching the tram, popping into different stores, buying beanies (woolen caps) for cold heads. We admired the beautiful ceramics in the shop windows, we popped our heads into the flower arcade, we looked at the Mosques, deciphered menus of the roadside cafes, we bought more warm clothes for cold bodies and we ambled and ambled and ambled! And every so often we would find a poor soul and say “Eskuss moi, Peres Palais” (is that really Turkish or some kind of cobbled up French?) and follow pointed fingers!
Lost!
As it happened, we got lost! Well, we never got lost, just merely confused. We kept on walking straight, which is where the fingers seemed to be pointing. Eventually we saw a police officer standing guard at an official looking building and asked him for directions. He pointed in a different way! He indicated that we should go into a side alley and walk straight down the alley that was in the direction from where we had come. He said 5-minutes (so we weren’t too lost, merely misdirected).
So we immediately trooped back in the general direction, went down the alley, passed a whole bunch of wonderful looking cafes and headed on our way. We eventually went past a non-descript building being renovated, walked down the road a little more and behold, there were no buildings that could possibly be a hotel ahead of us! We were stunned! The hotel was meant to be in front of us! Where was it? We never knew!
Arrival at the Pera Palas
Well we must have looked confused. A man came up to us and in surprisingly good English asked us if he could help us. Well of course we asked (this time in English). He developed this big broad grin on his face and said:
"Its right behind you."
We looked back at the building being renovated and sure enough, this was the Peres Palais! We trooped round to the front of the building and grand doors were barricaded. There was no way in! We walked around to the third side and there were some guards at the front taking a break. They said come back in six months!
So, regardless of how determined we were, regardless how brave and adventurous we were, we were finally outdone by the need to upgrade. My mother did get to the Peres Palais, but she never did to get inside and so, what else could we do but take a picture of her outside!
(Mom outside a closed Pera Palas hotel)
Journey Through Taksim
There wasn't much left for us to do except hang around in Taksim. We found an excellent restaurant that served really great Turkish food. Walked around the shops. Did some window-shopping. To be honest, it is difficult not to enjoy Taksim. It is a vibrant place with a lot of interesting shops. Actually just standing on the side of the road and watching the crowd go by can also be quite satisfying too.
At one point, while Mom and Queenie were buying some hats and clothes, I (Paul) was standing on the side of the road watching the crowd go by when all of a sudden, some youngsters with a statement to make arrived. They had brightly colored purple and orange hair, some of it spiked, and they were out having a good day. Of course, soon as they realized we were filming them they bacame shy and ran off. But this is part of the new Turkey I guess, part buried in the past and history, part in the now, and part of it reaching out into the future. It was fun watching these kids.
One of the highlights of the afternoon was drinking Turkish tea in the flower arcade. The flower arcade is an old building that florists used to use as a point of sale. After falling into disrepair it was renovated with restaurants and tea-houses inside. Well we went into one of the tea-houses and had a wonderful time of talking together and drinking tea.
Another of the highlights of the day was looking at the ceramics shops in Taksim. Ceramics and ceramics glazing are big in China and Asia but the ceramics in Turkey had very different patterns. There were many many of these ceramics stores in Taksim and we did spend some time looking at their ware.
We spent a few more hours just walking through the streets of Taksim. We finally arrived at the top, near the subway where we came accross a MacDonalds. Now, this MacDonalds was interesting! In Taiwan, MacDonalds don't deliver. In China, MacDonalds do delivery but only within walking distance. Here, at this MacDonalds, we saw an array of MacDonalds delivery scooters that were already to go. MacDonalds on wheels, who would've guessed!
Return to Marmara
So finally we were to return. Another two-hour journey lay ahead of us. Unfortunately for us we got onto a different bus and the route was strange. We never really recognized any of the landmarks we had noted or seen coming into Istanbul. It was getting late, it was getting dark and we never had a clue as to where we were. Queenie and I had long ago concluded that if we got lost we would just figure it out. No need to be concerned or panic! If the bus was going in the wrong direction we would just get off at the last stop and figure it out from there. This is the adventure of travel!
Happily though we were on the right bus. The bus started to go through the familiar landmarks of my sister's neighborhood and before we knew it we had arrived. We ended the day with excellent Turkish kebabs, reminisced about our journey to the Pera Palas and had a good nights sleep.
It seems for us getting places is never easy! Firstly we booked our tickets late so we could not take Cathay Pacific, our preferred airline. We were forced to fly Lufthansa. As a result we flew from Taipei, to Hong Kong, changed over in Frankfuhrt and went on to Istanbul.
Frankfuhrt was disgusting. We got into an argument with a security guard. The people working in the airport were fairly rude and unfriendly and the airport restaurant was dirty too. The food wasn't delicious and the promise of the end being in sight kept us going.
By the time we got onto the flight for Istanbul we were exhausted. We sat in our seats and fell asleep immediately. The next thing we knew we were in Istanbul. So much for the on-board meal!
When we landed in the Mustafa Kemal airport we were greeted with a passenger arguing with five or six policeman. We also had to stand in the visa line for a long time. By the time we got through customs and picked up our luggage it was close to 1:30am. We had been on the move for about 26 hours.
Long Awaited Reunion
When we finally walked into the airport waiting area there was my sister Judith with a big broad smile looking great as always. We hadn't seen her in six years and she hadn't changed a bit. It was an exciting and wonderful reunion and one that we had looked forward to for a long long time.
These reunions are never soon enough. Our family are a family of gypsies. My sister lives in Istanbul, I live in Taipei, Dad lives in South Africa and Mom lives in England. We dont see each other very often but when we do it is always wonderful.
My sister drove us home and we talked late into the morning finally getting to bed at around 5:00am. It wasn't too bad since we had that great three hour sleep on the flight to Istanbul.
Sometime during the night Judith's mother-in-law woke up to say hi as she was staying at the house and our nephew Tibet, who we had seen only when he was one, woke up for a short bit and came to meet us. It was great to meet him finally and to be able to speak to him. The time spent with him and the bonding that we did as a family over the two weeks was an incredible experience.
And then came Mom
On the first Friday in Istanbul my mother arrived. We all went down to the airport and met her. It was great. This was the first time Queenie, my Mom, Judith, Tibet and I had ever been together.
Of course with my Mom comes all the razzmataz of life. She had brought tons of Christmas crackers, hats and gifts (even though it was February) to ensure we celebrated something as a family.
Ahmet's Arrival
A week after we arrived, Ahmet, Judith's husband, came up from the South of Turkey to spend the weekend with us. Now Queenie had never met Ahmet and I had not seen him for more than 10 years. He too has not aged a bit. He looked as young as ever.
When we had all finally gathered, we spent a fantastic few days together, eating in some wonderful restaurants and just spending quality time together.
Family
So the family was all together for the first time ever. We had a wondeful time and hopefully we will be able to do it again sometime soon. The lesson of course is that we should appreciate every moment we spend with people, especially close and dear family. We never know when (or even if) we will ever see them again.
Hopefully they will be able to come to Taiwan next year. If not we will have to make a plan to hike back to Turkey within the next couple of years.
Here is the slide show of all the pictures of our return trip to South Africa in early 2006. It was great going home and seeing the faces and the places we had not seen in a long long time.
For full size images, please follow the link below:
Thank you for reading all our posts and thank you for your friendship and love. A the table of contents for the travelog is below with easy links to each entry:
The last few days in Durban were spent just hanging around. We did go for a drive up to Howick Falls, just past Pietermartizburg and spent a morning in Hillcrest. Howick falls are amazing. The falls are quite high and the sound thunderous. Unfortunately, the top of the falls has become a local laundry for the people living in the huts in the rural areas of Howick. After all they do not have running water or washing machines so where else can they do their laundry? Howick Falls of course! Actually I couldn’t think of a more dangerous yet more beautiful place to wash my clothes. Unfortunately the laundry at the top does detract from the spectacular view of the falls, but hey, they have to wear clean clothes!
Amorous Tortoises!
We also spent a morning in Mitchell Park, where we came across the most amorous of tortoises. Have you ever seen tortoises mating? Well, we did! It was quite a funny sight! The male tortoise took an age to climb up onto the female, gave out two or three surprisingly loud GRUNTS and then it was finished in about 10 seconds! So much for that! We should say that the female tortoise was really upset that her slow walk was so rudely interrupted!
We spent the morning in the park. They do have a small zoo so we entertained ourselves by looking at the array of small animals. It was great.
Final Departures
On the Sunday morning, three weeks after arrival, we finally left Durban to go spend a few more days with Aunty Pam and Uncle Wally. It is always sad leaving loved ones, especially when you do not know when you will see them again.
In Johannesburg our friends Wayne and Michelle took us to a luxury African themed restaurant where they had the local cuisine of many African tribes on the menu. It was a wonderful time to spend with our friends. We do miss them a great deal and we always remember the moments we spend together with them. Hopefully one day they will be able to come out to Asia to visit us.
On the Monday morning it was time to leave. We had a deep heart to heart discussion with Aunty Pam and Uncle Wally about our time in China. They were encouraging and loving. They are always so positive about people and always so caring to all those around them. We love them and miss them.
Final Thoughts and Reflections
Yes, going back to South Africa is always good. We enjoyed seeing my father again and getting to know Yvonne better. We enjoyed seeing many of our friends not mentioned here. We enjoyed seeing Aunty Pam, Uncle Wally, Wayne and Michelle again. We enjoyed reestablishing friendships and relationships with those in our past. They are all great and wonderful people.
Despite this, the reality of crime and AIDS was in our face the whole time. South Africa is filled with wonderful places, beautiful people, glorious weather and inept leaders! The leaders of our country need to apply the law and grow some sense about HIV/AIDS instead of lobbying for position and power as they are doing now (in 2007), they should lobby for the welfare of the country and its people.
The other day I (Paul) saw Albie Sachs, justice of the constitutional court in South Africa, waxing lyrical about the law on CNN (November, 2007) and how it was like poetry as both poetry and the law are about the human spirit! He should wax lyrical like that to those victims of crime, both black and white and see how they receive it!
Yes, poverty also needs to be addressed! To do this they need a plan. I always get the impression that this government doesn’t have a plan. When I look at Hong Kong and know that 30-years ago half of Hong Kong Island (from North Point and Fortress Hill) was a shanty-town and see how Hong Kong has developed and grown, I know South Africa can too. But to do so, the government must have a plan!
Don’t Fly SAA!
Remember that’s how we started this travelog, well it is how we have to end. Although the service was better, the TV consoles still didn’t work! Such was our suffering and fate!
Hope you all enjoyed these thoughts and reflections of our Return to SA.
Look out for the Pictorial that we will surely post soon.
Why do most people go to Africa? To see the animals of course!
Another great day in Durban was spent at the Ithala Game Reserve. The game reserve a one hour drive from my Dad's house and we always love going there! They do not have any wild cats or elephants, but they do have rhinos, hippos, giraffes, zebras, wildebeest, springbucks and many other types of buck and antelope. This is the second time we visited there! The first time we went there was way back in December 1999. Queenie loved it so much she wanted to return!
Story of an Ostrich in 1999
The first time we went to Ithala in 1999 was quite an experience. In the picnic areas was a seemingly friendly ostrich that would come and peck the top of the barbeque grill for any left-overs. Some people, including Queenie and Yvonne thought it was safe to touch! I (Paul) was too scared as I think ostriches are dangerous.
After lunch we drove down to the hippo viewing-platform over the lake. We had to park our car about 25-meters away and walk along a narrow path to the platform. All of sudden, out of nowhere a large, fairly irritated male ostrich (about 8-feet tall) started to do some kind of mating dance in the parking lot. He was flapping his wings and was clearly agitated or horny! We couldn't tell which.
At this point, three of the men on the hippo platform with us decided to go back to their cars. The ostrich saw them coming out of the corner of his eye and charged them! They couldn't get back onto the viewing platform and the ostrich came right up to them. The man nearest the ostrich froze, stood dead still and stared at the ostrich (eye ball to eye ball) for what seemed to be an eternity (but was probably no more than 30-seconds). The ostrich soon lost interest and ran back into the parking area.
Now, anybody who knows anything about an ostrich knows that they eat anything. My father had left the back of his backie (pick-up truck) open. He was afraid the ostrich would peck inside the back of the truck and take or damage some things. So he bravely ran to the back of the pick-up, closed the canopy and jumped into the front cab of the truck before the ostrich could see him. By the time the ostrich realized my dad was there, my father was safely in the front of the vehicle.
At this point a man with his baby in one arm decided to head back to his car. He started walking down the path towards the parking area when the ostrich saw him coming. The ostrich was really angry this time and came charging quickly at the man. The man tried to push the ostrich away but as quick as lightning the ostrich kicked him. He was lucky that the first kick caught him at the back of the knee and forced him to buckle and twist. The second kick caught him on his shoulder as he went down.
Of course we couldn't stand by! Some of us remaining on the viewing platform charged the ostrich. I wasn't that brave to take it on without a device of some sort so I picked up the tin lid of a trashcan. By this stage my father had started his truck and had driven up next to the ostrich and was hooting. The ostrich looked really confused by all this noise and charged off out of the parking area.
Fortunately, the man who was kicked stood up. The baby that was in his arms was fine. And all he had wrong with him were two nasty cuts and a story to tell the grandkids.
Since then Queenie has believed me that ostriches are dangerous. It is not their bite but their kick!
Back to the future
So with these wonderful memories of Ithala, we all trooped off to see the animals. This time there were no exciting ostrich attacks or rhino charges. Just a pleasant drive among the animals. A great lunch with the family and an excellent day for viewing all the wonderful animals. But for us the highlight was getting to within 10-meters of a mother rhino and her baby. Of course, at that point we kept the car engine running in case we needed to make a fast escape.
The other highlight of the day were the giraffes. On one of the trails we were driving through the bush and came accross these two giraffes. They were a little timid as giraffes are but we managed to get out of the car and get close enough to take some great pictures. Unfortunately, some game warden arrived with a group of tourists, told us to get back into the car and chased the giraffes away with all his noise. Of course we had to comply because they threatened to evict us from the park. I suppose it was for our own safety (but there are no lions to worry about)!
Some of the other animals we saw are shown below
All in all we had a great time in Ithala. If you want to get out and see some wildlife in their natural, but protected habitat, we highly recommend this game park. It is not too far from Durban or Pietermartizburg and is a great day out. Pack a picnic basket and a bathing suit as their is a swimming pool in the picnic area.
Just remember, ALL the animals are wild, even the ostriches, so becareful!
uShaka Marine world is a new aquarium and water park on the Durban beachfront. We were told that it is a fantastic place to spend the day and so we all went there together. My father and Yvonne had been there before but it was definitely a first for us. For us too it was quite exciting since we had not been to an aquarium in a long time. The last aquarium we had been to was Ocean Park in Hong Kong a couple of years ago and then before that the we had gone to the Aquarium on Penghu Islands (in the Taiwan Strait between Taiwan and China) which has since closed.
(For those who don't know Shaka was the name of a famous Zulu chief who introduced novel ways of warfare and made the Zulu nation one of Africa's most feared and famous tribes. It was the armies of the Zulu that years later defeated the British and the battle of Islandhwana. Shaka's home was a couple of hundred kilometeres North of Durban but his soldiers conquered far and wide.)
Arriving at uShaka reminded me in some way of all the tourist locations in Asia with all the tourist shops in an arcade leading up to the main gate. The old aquarium in Durban never used to be like this but now they have changed. Maybe this is a global trend and I have to get out to more theme parks!
The definite highlights of uShaka were in the morning. We got there around 10:00am and were hustled to the Seal Show and the Dolphin show. The seal show was quite funny as they got to act out some crazy story about a seal that was a thief. How appropriate for South Africa!
The other highlight for Queenie was being asked to partake in the dolphin show! Queenie always has a knack of getting chosen. She loves animals and being close to them! When we were in New Zealand she managed to become a part of the Sheep show in Rotorua. So anyway, this time she got to conduct the dolphin's while the danced and she got to feed them if they did something good. She had a great time doing it as she was allowed to touch them too. After all, dolphins are quite friendly!
As with most aquariums the underwater tanks are always very very impressive. The one with the coral reef and a wide variety of fish and marine life and was quite wonderful to watch. Once again, living so far from the sea and all marine life makes this place very special for us.
A unique feature of the uShaka is that they have a pool where you can swim with the fish! It is a great feeling. The freaky part about the swimming tank though is that you become part of the show. People walking past the viewing windows can see you and are likely to wave and take pictures of you. It was a lot of fun. Of course the scary thing was that right next to our swimming tank was the shark tank. The two were separated only with glass. If you swim in that direction and a shark is swimming in your direction it really looks like you are going to collide. It was an interesting idea putting the two together.
Food Poisoning
The rest of the day was spent just walking around and also going to the water park and sliding down the super tubes! It was here were the food poisoning started! I (Paul) was a bit hungry (it must have been about 3:00pm) so I bought a hot-dog. A short while after I started feeling nauseous but thought nothing of it.
When we left in the evening my father suggested we go eat something in the Pavillion Shopping Centre . Well dinner was fine but after dinner I found myself running for the nearest public bathroom and spending an hour vomitting everything up. We then went home where I spent the whole night and half the next morning with my head in the toilet. It wasn't a very pleasant experience.
Here is the kicker though! After spending six weeks in mostly rural China, after eating in restaurants where hygiene was an afterthought, of eating some of the strangest food in my life, I finally got food poisoning in my home town!
On one of the days we were in Durban, my father and Yvonne took us to an AIDS orphanage that Yvonne’s church support. The orphanage is located in the Cato Manor shanty-town that lies directly behind the University of Natal, Durban Campus. It is a scare and an indictment on the government that after 10 years in power, there is no reasonable shift in the poverty levels.
An African woman called Priscilla ran the orphanage! She ran the orphanage out of her home and the Church had helped her register as a non-profit organization so that she could legitimately receive donations. The orphanage was a four-bedroom house shared with about 70 children! On the day we went some of the kids had gone off to an event so we never got to see them all.
Priscilla told us how she started. How one day the parents of a baby both died from AIDS and how someone had asked if she would be willing to raise the child. She said she couldn’t say no. Thereafter, whenever two parents in the community died from AIDS, she was given the child. Not all the children had HIV/AIDS but many did. She told us that by the time we returned to South Africa within the next few years, many of the children we saw would be dead!
In fact, my father and Yvonne had grown attached to one of the little baby boys in the orphanage and regularly took him home for the weekend. While we were in South Africa they received a call from Priscilla saying that the little baby boy had did from AIDS related disease.
HIV/AIDS is the tragedy of South Africa and something I (Paul) get so angry about. This article is being written in November 2007 as a retrospective and I recently say an article that said President Mbeki was a still and AIDS denier! Even with the horror of this pandemic so evident and even with all the science available on the spread of this disease, the “Renaissance Man of Africa” still denies that HIV causes AIDS!
It is also well documented that the next possible president of South Africa Jacob Zuma had sex with a HIV positive woman and that he said that all one needs to do afterwards is to take a shower. This from the ex-head of the national AIDS council and, added to this, the current minister of health is also apparently an AIDS denier! The lack of leadership on AIDS is horrifying and the results desperately tragic. The lack of leadership means a lack of education and a lack of medication. This means people do not learn how to protect themselves and do know how to take care of themselves once they are sick.
My friend who is a doctor told me that on a medical trip into the Natal Mid-lands he saw the hills filled with white crosses and most of the crosses belonged to the young who had died from this terrible disease. He also told me that the rate of infections in South Africa is much higher than the official government figures. If this pandemic is left to spread unchecked as it has. It will have disastrous effects on the country.
Back to Priscilla and her orphanage. Priscilla told us that their orphanage is so small and that there are not enough beds for everyone so they take turns sleeping in the beds. And she said one day she fell ill and that she lay on the floor for days with the babies sleeping on top of her. She also told us that the water had been cut off from the house because she did not have money to pay the bill. Yes! 70-people in one house and no running water! And yet the local government can spend billions on new soccer stadiums.
The AIDS orphanage was a sad day for us. Priscilla seemed worn out and tired. The children seemed to lack hope and strength. But what amazed us was Priscilla’s son. He was a strapping young man of about 20. He was so positive about life and about his dreams and what he was going to achieve in this life. In a place of such despair, there was someone with hope.
Priscilla for me epitomized the truth of loving thy neighbor. May their be more people like her today. Sadly, I recently learned from Yvonne in 2007, Priscilla lost hope. She left the Church and the orphanage and moved over to witchcraft. The children have been moved into another home where they can be taken care of.
I felt that Priscilla's plight was similar to Astrov's plight in Anton Chekov's play "Uncle Vanya." The sheer feeling of despair. Who can blame her for wanting to run away!
Astrove: No. In the third week of Lent, I went to Malitskoye, there was an epidemic...typhus...In the huts people lay on the floor in rows...Filth, stench, smoke, calves among the sick...and young pigs, right there...I wa on the move all day, didn't sit down or have a morself of food, and when I got home they still wouldn't let me rest-brought in a switchman from the railroad; I put him on the table to operate, and he went and died under the choloroform. And just when I least wanted it, feeling awoke in me, and I was as conscience-stricken as if I had deliverately killed him...I sat down, closed my eyes-just like this-and I thought: will those who come after us in a hundred or two hundred years, those for whom we are blazing a trail, will they remember and have a kind word for us? No, they won't, nurse!
Marina: People won't remember, but God remembers.
If you really want to have an inkling about the AIDS crisis in rural South Africa, we highly recommend you watch the film "Yesterday." It will give you a samll idea and break your heart! If you live in Taipei, we would gladly lend you our copy. Just let us know!
Our prayer is that God would heal Priscilla. Draw her to Him again. And show her his love. Her horror was to watch babies die everyday with limited resources and limited help. Our prayer is also that God would grant wisdom and knowledge to the leaders of South Africa so that they may provide the correct leadership that can save lives. Yes, we still believe in Miracles!
