Day 22 – Friday 19^th September

The alarm went off at 07:45 and Paul was the first to leap into action.  After our cold showers yesterday Paul wanted to ‘improve’ the showers this time to see if he could get any hot water.  It worked!  We enjoyed luke warm showers for a change.

Paul and I went online whilst Sean showered to deal with our email correspondence and reconfirm our flights for tomorrow.  Before long we were ready for our tour bus.  Unusually for Peru the bus arrived on time and we set off towards Barranco and Pachacamac.  Whilst I had read about the four settlements of Pachacamac I knew very little about Barranco.  This place is where the Conquistador leaders spent their summers and is full of Spanish colonial architecture.  It took me by surprise because I thought such architecture was contained only in the main towns and cities in Peru.

Moving on to Pachacmac we were met with 700 hectares of pyramids all several thousand years old.  We were treated to seeing a very ornate carving of the god Pachacamac and climbed to the top of the Pyramid for the Sun, where human sacrifices were made at an alter overlooking the Pacific ocean.

The tour came to an end as we entered the outskirts of Mireflores.  Jumping off our tour bus we went for some lunch and then into the markets so Sean and Paul could pick up final gifts (I had finished this task yesterday!).  By 16:00 the shopping had been completed and we had returned to the hostel.  The process of finalising the packing needed to be done.

By 17:00 we were ready and had set out into Lima for our last time.  Sean decided to pick up one final present and then we headed for some tea.  As darkness descended we enjoyed the views along the waterfront and settled in a restaurant where we could take in the scenery.  During tea we reflected on the last three weeks – what an experience it had been.

With our flights being very early next morning we arrived back at the hostel and off to bed before 21:00.

Day 23 – Saturday 20^th September

The alarm went off at 01:30 and I clambered up.  Despite getting up so early I felt reasonably awake, especially after my freezing cold shower!  By 02:25 we were all ready to go, had checked our baggage and were getting into the airport bound taxi.  The journey itself passed without too much worry – mainly due the fact no one else was on the roads!

Just after 03:00 we arrived and went straight to check in as we could see the queue was growing by the second.  After checking in we had a final helping of Salchipapa for breakfast and a coffee whilst waiting to board our Miami bound flight.

Eventually we were trundling down the runway saying farewell to Peru.  The American Airlines flight was straight forward enough and gave me plenty of chance to read my book.  Sean, Paul and I sat in different parts of the plane and I actually had spare seats next to me so I could stretch out and relax!

We landed in Miami (and the searing heat!) at lunchtime and set about going through the stressful rigmarole of clearing US immigration again.  It took an hour of queuing and completing forms before we were able to collect our luggage.  Irritatingly, Sean had a karabiner stolen from his backpack.  However, with there not being much he could do about it we checked in for our next flight and waited to leave the US.

Due to taking so long to clear US immigration we only had 2 hours to kill which passed quickly enough.  Before long we were airborne again and I prepared myself for another sleepless night on a plane.  Again, Sean, Paul and I had been separated on this flight.  Receiving a window seat I was able to swap with a girl who wanted to sit next to her boyfriend.  She was happy and so was I as I now had my preferred aisle seat!

I ended up sitting next to a girl from Glasgow who had just spent 3 weeks in Ecuador for her brother’s wedding.  It’s always good to talk to someone to pass the time on such long flights.  As usual I managed to pass some of the time with the in flight movies and my book whilst preparing for a long night…

Day 24 – Sunday 21^st September

As expected it was a sleepless night on a plane.  The was passed by reading, watching movies and talking to the Scottish girl sat next to me.  The seemingly never ending flight reached its conclusion, after a very welcome breakfast, just after 07:00

Despite being off the plane quickly we got snarled up in a massive queue.  It took an hour to clear UK immigration and collect our bags.  Due to us arriving at Terminal 3 I immediately checked in to my Istanbul bound flight.  I was somewhat jaded but happy to be making my way towards Turkey.  With the check in procedures completed we set off towards Terminal 1 where Sean and Paul were due to fly to Belfast.  They managed to check in without any hassle and once that was done we waited for Paul’s sister to arrive to take her presents recently acquired in Lima.  With that handover done I made a quick phone call to my parents and then we sat down for a coffee and spent some time reflecting on this trip and discussing future excursions.  What a great 3 weeks it had been!

Before long we had to say our goodbyes and depart for our respective flights and terminals.  The joy of going through security gates again awaited us!  Sadly having boarded on time my flight was delayed for an hour meaning we just sat on the runway for that time.  Apart from that minor irritation the luxurious Turkish Airlines flight passed by smoothly enough.  My television didn’t work but I was happy reading my book anyway.  To my surprise we landed in the rain…not what I was expecting.

Immigration was cleared quickly and after picking up my baggage I collected my Trabzon flight tickets.  Things were falling into place!

Despite my overwhelming fatigue I boarded the Istanbul metro and went into auto pilot.  I have travelled the route to the Orient Hostel so many times now I can probably do it blindfolded.  Checking in to the hostel was very quick and before long I had chosen my bed in the dorm, made a failed attempt at trimming my beard, and had caught up with my email correspondence.  Settling down for an evening meal in Sultanahmet I started to unwind and enjoy the Turkish culture once again, whilst reflecting on Peru.

After tea I headed back to the dorm to try and catch up on my sleep.

Day 25 – Monday 22^nd September

I must have been more tired than I first thought because when I woke up it was 10:09!  The usual rustling of backpacks normally stirs me into life between 07:00 and 08:00 but I slept right through it all.

Feeling much better I headed up for breakfast and just about made the 10:30 deadline.  Whilst enjoying the views from the rooftop balcony I could hear the sound of the Muezzin rocking the Minaret – I was in Turkey!  After breakfast I dealt with the remainder of my email correspondence and prepared to explore Istanbul with the one day I had there.

Firstly though was my urgent need for having my beard trimmed!  I managed to find a place eventually that not only trimmed my beard but also washed and shampooed it for me!  Feeling considerably less hairy I set out to catch the ferry from Eminönü to Kadiköy.  Each time I visit Istanbul I like to sail from Europe into Asia and I certainly enjoyed this time too.  With there being some rain failing and me not having my jacket I decided not to hike to Dolmabahçe Palace and went to Topkapi Palace instead.  Dolmabahçe Palace gives me another reason to return to Istanbul in the future.

Topkapi Palace turned out to be a labyrinth of amazing artefacts ranging from the earliest Ottoman items right up until the formation of the Turkish Republic in the 20^th century.  One room had portraits of every sultan through the ages, whilst another had a vast array of Ming, Qing and Tang dishes stressing the important role Istanbul played in the Silk Route trade.  The architecture of the palace still provides stunning views of the city either side of the Bosphorus from its elevated position.

Whilst in the palace I had lost track of time and ended up being kicked out at 19:00 just as it was closing up for the day!  I headed back to the hostel to send yet more emails and book my Gallipoli tour for tomorrow morning.  After getting my backpack organised I set off for some tea.  Because I had enjoyed Topkapi Palace so much I had missed lunch!  Tea solved that problem and I was in bed by 22:00 in preparation for an early start tomorrow.

Day 26 – Tuesday 23^rd September

The alarm went off at 05:45 but I was already awake.  A rowdy group of Australians in my dorm ensured a broken night of sleep.  Despite that I felt ready for the long day.

After my shower I packed up my gear in the dark and made my way to the hostel reception to check out.  The staff at the hostel and I have got on very well again during my time at Orient Hostel and whilst waiting for my shuttle bus to the main bus station we played Need For Speed 2 on the hostel booking computer!

The shuttle bus arrived and after a short trip I was boarding a bus bound for Eceabat which is near to Gallipoli.  The journey itself passed pretty quickly considering it lasted 5 hours.  Enjoying the scenery always speeds up such journeys.

Arriving at Eceabat I was met by Koray, our guide for the day, who started our tour at 13:00 as the sun beat down on us.  It was yet another scorching hot day but the tour of the beaches, cemeteries and trenches more than made up for being outside in such heat.  I have read a lot about Gallipoli and enjoyed seeing everything for real rather than on a map.  The history of the place is incredible and bordered on being indescribable.  In some places the trenches were only 6 metres apart from enemy lines.  After the campaign 500,000 men had become casualties of the conflict.

In a somewhat reflective mood the tour came to an end and we said farewell to Koray.  The three Australians from our tour group and I decided to go for a cup of tea before heading our separate ways.  I was first to leave for the Istanbul bound bus so I said my goodbyes and set off.

The bus journey again passed very quickly and arrived in Istanbul at 22:45.  The shuttle bus to Sultanahmet was slow in setting off and even slower in arriving at the hostel just before midnight.  With my airport bus due to leave at 12:15 I was beginning to worry as the shuttle bus ambled its way towards the hostel.

Day 27 – Wednesday 24^th September

Having arrived at the hostel I collected my bus ticket and waited to be picked up.  Whilst waiting my new friends working at the hostel kept me supplied with coffee and chatted about some of the strange people they have had staying with them in the past.

Just after 00:30 my bus finally arrived and we moved off in the direction of Sabiha Gokçen airport.  Sadly our driver was not the brightest and having just crossed the bridge between Europe and Asia we headed back to collect some passengers he had forgotten!  This went down very badly with some German passengers who were not impressed and let their feelings be known to the driver.  Eventually though we arrived safely at the airport just after 01:30 as I prepared for another long night!

The time in the airport seemed to take forever but eventually I was able to proceed through security and board my Trabzon bound flight.  Remarkably the flight took off on time and I was even able to get a free coffee on board (despite the fact that everyone else paid!).  The flight landed on time and I headed for the baggage reclaim carousel.  Gül and I spotted each other immediately and luckily my bag was first to come out!  I sprinted to the arrivals hall and before long was at my hotel in Meydan.  What a luxurious room Gül had arranged for me too…hot water and a Turkish breakfast hit the spot!

Gl and I met up again at 10:00 and set out for Aya Sofia.  On the way Gül pointed out her primary and secondary schools before we arrived at the beautiful Aya Sofia.  The stone masonry was amazing and despite all the city has been through it has stood still for 800 years.

Moving on from Aya Sofia we headed over towards the new Forum centre on the outskirts of town.  We had spotted that there was a wax statue display on and headed in to have a look.  The display was interesting and ranged from Atatürk to Dostoevskiy and The Beatles to Stalin!  Somewhat surprised by the range on offer we stopped for some lunch where I was able to get some sucuk and ayran (yippee!).  As it turned out we stayed put there for several hours just talking and catching up seeing as it had been a long time since we had last met.

As 20:00 approached we caught a minibus back to Meydan.  Gül set off home with her brother Mustafa and I headed up to my room to catch up on some much needed sleep!

Day 28 – Thursday 25^th September

The alarm went off at 08:00 and I felt great after having a long and deep sleep.  After a short doze I got up and went for a shower.  What a joy it is to have hot showers again!

Just after 09:00 Gül sent me a text message to say she was at our rendezvous point so I left the hotel room and headed out for another day exploring Trabzon.  It looked like being another hot day, but with this being Trabzon, I packed my fleece jumper and rain jacket just in case.  As soon as I met Gül she said we needed to go back to the room as she had a present for me.  Arriving back at the room I was presented with a Turkish keyboard with built in Skype handset so we can speak with each other more easily when I return to the UK – what a thoughtful gift!

We decided to visit the monastery at Sümela and so headed for the local travel agent to book our tickets.  Before long we were on a minibus speeding towards Sümela and its monastery set into a rock face up in the mountains.

After a rather scary 45 minute journey we had arrived and started the hike up towards the monastery already somewhat in awe of the views that we had.  Arriving at the monastery we were both stunned at the beauty of the architecture, painted plaster and location of the monastery.  The weather had remained warm ensuring that we could see for miles from our vantage point as the sun had burned off all the cloud coverage.  Monasteries always seem to exude a peaceful ambience and this was no different.  Inside the monastery buildings the artwork was incredible and it is something I suggest everyone visiting Turkey should go and see!  Peeling ourselves away we headed down the mountain at a rate of knots and stopped at the bottom for some lunch.  A typical kuymak and ayran lunch went down very well before setting off back to Trabzon in the scary minibus.

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