Land of Thousand Poets, Turkeyi in A Week | My First Time Travel Abroad

Hi everyone...

First, I really confused where should I post my story, about my feeling when I travel abroad. Yup, I wanna share about my feeling, not every place that I've visited there..

I think this community was the right choose for me to share.

THE STORY BEHIND MY OUT-OFF-CUFF

I dreamt travel abroad for many years ago, but Turkey was not my dream destination at all. There's no Turkey in my wish list. In the back then, travel abroad was just a dream that I think I can't catch it up. I never thought that I have to reach that dream before I die. I just said in my mind that I want to go to abroad in winter someday. Yup, I really like winter. Since my brother stay in Japan for several years ago, I more adore with snow although that would be so cold and make me bleeding. To be honest, I can't even stayed in 13 degrees celsius of AC temperature in a room. I will be freezing and need to wear a thick jacket in that room.

It's about August last year, my friend went to abroad to stay there. Then I accidentally want to visit her with my friend. I asked @titisnariyah to get there, but the situation has another result.

Our principal in online school of writing askes us to join in Turkey in February next year. With low price and free visa, we finally join the trip by our headmaster, Mayoko Aiko. We made decision in December, when we were pessimistic for travel abroad. For me, for fill my paspor, I agree to follow that trip.

Turkey Liberates Free Visa for Indonesians

Per December 24th, 2021, Turkey government liberates Free Visa for Indonesians. In other side, at that time Turkey was being slight popular in Indonesia cause the Indonesian series was talked about Cappadokya because there's beautiful view of air balloons, so peoples like, want to cappadokya. But our reason to visit Turkey was not that. It was pure about free visa and wee were need to healing in holiday so we make it!

DAY - 1: 16 Hours Journey

There's a lot of distance between Indonesia and Turkey. It's about 12th hours flight without transit. But in our trip, we would transit in Dubai for 3 hours then continued to Istanbul. Long before flights, I imagined that, 16 hours in flight, can I enjoyed? I have travel to Medan about 2 hours 30 minutes and it's always been boring and I would felt jetlag after that. But I don't know why journey to Turkey isn't that bad.

The trip members was gathered in Airport in 21.00 o'clock then after all administration, we were take off on 00.15 o'clock. we were flight with Emirates Air, one of the best plane in the world, hahaha called me over.

First, 7 hours from Jakarta to Dubai. I enjoyed the movie, I watched 1 movie and slept well on the flight. When I wake up, it's for breakfast, or dinner, whatever, then watch a half of movie then our flight is landing.

When we arrived in Dubai, it's too morning. We have to wait about 3 hours and then continued the journey. In Dubai Airport, we just sat down, lying down in some area, and then went to Istanbul. The Dubai Airport was big, it make my feet was zonked, so I decided to lying down near the gate.

In 7 hours flight, I'm not tired at all, so in 4 hours it's like a wink. Cause I'm slept for 3 hours hahaha...

Day - 2: Arrived In Istanbul And Around The Bosporus Cruise

After all administration in immigration, finally we were in Istanbul. We would travel by bus. In our bus, we had an privilege to has 1 person in two seat.

Our first schedule was Bosporus Strait. It was the strait which's connected the Istanbul in Europe with Istanbul in Asia. Yup, Istanbul is in two continents. Half in Europe and half in Asia. But I think Istanbul more influenced by the European continent than Asia.

Bosporus Strait was the strategic place. Other than the port, there's a terminal there which's so crowded. It's remind me to Kampung Rambutan Terminal. But the different was, I saw many Zayn Malik and Gigi Hadid there, which, local peoples was so handsome and beautiful. Please dont call me so over hahaha

It was already dark when we finished our first destination. Then we went to settlement of Ortakoy. Then we had dinner in Chinese Restaurant, named The Wox.

It's around 20:30 in local time, we were arrived in our first hotel to relaxation before tomorrow we had to accomplished our day 2 schedule. There are several place that we had to visited.

Day - 3: Visited Some Mosque and Cemetery in Bursa & Kusadasi

In day 3, our destination more than last day. Our morning call was 06:00 in local time. 1 hours for prayer and prepare. In 07:00, we have to breakfast, the we are going to our first destination at 08:00 in local time. The interesting thing in that day was, we were cross the Osmangazi bridge, cause we're gonna around Turkey in Asia continent.

Our first destination was a gift shop named Munira, our tour guide said that every tourist will end up in Munira for gift like Safron, Turkish Delight, souvenir, parfume, honey, and etc. I have bought some Turkish Delight and Safron for 400 gram. I paid for almost USD 100. That was my first expand there.

After that we were went to Bursa, where Grand Mosque, Green Tomb Mosque are. Near from Green Tomb, there's a cemetery. I didn't visited the cemetery cause I won't it hehehe

After lunch, we were continued to Kusadasi. That was long journey cause we were arrivend in the night.

Day - 4: Kusadasi and Pamukkale

We were arrived at hotel in the late night so, after dinner, we have to rest cause our morning call still the same time.

After breakfast and check out hotel, we were going to visit the old city of Ephesus, Isa Bey Mosque and Factory skin. In the factory skin, I have embarrassed moment. It was, when I interest to have their product but their product was so expensive. I asked to discount till USD 100 but the high quality can't that price. The lowest price was in USD 300, so yup, I felt embarrassed cause make the sales failed to sell that product. In our group, only one person who's bought that product haha It save me (and us) from guilty.

After from that factory we were went to lunch at the restaurant then the journey continues towards Pamukkale. Visit the old town Hierapolis and Cotton Castle. Head to the hotel, check in and have dinner at the hotel. Overnight in Pamukkale.

Day 5: Pamukkale - Konya - Cappadocia

After breakfast and check out hotel, we were driven to Cappadocia, stop in Konya city to eat. In the afternoon we were visited the tomb of Mawlana Jalaluddin Rumi. The cemetery outside was so beautiful, there's a mosque there and a little hard snow. I just entry at the cemetery for two minutes than going to outside again cause I can't stand longer in the cemetery.

After that we were continued the journey to Sultanhani Caravansarai. We have several stop place and then proceed the journey again to Cappadocia. It was long journey. When we were arrived in Cappadocia, it was so late, so after dinner, we're going to our rooms for take a rest.

Day - 6: Cappadocia

Cappadocia was the popular destination nowadays cuased a popular series in Indonesia. It was cause Cappadocia has air baloons. Not just one baloons, so many baloon so it make the views more beautiful with the flying air baloons.

But, unfortunately, we can't have that experience cause at that time the weather was so bad. The government banned the air balloons to fly so we have never see that beautiful views.

After from Cappadocia we were head to Kayseri city for
get a snowy experience on mount Erciyes including by cable car. In this time, I really excited cause, finally I met snow. Actually, in our journey to the Cappadocia, I met snow, even snowing, but cause we were in the bus and can't stop, I just look that snow along the way.

After playing with snow in Erciyes Mount, we were back to Cappadocia city for lunch. Then we were visited the underground city of Ozkonak, Avanos Potter Pottery Village, Pigeon Valley, Uchisar Castle Village and a Turkish handmade carpet factory.

Day - 7: Ankara - Istanbul

We had long journey again when we head to Ankara from Cappadocia. We have all day long in the trip. Actually we head to Istanbul, but in the trip we were stop in several place like Salt Lake, Ankara for visited the Ataturk cemetery (Anitkabir).

We were arrived in the Istanbul in the late late late night. So we were too tired to done anything again but take some rest.

Day - 8: Istanbul

We were back to Istanbul. In the first day, we were not visited many place, cause the trip agent on purpose to made us visited Istanbul in last day. We had 2 days in Istanbul before back home in the next day.

In Istanbul, we were visited Topkapi Palace, Blue Mosque, Hagia Shofia, and Hippodrome. We had long time in that place cause each place is so near.

Day - 9: Istanbul City Tour - Airport

After breakfast & check out hotel. We will visit the tomb and mosque of Ayub Al Ansary. Then lunch and free program for shopping at Istiklal Street and Taksim Square.

Did you know that in Taksim Square how many shop with low price. I really regret to spend my money in other places. If I know that how many good goods in that place, I thought I would spend all my money in the pocket there. The interesting thing was, the Starbuck price there is too cheap than the price in Indonesia.

We were head to Airport almost evening even the trip isn't enjoyed yet.

How Many Things That I Get From These Trip

Peoples said that if you traveled in many places, it would made you being more human being cause you would seen how many different in this world and you would adapted then you would being more wise then before. Might be when you traveled far from your home or your country, you might be faced shock culture, like the food, the language, the habbit, and etc. But it made you open minded and easy to accepted the diversity.

My Culture Shocks

In my trip in Turkey, I have faced how many shock culture but mostly at that food. The mandatory food in Turkey was bread, meanwhile I didn't eat bread oftenly. Their food taste are clearly different cause they were never had msg for their food hahaha. Several food is like tasteless or flat, several food and snack was sour or too sweet, and they have Olive as they regular side dish which's for me, the taste is clearly strange even though that fruit has so many benefits for the body, I just eat that once and skip that in the next event.

My culture shock in Turkey was, they can't speak english but they can speak Bahasa Indonesia. Mostly the seller there is has Bahasa Indonesia language course. It caused how many Indonesian trip to there.

In other that, I found out another Zayn Malik and Gigi Hadid there, I mean Turkish peoples so handsome and pretty like Zayn Malik and Gigi Hadid. Hehehehe

Alongside The Great Peoples

Other thing that precious in this trip was, the member was so great. Did you know that (exclude me and mba @titisnariyah ) was the experienced traveller. They were visited how many country before following the trip. There's Trio Mother who's humble, experienced, and fun. There's a couple of Professor who's mentioned me and mba @titisnariyah as a younger woman and they were motivated us to have another trip after Turkey. Then there's another couple from Samarinda who's so humble and experienced. There's a young lady and her mother.

All peoples was so cool and friendly. It was one of that I grateful from this journey. I hope in another chance, we will have trip together.

The Things That I Hate In This Trip Was

Even though I loved this trip, there's the things that I hate. It was like visited the, how many cemetery, cause I really can't stay along in that place. Besides, visited the shop with high price cause I trip not for shop actually so I thought that visited that place is waste the time. But the reason why we were visited that shop just because the government support our trip (cause free visa) so we have to visited several place as mandatory.

In other that, we don't have long time in the beautiful place like cappadocia, Erciyes Mount, and Blue Mosque. Cause it was beautiful I need more times. Cause we were in schedule, we have to discipline.

So it is my story in Turkey last month. I will tell the detail in another place cause you know, we were visited how many place, ancient, modern, and beautiful.

So thank you for stopping by...

All photos are personal collection, taken by Samsung Galaxy A22

Vivie Hardika

_{I have so many imagination in my head. Something that I can't achieve as human and as a girl. So writing very challenging. Since in Junior High School, I written whatever I want to write. Without skill, I just write what I want to read. Now I have 10th published novels and all of that are romance.}

_{Yeah, I proudly say that I am an mulititalent author!}

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Land of Thousand Poets, Turkeyi in A Week | My First Time Travel Abroad

THE STORY BEHIND MY OUT-OFF-CUFF

Turkey Liberates Free Visa for Indonesians

How Many Things That I Get From These Trip

The Things That I Hate In This Trip Was

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