Sorry for the lack of updates. We promise they will come, but in the meantime I wanted to remind everyone that we send daily tweets from our SpotGPS to the Basic Cruising Twitter Account. You can also keep track of us in real time via the Live Tracking System.
Istanbul
What a magnificent city! I really can’t find any other way to convey what I felt as I walked around Istanbul but with that one word “magnificent”. We walked and bargained in the Grand Bazaar, visited the Blue Mosque, admired the Hagia Sophia, ventured into the Basilica Cistern, relaxed at a rooftop bar, and enjoyed many authentic kebabs!
Despite getting horrendously lost as we entered the city, and fending for our lives with our fellow turk drivers (Mexico City driving is a breeze compared to what these people are capable of!), Istanbul was a really breathtaking experience.
Ankara
Nothing much to say about Ankara, we arrived pretty late, went out to have dinner at an authentic Turkish place (which was delicious), went to bed, and were at the wheel by 8:00AM the next day.
Cappadocia
Wow.
Approximately 9 to 3 million years ago, a volcano erupted in this region of Turkey and formed a magnificent set of valleys and rock formations that look as if they were taken straight out of a fantasy book. No wonder George Lucas chose this location for one of Star Wars’ Episodes.
We crawled through underground cities, wondered around the Open Air Museum, hiked to the top of rock castles, and took a balloon ride at dawn.
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- Hagia Sophia
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- Cappadocia
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- Hot Air Balloon
Moving On
Today we head more East, and have about 22 hours to drive before arriving to our first destination city in Iran. We have also received confirmation from The Visa Machine that we will be allowed to go through Turkmenistan which is a logistical blessing. I can’t explain how excited we are about what’s coming next. It’s about to get funky!