Ankara

Because of all of the travel I have been doing and all of the things I have seen, I have been forgetting to blog. This is very sad, but what's even sadder is that it's not the only thing that I have been forgetting. I forgot to take my laundry from the dryer before I left - I'm hoping that it's all still there! I forgot to bring socks for my shoes. I also forgot to go to the bank before I left for my trip to get some cash. So you see, I suppose forgetting to blog kind of goes along with the current lifestyle I am having.

Yesterday morning I did a quick tour of Eskisehir's downtown area. It was a very charming city; there were characteristic green gates everywhere and lots of statues. I didn't get to see much but my train for Ankara left at 11:15.

I said good-bye to Gur, and off I went, continuing my central Anatolian adventure! This time I took the Yuksek Hizli Tren, the high speed train. It goes from Eskisehir to Ankara in 1.5 hrs. I was a very pleasant ride, and I hope my future train experiences go just as smoothly.

Utkucan, my friend from the dorms, met me at the train station. From there we went to the first Turkish Parliament as well as the Ankara Palace. After that we went to Anitkabir. I have to say, walking around in the 40+ degree heat wasn't very enjoyable. I don't think I've been so sweaty (without the help of sports of couse). By that time we were exhausted and needed a break with some sugar to boost our energy levels. There's no better way to do that than to eat some desserts. Mado is a popular dessert and food chain in Turkey. They have ice cream, baklava, waffles, etc. There wasn't a better place to suite our needs. I had my first Turkish waffle. Here they are same sort of bread concotion, except they are for dessert and thus served with chocolate, fruits, and nuts. I suppose we eat them the same way in America only we find it acceptable to eat them for breakfast.

Then we went to Utkucan's house. He lives in a nice apartment with his mom, dad, and younger sister, Ilgit. All of them very sweet and kind. We ate probably the best homemade meal that I've had in Turkey. His mom is a phenomenal cook. Turkish families eat later at night, so after dinner we went to bed.

This morning his mom made a wonderful breakfast which included homemade borek. YUM. It's been really hot so we've been hanging out close to his house. I am heading back to Istanbul tonight. It's been great to see other cities besides Istanbul.

I am running out of time; I have to catch the train! Will post pics tomorrow!!!