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Nevsehir to Ankara
We head down stairs to see if we can see the ballooners. There are no less than 40 balloons in view but for us they are a fair way off and look like little black dots on the photos.
They all arrive back safe and sound and exhilarated . Hopefully we will see some photos start to circulate later.
We leave the hotel, certainly not one of the better ones to head for the Turkish Capital of Ankara.
40 minutes into the drive we stop to visit Hacibektis. The town gets its name from Haci Bektas-i Veli, a man who made an effort to unite Turkish customs and culture with the Islamic faith. We visit the museum which houses the tombs of Haci Bektas-i Veli and Balim Sultan. The museum also has a mosque, bathhouse, kitchen and 3 courtyards.
Some of the rooms have figurines in place to show the workings in earlier times and some of the utensils and artifacts from the era are on display. We have only a short time here as Omer is keen to get to Ankara.
So far I have not had to resort to a squat toilet but in this stop there were only 2 seats and about 10 squats so the odds are definitely against us females. Yesterday a few of us had the en stand watch while we used the men's because the line up for the ladies s the same all over the world and when you gotta go you gotta go.
It's a beautiful day again and as I am writing this we are travelling through what looks like agricultural land, mainly wheat I think. It's just after 11.30am and its 22C outside.
We stop for lunch at a roadside restaurant next to a petrol station. This is not unusual as it is what we have done most days. Today it is a very classy looking place though with waiters all dressed very nicely with gold embroidered waist coats. It's a 'self serve' system where you chose what you want and the cooks serve it up. Today after making our choice we have a waiter to carry our tray and show us to our table. There are never any prices displayed and you pay by the plate so you never really know what it is going to cost. With the waiter service and all the attention today, we were expecting it to be expensive. To my surprise it was one of the cheapest meals we have had and it was very tasty too!
Back on the bus it is nap time for some, especially those that went on the balloons this morning.
We arrive in Ankara ahead of schedule and the traffic is hectic. We head straight to the Hittite museum where we see artifacts over 4000 years old. The stories Omer tells about the items are very interesting and he is so passionate about it all.
Next we visit Anit Kabir, the Mausoleum of Ataturk turkeys greatest modern leader.
The complex was built during the Second World War period and is an amazing museum and exhibition that commemorates the life of Ataturk.
We cross town now to go to our hotel, the Ankara Hilton. It is situated on a very steep hill and the bus has to reverse up the very steep and narrow driveway to drop us off at he door. This driver is certainly earning his tips with all the tight squeezes he gets in and out of.
We take a walk down the hill and find a very busy shopping district with some of the high end stores and a beer station.
Our beers come with popcorn instead of nuts and chickpeas which is a nice change.
After a visit to the supermarket to get supplies for tomorrow's 6 hour drive to Bursa we head back to the hotel for dinner.
Open buffet again tonight in a very nice civilized restaurant with tables set for 2 or 4. We are joined t our table by Adrienne and Peter. They are South African from Cape Town and are a really nice couple. It is maxing how much we really have in common, married in the same year, kids the same age, Peter works in Funds Management side of finance.
Our dinner conversation revolves around comparing life in South Africa with life in Australia and places you must see if you visit South Africa. Have to put that one on t list as it sounds fantastic and of course will include a visit to Krueger National Park.
The people we have met on this trip are all such good fun and easy to be with.
Right now we are sitting up in bed drinking Heinekens!
Gotta love holidays!
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