feeling the Maui love

monsanto MUST BE STOPPED. GMOs gotta go:  watch it & get into my head-space this morning...

https://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_embedded&v=0I2xZSlLVjA

Sunday morning here in the Fertile Crescent. Lots of fickle weather as of late. Yesterday it kinda tried to snow for a few minutes (after I already packed away all my winter clothing last Wednesday) while I was downtown. Today it is warm and sunny.

I'm back in bed with coffee brewing and hot oats cooking on the stove.  I had a lovely run this morning.  Up early (no sleep past the early a.m. call to prayer), I was surfing the net.  By the way, 5 a.m. Turkey time is prime time to see what all my friends are up to back home in Hawaii- exactly 13 hours behind in the time zone scheme of things.

Well, Hawaii's citizens are up to A LOT today. They are fighting a giant- a giant coackroach of a corporate empire rat race. Okay, I said it. Yep monsanto (no capitalization for an UNproper noun).

As the sun was rising, I was increasing in my rage after reading all the articles posted. I didn't feel hopeless though.  I felt hopeful because my friends on Maui and throughout the Hawaiian Islands ROCK. They are getting the job done.  They are in R-EVOLUTION mode.

Being so far away from Maui makes it difficult sometimes. Like this time. After I had had my fill of information, I set out to go for a morning run.  I ran today for Maui- for Hawaii. For my friends that are on the front lines there fighting the government- who insist on trying to get into our kitchens. WTF is it with the government trying to get into our vaginas, as well as our kitchens?

On the subject of front lines, I, admittedly, haven't kept up so much with America's revolutions.  I have my senses full over here watching THESE revolutions: Syria, a free Kurdistan, etc.  I'm front and center over here trying to take all this in in as graceful a way as I can (I know I cuss too much, but hey, it's a product of being an archaeologist and always being around construction crews. Oh how I miss being around construction crews).

But I digress... so, people over here are dying- loads of them every day- fighting for their cause against their corrupt governments. What I realized, though, is that I decided that Hawaii's fight with monsanto wasn't as important as these people's fights because... well, I see dead people on the news every day because of these fights...

BUT this morning something snapped in me. It comes down to this: fighting an injust government that is trying to make too many personal decisions for us- we the people. Why do governments, the world over, want to come into our homes? Why into our bedrooms? Our kitchens? Our gardens?

So I turned my rage into pure, divine energy and had a kick-ass run.  It wasn't yet 7 a.m. so I had the place to myself again.  Every lap around the track was encouragement. I want Maui peeps to feel my encouragement for their dedication.  I was running so fast I could hardly keep my breath. But I thought, 'Maui peeps are in the rain today holding signs and supporting their (our) right to exist and be allowed to make (some of) our own decisions.

Perhaps my friends over here think this can't compare: people in America fighting for the right to have a GMO-produced food labelled as such so we can avoid buying/ingesting it, when their governments are KILLING them. Our government is killing us too with GMOs, but it's a slow death- unlike what I see over here. Our government kills us with cancer-causing agents that are leaked/seeped into our foods, our lands- all in an effort to produce 'superfoods!'

I do not mean to make light of the situation, anywhere.  It is just different. What is common is that people have to rally and fight for their rights in almost every aspect of life- anywhere.  period.

Okay, I'm done with that. And with my oatmeal (I hope the oats weren't GMOs but I don't know as the bag is in Turkish).  I hope not. I can say that here, in the southeast, knowing what is in one's food is not a 'thing' here. For whatever reasons, I don't know.  The health issue thing isn't so prevalent.  I know a core group of friends here where it is indeed a concern, but it is the rare exception to the rule for sure.  Perhaps in other parts of Turkey it is more of a concern for people.  I don't even know the active status of monsanto in Turkey. This is something I will check into momentarily...

Back to my exciting life... ahem. So, yesterday turned out to be a horrible day weather wise here in Gaziantep.  It ended up kinda snowing. I was downtown with Solo_ojo and we were getting our 'lists' checked off when we got caught up in the foul weather. Actually we were waiting for the tram and noticed the dark, brooding weather on the horizon while it was lightly raining. We both saw it, turned to each other, and decided to verbalize that we were going to forget about it and maybe nothing bad will happen... At least I had the good sense to have a beanie on my head. It is ironic, though, that 3 days before I made it a personal task to pack up all my weather clothing since spring sprung...
Back to that checklist: Mehmet the tailor called and my pants were ready. Awesome! I am addicted to having a tailor now... I got to eat my favorite Turkish food- Iskender. I bought some fistik baklava for friends in Izmir for next weekend. Oh yes, I also made it to the eczane too! I hate going to the eczane in Gaziantep.  Not sure why.  I really only do it when I am traveling in Turkey.

Here is perhaps one reason why I hate it here: Yesterday I walked to the counter and asked in Turkish for 'dort tane Yasmin lutfen', and he brings me back only 1. I say again 'dort' (4) and he, almost reluctantly, goes back and brings me 3 more- all the while the guy standing next to me at the counter is just staring at me... It is ALWAYS weird...

Last weekend in Konya I contemplated going into an eczane there, but somehow talked myself out of it... heh heh. My partner in crime with me in Konya only laughed at me when I told her the story. I guess I think of Konya as such a conservative place, but a lot of people assure me that, even though it is difficult to purchase alcohol there, it has the highest percentage of drinkers there.  I wasn't so sure it was going to be so easy to buy alcohol so I brought my trusty flask with me! That's another story though...

Okay, my work here is done.

Summer lovin- had me a blast. Summer lovin- happened so fast...

Wrapping up a week of Kurban Bayram holidays- which, for me, means Hollydaze... And Hollydaze means Turkey Trotting.  So the '3 Witches of G-tep' hit the road with the pedal to the metal. We blazed a 1500 kilometer trail- BUT more on that journey on my next post...

What this holiday in fact did was inspire me to blog about the last of my summer odyssey after I returned from visiting Odysses on Kos Island- 1 of many lovely Greek Aegean islands. So you all read up on that journey, but what happened afterwards? Well, in fact, the party didn't stop there. I sailed back to Turkey- Bodrum.

Bodrum is in the southwestern Aegean region of Turkey. In ancient times it was known as Halicarnassus. Its famous king, Mausolus was around sometime around the early parts of the 4th century B.C. When he passed on, his (sister) wife, Artemis, built him a tomb so great to reflect his greatness that the word mausoleum is today known throughout the world. This stately tomb of Mausolus is one of the 7 Wonders of the Ancient World.

The massive fortress,Bodrum Castle, stands proudly today at the harbor entrance and was built in the 15th century A.D. by those pesky Crusaders... There is also an underwater archaeology museum there so check it out when in the vicinity. It is the setting for my adventures when traveling to Kos- which is becoming more and more frequent!

So this is how my typical Bodrum experience plays out: I get into town on the bus (ugh- I'm getting VERY tired of long distance bus rides, but at least the bus system in Turkey is awesome and as comfortable as it can possibly be). The good thing about the otogar (bus station) in Bodrum is that it is right smack in the center of the city on the waterfront practically. What this means to me is that I don't have to walk far with my backpack to catch a boat over to Kos.

Depending on the ferry timetables, as well as extenuating factors such as the good looking male population in the city, or how desperate I am to get my hands on some Greek food, I decide how long to stay in Bodrum. By the way, there is this really cool outdoor disco, The Halicarnassus, that is fun to frequent- all night if one so desires. I would, of course, know nothing about this whatsoever...

So this last trip, I only had a few hours to spare in Bodrum after returning from Kos because I wanted to get to Kabak and just chill out at my friend's camp- Reflections Camp.  So this is how those few hours went down:

I always go to this one cafe on the backside of the harbor. I'm sure I have seen many generations of this cat's family lineage...

So my HQ is a very nice place. I have everything I need inside my backpack, and I can drink, eat and sun worship all day long here. The Bodrum Castle is seen in the background. The place is very lively and it's just a nice, cool vibe away from the hustle and bustle of tourists going crazy shopping just on the other side of this area.

The jetty/harbor entrance is really cool. There are areas here where you can just lounge around on the rocks and watch the boats enter the harbor. As well, the water is (seems) super clean here and you can jump in for a dip.

This is a view from the jetty looking at the town and esplanade that runs along the waterfront. It is lovely. Too bad so many sunburned tourists...

just another picturesque picture of the Aegean...

At this point the pictures stop, but I didn't...

...And that brings me to the next stop on my odyssey: Kabakastan. So I caught my bus to Fethiye. I had already been through Fethiye this summer on an earlier journey from Kas. I'm pretty well familiar with Fethiye so usually now just continue through to my destination. Now, Kabak is my 'go-to' spot in Turkey when I need to commune with nature. I somehow feel closer to Hawaii when in Kabak- or as we so affectionately call it, Kabakastan. Because, it is it's own entity. And it always feels like I'm in a parallel universe when I'm there because... well I can't really explain it succinctly.  Let the pictures do the talking...

my bungalow at Camp. I have everything I need: dive gear, sunscreen, moonlit evenings, The one thing I don't need are mosquitoes- but they are provided anyway. The mosquito net helps....

Breakfast is typical in an untypical environment! Damn the food is good here. The kitchen staff is excellent.

my closet- which consists of my favorite clothing- BIKINIS!!!

things can start to get a little freaky in Kabakastan...

view from one of the paths

you can do anything in Kabakastan

something bittersweet about this so I had to capture it. It's the strange dichotomy of 2 separate ways of life...

country

a new yoga platform since last summer- right at the water's edge

day camps on the beach

self-portrait

the Dragon Bar is in it's 2nd year of existence at Reflections Camp!

it's not Hawaii, but it's amazing. Only waves could make this spot more perfect- and surfers!

nice perspective, and a familiar one for me!

drool-worthy

sometimes one tires of paradise and needs to get back in the gritty so here I am with Chris helping him pick up supplies for his camp, Reflections Camp, in Fethiye. We're picking up ice and beer for the Dragon Bar.

Chris's awesome ride

boat outings are a must down here in Kabakastan. There are so many uninhabited nooks and crannies along the coastline. There is always a deserted beach one can find- complete with castaways and pirates... haha

very romantic, no?

the beauty seeps into your skin and permeates your soul leaving you stuptified

sunset swim

from one of the hiking trails

reflecting on Reflections Camp details...

Reflections Camp HQ- the kitchen! It always smells good here!

Seckin co-rules the empire with Chris

take me there...

...and then there was Mik... I was fortunate enough to meet Mik & her crew. They were visiting from Izmir where they live. I ended up hitchhiking a ride with them to Izmir- which was unexpected on my itinerary, yet another highlight of the summer. And I do mean highlight.

So a little history, or actually herstory, about Kabak. To visit there today one gets a dolmus from Fethiye and takes it to the end of the road- Faralya. Faralya is the village above the valley that you hike down into to reach the plethora of camps in Kabak. Kabak, or Kabak Kolu (canyon) is famous for its pine trees, waterfalls and beaches. It is, or was, off the beaten path in terms of Turkey tourism. In the past 11 years I have noticed a great change anyway, and now there are some resort-type structures built in the valley complete with air con and swimming pools. You can also hitch a hide into Kabak withe these safari jeeps that run up/down the precarious dirt road all day long. It is kinda a shame because now anybody can get down there... I do mean this in the most demeaning sense I suppose... What can I say, when I want to get away from it all in Turkey, this is the only place, so far, that I can do it at.

Anyway, it is still absolutely beautiful, but with more people. Unfortunately there are more profiteers here in the valley and care nothing about the natural environment and 'vibe' of the place. It is also reflected in the type of tourist that they bring in. There is talk of paving the pot-holed road so more package tourists can come in. This will totally FUCK UP the energy of the place. Yes, this is how I feel. Kabak is a journey, and the experience of getting there is what sets you up for your trip with the place. I mean no pain, no gain. You used to only be able to get there by hiking in/out of the valley. This is the real deal. You can't bring all the modern conveniences and shit down there. You take only necessities- you. And you hike. And you get there and you trip out on the beauty and the difficulty of getting there. And the peace you feel with the environment. And you appreciate this as well as appreciate your humanness. You sit around the bonfire at night on the beach or wherever and meet people from all over the world who come to Kabak for this exact experience. So yea, Kabakastan is in great danger of being overrun with the typical BULLSHIT package tourism. In fact, it has already arrived. It is upsetting. Why can't that shit just stay in Oludeniz?

Okay I digress. Back to the beauty of the place... So Kabak is a stop on the Lycian Way. This is a long distance coastal footpath that the ancient inhabitants, the Lycians, used. It covers 500 kilometers- from Olu Deniz to Antalya. it traverses from the mountains to the sea continuously. It is rigourous. It is amazing.

So I ended up meeting these crazy cats in Kabak and so hitchhiked a ride with them back to Izmir where they live and work- at Izmir Economic University. What a ball it was. This is the 2nd time I've been to Izmir. The first time was during Kurban Bayram last year. I didn't really like it so much, so didn't expect much this last trip except in that I met some cool people. Well this 2nd round of Izmir was amazing. It's funny how perspective changes with circumstances...

Here are some of my highlights of Izmir:

Mik's hood in Narlidaire (?)

popoki #1

sunset shennanigans at Mik's...

world seems sideways...

popoki #2

amazing journey these toes have been on this summer...

I'm a sucker for boats- any kine. AND a man that goes along with a boat...

a city with a nice wide esplanade next to the sea is always a good city

Mik and I doing the strip in Izmir

Mik procuring more adult libations for us

we had our own personal chauffeur...

man on a mission

we had a secret mission

post work euphoria.

gargoyles

walkabout

downtown in the distance

3 muskateers

contemplating the bigger things in life

yours truly...

we ran the poor guy into the ground...

Mik. Contemplating. Life.

And now... now it is 4 A.M. on a cold Gaziantep night- or morning. I wish it was a cold Cappadocia night- or morning, but it is not. Tomorrow, or today, is Republic Day in Turkey so no work! This is good. It gives me time to collect my marbles. I think I lost some marbles in Cappadocia. I will return there soon to pick them up...

So, you all can expect the next update to be about my Kurban Bayram hollydaze. Why? Because every day is a Hollyday with me...

The Bewitching Hour ends now, as well as this post. I've no desire to edit it. Not even going to proof read it in fact.  Enjoy. Comment. Question. Laugh.