After leaving Gaziantep, we kept heading east, further away from the Mediterranean and the parts of Turkey most often visited by tourists. Our next stop was Sanliurfa, an old city of incredible religious significance. Even without its pilgrimmage status, the city’s mixed population of Kurds, Turks, and Arabs, combined with the lively bazaars and frenetic street life make it an exciting place. more»

From our base in Malatya we went up to the amazing Mt. Nemrut. There are a few places near Nemrut that you could use as a base, like Kahta or even Sanliurfa. The tours run from these places are a little expensive, and Malatya was recommended to us by a guy from South Korea we met in Goreme. more»

In this episode: Cappadocia in all its glory; tasty treats; the remote and breathtaking Mt. Nemrut; the interesting beehive houses of Biblical Harran; and the never-dull Sanliurfa.

Gaziantep is a city you’re not supposed to go to. That’s not what we think, but that’s what the people who live there think. more»

There’s a new feature to the website, I hope you check it out and enjoy it! You can access the interactive map of our journey by clicking the map link on the top of the page (always there), or you can visit it by clicking here.

As we move east in Turkey, we get closer to the rest of the Middle East. Turkey grows less and less European and there are fewer tourists. When we arrived in Malatya, we could tell we finally ditched the tourist trail. more»

Val and I were hiking through the valleys of Goreme National Park when this old man, wearing a wool suit and leading a donkey, walked over to us and started saying, “Photo? Photo?” more»

We couldn’t pull ourselves away from Cappadocia, an expansive region comprised of strange geological landscapes. Erosion and water have transformed the white soft volcanic rock into bizarre towers called “fairy chimneys.” more»

One night when we were walking past a restaurant with their menu posted on the sidewalk, something caught my eye from the appetizer section: Sensitive Meatball. more»

In this episode: The classical ruins of Ephesus, once the Roman capital of the province of Asia; the travertines of Pamukkale; sailing the Mediterranean at Fethiye; and chilling out at Olympos. The audio and video are just a tiny bit out of sync, which is better than it was a few days ago. Try not to let it bother you!