Istanbul’s Ataturk International Airport (IST) is spacious, modern, and gorgeous. Connected to the Domestic Terminal by an underground passage, it is easy to access. Inside are ATMs, currency exchange offices, a large food court that sold everything: pizza, doner kebobs, Burger King, sandwiches, shops; an Airport Hotel and fantastic Business Class Lounges. Our United Airlines 1K status allows entry to Business Class Lounges around the world even when flying on an Economy ticket. One of United’s biggest perks that encourages us to move heaven and earth in order to stay 1K with them. With a six-hour wait between the domestic flight in Istanbul, we were happier than two hogs sitting in a puddle of #!@#, in the Millennium Business Class Lounge.

Hot and cold food, gigantic array of alcoholic beverages, and the most delicious cookies/biscuits (especially the ones with ample confectioners sugar on top), we began eating to infinity and beyond. With some Turkish Lira left to either spend or convert at one of the many banks inside the airport, I set off on a pilgrimage to find something to buy.

The usual duty-free goods with, unfortunately, prices in Euros. A large Turkish Bazaar that was so crowded it would have been impossible to get assistance if I did find anything (didn’t). Instead, I distended my already full stomach a teeny bit more, taste-testing different flavors of Turkish Delight/Lokum (they grow on you), trying to decide exactly how slimy a box of Pistachio Baclava would get traveling 4,000 miles. Thinking way too slimy, I gave up and converted the Turkish Lira back to dollars.

Eastern Turkey lived up to and beyond my expectations. The Armenian Church of the Holy Cross on Akdamar Island was the unexpected standout, enchanting Mardin a close second, and Urfa third. Nemrut Dagi was the only ballyhooed sight that fell a little short. In my estimation, three more days divided among Mardin and Urfa would have made the trip perfect.

Eastern Turkey is a destination that was on my to-do list for years. Don’t be like me, who listened to travel warnings about traveling so close to the borders of Iraq, Iran, and other supposed dangers. Just do it and fall in love with the scenery, biblical history and wonderful people in Eastern Turkey. Tesekkur  (thank you)…

Oz lead us across the street to the Buyuk Kervansary (Deliler Han) for a coffee/tea break. This former caravanserai has been restored into a hotel……View image. Built by Husrev Pasha in 1527, the group sat around for a while admiring its conversion from caravanserai to hotel.

Caravanserais were also referred to an an Inn in ancient times. Remember, …There was no room at the Inn…? Besides the Deliller Inn in Diyarbakir, there are three others. Hasan Pasha, Ciftehan and Yeni…View image. One section of Buyuk Kervansary had a few shops selling rugs, carpets, other “stuff” and, clean toilets. Use restaurants or hotels when nature calls, and ask to use their facilities. FYI: Tuvalet means toilet….View image

From this extended coffee/tea break over to a house where Cahit Sitki Taranci was born. Taranci is one of the most celebrated poets of the Republican period and his birthplace has been turned into a museum. A long story about how he wrote depressing and sad poetry, yadda, yadda, died at a young age of no one knows what, yadda, yadda. A very boring museum I might add with only four rooms called Summer, Fall, Winter, Spring, containing his books, manuscripts, photographs and various souvenirs along with ethnographic pieces showing life in Turkey. Unless you are a fan of his poetry, take a pass. A short walk back to the hotel past the interesting looking bazaar that we were not allowed to visit

Hindsight is 20/20 in Diyarbakir only. It is beyond my understanding why tour operators bother to include a destination if participants aren’t going to be allowed to do anything on their own? We could have just as well watched a documentary on Diyarbakir that showed the important sights. I travel to interact with people in other countries and and learn about their cultures. Not for bragging rights. And to be hustled quickly through Diyarbakir without any interaction made this town a big miss. For this reason only, forget Diyarbakir.

Another almost race walk down to the end of this street to see the Dort Ayakh Minaret, referred to as the Four-Legged Minaret. This minaret stands on a base made of four columns carved from a single block of stone. Most unusual! It is said that if one walks seven times around the columns and make a wish, it will be granted. That’s one version. Another was, if you pass under the minaret seven times your wish will come true…View image. Pick one, do both and please do an extra for me since Oz never mentioned this interesting legend. I also could get no information why this minaret was built on four legs, either from Oz or on the Internet in English.

The Seyh Mutahhar Cammi (Mosque), built in 1512…View image, was next to the Dort Ayakli Minaret (4-legged Minaret) where evening prayers had just begun…View image. Non-Muslims are usually not welcome to enter mosques during prayers.

It would have been so fabulous to stick around this area, exploring the maze of narrow streets in the old town. Oh well, just a few more Diyarbakir attractions to visit.

Church of Virgin Mary…View image…was renovated in 2006-2007 with donations from Syrians living in American and Istanbul. There was a sign in Aramaic outside along with decorative black, grey and white basalt…View image. I found the outside of this church more interesting than the inside only because of its decorative effect.

The group entered…View image, sat down and told about the paintings with religious themes and other important facts.

Perhaps you can sense that Travels With Sheila was underwhelmed, but…on the good side, Oz got lost trying to lead the group out of this charming, old quarter…View image. Good because it was so interesting with old buildings on either side of the narrow streets…View image. Someone threw water on top of Steve and David’s heads as they passed underneath a balcony. Children sold homemade taffy apples, and sacks of wool from newly-shorn sheep…View image.

Now that, was more like it. Eventually, we exited the area after Oz got directions out and headed in another direction.

Lunch over, we began walking along Diyarbakir’s city walls…View image… moving as briskly as possible with no lagging behind allowed, while trying to avoid the little children (per Oz’s instructions – he said the little girls are the worst and most proficient at lifting wallets) who scream, “hello, hello, money, money.” That refrain continued over and over again for the next three hours. The city walls surround Diyarbakir and run for an almost intact 5.5km/3.4 miles around the old city. These walls are said to be only second in length to the Great Wall of China. The very dramatic walls built of black basalt…View image….have four gates and 82 watchtowers….View image.

Diyarbakir’s city walls were built in antiquity, and extended by the Roman emperor Constantius in 349…View image. Up close in one part, the different strata used to build these walls was visible…View image. However, these walls primarily date from Byzantine times. I understand, in hindsight, that you can see reliefs, calligraphy and figures engraved on many of the stones in the wall. Oz sped us by different sections of the walls without stopping to point out any of them. (I’m still doing a slow burn over this.) We did notice one section where someone had bricked up an opening into a heart shape.

Below the walls, families sat in the grass picnicking…View image, and talking…View image (I hope they weren’t homeless). Small boys would run to us as we approached shouting, what else, “money, money, photo, photo” – the all too common refrain today while several wild turkeys in Turkey popped out of the bushes…

Many of the group did climb up for a short walk on top of the old walls with an admonition to watch out for thieves and be careful of footing. There have been reports of attempted robberies on the walls.

Disgusted, we turned off into an older area of Diyarbakir that looked promising, towards the Church of Virgin Mary (Meryem Ana Kilisesi)…

Click here to view the embedded video.

Start off by surfing over to the official Visit Mexico site; all you need to get started since they have information on every Mexican destination. Your problem will be picking an areas to visit. V-E-R-Y …difficult to make a choice since Mexico is sunny and hot all year. For short vacations, here are my favorite resort areas on the Pacific Coast only for sports, food, beaches and just good fun:

(Your health insurance may not travel with you. Travel Guard has Travel insurance starting at $30.)

Acapulco – The granddaddy of Mexican resort areas and still vibrant. Scuba dive, check out the La Quebrada cliffs and watch divers plunge into the ocean below. Bungee jump, parasail high above the bay and surrounding mountains (my first experience took place in Acapulco); enjoy other water sports or just sit by the pool. It is always sunny in Acapulco, and Acapulco has excellent hotels and food.

Puerto Vallarta – Infamous for Richard Burton and Elizabeth Taylor’s affair during filming of Cleopatra. It is possible to visit “Gringo Gulch” where they stayed, but most tourists are there for the beaches and hot sun. Sport-fishing, diving the underwater mountains and steeps; shopping, shopping, shopping…. Visit the Puero Vallarta website for all the information.

Click here to view the embedded video.

Mazatlan – This destination combines traditional architecture in the Historic Center, known as Old Mazatlan, with modern hotels and restaurants in the Zona Dorada, a 10 kilometer/6 mile strip with beautiful beaches such as Playa Norte, Playa Gaviotas and Playa Venados. Watch any of the many videos on Travels With Sheila’s You Tube channel. Dance in the streets to the beat of drums into the wee hours of the morning, or watch how our family group literally danced off the beach after one short afternoon cruise stop. I can’t imagine what great fun it would be to be in Mazatlan during a festival.

Huatulco. This destination has nine bays, all protected areas, and 36 beaches that are part of the Bahias de Huatulco National Park. Most of the beaches have calm, blue-green waters; such as those at the Tangolunda Bay where you’ll find top-notch hotel resorts, excellent plazas and one of the best golf courses on the Pacific coast. Another popular beach destination is the Santa Cruz Bay, considered an important ecological reserve due to its coral reefs. Huatulco is the place for all-inclusive, and a really great spot for family vacations. A few all-inclusive resorts are: Las Brisas, Barcelo, laid back, relaxed resorts, still in the early stages of development.

Looking for a “sun bird” destination to stay for the winter? It’s not on the Pacific Coast but San Miguel de Allende is your place. It doesn’t get beastly hot (there have been moments in Acapulco that I literally jumped from shady spot to shady spot), living costs can be extremely reasonable…or not, and there is quite a bit of culture available. Forget beaches, there are none. You’ll just have to make do with swimming pools.

- Learn Spanish. A daily 50-minute Conversational Spanish class runs about $90 U.S. for two weeks. This has been on my “to-do” list forever; and

- Take art classes. San Miguel de Allende attracts artists and art students from all over the world. Doesn’t that sound like fun?

Basic Information:

- How to get to Mexico? Fly… Flights are scheduled to all of the above resort areas.

- Visas. Americans just need a passport or passport card. Consult an Embassy or Consulate in other countries for your correct information;

- Currency. The Mexican Peso but American Dollars are accepted everywhere as are credit cards and plentiful ATM’s;

- Health. Watch what you eat and do not drink the tap water unless you are staying in a hotel with “purified water.” Even then — be careful. It isn’t called “Montezuma’s revenge” for nothing…

Please don’t let the recent newspaper articles scare you away from a wonderful trip.
Now, wasn’t that easy?

In Diyarbakir, the bus pulled up in front of the Grand Guler Hotel and, sure enough, someone tried to snatch a necklace off one of our group! Not an auspicious beginning. The hotel is walking distance to the city walls and there was a huge outline of a typical Kurd along with a quote from Ataturk on the building across the street….

Restaurant Aslan Yemek Salono was a few doors away from the hotel on Kibris Cad. No. 23/B. FYI: “Aslan” means “lion” in Persian. Do you think that’s where C. S. Lewis got his idea for Aslan? Escorted in for lunch, neither ex-Marine nor I were hungry at 12:30p after eating the usual humungous breakfast, but how could we resist the scrumptious looking food? When most of the group came to the table with plates filled with what looked like a Sheperd’s Pie, I had to order one plate to share. Shepherd’s Pies are basically casseroles, lined with cooked meat and vegetables, topped with mashed potatoes and baked.

This dish turned out to be shredded meat under a blanket of very cheesy, mashed potatoes with a side of rice. Spicy and so delicious, we promptly ordered a second plate. So much for sharing and not being hungry! When I went to photograph and video the food, all the cooks and staff wanted their photos taken. By the way, this recommendation is also touted by Lonely Plant…

Diyarbakır is known for rich and spicy dishes but we had only one night here. Definitely not enough time to sample all those delicious dishes displayed as well as the kebabs grilling. A big, high-five, yumm-oh….

Traveling solo? This is your chance to save big money on select, luxury walking tours with free single supplements on limited departure dates. How about the South Coast of Greece; Machu Picchu; Dingle Bay and Killarney, Ireland; Cinqe Terre, Tuscany, or Umbria in Italy; Dalmatian Coast of Croatia; or Wales? For people who prefer their own room, this is a great deal.

But wait, there’s even more. African Safaris – 50% discount on 12 different Safaris in East and South Africa; cross the continents on an Epic Overland, 35% discount; and a Peru 2 for 1. Bring a companion for free or, if traveling Solo, get a 30% discount.

Steve and I have traveled through Adventure Center on oh-too-many vacations to count. Adventure Center, and their various tour operators, must be doing something right. Check it out…

Indonesia

Save Big on Top Travel Destinations at CheapOair. Book Now! Offer valid till Mar. 31st, 2012.

A 45-minute ride to a lake where we’d take a ferry across. Past melon fields, houses with hay drying on roofs…View image, a truck loaded with sheep (bye-bye, lamb chop)…View image, followed by another truck that carried everything but the kitchen sink with a man almost buried under his belongings…View image

Once at whatever lake it was, the bus drove on the ferry for the 15-minute ride to the other side…View image. I don’t know exactly how much time was saved by this manuever, but Oz did call it a “short cut.” The amount of locals who managed to squeeze into one van was hilarious; similar to the circus clown cars where one person after another pops out.

Two small ferries ply back and forth across the lake about every 30 minutes, always loaded with people….View image…, and always busy…View image.

Another 2-1/2 hours with one stop at a gas station for tea and toilets. Big semis and cars pulled in, to gas up and have their vehicles washed….View image. Wondering if this was included in the gas/petrol price, I later found out there is no charge for a car wash. Just leave a tip of 3-4 Turkish Lira, such a deal. While standing there, three Kurdish men finished lunch and began walking down the street, wearing my favorite purple headscarfs…View image. I don’t think I’ll ever see the color “purple” again without remember Southeastern Turkey.

The Explore group will have covered 3,200 kms/1,900 miles on the road by the time we reach Diyarbakir. A long way to go with fascinating rewards. On the road for the last time, and the last kilometers, we reached the unofficial Kurdish capital of Diyarbakir.

Who are the Kurds? Kurds are largely Sunni Muslim with their own language and culture who live in the contiguous areas of Turkey, Iraq, Iran, Armenia and Syria. This mountainous region is generally known as Kurdistan. A guerilla insurgency has been going on in Southeastern Turkey waged by the Kurdistan Workers’ Party, PKK. They believe that there should be an independent Kurdish state in Turkey. Oz (along with Explore U.K.) was nervous about the potential for sporadic violence in Diyarbakir and, because of that, the group would have no freedom to explore independently. Bummer…

Free Airline Travel?

Tip #1: Airlines now allow you to book one-way tickets. This makes an “Open Jaw” ticket so much easier. “Open Jaw” is when a person flies into one city and flies back out from another.

Tip #2: Once you begin an outbound leg on a free, roundtrip ticket, no further changes are allowed by any airline unless the ticket agent takes pity on you. Ha, I say! Book separate one-way segments; the same amount of miles, each reservation has a different record locator number, so what have you got to lose? One-way segments allow changes before each leg if ”Mo’s garbage collection airline” cancels.

Business Class on Lufthansa Airlines

Tip #3: Stay loyal…stay loyal…stay loyal! Choose: Star Alliance, OneWorld, or an individual airline; the only way (except for Co-branded Credit Cards – more below) miles will ever add up to enough for a free ticket.

Tip #4: Use miles accumulated for either First or Business Class on long-distance flights (the only way we can afford to fly in those sections); economy on short-hauls, and/or to upgrade. It may only be 20,000 miles for a short-haul ticket.

Tip #5: It is only possible to Upgrade with miles on specific fare classes.

Tip #6: Sticking to one Co-branded Credit Card, e.g. United Airlines, American Airlines, Delta, will help those miles add up.

Tip #7: I’ve found it easy to get free tickets on routes that originate in either Asia or Europe for onward travel. For example: Buy the cheapest round trip to Frankfurt; then use miles to get a free, roundtrip Business class ticket to……. (fill in the blanks) from Frankfurt.

Tip #8: This applies to both free airline tickets and hotel rooms. Don’t automatically throw out new credit card applications that come in the mail; read first! There are moment-of-madness offers that may have: 40,000 miles after your first purchase (usually a minimum purchase amount is associated with the offers); a free hotel night; points towards free hotels nights; yadda, yadda. These cards do charge a fee after the first year. Apply, use, and cancel when renewal comes up.

Free Hotel Rooms?

Tip #9: United Airlines and American Airlines allow you to use miles for hotels and car rentals. Maximize your budget when destinations are on the expensive side. With only 69,000 miles in my American Airlines account, I threw caution to the winds and used 67,000 miles for two free nights at the uber-luxurious ***** Fullerton Hotel, Singapore. The on-line rate for two nights in a courtyard room with taxes and buffet breakfast was $905 U.S. I’d say blowing all my American Airlines miles for a hotel of this caliber was worth it.

Tip #10: Chase Priority Club Credit Card is my latest favorite; generous with points, free hotel room nights; and no 3% charge for foreign transactions! This last perk is major for International Travel. They were giving enough points for two free nights when we accepted the pre-approved offer. Priority Club allows you to combine points with cash for stays at any of their seven hotel brands: InterContinental, Crowne Plaza; Hotel Indigo, Holiday Inn Express, Holiday Inn, Staybridge Suites, and Candlewood Suites. They do charge a $49 U.S. yearly fee but give a free night when you renew. I don’t know about you, but it’s almost impossible to find a double room in a motel, anywhere, for less than $49!

Have a question? Bring it on, and I’ll do my best to answer.