GEORGIA!!!

Crossing the border was more complicated than we expected. Our passports were stamped and we were let into Georgia only to wait hours for our bus and luggage to be processed. Seven hours, two beers and 25 new Azeri friends later... We were welcomed into GEORGIA!

Baklava of the Week... The Grand Finale!

As our journey through Turkey comes to a close our hearts yearn for new sweet horizons. The last Baklava of the Week is dedicated to a special friend and an avid baklava enthusiast. A local Black Sea twist we give you... Custard Baklava! A true blend of east and west. We will continue to follow our sweet toothes further east to the Caucasus Region. Next time in Georgia!

Çifte Minareli Medrese, Erzurum

What They Wore... Elegant in Erzurum

Ani, Turkey

We took a day trip to the deserted former Armenian capital with some new friends.

What They Wore... Green in Kars

Breakfast in Kars

Simit is like a bagel. Mixed with grape syrup (the secret ingredient) and covered in sesame seeds, it is sold everywhere.

What is THIS?

Any ideas?

Mt. Arrarat, Doğubayazıt

Do You Like My Hat..? Hoşap Castle

The view from the castle.

The Cheese Market in Van, Turkey

We recommend taking a stroll to the market after a famous breakfast Van style at Evren Kahvalti Salonu.

What They Wore... On the Bus in Mardin

Mardin, Turkey, Reservations Needed

Mardin is beautifully situated on a hill facing the Mesopotamian plane, across the Syrian border. To our astonishment, it has turned into a holiday destination for vacationing Istanbullus; it is in the middle of nowhere and exorbitant! We were amused when we went to dinner only to be turned away by the snobby and grumpy gay host. It took us a while to muster our royal calm and we realised we needed to transform back to "Non-backpacking Tom and Rena" (we can be King and Queen of the snobby and grumpy, so don't mess!). All in all its a great town for a day trip, but be sure to come emotionally prepared.

Baklava of the Week!

Birthday Assortment (clockwise from the top left):

1. Dolama Baklava. A mix of crushed pistachio and various nuts rolled in thin flaky pastry and swimming in sugar syrup...
2. Tulumba. An egg and flour puff. The baker couldn't explain any of the other ingredients but there was definitely loads of sugar!
3. Şekerpare. Our favorite! A semolina pastry topped with a pistachio and drenched in syrup!

For Rena's birthday, we pigged out on a bit of each. At this rate, we'll never be Kate Moss...

What They Wore... The Men of Diyarbakir

Vests and pocket watches are very "in" amongst the elderly gentlemen.

Report Card Day

He insisted we take the photo. You can see the Tigris River in the distance.

Diyarbakir, Turkey

After a couple of sick days stuck in shabby (minus the chic) Karadut, we decided to recover in a five star hotel (of course!), or the closest thing we could find in Diyarbakir. It worked. Our recovery was miraculous! It's a great town, but difficult to maneuver solo, so we picked up Murat, a guide from the hotel who became our "best friend". He took us around the city and to a Kurdish wedding. Yes, we danced.


Otel Büyük Kervansaray is a beautifully converted sixteenth centuray han. The courtyard is charming and the service is "local". Montana, the kilim shop owner downstairs arranges tours to Kurdistan in Northern Iraq. His email is class5002002@yahoo.com .

Med-Evac Ferry to Diyarbakir!

Due to the GAP project, which flooded many parts of the once barren southeast Turkey, the road to Diyarbakir ends midway and drivers load their cars onto the local ferry.

Nemrut Dağı, Turkey

Karadut and How We Got There

17 Village men (and us), 20 bags of vegetables, 70 loaves of bread, 15 sacks of animal food, our bags, 3 sacks of cement and a large jar of pickels.

35 Km and 3 hours later: 15 stops along the way including to fix the van which broke down during the first 5 minutes...

We arrived safely at Karadut!