16/9/13 I'm off to see the Harem .

Shower , breakfast , you know the drill . At Topkapi Palace before opening , before crowds , I hate Queues . Straight to Harem , 300 rooms , 9 Turkish baths , 2 Mosques , a hospital , but where's the semi naked women lounging about . I've been ripped off .

Plenty more pictures if you want , HS was on a roll .

A local woman from here at last , wanted to arrest me when I asked her when she was going to get into harem outfit .

Pretty advanced for 14th century , even got fire hydrants .

What a place , there would have to be more than a million tiles in the place , Harem and Palace .

Weaponry , costumes and the jewelry , lots and lots of magnificent jewelry . Not allowed to take photos 

Met one of fellow travelers , coffee then walked down to Spice Bazaar  , onto Galati Bridge where HS had a fresh fish sandwich . No smelly fish jokes thanks .Walked bridge , then back across heading back to hotel . Stopped for required refreshment . 

Alright women , I now know your secret . Hair cuts and pampering . Next to bar was a barber offering Turkish shave , well I do have a lot to shave . Lather up , longest lather ever , shave , nose trim , eye brow trim and then ear trim using fire , that's rite Fire , I closed my eyes for that . Then to top it off the best head massage I ever had . I'm looking for a Turkish barber when I get home .

Hard to tell , that is actually fire in his right hand . As smooth as a baby's bum .

Dinner with a view again . 

Home to Disco room. Off to bed exhausted .

Good night  Spunky Trunks . 

15/9/13. Sailing , sailing , not exactly .

Not quite the final supper but actually final breakfast with group . After departure of rest , the remaining 7 took ferry to tour Bosphorus , I'll do tour guide here , that is the strip of water starting at Istanbul , joining the Marmara sea through to Black Sea , want more info , google . 3hr return trip , not untill we were on board did we discover 3hr stop in middle , oops .

Just a sample of some of sights on way up . We should get Turks to build our bridges . Much wider and a hell of a lot longer . If you want more pics HS is over her RSI . Europe on left , sorry Port and Asia on Starboard . How nautical of me . 

This is Anadolu Kavagi , note renovators delight on right . We had to fill in time so walked up hill to castle . 

Not much of a castle but entrance to Black Sea was once protected by it .

The Turks are building a bridge across that expanse , we can't even build across the bloody Yarra .

That's the Black Sea past that point .

Half way back down , need to build stamina up again with drink , o yes and food .

Won't bore you with return trip , actually I think I slept . On return went to Spice Market , what a sensory experience , someone  else's words but I will pinch them .

Feeling hungry ? 

Headed back to hotel , coffee and beer on way back , needed energy , ok I just needed a drink .

Hotel cleaned up HS and I out for tea , first crap meal of trip ,   P-st off . Back to Disco room and bed .

Good night Mama .

14/9/13. Continued

Left Gallipoli and continued on to Istanbul , the wheels on the bus went round and round and round and round , get my drift . Hit Istanbul , you think Melbourne's peak hour is bad , well this wasn't peak and it was still worse .finally arrived at hotel , given disco sweet .

For real our bedroom , we had the lights but no music .

Went for walk needed drink after trip , that was HS excuse anyway . Found roof top bar with views in all directions . Aya Sophia in background .

The Blue Mosque , no not the napkin holder in front , the rather large building in back . Some people .

See we were in the same place together .

View out other side , sorry Neil and Lee no yachts this time , we did see a lot when we flew in .

Back to disco room , clean up out for dinner , my drinking buddy Karen , and Maree joined us . Back to hotel , said our good nights and up to disco room . After a bit of moving and grooving , off to bed  get your minds out of the gutter again . 

Goodnight  Elizabeth .

14/9/13. Lest we forget

Wake up call 5:30 , for real , bags out 6:00 , brekky , how can you enjoy it at this time of morning , 6:45 walk to ferry , have to keep us awake somehow .leaving Asia returning to Europe .

Proof is in the picture .

Joke time over for time being , heading to Gallipoli peninsula .

A very somber but enlightening place . Gives you an insight into both the Anzacs and the Turks . Both sides endured both extreme hardship and bravery . We also watched a video from the Turkish perspective taken from personnel experience and letters from both sides . You have to remember they were fighting to protect their homeland and in doing so suffered greater losses than the Anzacs . But there appeared to be no real animosity from either side .

This written by Ataturk I found really moving .hope you can read it .

13/9/13. Friday the 13 th

Not much today , mostly travel , watched videos of Ataturk , the leader of the new Turkey , pretty amazing dude . Remember I'm not a travel guide so google him , worth it .

 Hashis  sorry Memis ( memish )  warned us after all we had seen that Troy was not all that spectacular .how wrong was he have a look at next picture .

A real Trojan horse with three tough Looking broards inside . 

What was there was 4000 yrs old , to far gone for the renovators . Troy existed but they are not sure about the horse and subsequent  battle , even though the city was destroyed and rebuilt 9 times . They were gluttons for punishment those Trojans .

Back on bus , this was a real , the wheels on the bus go round and round time . 

Arrived at Canakkale  a gooorgos bustling water front town . Went for walk with HS and her recovering elbow . HS is getting into the Turkey thing and drinking raki with me .

Pretty cool too , she is also only having it with ice . Told her if she wants to be leader , she needed to toughen up , none of this wimpy white wine .

Hey we found the real Trojan horse .

Well it was the one in the movie with my cousin Brad Pitt . See the resemblance , me not HS .

Dinner the last night of travel , on the water front . I know more food more drink , so hard to take , only do it to be sociable . Walk along water front  then home to bed . Goodnight Ben .

12/9/13. Been there , done that .

What are they doing to me , up at 7.30 , 3 s's , breakfast , need my sustenance , hop on bus at 8:30, that's right 8:30 . 3hrs to leather factory . 

Got me up to model , look at those heels and me in thongs , where's Health and safety when you need them . 

Actually they only got me up to tell bald jokes .

Nearly got out without spending any money . At exit , HS was shown jacket that Rachael bought , eyes lit up , bugger . To cut the story short we left with an empty travel card , empty wallet and 2 leather Coates . Double bugger . We were last to leave . 

Pottery , rug  ,  leather jackets , cost more than the bloody trip , bugger , bugger , bugger .

Fresh savory  pancakes for lunch , had to borrow money to pay for lunch and the mandatory beer .

It was hot and early afternoon , guide decided to go to hotel first , relax then Ephesus bit later . 

Been there , done that , doing it again .

I was given the job of guide , follow me , follow me . How easy is that .

No show without punch , just couldn't cope with me being leader .

We needed a loo and this was what was on offer . If you gotta go you gotta go .

We weren't the only ones broke , so Peregrine shouted us tea . Thank God , for that . 

HS was complaining to one and all , that's here down the end opposite the good looking bald guy , that her elbow hurt everytime she lifted the camera to her face . Photo taking RSI . Easy cure , stop taking so many bloody photos . Ps you probably realized that she didn't take this one , her elbow was to sore .

Belly full , thirst quenched , off to bed with a complaining elbow . Goodnight Jim bob .

11/9/13. Where is the bloody water .

You know the drill , up , pack , breakfast hop on bus , were off to see the wizard , no that's wrong , Pamukkale , that's the place . Long trip , stop for lunch , one has to eat . HS must have blister on camera finger , no photos ? And , wait for it , hop on bus of course .

White mountain , well at least a large hill , in distance . Arrive, thousands here , what's going on , very little  water ,  global warming blamed , I think they didn't pay there water bill . 

Normally covered in water 

At least they were still happy 

Found some water at last .

Who said i am white , you can see me can't you .

Dear old lady told me to drink this and I will grow hair , yea but where .

Any one for a second hand tomb , part of the largest ancient tombs in one place . Where ? Remember I'm  not a tour guide .

Pool at hotel , Ho hum .

Tea for two and two for tea , lamb and mushroom casserole . The two , HS and Rachael . I had Turkish mixed grill . As you can see HS is back to normal .

Tummy full , thirst quenched , home to bed with my Turkish delight , HS if your slow on the uptake .