The ancient city of Ephesus Turkey was alive. Curetes way teemed with the footsteps of thousands, drowned out only by the cacophony of countless voices. The crowds pervaded every corner, leaving not a single alley or stone undiscovered. But where once the hustle was the call of merchants hawking wares, or prophets divining from pulpits, the streets of Ephesus was now replaced by the clamoring and jostling of those looking for the perfect photograph; Togas replaced by T-shirts, and sandals…well, that remains the same.

It’s no wonder that ancient Ephesus, like ancient times, still remains so popular. Like the metropolis that once stood there, Ephesus Turkey is once again the darling of the Aegean.   Albeit for different reasons.

Located along the Aegean, and a stones throw from Selcuk, Ephesus was once an epicenter for commercial Roman and Greek Asia. Now, it enjoys fame as one of the best preserved ruins in all the Mediterranean- and in Turkey, this is no easy task. The caretakers have painstakingly restored Ephesus to allow an immersion unlike many ruins that exist in the Mediterranean, and possibly all of Europe. In Hierapolis Pammukale where sections seem compartmentalize, Ephesus draws you in as you walk the stone streets, making it easy to envision what it must have been like as a citizen of the Roman Empire in 129 BC.

Ephesus even boasts as the location for one of the great seven wonders of the ancient world – the Temple of Artemis. Although this has since fallen into disrepair, Ephesus is a stop that many, especially first time visitors to Turkey, must visit.

Yep, this is all that remains of the Temple of Artemis

And visit they do. It’s popularity, and just the overall quality of this site, will invariably be a huge draw for crowds. Although few opportunities exist for the perfect photo-op (You could always try our photography trick that eliminates tourist), don’t let this dissuade you from including Ephesus on your itinerary. Ephesus, isn’t an exercise for the imagination; it’s a full immersion into the life and times of the Greco-Roman periods.

I’m not an expert of the region by any stretch of the imagination, having visited only once.  For more detail on the area and Turkey in general, I highly recommend reading the Turkishtravelblog.com. Natalie is an expert in all things Turkish and has written and put together some amazing information.

Ephesus Turkey Things to Do and See:

Even though a search online will result in a plethora of websites listing all the popular attractions, I still need to add my voice to the masses! And honestly, you can never have enough photos or suggestions.  This list can literally go on forever, as Ephesus is a potpourri of ancient treasures to the point where it’s almost unfair to the rest of Turkey:

Library of Celsus – the most familiar of all Ephesus structures and the poster child for Turkey tourism, all that remains is the façade. Impressive nonetheless.

Great Theatre – With a capacity to seat 25,000 spectators,  the theatre was the main venue for plays, concerts, gladiator battles and even animal fights.

Public Latrines – yes,  toilets from ancient Ephesus!

Baths of Varius – Still in a state of excavation,  the bathhouses was the place of bathing for citizens, and possibly even used as a gymnasium later on.

Fountain of Pollio – A vanity project built by the rich Pollio family of Ephesus,  it served as a free public water source to residents and visitors of the city.

Temple of Hadrian – Built somewhere around 138 AD as a dedication to the Emperor Hadrian,  what remains is an amazing structure with incredibly intricate friezes. 

Bouleuterion or Odeon - A miniature version of the Great Theatre,  the Odeon was used as a smaller venue for concerts and performances as well as a meeting place for the Senate or Boulea, hence its other name Bouleuterion.

Gate of Mazeus and Mythridates – Adjacent to the impressive Library of Celsus, the gates were built by the slaves Mazeus and Mythridates in homage to their Emperor Augustus.   You’ll see both names carved into the stone above the vaulted passages.

State Agora – An assembly area where the movers and shakers of Ephesus gathered to conduct business and government affairs.

Fountain of Trajan – Built in 104 AD in Honor of Emperor Trajan, it was once the most impressive structure in Ephesus with a fountain surrounded by columns and statues of Dionysus, Satyr, and Aphrodite.

There’s also the Roman Terrace Houses, which during our visit wasn’t open to the public.  From all accounts though, it’s not to be missed.  Read Natalie’s post on the Roman Terrace Houses of Ephesus for more information along with some awesome photos.

How to visit Ephesus

With buses and dolmuses crisscrossing all across Turkey, no destination is unreachable no matter where you might be.   For those coming from Istanbul, Ephesus can be reached directly by 10 hours on bus, giving you a chance to put some entertaining road trip activities to use.   If you do decide to come direct from Istanbul, take the opportunity to stop in Izmir, which will break up the road trip a bit.

The other option, which we took, is by way of Cappadocia. Take a night bus from Istanbul to Cappadocia first, and come back to Selcuk through Pamukkale or Denizli.

Where to Stay in Ephesus:

Selcuk is probably the best place to set up your base hub, and, as I mentioned earlier, is just a stones throw away. You also have the option of staying in Kusadasi, which is a little further south. Personally I suggest Selcuk as a great preamble to the main course as you can visit the Ephesus Museum, the Basilica of St. John, Isa Bey Camii and the less impressive Temple of Artemis (pictured above). Selcuk also has some pretty spot on Food and hostel options.

From Selcuk, taxis to Ephesus run about TL 15, and from Kusadasi just hop on a minibus for about TL 4 and walk about 20 minutes to the ticket office from where they drop you off.

Best time to visit Ephesus

Naturally the summer will be the busiest and most crowded. But Turkey is pretty much always busy since it is a hot spot for travelers after all. However, even during the height of summer, there are times in the day that are more conducive to visiting Ephesus. The general consensus is either early morning right when they open to avoid the large cruise ship tours coming in from Kusadasi, or after 4pm when the tours are leaving.

There is no wrong way to approach Ephesus Turkey, and however you decide to visit, you will not be disappointed.  The only real down side is the never-ending sea of tourists, but if anything, it’s indicative of how awesome this ancient city is – it really is worth it!

Visiting Turkey?  Find out more here:

The Trouble With Visiting Istanbul

Hierapolis – A Worthy Day

How to Find Adventure in Cappadocia

One day is all you need for Pamukkale

The Road To Nowhere – Cappadocia to Pamukkale

The post Ancient Ephesus Turkey, Still Alive and Thriving! appeared first on Blaze Your Adventure.

On a recent backcountry trip, I emerged from the wilds scarred, bruised, limping and probably losing more blood than a normal human should. Yet, although I had the appearance of someone dragged through hell, while lashed to a pack of wild horses, I was all smiles; Grinning ear to ear like it was my birthday.

It might seem hard to imagine, but I love camping. Yes, it gets dirty; yes, my sleeping bag isn’t a Tempurpedic, but for me, comfort is a distant consideration to the experience.   It’s not glamorous, and it can be rugged, but the adventure is second to none. Anything can happen while camping, and no two trips are ever the same.

Before you ask what I could possibly love about camping, I’m going to beat you to the punch and give you my top 10 reasons to love camping too:

10 Reasons to Love Camping

1. Cozying up to a blazing fire on a chilly night roasting hotdogs or marshmallows: – In the backcountry, the opportunity for a fire doesn’t come around too often. But when it does, I guarantee you I’m taking full advantage of it. On a chilly night, very few things are more comforting and tranquil than sitting around the warmth of a campfire roasting up a dog, or watching your marshmallows caramelize over an open flame.

2. Encountering wildlife – Beautifully rare and incredibly thrilling, encountering the elusive inhabitants of the wild is both awesome and mesmerizing. There is a hidden kingdom beyond our own, and if ever given the chance to peek behind the veil to see a family of grizzlies or even a herd of Deer, capture it because you’ll be talking about it for years to come
   

3. Drinking hot coco and watching the sunrise – usually getting up before dawn is met with derision and a caffeine crazed stupor; that’s because it’s usually followed by 9 hours behind a desk.   Watching the world shake off it’s slumber in the wilderness, while sipping on hot chocolate, is an unrushed calming experience, and of course a world apart from the cubies.
   
4. Dozing off in a hammock – who doesn’t love hammocks? Now add in the rhythmic cadence of a running stream, melodic harmony of the neighborhood birds, a gentle breeze, and you have yourself paradise.
5. Discovering beautiful vistas and natural beauty – there are places unreachable by anything other than old-fashioned walking.   Places so far off the beaten path, that the journey itself is as rewarding as the destination.   There is a pride in discovery, and a sense of accomplishment knowing you climbed, crawled and fought your way to a view few have seen firsthand.
   
6. The peace and solitude – Every now and then, we all need a break from real world. Whether it’s our smartphones or checking email, we spend a huge portion of our lives tethered to one thing or another. The solitude camping affords, allows us to reconnect, recharge and find our Zen.

7. The camaraderie with fellow backpackers – Even though I travel to the backcountry and endeavor to find my Zen, it’s always a pleasure to see friendly faces on the road. It’s one of the few places where strangers become friends, and where an unspoken bond of support for each other exists.
   

8. The sea of stars – You’ve never seen the sky, until you’ve seen it in the wild. The night literally comes alive with millions of stars dusted lavishly across the entire horizon. You never realize how immense and wondrous our world really is, or how small you really are, until you’ve stared into the starry sky. If you’re lucky, some nights you can even see the clouds of the Milky Way. It will be the closest many of us will ever get to the far reaches of our universe.
   

9. The smell of the wilderness – This one is hard to describe. But for anyone who has spent any time out in the wild knows that distinct smell of the outdoors. There is a crisp unpolluted freshness to the wild, making each gulp of air a newfound pleasure.
   
10. Eating - Food has never tasted soooo good. Where in the city, we take each meal for granted, with camping you savor each feast until the last bite. The days are generally planned around meal times, not for lack of things to do, but for the simple realization that we live to eat!
    

Those are my top 10 reasons to love camping!  The best thing about camping is that the adventure is unique for everyone.

What are your reasons?

The post 10 Reasons That Will Make You Love Camping appeared first on Blaze Your Adventure.

Meet Petra and Shaun of The Global Couple, creators of the ultimate bucket list, and experts at living a lifetime in only a weekend (check out their 36 hours series!). I had the pleasure of getting to know this amazing couple who has been putting miles on their shoes when most of us where still learning our ABC’s! Their inspirational articles are fun, easy to navigate, and provide incredibly practical and actionable tips for anyone interested in following their footsteps. They know how to dig down, and get into the heart of any destination all while keeping their relationship strong. Word of warning though, following their blog might give you an incurable case of the wanderlust!

Tell us a little about the Global Couple.  Who are you guys, what are you all about, and your first introduction to traveling?

We’re Petra and Shaun, two mid-twenties New Zealanders. If we had to put ourselves in a travel category, we would say that we love budget adventure travel with a dash of luxury now and then. We love backpacking through Asia as much as we love wandering around the streets of New York City. We both had an introduction to travelling internationally with our families in our teens, and had both travelled within New Zealand before we met. Our first overseas trip together was to Bali, Indonesia at the tender young age of 19!

Being able to live a life of travel is a luxury for most, how do you guys balance your work with your passion for travel?

Before taking a year off work to travel to the US, Mexico, and Canada in 2014, we balanced working in New Zealand with yearly trips overseas. We took advantage of Petra’s university holidays and our paid holiday leave from work. We’ve also done a heap of New Zealand-based travel which is a lot easier to manage as you don’t have to travel as far – we manage to squeeze a lot into long weekends!

Traveling can certainly get expensive.  How do you guys afford all your awesome adventures?

We work hard and we save hard for our travels. We also set a strict budget for our trips, and do our research before going to a place in terms of expected costs (accommodation, food, etc.). We usually set a daily budget for food (it varies depending on the destination) and try to save money on accommodation and transport by staying in Airbnb rentals or cheap hotels and catching public transport.

Your 36 hours series has to be some of my favorite articles, tell me more about that and the inspiration behind it?

We’ve always loved the New York Times’ 36 hours series – over the years it has given us a lot of inspiration on where to go and what to do, albeit at a slightly more luxurious level than we travel at! So we wanted to create our own 36 hours series for the more budget-conscious traveller who travels like we do. It’s fun sharing our favourite things to do, see, and eat in a place we have visited. We always get asked for tips so we can now just direct people to those articles!

Traveling to new destinations is more than just stepping off a plane and taking photos.  How do you guys really dig into the culture and customs of a destination?

To get to know a new destination, we visit markets and eat local food. Markets are where locals congregate and we love looking through all the different things on display, and they also provide great photo opportunities! We’ve had some hits and misses with trying local food – from awful squid ink pasta in Venice to amazing papaya salad in Thailand. We love trying new things though!

What are three steadfast rules that you abide by in order to stay on budget while backpacking?

1. Eat the free hotel breakfast if it’s on offer and steal food from breakfast – rolls, bananas and so on are always good for lunch!
2. Use a budget tracking app like Trail Wallet to record daily expenditure and see if you’re tracking above or below budget.
3. Eat takeout rather than in a restaurant – and we don’t mean McDonalds! In the US we loved places like Chipotle or Whole Foods, and in Asia it’s easy to get takeaway Pad Thai and the like (although it’s so cheap there that we usually eat in anyway!). In New Zealand (and similar places like Canada and Australia) you can get takeout sandwiches or sushi and save a lot of money that way.

You guys were recently married – Congratulations!   Do you have any advice for couples planning on hitting the road together?

Thank you! Our number one rule is to be patient with each other. Being on the road as a couple can be a stressful experience if you haven’t done it before, and something is bound to go wrong. Don’t stress about the small stuff and just enjoy travelling with the person who you love!

What is one of the craziest situations you guys got yourselves caught up in and how did you get yourself out of it?

We were pulled over by police Bali while driving a rental car and they tried to scam us because we were apparently driving the wrong way down a one-way road (which we weren’t). They were about to take Shaun’s passport and make him appear in court, but we offered them some cash (about $50) and managed to get away safely. It was pretty scary and has put us off renting a car in Bali again!

If you could offer only one survival/safety tip, what would it be?

Don’t be flashy with your stuff. If you’re in a dodgy part of town, sleeping in an airport, or on an overnight bus, put your camera away, don’t wear your expensive watch or your diamond ring, and just be vigilant.

How have you both evolved as travelers from when you first started to how you are now?

Absolutely! When we started travelling we would plan every day down to the half hour (almost!) with a massive list of things to achieve and places to visit, including restaurants and shops, and have every night booked well in advance. Crazy! Now, we still like to do research on a place but we are much more relaxed with what we get done in a day – we just want to embrace a destination and enjoy it rather than running around like headless chickens!

Ok, this is for all the gear lovers out there.  What is the one essential piece of travel gear you must have on your adventurers?

We always carry a Swiss Army knife. It can help you out in all manner of sticky situations – screwing furniture back together, fixing door handles that won’t lock, cutting up your lunch, and of course the all-important bottle opener for when you really need a beer or wine.

You guys have one hell of a Bucket List!  How’s that coming along, and what will you be crossing off this year?

We love setting goals, and our bucket list is one way that we can keep track of what we want to do in our lives, travel-wise. This year we’re planning to be at home in New Zealand, so those exotic overseas goals will have to wait. But we are starting a Spanish class soon, so we can work towards our ‘learn a foreign language’ goal!

Do you have any final advice for those who wish to live a life of travel?

Set goals for saving and you’ll get there! Be brave and take the leap – you won’t regret it.

About the Global Couple

We’re Petra and Shaun, two twenty-something New Zealanders who love travel at home and across the globe. We love road trips, street food, and wandering with no destination in mind!

Our aim is to embrace and understand different cultures, foods, customs, histories, and landscapes. We love learning as much as we can about a place before we go and whilst we’re there. The more we know the more we can appreciate it!

Website: www.theglobalcouple.com

Facebook: www.facebook.com/theglobalcouple1

Twitter: twitter.com/theglobalcouple

The post Adventure Series: The Global Couple appeared first on Blaze Your Adventure.

There is traveling, and then there is adventure! And if the latter is what you’re seeking, Antonio and Amanda of the Adventure Junkies might just have your ticket.   They are on a quest to, not only cycle the globe, but to inspire others to turn dream into reality; and to live life to the fullest. For them, adventure is both a mindset and a lifestyle, and they believe, with the right dedication, anyone can do it. Even before starting my own blog, I followed their budget tips religiously. The Adventure Junkies are the real deal, and they do it big! I’m a fan…and you should be too…

Tell me about the Adventure Junkies. Who are you, what you’re all about, how long you’ve been on the road, and your first introduction to traveling.

We are Amanda and Antonio, a couple who decided to turn their travels into a life of adventure. Amanda is 26 and from Vacaville, California. Her first proper introduction to travel came from a month long study abroad program in the Netherlands. Antonio is 31 and from Cádiz, Spain. His first travel was a University Convention in Antibes, in the south of France. After sharing a week with other students from 10 different countries bordering the Mediterranean Sea, he knew he had to get out there and explore the world.

We’ve been traveling full time for over two years now but have worked and lived out of our home countries for many years. We believe that traveling is the perfect way to make your life more adventurous. At the moment we are traveling South America by bicycle.

What inspired you to leave the “Normal” life, and cycle the world on an infinite adventure?

Before we even met each other we had been scheming of ways to travel the world long term. We always said having both time and money would be the ultimate freedom. Having a full time job gives you money but doesn’t leave much time to enjoy life to the fullest.

You guys have been on the road for 2 years, how do you afford long-term travel?

Before we started traveling we both had full time jobs. We lived as simply and cut all unnecessary expenses. As traveling for at least a few years was always our goal, it was easy to set savings goals. 

Once we decided to make our travels indefinite we started for looking for ways to support ourselves on the road. In the first year of traveling we became and worked as scuba diving instructors. We would stop off at popular dive destinations like Roatan in Honduras; work for a few months to save up then hit the road again. While it’s a job we love, you are limited to working in locations close to the water.

In the last few months we have put all of our spare time into growing our blog, The Adventure Junkies. After a lot of work we are finally seeing the rewards and the profit that we make from it is currently assisting us in supporting our travels.

You started your adventure with a plan, and have since discarded that itinerary. How has traveling without a plan enriched your travels?

Great question! Throwing the plans out the window gave us a tremendous amount of freedom. We were no longer tied to a calendar or a location. This allows us to stay in a place longer if we enjoy it or keep on moving if we don’t.

You offer some amazingly detailed trip budgets on your blog. What are three steadfast rules that you abide by in order to stay on budget while traveling?

1. Pick a number: For us it’s 10 USD a day/ per person for daily expenses (food & accommodation). I should note that traveling by bicycle is a big reason why we are able to maintain this budget (we don’t pay for buses, stay in small towns, camp often and cook our own meals). This doesn’t mean that you can’t meet this budget as a backpacker but you will have to get creative and carry a tent/ hammock as well as a camping stove (or eat a lot of sandwiches).
2. Avoid those little daily splurges: Beers and coffees fall into this category. They are nice every now and then but can kill your budget if you make it a daily habit.
3. Relax from time to time: If there’s an activity you’ve been dying to do or just need a break from counting dollars, splurge a bit.

There is no guide or book that could recreate your travel experiences. What tips can you give for others who want to get off the beaten path, and find that once in a lifetime experience?

Another great question. Don’t always go along with what the guidebook or other travelers are doing, follow your interests. For us, we love hiking, kayaking and diving so we are always on the look out for places where we can do these activities. Sometimes we take guided tours if we can’t rent the gear we need but we really love going off on our own. 

For example we knew that the Sian Ka’an Biosphere Reserve in Mexico’s Yucatan Peninsula was supposed to be beautiful but we didn’t want to go on the popular Jeep tour. Instead we packed our backpacks with plenty of food, water and our tent and walked on the beach for 4 days exploring the area. It cost us less than 10 bucks a person and was a memorable experience.

With all the adventures you’ve been on what is one of your most memorable experience/trip?

We can’t pick just one..sorry. Here are a few… Staying a week on a remote island off the coast of Belize, diving with hammerhead sharks, visiting the Amazon Rainforest, petting Grey Whales in Baja California, hiking to the Lost City in Colombia and kayaking around Espiritu Santo Island.

If you could offer one survival/safety tip, what would it be?

If you are going somewhere remote bring more food and water than you plan on consuming. You never know when a storm will hit or you might become injured…both situations will slow you down, maybe making you stay an extra day on the trail.

How have you guys evolved as travelers from when you first started to how you are now?

In the beginning we wanted to do and see as much as possible. Now we’ve slowed down a lot, taking the time to enjoy life in the countries that we are traveling through.

Your one essential piece of travel gear you can’t live without?

Tough one! Amanda says her camera and Antonio says his notebook. One piece of gear that we both find super useful is our SteriPEN, it’s a UV light water purifier.

Your motto is “don’t dream it, live it”. Do you have any advice for those who wish to get out there and live their dreams of endless adventure?

Take small steps. We didn’t just wake up one day and say hell let’s travel the world forever. We’ve both gone through many tiny steps to lead us to where we are today. Plan short trips, study abroad, learn a new language, try something new for the first time…all these things will build your confidence to take the step out the door. 

One other tip: If you decide traveling isn’t for you the worst thing that could happen is you go back to your old life. Lots of people get caught up in worrying about what will happen to their jobs and personal lives if they leave. Why sit at home worrying your whole life when you can at least give your dreams a go and see how it turns out?

Where are you guys now, and where will the road take you both next?

At the moment we are in a small town called Baeza, in the cloudforest of Ecuador. We took a day off from cycling to rest our legs before climbing a 4000 meter mountain pass. This route will take us to Quito. From there we will spend sometime relaxing and exploring Ecuador’s highest volcanoes while we make our way south to Peru.

We are Antonio Cala and Amanda Zeisset (pronounced Z-ice-et). We travel the world and write about it. Over the past 2 years we have been exploring The Americas by bicycle. What started as a well planned bicycle tour turned into a life changing journey that has led us to pursue an infinite travel adventure lifestyle. We are on a mission to help you live a life of adventure. Our pursuit of adventure has transformed our lives and taken us to incredible places around the world. We live the lives of our dreams and we want to help you do the same.

Website: www.theadventurejunkies.com

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/CyclingElMundo

Twitter: https://twitter.com/The_AdvJunkies

The post Adventure Series: The Adventure Junkies appeared first on Blaze Your Adventure.

I couldn’t remember where I was.

Through the haze of deep sleep, I could hear the footsteps crunching on the cheap vinyl carpet. Somehow, through the fog, I knew those steps were coming for me. The bus lurched. The breaks squealed as they forced the bus to a painful stop. Was I in the right place? Did I somehow turn left instead of turning right? Maybe, perhaps maybe, I had gotten on the wrong bus. The events of the day unfolded quickly in my mind; about 7 hours ago my wife and I boarded a night bus from Cappadocia bound for Pamukkale. I was certain I confirmed with the ticket agent; double and even triple checked the number. No, I didn’t make a mistake.

I struggled to make sense of my surroundings, but the dim cabin lights magnified my displacement. Looking around at the other passengers, mostly locals, I could swear they were consciously avoiding eye contact. I had a feeling, they’ve been down this road before and that wherever we were, it was a place they certainly did not want to be. As I peered out the window, greeted by my own reflection, I could see only darkness. This sure as hell wasn’t the Travertine pools nor was it Denizli.

The Galley Master, looking convincingly like a bus attendant, addressed us in English laden with a thick Turkish accent, “Here, here.” Whipping us into line like sheep to the slaughter, he forcefully ushered us out the now open back door.  There were four of us in total: me, my wife, and two other women. Within moments, before we could realize what was happening, we were standing alongside the bus, watching the driver grab our packs and toss them haphazardly unto the roadside, all while ignoring our silent protestations.

I grabbed the Galley Master’s arm as he turned to walk away, hoping to force a conversation or the very least an explanation. With a surprising deftness, probably honed from previous victims, and in one well-rehearsed movement, he shrugged off my hand, jumped on the already moving bus, turned and said, “Here, wait here.”

“Wait here? There’s nothing here,” I responded to no avail.

As we watched the bus roll away in the darkness the four of us shared a glance. Words were unnecessary at this point, but we knew what we were all thinking, “what the fuck just happened?”

We were in an empty lot, surrounded by trees on all sides. Besides the few crude wooden benches dotting the edges and a couple of randomly placed street lamps, the lot was unremarkable. About 100 feet away, a group of Turkish men stared at us with a mild curiosity. Periodically they would take drags off their cigarettes to remind us of their indifference.

We were in the middle of nowhere.

I’ve been stranded before. Being a seasoned backpacker, this certainly wasn’t my first rodeo. I’ve hitchhiked, I’ve trekked, and I had no reservations about asking help from strangers. But this time it was different.

I could hear the disembodied growls all around us. It happened fast.  Within heartbeats, the shadows came alive with a pack of rabid wild dogs. Like predators sensing weakness, the dogs circled, jostling and pacing for a better attack position. With little effort, I instantly spotted the Alpha; a big muscular hellhound, with glistening yellow teeth, whipping saliva with each bellow. This was no ordinary run in with strays. Instantly we went on the defense. The women formed a tight defensive circle, stepping as high on the benches as was possible; I grabbed my bag, holding it in front of me as a shield. The pack continued to circle, brandishing their teeth, howling intermittently as though calling for action. I bluff charged, I yelled, but this only served to aggravate them more. We braced ourselves, as the attack seemed imminent.

Suddenly, we could hear loud whistling, followed by even louder yelling. From behind us, the three Turkish men dropped their indifference and charged, attacking with rocks and cigarette butts. The dogs attempted to mount an offensive. But in the face of greater aggression, the pack scattered running back into the shadows from whence they came. Clearly, these men have dealt with their kind before.

Perhaps we were meant to wait for another bus, or perhaps we really were left stranded. Looking back, it no longer really mattered. What was expected to be an uneventful bus trip from Cappadocia to Pamukkale became one of our fondest memories. In the end, the three men not only pulled us from the fire, but also helped us arrange a ride to take us the final few hours to Pamukkale. For my wife and I, this was the reason we traveled. In the place we least expected, we were given a peek behind the curtains and experienced the genuine kindness and generosity of the Turkish People.

If this was nowhere, I’ll take that over somewhere any day.

The post The Road to Nowhere – Cappadocia to Pamukkale appeared first on Blaze Your Adventure.