Loggerhead Sea Turtle Protection Project in Fethiye

This is something from the last summer, when we went to Fethiye for holiday. Everything was great, but the most interesting part was conservation project that is based there. Its target to protect the hatchlings of loggerhead sea turtle (Caretta caretta) from moving in a wrong direction right after hatching. 

The Çalış beach in Fethiye is a nesting spot for these endangered species, but it's also a popular tourist destination with lots of cafes, shops and restaurants right along the seafront, which means lots of light and lots of potential danger for newly hatched turtles. The instinct tell them to move towards the sparkling light of the sea, which worked just fine in those day when the moonlit sea was the brightest thing in the vicinity of nests. 

Unfortunately, with all the lights on the shore, ancient instict doesn't help the hatchlings anymore. They often crawl in the opposite direction from the sea and die without water. 

The Sea Turtle Protection Project focuses on locating the turtle nests and putting protective barrier around them in order to intercept the hatchlings, collect them and put right into the sea. We often saw voluteers going with buckets along the beach late at night and checking the nests to see if there were some newcomers there. Also, there was an information desk with volunteers ready to answer your questions about turtles and the project. As far as I understood, it is tun by the Pamukkale University Sea Turtle Research Centre. Their website has some useful information, and on Dekamer facebook page you can find some old and recent photos. 

And this is our own small hatchling from Fethiye.

Horse Chamfron from Istanbul Military Museum

Well, what can I say? I actually had to google for the name of this thing. I saw it in the Istanbul Military Museum (Askeri Muzesi). It looked a bit out of place among all the swords, pistols, cannons and uniforms, and immediately attracts your attention. It's called chamfron, or faceplate, and cheek pieces, and it's a part of a horse armour used during the Ottoman period.

Unfortunately, I didn't take a picture of the little explanation plate that was right in front of the exhibit. For some reason I was positive that this was a part of a camel armour, but anatomy didn't seem to match, and all the search results bring only horse armour pictures. So, no, definitely not a camel armour. A quick research showed, though, that camels were actually used in the battlefield. Firstly, it made sense in the places where horses were less common and less accustomed to the evironment, such as deserts. Secondly, the camels' smell is repulsive to the horses, and the mere presence of large number of camels may be enough to confuse the enemy's cavalry. Neat.

The Istanbul Toy Museum and Titanic Teddy Bears

The Istanbul Toy Museum itself is pretty small and devilishly hard to find, but it's definitely worth visiting. If you are ever in Istanbul, make sure to drop by, preferably by taxi, because we spent, like, an hour searching for it. It's in a nice and quiet neighbourhood on the Asian side, and can be easily recognized by the gigantic giraffe right in front of the entrance. Anyway, it's small, but filled with all sorts of toys arranged into collections accoring to the topic or the era or the country they were manufactured in.

For example, antique Turkish puppets Karagöz and Hacivat.

Cowboys and Indians toys from America.

Aviation toys with tiny parachuters here and there.

Aquatic themed toys

     

I especially like the crafty metal whale here swallowing the smaller fish. 

And tons of space toys with a real feel of the era - note the Gagarin Time cover.

By the time you come up the tiny winding stairs to the third floor, you think that you've seen all the toys in the world and will never be interested in them ever again. And that's exactly the place where you find yourself face to face with the Teddy Bear room.

So, alright, teddy bears, most of them not as cuddly as the ones we are used to. That's alright. But then you see these two little numbers: black, wonky and grave.

These are the Titanic Teddy Bears, or the Mourning Teddy Bears, manufactured specifically to commemorate the Titanic disaster and to provide some sort of comfort to the families of those who didn't survive it. The original party consisted of only 600 bears, which I find quite strange compared with the number of mourning families. And, by the way, they are going to recreate them this year.

Turkish pumpkin in a Greek house

It's cold again here in Urgup, so I decided to post some of the summer photos just to remind myself that summer actually happens in this place. It definitely did last year, and it's one of the sunniest proofs that I have. Basically, it's a pumpkin growing on a wall. I didn't know it was possible for a pumpkin to reach such heights, but here it is. Oh, and notice the faint blue paint on the wall. It's there because the house belonged to the wealthy Greeks, who  used to live in Mustafapaşa before the population exchange of 1923. 

I will certainly write more about the population exchange between Turkey and Greece some time later, as it is connected directly to Mustafapaşa, which used to be known by the name of Sinasos and had a largely Greek population. Right now, lots of Greek mansions remind of those times, and  most of them have various elements painted in this exact shade of blue. And one of them has a pumpkin growing on its wall..

Winter Urgup

Some pictures of winter Urgup. It was chilly gloomy day at the end on January, but we just couldn't stay in anymore, and so we took a little walk off the beaten path. And here's what we saw.

The great thing about this town is that is has lots of hidden features. On the outside it's a typical small tourist place full of rocks, family-run hotels and cafes, but if you walk through it in winter months, when it looks cold and deserted, you can find a different sort of attractions there. 

It has a sort of tranquility that seeps through you and makes you slow down, and look around to see stuff.  You'll never get a feeling like this in Istanbul or Ankara, or any of the other cities full of light and noise. It's a feeling that you actually run your life, or more like walk through your life, taking your time to see things around you.

Dragon/Horse Sculture in Mustafapasha

This beautiful remnant rests in the garden which belongs to Cappadocia Vocational College in Mustafapasha village. It seems very symbolic to me, because the name Cappadocia means "the land of beautiful horses", and also because the college provides horse training among other programmes. 

To be honest, the first time I saw it, I thought it was a dragon. The mane looks very much like a ridge going down its neck. There are almost no signs of ears, and the outline of head resembles that of the dragons as portrayed in European tradition. Yep, it still looks like a docile little dragon to me.

Kangal Dogs of Cappadocia

The famous Turkish Sivas Kangal. You wouldn't believe it looking at this little puppy, but it's going to grow into  an 80 kilo monster in a couple of years. They are very common here in Cappadocia. The pure-bred ones and the mongrels alike. Mongrels are simply all over the place, you can see half a dozen of them just walking for half an hour on the street. They tend to stick to butcher's shops, as the butchers throw huge bones to them at the end of every day.
Today we saw one of them being led on a leash by a lad barely able to keep up with the monster! It really was HUGE, with brindled coat and cropped ears. They crop their ears, as the wolves tend to attack this part of them first - it's especially vulnerable for some reason. Unfortunately, there's no picture of that monster, as it really was a brief encounter.

Fun fact: Kangal dogs are six-toed. It is thought that this particular feature allows them to be steadier in a fight.

Toy Orca Whale from the Rainforest Cafe

And again a memorable photo from London. This time it's a shot from the Rainforest Cafe. The cafe itself was great, of course, but one thing I loved the best was this toy Orca whale from their souvenir shop. Just a toy, really, but shot from a close distance it looked almost intimidating. It was an unexpected effect, but surprisingly rewarding, as I admire whales and want everybody to see what beautiful and powerful animals they are. Even as toys.

Turkish Ramadan Bread

Amazing Turkish bread that we had sometime during Ramadan. I'm not sure, but I think it is prepared ONLY during Ramadan. I was told that they add either cannabis or hashish into the dough, though there's no telling if it's really so, or it was a sort of joke. The fact is that the bread had an unusual taste to it, sweet and savoury. It was more like a kind of pastry than bread. And the shape is definitely like more like that of a bread roll. Should I call it spiral or twirly or snail? Anyway, whatever the shape, it was delicious.

Baker Street Station

Well, this is what my encounter with the iconic Baker Street was like. A bit anticlimatic, but that's how it turned out to be. I was in London only for a couple of days, so there was simply no time to see all the attractions. And sadly enough, this is how I'll remember the famous Sherlock Holmes's residence - a deserted underground carriage with a paper bag. Ah, well, that's the mundane reality for you. It's just there whether you want it or not.

Zeki Müren

The best ever.... It is for sure that there won't be anyone like him again.

Hitit Hotel in Urgup

I have never been in such an authentic hotel before and really wonder if this kind of figure on top of the entrance is what truly symbolizes hittite culture. I need to check it now....

The more you try to run away, the closer you get........

Cappadocia Mustafapasa

Such a nice view, isn't it? I'm used to being here, but it still is the best place I have ever seen...

Mustafapasa in Snow

It has been snowing for 2 days without any stop.

Balloon Tours in Cappadocia

Only in Ürgüp in Turkey you can see more than 40 balloons in the sky..
I haven't enjoyed this yet but definitely in the near future. It is not because it is too expensive but ı find it a bit scary. And one tip, do not forget to wear your thick clothes cause up in the sky it gets freaking cold even in the summer.. There are lots of balloon companies in the area and you can choose one which offers you the best price.

Fairy Chimneys Part II

Such a lovely view.....It gives you different feelings during winter and totally fantastic feelings in the summer. People used to live here and the idea just makes me feel weird:))))

Snow in Urgup

It has been snowing here for hours. Everywhere is covered with snow. Anyone wanna play snowball:)))???

Сплин - Шато Марго

A nice Russian song which says that 'everything is alright'. I like the tune and hope you will also like it.

Fairy Chimneys

It all started after the volcanic eruption...You can see this perfect figures all around Cappadocia region. These are not my favourites. What I really like is the valley of love:)))))

Sleeping Oscar

He seems very calm, but he is not indeed. He is a sleeping monster. He needs some rest and then ready to attack for fun:)))))

Sherlock Holmes

It will take another 2 or may be three years for the new episodes to be aired.Omg? So why Sherlock jumped out of the roof and pretended as if he was dead. And I saw the dead body on the floor.. Wasn't it Sherlock? I am looking forward to see the new episodes cause this tv series, unlike others is quite easy to watch and makes me feel calmer and happier.. Don't know why:))))

Old wise tree

It was such a snowy day and one of the oldest trees in the town looked like a ghost. It still is snowy here and to be honest it is quite cold here.

A healthy breakfast

I like it when everything on the table is healty and fresh. May be it is not true for the salamies but the ayran and cucumbers are definitely Ok to eat. Bone Appetite:))

Holy Living Room

I know it is not the best, but at least this is someting. Can you also feel it that there is sth weird here.:)))))

Sad Iphone Bear

I like the way she looks at me. Very sad and thoughtful. I was in England when I bought this little teddy and since then it has been looking at me.

Cappadocia Part 3

Snow makes everything pure and perfect. This year, it was quite cold and snowy and the whole area is covered with snow. There, on top of the hill, is a great hotel which is called Argos. It is known as the best in the region.

Mona Rıza

You are free to call her Mona Lisa, but I will call her Mona Rıza. He is not quite elegant or posh, but he has some kind of attraction at least.

Family Guy - Bullfrog

No matter how many times ı watch it, ı cant stop laughing. It is such a simple video, but hilarious isn't it?

A nice Fresco

Dont know what it means but looks so cool. It is right on top of my office ceiling.

Oscar in da carpet

A monster lying on the carpet.. A minute after, he stood up and bid me without any hesitation. I swear ı did nothing:))))

Lycian Cliffside Tombs

I saw this gigantic whatever you call it in Fethiye while ı was on holiday and definitely advise you to see it before it is too late:))))

Ürgüp

A photo taken from a hill showing Ürgüp...Looks quite complicated here.But it is such a tiny place indeed.

Golden behind the bars

I couldn't resistttt....

Let the war begin

One of my best friends and I in England. After the game, we celebrated my victory:)))))

A posh rim

I had never seen such posh rims before and when I asked the price, the guy told me that each is more than a thousand. I wouldn't like to have such rims on my tyres cause they make you look very pimpy:))