The morning we left Cappadocia it began to snow. We were glad of our nice, warm bus when we stopped (briefly) at a caravansaray – the original version of a motel stop when camels could only travel 40km per day along the Silk Road. Boy, it was cold! (See snow in picture!) As we travelled north to Ankara the roads became more treacherous and we saw at least 6 accidents in a couple of hours. Our driver was terrific and got us safely to the capital city, in time to visit the 
Ataturk Mausoleum & Museum, and the Anatolian Museum. Both were interesting but we would have liked to spend longer at the Ataturk Museum (pictured).
We then went on to Bursa, famous for its textiles. We saw the Grand Mosque and were there at the end of prayer time. (That was rather eerie!) Bronwyn’s highlight of the city was a traditional Turkish bath. Think: sauna, HOT bath, scrub down with a glove like a loofah, a foamy massage and rinse = three less layers of skin!
Finally we arrived back in Istanbul. We visited the spice bazaar in the evening to take in the smells and sights. It was much like the grand bazaar but with more food! Then on we went to our farewell dinner. We had some yummy salad, cheese, hot hummus, kebabs, and a sweet dessert which contained melted cheese! Nathan performed a haka and Bronwyn sang Po Karekare Ana with the other kiwis. Lots of goodbyes with our new friends before bed as the American were leaving at 3am – lucky them!
Ataturk Mausoleum & Museum, and the Anatolian Museum. Both were interesting but we would have liked to spend longer at the Ataturk Museum (pictured).We then went on to Bursa, famous for its textiles. We saw the Grand Mosque and were there at the end of prayer time. (That was rather eerie!) Bronwyn’s highlight of the city was a traditional Turkish bath. Think: sauna, HOT bath, scrub down with a glove like a loofah, a foamy massage and rinse = three less layers of skin!
Finally we arrived back in Istanbul. We visited the spice bazaar in the evening to take in the smells and sights. It was much like the grand bazaar but with more food! Then on we went to our farewell dinner. We had some yummy salad, cheese, hot hummus, kebabs, and a sweet dessert which contained melted cheese! Nathan performed a haka and Bronwyn sang Po Karekare Ana with the other kiwis. Lots of goodbyes with our new friends before bed as the American were leaving at 3am – lucky them!
Here are our new friends from our Neon tour:
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