Archives for 2013

10/26/13

Halloween is mainly just a USA holiday because in Poland the older folks find this celebration offensive. The kids understand it is all about dressing up as someone completely different or someone more eccentric then yourself. Maybe it’s your evil twin that has always been hiding in the back of your head just waiting to break out. Maybe it’s the cartoon character that you idolized as a child. It is only a time to dress up and receive candy from other people. This is not a celebration surrounding awakening the restless souls and demons.

There are popular American movies that give the impression that Halloween is only about crucifying, witches, demons, angels, wizards, and monsters. People in Poland then believe these movies as being the “normal” American thing to do on Halloween which then causes everyone else in the world to become all mixed up. My generation in Poland is now introducing the new tradition of dressing up on Halloween and celebrating with your friends…Meaning- This gives the 18 year olds another reason to party in Poland.

My host cousins, Ania and Monika, are the most thoughtful and sweet cousins! The girls decorated their house with themed decorations like; construction paper pumpkins hanging from the ceiling, a yearn web in the corner, and a scare crow made of their clothes. It was a very festive home and it made me feel like I was back in America at a Halloween Party. Ania’s friends also brought food that was Halloween themed like brain cupcakes and finger cookies. I tried to taste all the gory looking food. The chips were also shaped as ghosts and spider webs. I couldn’t have felt more at home.

Ania’s friends came over all dressed in costumes. Justine was dressed as a psychiatric maniac, Ola was a French maid, Ania was Pocahontas, George and his friend were crazy clowns, and I was the All American Girl. It was true dedication to see them dress up and act out their characters. I wasn’t expecting so much enthusiasm from these kids.

We drank all night, sang some songs (English and Polish songs), and Ania made a funny game for everyone. I ended up having to attempt to lick my elbow in front of everyone. Another girl had to get a pencil in a beer bottle with only using her hips to swing it in. Justine had to eat a bowl of Jell-O in order to reach the penny at the bottom of the bowl. George’s friend had to cluck and act like a chicken. We all laughed and had a really good time. I bonded with more girls and finally got to know Ania’s boyfriend. It was a very fun night.

I can’t thank Ania and Monika enough for their hard work to make me feel more at home especially when I am missing an American celebration. I will never forget this Halloween Party.

Stephanie Raquel

10/16/13-10/23/13

It is nice to travel the entire country and visit multiple beautiful places, but it is also lovely to station yourself in one city. After traveling 5 hours in a bus to the next city, we finally made it to Antalya where we will be for the next week. Driving along the coast of Turkey was amazing. There were large pirate ships drifting in the sea and people parasailing along the beach. This place reminds me of home, but the beaches and sea water are different. The mountains give the tropical city a different feeling as well. Margate feels like a long tropical place too but there are giant, rundown casinos at the end. Here in Antalya are palm trees, motorbikes, bright sun, clear water, beach clubs, and many water sports. This feels like a vacation city more than the Jersey shore.

Throughout the week I relaxed on the beach, soaked up the sun, and bought many gifts for my family. The hotel offered a beach club that was rundown but still accessible. I laid on the lounge chair for hours and read a book. I brought a book called The Sky is Everywhere from USA and I finished reading it on the beach. I’ve learned to love reading while I am on exchange. There are so many books to read and such little time in life to finish them all. This exchange year is a perfect time to sit down with a few hundred books and read.

At the Bizarre, the men would taunt Sunny and I until we went into their shops. I should better describe them as rats hunting for their next meal. The men would coax us inside and surround us until we made an offer on their items. Sometimes we had a hard time walking out of the shops, but we were not willing to buy things at high prices. It was a “cat and rat” game for us. We would haggle back and forth until we agreed on low prices. Sometimes we couldn’t agree on a price; like for my 360 degree, hardcover suitcase which led me to walking out of one store and finding another store that was willing to dwindle the price down to nothing. I ended up buying a $150 suitcase for $30. If the hagglers were tough like Sunny, Andzrej, or Ania then items came to be dirt cheap. But if you were weak and sensitive like me, well then you needed to stick with one of the big dogs.

Instead of perusing the Bizarre all seven days, we walked to the local mall that was about ten blocks from our hotel. We perused the stores and kept track of all the upcoming sales. Turkey, around the time, is the last week of tourism. We went to the stores on a certain day because all the prices are dirt cheap and the sales people want to sell all their merchandise. The only prices that didn’t drop from tourism was the cost for Milka chocolate bars. Milka is a Swiss brand of chocolate that is sold throughout Europe. Everyone in Poland, on exchange or not, loves Milka. There are other brands in other countries like E. Wedel, the Polish brand, but everyone prefers the Swiss chocolate. In Poland it is cheaper for one Milka chocolate bar then it is in Turkey. Sunny and I found the new Milka flavor which is a layer of white chocolate and Oreos in between the milk chocolate.  Everyone is dying to find the new flavor in Poland, but they haven’t released it in all the stores. In Turkey though, we found it right away except too bad the price is much higher. When it comes to shopping I learned, “you buy some things, and you walk away from some things.”

When I walked down the street during the week, in my American Flag shorts, men would stare and whistle at me. They loved that I was American because not many Americans visit Turkey. The tourists are mainly Russian, Polish, Arabic, and English. Men would honk on their scooters and boys would whistle from patio decks. When I was walking through one shop looking at scarves with Sunny, a young guy about my age grabbed my chin and blew a kiss in the air. When I was walking down the street later with Sunny, a boy sitting outside a restaurant winked at me then said hello. When I said hello back he sat up straight and asked me where I was from. I told him America and then he started singing “Party in the USA” by Miley Cyrus to me. It made me feel really good about myself. Even though I am gaining major weight from exchange by eating Milka chocolate bars and no guys flirt with me in Poland, the guys in Turkey are showing me major attention.  Maybe Turkey is the country I should have gone on exchange to because I would have had a much sexier time. But I know Poland is where I am meant to be this year.

The city is great, the men are hot, and the weather is wonderful…the only thing that ruined my stay in Antalya was the hotel. The rating for the Millennium Hotel was three stars but it should honestly be one star. First, the food is gross. I ate rubber meat and stale bread for one week. Second, the restaurant is infested. There were cats entering the hotel and sitting under the tables just waiting to be fed. When the waiters were chasing one cat around our table in order to get it out of the hotel, they scared the cat into clawing at Andzrej’s upper thigh. Andzrej screamed with pain and told the waiters that this is a restaurant for people, not cats. Third, the hotel rooms are dirty. Our floor in our room was so dirty that when I walked across the floor after a shower, my feet turned black. In the showers, the drain was clogged with hair from the previous person. The water did not drain because all the hair and dirt was blocking the way. The spout only shot water from certain holes because the rest had mildew blocking them. I felt even dirtier once I stepped out of the shower. From now on, I will only stay at four or five star hotels because three stars obviously mean they are gross.

After all this shopping and relaxing I couldn’t wait to go back to Poland. I can’t wait to get back to my normal routine of going to school, learning Polish, eating sandwiches, and showering in a clean bathroom. It is sweet to have vacationed for two weeks in a great county but Poland is waiting for me. But going to Turkey has been an amazing opportunity. I have never dreamed of going to Turkey in my entire life, but Sunny’s host parents made it happen for me. I have seen another beautiful country in this big world. Another thing to mark off my exchange student Things-To-Do List.

Stephanie Raquel

10/15/13

Today was our last day touring Turkey with our tour group. Our first stop was the city of Pergamon. This city is located at the top of the mountain to have a better view of incoming armies that were going to attack. Our bus parked at the bottom of the mountain because the road was too narrow to maneuver a large bus. A row of taxis veered off the street and into the parking lot next to our bus. Seven taxis had to take our group to the top of the mountain at the beginning of the city.

Before we entered the city gates, there was a small market that sold little goods to the tourists passing to see the city. There is where I bargained hard for my Turkish duffel bag. The man tried to get me to buy the red, gold, and white duffel but my heart was set on the red, white, and blue duffel bag. My patriotic pride is coming out strong while living in Europe.

Inside the city we saw the place where the Great Altar Upper Market once stood. People bought and exchange goods for their families in this building. Now a beautiful tree stands in its place.

The Assembly Hall was perched on the side of hill, like all assembly halls, but in Pergamon the assembly hall was quite steep. We could see the entire city sitting below this mountain. I saw windmills in the distance creating energy from the wind that surged around through this valley. One of the ladies in my group decided to walk down to the bottom of the hall and sing a song. Her voice was lovely and I definitely didn’t expect to witness this lady to sing in public. She wore a purple t-shirt that read Geek across the chest. She wore black glasses and Bermuda shorts.  From my seat at the top, I could hear her sing perfectly. The assembly hall was designed to enable everyone to hear perfectly from any seat. No one was missing out on the lovely music. A group of Koreans (Sunny identified their nationality) appeared from the sides and started cheering the lady to keep singing. My group sat with gapping mouth, listening to the magic.

Then we walked to the temple where people could pray, bath, or relax while looking out into the view of the mountains. There was a dam created next to the mountain to bring fresh water to the city and harvest fish in the water. When the city was being attacked, they had to shut off their suppliers and gates which meant having to supply food and water to themselves. It looked to be a clever city that was protected on all sides.

We stopped at another city called Troja. I-IV. The story behind the name was when a big horse structure was used to break into the city and take full control of it. A group of men designed a tall wooden horse that they would roll up to the city’s gate called Troja. The men inside the city took the horse in through the gates and left it in the main square for all the citizens to see. The city thought it was a gift from a distant city trying to make an alliance. When night fell and the city became quiet, the army sitting inside the horse broke out, opened the city gates to let the rest of the army inside, and completely took over the city. I climbed inside the horse structure and could imagine the men leaning against the wall with their swords in hand. If I was a man in this horse back then, I would be confident our plan was going to work. No one saw this attack coming.

We walked through the city and saw parts that were marked off as either Troja city I-IV. The city kept being rebuilt because it was burned down or destroyed. Over the years they just built on top of the ruins from the Troja before.  There were irrigation canals, city walls, and roads all covered with dirty.

At one point of the trail you were looking over the Asian part of Turkey. The city of Troja was located in the Asian part of Turkey. The country is split into being half European and half Asian. We could see freight boats carrying containers of goods and supplies to the city. I had now been in Asia and Europe. This year was full of first time experiences.

Stephanie Raquel

10/14/13

Religion is a touchy subject whenever people talk about it. I am not a very religious person, but I have to admit that being in Poland has brought me closer to the idea of there being a God. Sometimes I just give up on the discussion of evolution and other peoples’ opinions of God. While being here, I am believing in the idea that he is up above watching over me and protecting me. That there is someone helping me towards a better future, because they have a plan for me. That I was placed on this Earth for a purpose and my purpose is to achieve greatness in this chaotic world. It is hard to believe in something you can’t see but it makes me feel less lonely in this foreign country. God was with me in New Jersey and he followed me to Poland. It is a familiar feeling in my soul no matter where I am. Turkey, Poland, USA, Italy, London, Spain, France, or Belgium; no matter the place he follows me there.

Today we visited the Turkish temples in the city of Bursa. I had to wear jeans and a sweatshirt to cover parts of my body that people felt were disrespectful. We went to the building where the Islamic prophets were encased in tombs. There was a family encased in turquoise tiled boxes decorated with colors of gold and black. People openly come to this building to pay their respects through prayer. I was the only one in my tour group to enter the building without covering my hair with a scarf. My tour guide, Abdullah, said it wasn’t necessary to cover my hair in this building. I felt like I was disrespecting the people but we didn’t stay long.

We then walked through the city to the Islamic Temple with Arabic writing on the walls. Out front of the temple is a fountain where men have a specific routine of cleaning their body to wash away impurities before entering the building. First, wash the right hand up to the wrist (and between the fingers) three times, then similarly for the left hand. Second, rinse the mouth and spit out the water three times and rub the teeth. Third, gently put water into the nostrils with the right hand, pinch the top of the nose with the left hand to exhale the water three times. Fourth, wash the face from the hairline on the forehead and ear to ear. This is to be performed three times. Fifth, wash the entire right arm, including the hand, up to and including the elbow three times; then the left arm three times. Sixth, starting with the right foot, wash both feet from the toes up to and including the ankles thrice. It is a tedious routine that ensures total cleanliness of the body.

Inside the temple women have to pray in the back, behind the men. The men are meant to be closer to their gods. The people cannot wear shoes and women must have their hair covered. A man outside the door handed me a scarf from a box of scarves and I tied it around my hair.

The ceilings had flowers and leaves painted in the corners. The soft green carpet had dark green patterns outlining where the people needed to stand. There was an intricate fountain in the middle of the back room under a long chandelier. There were rooms that branched off at the four corners so more people could attend the prayer times. Abdullah explained that at certain days there were people who read certain prayers. The six prophets had their names painted in Arabic around the room near the ceiling. I would have taken pictures inside but it felt disrespectful to publicize this sacred area of prayer.

Our next place of touring was another temple down the road but Sunny’s host parents wanted to visit the Bizarre instead. On Sundays the Bizarre is not supposed to doing business because it is a sacred day but the tourist season is rapidly coming to a close and the shop owners need to sell their products. Approaching the bizarre it didn’t look big but as soon as we turned the corner…it was big and busy. It was like looking at a movie where men are standing on stools in the middle of a crowd yelling prices and holding up products to sell. People were pushing to reach a certain store, men were reaching out to get the best product, and women were tightly grasping their children so no one would get lost or taken. There were signs hanging from building saying they had the best products. I felt overwhelmed just looking from the outside of the crowd, but once I stepped into the raging crowd, I couldn’t escape. I had to stick my elbows out and push people out of the way. Ania wanted to look at shoes but I was more interested in checking out the Turkish scarves for Gina and my mom. Andzrej, Sunny, and I decided to leave Ania, Ania’s mother, and Ania’s aunt at a shoe store. I ended up buying ten scarves for myself and my family. Andzrej bought his wife two suitcases that were good quality and at a good price. Andzrej is amazing at bargaining. He weaseled his way down $110 for two brand new suitcase. They are hard covered cases meaning they run for $300 each in a normal store.

Bargaining with relentless Turkish men is exhausting! For lunch we stopped at the most popular place in the city to get a traditional Turkish dish. We waited outside for ten minutes to be seated inside. Our food was immediately brought to us as soon as we sat at our table. We each ate a large plate of Kebab meat layered on tomato sauce, pita bread, and sour cream. I ate the entire plate in a matter of minutes. It was amazing! No wonder people from all over wait outside to eat at this place. It is a family owned restaurant and very Turkish. This is the kind of restaurants you see in the movies where people sit in wooden turquoise chairs, speak English with an accent, and have friendly conversation while watching the tourists pass the window. There were awards lining the wall for having the best restaurant in the city. Next time I visit Turkey, I would like to eat here again.

Stephanie Raquel

10/13/13

Yesterday morning, I was in a state of dehydration. All I could think about was being close to the nearest restroom. I ended up calling my parents in a panic because I didn’t know if I had a urinary infection or something less serious. My father calmed me down and said I was probably just dehydrated from being out in the sun all day. This thought had never crossed my mind. I sat in the back of the bus with 5 bottles of water I bought from the drive and chugged all 5 bottles. I really had to use the restroom now, but after I made it to the toilet I had felt so much better. From now on, I need to drink more bottles of water.

Our first official stop, not the gas station restrooms, was the Hierapolis of Phrygia. Walking through the city we started at the commentary. Every city either starts or ends with a commentary of their noble people. This commentary in particular was huge. There were large stone houses that would have held families of people. There were sliding doors to cover the entrances and above the doors were engraved pictures to represent who was buried inside. Inside the houses were wide shelves that held the bodies because the bodies were forbidden to touch the ground.

In the main city were large arches making up the Bibliotecka that once stood there. It is now under reconstruction to assemble the town in its glory days. Next to the street arches (Northern Roman Gate) were stone tools that was used to make olive oil. Lining the main street were fountains that brought water closer to the citizens and enabled them easier access. The fountains also ensure the main fountain was not tainted with dirt from the citizens or animals.

Next we visited my favorite natural park, Pamukkale. The thermal water from Pamukkale can cure cardiovascular diseases, skin diseases, and rheumatic diseases. It is pretty incredible how amazing this place looks and effects the human body. People from all over come to this park to emerge their body into this healthy water.

Water rushes out from between the stones and fills the natural pools. I took my shoes off and walked into the pools of water. The calcium hurt the bottoms of my feet because the stones were rough. When I was walked about 2 feet into the pool, the bottom of my foot hit a sharp rock and caused me to almost fall. Andzrej threw his hand out to me and caught me before I dropped into the water. Ania, Sunny’s host mother, put out her hand and we supported each other with each step. Sunny decided not to go into the water because she didn’t want the sun to make her too dark because in the Taiwanese culture it is pretty to have pale skin. (Go figure that her name is Sunny and she doesn’t like being in the sun for too long.) Once I reached the middle of the pool, the stones were granulated. If you rub your feet along the calcium it is known to peel away the dead skin. Ania and her mother walked around the pool dragging their feet along the bottom. Andzrej continually took pictures of his lovely wife and I just soaked up the sun and calcium water. People around us were striking different poses while taking tons of pictures.

Andzrej, Ania, Ania’s mother, and I decided to explore the mountain and we found a beautiful spot to see the other pools. I sat on the smooth stone and it was surprisingly cool. The sun was warm on my cheeks but the calcium was cool on my legs. I kept reminding myself, “Stephanie, you are in such a beautiful place. Some people never see this country but you are seeing the most beautiful places in Turkey.” I am very blessed to be in this country, on this exchange, and with great people.

After relaxing and taking many pictures on this incredible natural mountain, we stopped at the Aphrodisias Archaeological site. The city is being excavated by New York University from USA. There was a temple down a short street that had two layers of people carved into the marble. The street was lined with short pillars.

Down one street was a wall of faces. The school placed all the pieces of a building that had a face carved into it along this wall. It created an eerie feel like as if I was always being watched. I was scared that by taking a picture with the faces when one would forever haunt me. Of course this is completely silly but sometimes my imagination goes wild.

In the Hadrianic bath room was a half complete statue of a god. His body was sculpted to perfection. The god brought masculinity and beauty into the wash room.

The stadium was the best part of the entire city though. There were lions’ claws at the foot of each seat. The stadium was the biggest I have ever seen in Turkey. It was comparable to a football field. Every seat had an adequate view of the arena and wouldn’t miss any part of the action when people raced and fought. Sitting at the top of the arena, I imagined men wearing white linens around the waist and their wrists covered in gold bands. In the royal section the noble women wore turquoise and gold jewelry to complement their clean white dresses. Fans roared and cheered for their favorite warrior to win the race. Men rolled through the base of the stadium on gold carts pulled by 2 black horses and whipped the horses to run faster. As the games proceeded and the victors were granted their treasures, people just kept piling into the arena to watch history unfold. Everyone in the surrounding cities made their way to this arena.

All these places and beauty are breath taking, but I wish I could share this adventure with my family.

Stephanie Raquel

10/12/13

There has been a whole lot of traveling today on the bus but shopping was a wonderful experience.

We visited the ruins of a church from the 4^th century but the only pieces that remain are 3 large pillars that once held up the structure of the building. There was a garden in the church’s place and the flowers were vibrant colors.

My big money purchase of the entire trip is a Turkish Leather Jacket from Turkey’s leather capital. Our tour company drove us to the Studio Factory where we walked inside and were taken into a small room. There was a runway positioned directly in the center and chairs lined around the stage. When the music started, 3 models walked out and showed off different styles of the amazing leather jackets that this company has to offer.

After the show a man took me and Sunny out into the main room where he explained in English that they have different styles, colors, and types of leather that can be purchased. I started looking through the many racks that hung from the ceiling and held at least a hundred leather jackets. I started pulling out jackets when the man came over to help me. I described to him that I want a dark leather jacket and is long to my waist. The man found me a gorgeous olive/metallic jacket with a chain that was stitched parallel to the zipper. It fit me like a glove and showed my feminine curves off nicely. (This means I have to lose all the weight I will gain in the future from my exchange in order to fit in my jacket…Oh boy!) When the man was fitting me for my jacket he asked my age and when I explained I am 18 years old, he was shocked. He couldn’t believe I am in Turkey without my parents. I explained about the exchange student program and this shocked him even more. He has never heard of such an exchange except for college students.

When I followed him to the cash register to pay, he was extremely generous and gave me a “student” discount. He took about $50 off the original price. We shook hands and I thanked him for his generosity.

As I walked out of the leather studio to the waiting room, Andzrej walked up to me. He pulled my leather jacket out of my bag and asked how much I paid for it. I told him the price in US dollars but this isn’t what he wanted to hear. Andzrej said he was told he would have to pay Polish zloty and that he didn’t have the option to pay in American dollars. The owner caught wind of our conversation and became infuriated. He asked me to step aside to have a private conversation. At the cash register he showed me with a calculator and piece of paper that he didn’t steal money from anyone. He showed me my price in Polish zloty and American dollars. There really was no difference and Andzrej was getting all worked up for nothing. I shook the owners hand and explained that I was not upset with the price. Then the lady tour guide came over and had a loud disagreement with the owner. The owner through his hands up in the air and told us to get out. He really wasn’t being unfair with the prices and the conversions but Andzrej and my tour group did not understand.

In the bus the tension could have been cut with a knife. Everyone was extremely worked up from the argument that we traveled to our next destination in silence.

We arrived at the Sart Sardis City which is about 3,000 years old. It once was the major city for nearly 1,500 years. I saw the Ancient Main Avenue, Byzantine Latrine, and Basin with Crosses, the Swimming Pool Hall, and the giant Bibliotecka. The Harvard University in the USA is successfully excavating this city. They are also excavating the 3th century synagogue positioned next to the Bibliotecka.

There are intricate mosaics laying on the floors as well as the walls in the main room. There is a wash sink positioned in the middle of the marble pillared room. The sink is huge compared to me. When I was taking a picture with this sink, I thought I could get inside and take a bath. I’m sure 20 people could wash their hands all at the same time. Over by the table where the Torah would lay during the reading there are lion statues protecting the table.

The next place we visited was a large temple for rituals and ceremonies. There was also the Alter of Artemis which is the most important place in the area. Here is where they announced political proposals and ceremonial proclamations. I stood behind the pillar and announced a speech to Sunny and Abdullah about being an exchange student. I imagined a group of people intently listening to my speech but instead Sunny laughed and Abdullah continued his history lesson. Maybe one day my imagination will become a reality.

The view of the mountains from this spot was incredible. I couldn’t help but take pictures with everything beautiful during my trip. I also took pictures next to the different pillars from the remaining of the temple. Some pillars are still being put back together so there is a pile of the stones ready for reconstruction.

Lastly, we visited my favorite place on the entire trip. We went to the Pamukkale Natural Park. This giant “mountain” is actually made of limestone and calcium. It is a natural sink of resources. Here are also pools of water that are warm and contain many minerals. In the main pond of water there are ducks and fishes that live here. The park offers swan boats to paddle on the water or go swimming at the top. It looks like a mountain of snow from afar but sparkles in the sun when you get up close. This is my favorite natural park.

Stephanie Raquel

10/11/13

Another beautiful day in Turkey and another full day of sightseeing. Today our first sight was the dam in Turkey that provided energy through thermal power. There are many homeless dogs that the country protect and there was one dog laying at this viewing point. He followed some members of my group around, whining for food. He looked like he is starving to death! Some Polish folks felt bad and fed the dog rolls of bread and crackers. There seem to be hundreds of cats and dogs just roaming around Turkey.

We then visited Meryemana Evi House of Virgin Mary. It wasn’t that interesting to see a prayer house for me. It was interesting though to see a wall full of prayers and notes for the Virgin Mary below the house. I contributed to the wall by writing a note.

No matter what religion, gender, race, or language; we all come together across the world as Exchange Students.  USA to Poland 2013-2014 Stephanie Raquel

Our next site is the foundation of Ephesus from 6,000 B.C. It is a settlement from the Bronze Age. I could see the games of X’s and O’s still carved into the stone slabs. When I reached the marble street lined with thick marble pillars, it was an amazing sight. There were buildings of structures remaining where they once stood tall. There were pictures and words carved intricately into the marble stones. There were thousands of cats sitting on the stones in the little bit of shade they provided.

The street led its way down to the Bibliotecka. The front of the building stands tall engraved in leaves, flowers, and patterns. There are statues of men and women positioned in between pillars and in scripted with sayings. It was the most interesting thing I have ever seen. When you are standing in front of the library, it only seems like the front of the building is standing alone. It is what remains of this building after all these years. I was fixed on every detail while Abdullah explained the history of the library. This was my favorite structure I have seen on this trip through Turkey.

The Ephesus city came to life in front of me and most of the buildings are restructured to give tourists a better picture of the once vibrant city that stood here. I can imagine walking down this marble street in my gladiator shoes, wrapped in a white toga, and my children trailing behind me.

Another street perpendicular to this one was also lined with marble slabs. This street directed us to the Assembly Hall where shows and matches were held to entertain the people. Lions once ran across the stage in front of the people, while men would perform with them. Pillars stationed behind the stage, high above the ground, is where the nobles would sit to watch the shows. This hall was positioned on the side of a hill in order to give better acoustics for the people playing music.

Next to the assembly hall is a marble street that stretched 500 meters. This is the street where the nobles would enter and see the giant assembly hall. From this direction they were taken directly to other parts of the town that have yet to be uncovered for the tourists.

Even though this town isn’t completely uncovered from hundreds of years of dirt, it is absolutely breath taking.

Stephanie Raquel

10/10/13

My first official day sightseeing in Turkey! Our first stop was the viewing point over the mountain tops. In the morning the air is very chilly so now I know to wear a sweatshirt every morning.

Our tour guides are a young lady with short blonde hair and a thick Polish/Turkish accent and an older man with a thick polish accent. The lady spoke perfect Polish to everyone because she was born and raised in Poland but then moved to Turkey. (I don’t blame her for moving. Turkey is gorgeous!) She was very nice and talked a lot of the culture in Turkey (So I was told). My personal tour guide is a Turkish man named Abdullah. He explained the tourist sites in English to just Sunny and me. Sunny couldn’t understand his English through his thick accent so it was mainly a personal guide for just me. Abdullah understand I couldn’t understand what the lady was saying on the loud speaker so he always walked to the back of the bus to explain things to me. He talked about the Turkish school systems, job opportunities, farming, and the history that created this country, the climate, and religion. It was very insightful and made me better understand the sights I would later see throughout the week.

The next place was the Likya settlement and about a 2 hour drive. The first architectural structure was built before Christ. It is amazing thinking these rock structures are over 2,000 years old but are still standing under the Turkish sun. In the side of the mountains are rock carved passages and rooms. They are graves built for the elite people of the city. The higher up on the mountain you were buried, the more important you were in society. Some of the graves had designs carved into the stones. I wondered what my design would be on the outside of my stone if I lived back then.

Next we visited the St. Nicholas Church. St. Nicholas is the protector of children, young girls, and sailors. He is also known as the International Santa Claus. There are beautiful paintings still visible on the walls and ceilings. I even saw St. Nicholas’s tomb and casket.

In the streets outside the church are shops lined up. Sunny and I were walking along the street looking at the Turkish nick-knacks. Many of the shops had the same items but for different prices, in different colors, and in different designs. While looking in 1 shop along the street I overheard multiple languages. There was British English, Australian English, American English, Russian, Korean, Chinese, Turkish, Polish, and Arabic. I have never heard so many languages in one place at one time. It was very intriguing and inspiring. I would like to learn more languages one day.

The next destination we went to is the Panorama Seyirlik. From this point of the mountain we could see the beautiful islands of Greece. The sea was incredibly blue, the islands are brilliant green, and the sun was bright. The view was absolutely breath taking. I saw the islands of Greece with my best friend, Sunny. I feel so lucky to have seen beautiful places.

The Assembly Hall of the Lycian League was our next sight and the stones were a nice yellow with Greek inscriptions carved into them. Pillars still lined where the street was once located and the buildings were giant compared to me.

The best part of the day though was when we went to the beach! The sand was granulated but not as smooth as the Jersey sand. Sunny didn’t put her bathing suit on because after eating our hamburgers we only had 45 minutes on the beach…But this didn’t stop me! When will I ever get the chance to come back to this exact beach and swim in the Mediterranean Sea again? I took this amazing opportunity to swim in the sea and bask in the Turkish sun. The water was refreshingly cool and crystal clear. I am not used to seeing little minnows swimming around my feet because the Atlantic Ocean is not that clean. This made me a little unease being able to see the objects under me, but the feeling didn’t stay long. I floated on the back in the water and absorbed the warmth. It was a beautiful day with not a cloud in the sky. I just wanted to relax here forever!

When I was laying in my beach chair drying off in the sun, a man in a blue bathing suit came up to me. He said I have to pay to lay in the chair and it cost 15 Turkish Lira. He looked completely unofficial to be the man I had to pay. I lied and told him I didn’t have that much but I do have 5 Turkish Lira. The man stood puzzled for a minute then accepted my offer. After he left my chair, I watched him walk up to every tourist sitting on their chairs telling them they had to pay. It was a clever scam for this local.  This was my first encounter with a Turkish man trying to scam me but I’m sure it won’t be my last.

A perfect first tourist day in Turkey!

Stephanie Raquel

10/9/13

I arrived in Turkey at 6:30 am which is 1 hour ahead of Poland. I saw the sunrise through the plane window and it was beautiful. In the airport, our passports had to be checked 4 times at each checkpoint. My visa had to be checked twice at different checkpoints as well. Their security center in the airport is extremely strict.

After all the checkpoints, we got our luggage from the carousel and checked in with our tour company. The tour bus drove us to our hotel with 30 other people. Once at the hotel, the front desk required to keep our passports which made me feel super uncomfortable. I was worried the desk will photo copy my passport number and information. I heard United States passports are wanted by everyone and people are trying to become citizens. It would be easier for them to just take my identity. That really scares me.

The front desk also wouldn’t issue room keys to our group yet so Sunny, Andzrej (Sunny’s host father) and I walked to the beach. The walk was about 5 minutes straight down the road. The view was beautiful because the beach is positioned between two mountains. The water was crystal clear and refreshingly cool. Everything about the beach was beautiful except the “sand”. The sand is actually stones. When I took my shoes off to feel the water, I was saying “ouch” with each step. The stones were harsh on the bottoms of my feet.

I had to sit down to release the pressure from my feet against the rocks. Once I sat down and absorbed the sun on my skin that is when the exhaustion hit me. I leaned against my backpack on the rocks and fell asleep under the sun.

At 10 am Sunny and I decided to walk back to the hotel and take a nap in our bed. By then we had our room key and passports back. I slept until 2pm and then took a shower. It was really nice to be wearing shorts and a tank top again.

At 3 pm Sunny, Andzrej, and I walked to a restaurant along the beach where we ate hamburgers and drank Coca-Cola. Then I laid on the beach with Sunny and read a book while listening to the waves crash against the shoreline. It was truly relaxing reading on the beach of a beautiful place.

Walking back to the hotel for supper, I wore my American flag shorts. Some guys passed by saying hello while others just stared at me. It felt funny having all these eyes on me, but I like being patriotic in Europe. When I see a USA flag anywhere, I become extremely excited and cheer.

It feels so surreal being in Turkey. I never thought I would visit this country, but I recommend everyone should visit here.

Stephanie Raquel

10/8/13

I packed and left for Turkey today!!

I decided to take my big, black suitcase that I used to bring all my clothes to Poland. I filled the bottom with summer clothes such as shorts and t-shirts. The max weight is 20 kg which is equivalent to 44 pounds…I weighed my suitcase to be 18.6 kg. I definitely over packed and didn’t leave any room for things I will buy in Turkey, but oh well! I am on the plane heading to a beautiful land.

I sat in my room after I packed for about 4 hours. I finally watched the movie “This is the End” featuring Seth Rogan and Jonah Hill. It was a stupid but good movie. I started watching “Monsters University” but that is when Sunny and her host father showed up. Everyone was shocked at the size of my suitcase because it up to my waist when I stood up. Even though I didn’t fill it, it was still pretty heavy.

We drove to the Warsaw Airport which took about 3 hours. I slept most of the way because our flight took off at 2:30 am. This is my first red eye flight! I am experiencing a lot of firsts. In the airport as we went through security, I ended up having to take off all my clothes. Sunny walked through the metal detector still wearing her sneakers and sweater, but I had to strip down to my socks and t-shirt. I told Sunny this is racist thing since I come from America. Honestly, I am used to stripping down to nothing in the airport because that is the protocol in America. Sunny thought this was very odd, me having to strip, because in Taiwan they don’t care if you are still wearing shoes or sweatshirts through the metal detectors.

On the plane, Sunny and I slept the entire way. The stewardess shut off all the cabin lights and everyone had their shades shut. Above the clouds, the moon is very reflective making it impossible to sleep with the shade open. About 2 hours later, we arrived in Turkey where the sun is always high in the sky, the water is warm, and the beaches are nice.

I am so thankful to have be able to visit Turkey. Thank you Sunny and her host family for taking me to Turkey on the two week journey. I will be visiting Turkey again in my life.

Stephanie Raquel