Saturday, August 2, 2014

untouched beauty

Turkey is a beautiful country with landscapes that range from rugged snow capped mountains protecting the character of small cities from urbanization, lush green highlands with varying species of animals and birds, to gold sandy beaches with sparkling water attracting tourists from all over the world. Orchards of figs, apricots, and cherries are what you could come across in your travels; along with olive groves nestled in the valleys of mountain ranges. Every city I have visited has been beautiful and charming in its own way. It is almost impossible to compare one to the other because they are so different. When people say Turkey is diverse, they mean the diversity of the Turkic peoples, with so much history, culture and food to experience first hand, there will never be enough time to spend in each region.

Yalova is a dream for thrill seekers. It offers hiking and trekking, mountain biking, skiing in the winter, hot springs which is what it is renowned for, and coves and roaring waterfalls for everyone to enjoy. The Samanli Mountains are just 2 hours outside of Istanbul with miles of coniferous forestry waiting to be explored. Of course not everyone is interested in the outdoors but I do recommend a visit to admire the diverse beauty of the landscape this country has to offer.



A relatively short ferry ride will transport you to the outskirts of Yalova province at the edge of the rolling mountains of Samanli. Coffee colored dusty trails, bordered by low growing plants sparsely sprouting pink and purple flowers, wind up the foothills and into the mountains. The trails can be tricky with old thick roots jutting out of unexpected places, covered by mustard and rust colored fallen leaves, distracting the eye from what is really there. Slivers of sunlight shines brightly through the cracks in the dense wall of leaves and branches, exposing the moss covered tree trunks standing tall and proud. As you go deeper into the forest and higher up the mountains, pushing low hanging branches out of your way, you are simply in awe of the untouched beauty around you.

Around a rolling hill, behind a fortress of pine trees, I came across a waterfall in the gorge between two hill tops leading down to a narrow stream, flowing into town. Water spilled over the steep rocky walls of one of the hills and cascaded over dark grey boulders haphazardly thrown around this ravine. The rocks glistened as sunlight danced around the cracks and slid off the smooth tops, beautifully exhibiting the erosion over the years. Crisp white froth poured down over the rocky hill into the pool of water at the bottom, where I stood, enjoying the cool splatter of water against my skin.

For the foodies (myself included), a variety of fish marinated in a medley of mouthwatering spices, grilled, sauteed or fried can be found in the many small towns. Grilled chicken or meat served on a bed of rice with organic vegetables and freshly baked bread is a staple in almost all regions of Turkey. For a quick meal, I suggest 'lahmacun' or Turkish pizza. Freshly kneaded dough is rolled out into thin oval shaped bases which are then topped with spiced minced meat and finely chopped tomatoes. Once baked in a brick kiln, it is served with wedges of lemon to squeeze on top, sprigs of parsley and thin slices of onions. This thin crispy delight is so affordable and delicious, it becomes challenging to stop at one. The piece de resistance for me is a plate of 'bal kaymak' for breakfast. This is a plate of rich clotted cream made from organic milk served with fragrant honey poured over it with a side of toasted bread. In the land of milk and honey, nothing comes quite as close to perfection as 'bal kaymak' does.  

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