[You can get to them via the photos above, the individual set names here (Day 6 - Day 7 - Day 8) or the scattered blue words below that link to relevant to specific photos!]
Some words and stories to go along with the pictures-
Kapadokya Tourism: In addition to the facts that the Kapadokya region has an incredible ancient history, is absolutely gorgeous, and was a chance to get out of the city for a day, I was also excited because it is a major international tourist destination. I vowed that I would drag Hana and Rya along to approach the first English speaking tourists that we encountered. As we were walking up to the entrance of the underground city, it so happened that the first two men walking by were chatting in English. I stopped them and asked where they were from, and we struck up a small conversation (probably due to my over-zealous approach a questioning). Turns out they were from San Francisco, and when I told them I was from Seattle, the one man said his son lived in my neighborhood. When I asked him whereabouts, he named the street my house is on. In a minute I went from on the lookout for interesting American tourists, to describing local landmarks of the neighborhood I grew up in, coming to the conclusion that this man's son was living less than a mile away from, and on the same street as, where my mother is living!
They had heard of and were supporters of AFS, and their tour guide chimed in that he was a Turk who spoke excellent English as a result of a student exchange. They were traveling with a tour company based on the West Coast of the U.S., and invited us to come by their bus, which was full of people mostly from Seattle and San Francisco. We couldn't since we were holding up our group at eh entrance, and they were holding up theirs at the exit, but it was such a crazy coincidence!
Our hike up Ali Dağı (dağ means mountain, it's a small one: to the top and back takes around three hours) was led by a tour guide of sorts, a friend of Rya's host dad. He led us up the steep, narrow, and switch-back filled path, insisting that it was about to get easier when we were convinced it was only getting steeper and switch-backier. He led us in an awesome stretch circle, and then scolded us for drinking water as we hiked, saying it would make us unable to walk (we weren't sure if he was questioning our ability to multi-task, or meant there would be actual physical consequences, I'm fairly certain he for some reason believed the latter) (he didn't speak any English). Instead he picked little wild mountain berries for us to eat as we walked, and gave us chewing gum, saying it would help us breathe.
When we got to the top, the path met a wide road that wound around the mountain, which we used to descend. As we started walking, our guide asked Rya, Hana and I if we wanted to run and some other things that we didn't really understand. Before we knew it we were bounding through a grassy valley that paralleled the road, jumping over holes, branches and avoiding spiky plants. We laughed as he led us in a yelling/grunting/breathing pattern of 'Huh! Huh! Huh huh huh!' and stumbled to keep up with him: it looked he was moving at a slow jog but whenever we looked down at our feet to avoid tripping, when we looked up again he would be magically way far ahead and cheering us on to catch up. When we again joined the road, he told us about how he was in his sixties, and climbed the mountain at least five times every day, starting at sunrise (he also let us punch his impressive flexed stomach muscles).
As some closure for the EVA program, Luce wrote this poem about their time in Kayseri. It was originally written in Dutch, and then translated by one if her kids into English. It was also translated into Turkish by a Turkish student in Antwerp on an AFS exchange. (It appears to me that the Dutch one rhymed!)
English Translation:
In the land yogurt and honey
Situated in the central Turkish plateau
We got a receipt of high level
Four families had been looking out for this day
We arrived on their national holiday
Kayseri, an old but fast rising city
Provides home to a million Turkish people
In this land of yogurt and honey
Ataturk is hailed as a king
Two years ago it started with the AFS program
Now four EVAs discovered the region and its families
The Turkish cuisine, their culture and their language
Were an experience to us all
Look: That large school with swimming pool! Just six years old!
Sports stadium, museum, hospital,… newly built.
Even an old castle, a jumble sale, a mosque,…
The Turkish dances, we did them!
Carpet weaving, decorated ceramics,…
Tour of a new sugar refinery
Coffee grounds divination, do we believe this?
And yet,… our neighbor was very witty
In the Hammam being scrubbed from head to toe
Climbing mount Ali?... Yes please!
Without food or drinks on the mountain
But we, sporty gals, did not give up
Hours of preparing köfte and manti
Fortunately they didn’t allowed us to crochet and to knit
Cappadocia, visiting an underground city.
Family picnic in the van,… What a day!
Handicrafts and scarves, buried under gifts
We will remember our hostesses for a long time
It was an intense visit
Still glad that the host students were good interpreters
They’re smoking Turks, but little knowledge of the English language.
Maybe … when they get in Antwerp around Easter.
Goodbye wonderful land of extinct volcanoes!
Goodbye dear people, so hospitable together!
Another travel tip for Yildiz, Yasemin, Nasibe and Betül:
Your plane doesn’t wait for you in Istanbul! Be there on time
Three big kisses of four AFS EFTA sisters:
Leen – Linda – Rita - Luce
AFS-ZAN 29/10/2012-06/11/2012
Original Dutch version:
In het land van yoghurt en honing
Midden in het Centraal Turks hoogplateau
kregen we een ontvangst van hoog niveau.
Vier gezinnen hadden naar ons uitgekeken.
Op hun nationale feestdag kwamen we neergestreken.
Kayseri, een oude maar ook snel -'rijzende' stad
biedt voor één miljoen Turken een flat.
In dit land van yoghurt en honing
wordt Atatürk geprezen als een koning.
Twee jaar geleden ging men er met AFS beginnen.
Nu ontdekten vier EVA's de streek en hun gezinnen.
De Turkse keuken, hun cultuur en hun taal
waren een belevenis voor ons allemaal.
Kijk: die ruime school met zwembad, amper zes jaar oud!
Sportstadion, museum, hospitaal, ... pas gebouwd.
Ook een oude burcht, bazaars, een moskee, ...
De Turkse dansen, we deden ze mee!
Tapijtweverij, versierd keramiek, ...
rondleiding in een nieuwe suikerfabriek.
Koffiedras-waarzegging, geloven we dat?
En toch, ... onze buurvrouw was erg gevat.
In de Hammam afgeschrobd worden van kop tot teen.
Mount-Ali beklimmen? ... Ja! Allen daarheen!
Zonder eten of drank de berg op.
Maar wij, sportieve madammen, gaven niet op.
Urenlang köfte en manti bereiden.
Gelukkig liet men ons niet haken en breien.
Cappadocië, met bezoek aan een ondergrondse stad.
Gezinspicknick in 't busje, ... 't Is me wat!
Handwerk en sjaaltjes, bedolven onder geschenken.
We zullen nog lang aan onze gastvrouwen denken.
't Was een krachtig bezoek, we zijn in de wolken.
Toch blij dat de gaststudenten voor ons konden tolken.
't Zijn wel rokende Turken, maar van Engels weinig sprake.
Misschien wel ... als ze rond Pasen in Antwerpen geraken.
Dag prachtig land van uitgedoofde vulkanen!
Tot ziens lieve mensen, zo gastvrij tezamen!
Nog één reistip voor Yildiz, Yasemin, Nasibe en Betül:
jullie vliegtuig wàcht niet in Istanbul!
Drie dikke kussen
van vier AFS-EVA-zussen.
Turkish Translation:
Yoğurt ve bal diyarında
Anadolu'nun ortasında bir ovada,
karşılandık en güzel ağırlanmayla.
Dört aile bize bakar oldu.
Ulusal bayramları hikaye oldu.
Kayseri, eski ama en çabuk 'kabaran' şehir
İçinde bir milyon insan gezinir.
Meşhurdur bu memlekette yoğurt ve bal.
Selamlanır Atatürk sanki bir kral.
İki yıl önce herşey AFS ile başladı.
Sonra dört EVA bu bölge ve aileleri yakaladı.
Türk mutfağı, kültürleri ve dilleri
Hepimiz için büyük bir deneyim olduverdi.
Bak: O koca yüzme havuzlu okul basmış sadece 6 yaşına!
Stadyumu, müzesi, hastanesi, ... yeni bitmiş inşaası da.
Hatta eski bir kale, kapalı çarşı, cami, ...
Türk dansları, biz de katılalım hadi!
Halı, süslü seramik dokuma ve daha neler?
Yeni bir şeker rafinerisinde gezmeler.
Biz de inanıyoruz ne var? Sonuçta kahve falı.
Herşeye rağmen komşu teyzemiz çok esprili çıktı.
Hamama gittik tepeden tırnağa temizlendik.
Ali Dağı mı? ... Evet biz de gittik!
Olmadan dağda yiyecek veya içecek.
Ama sportif kızlarız biz, var mı bizde göz pes edecek?
Mantı, köfte, bunları hazırlamak bütün gün sürdü.
Neyse ki uğraşmadık hiç ne tığ ne örgü.
Kapadokya'da bir yeraltı şehri, harika bir ziyaret.
Otobüste ailecek piknik, ... Çektik nasıl bir ziyafet!
Gömüldük altında hediyelerin, el işleri, atkılar ve eşarplar.
Unutmayacak asla ev sahibelerini bizim hafızalar.
Harika bir ziyaret oldu, ama şimdi göklerdeyiz.
Neyse ki çevirmenlik etti konuk öğrenciler, çok teşekkür ederiz.
Türklerde sigara çok ama yok çok fazla bilen İngilizce.
Ama belli mi olur, gelsinler hele Paskalya'da bir Antwerp'e.
Güle güle, sönmüş volkanlar ve o güzel ana kara!
Sevgi dolu, misafirperver insanlar bizden sizlere veda!
Yıldız, Yasemin, Nasibe, Betül size ipucu, olursa ileride bir gezi:
Beklemez İstanbul'dan kalkan bu uçaklar hiçbirimizi!
Dört AFS EVA kızkardeşinden üçü kocaman öpücük.
In het land van yoghurt en honing
Midden in het Centraal Turks hoogplateau
kregen we een ontvangst van hoog niveau.
Vier gezinnen hadden naar ons uitgekeken.
Op hun nationale feestdag kwamen we neergestreken.
Kayseri, een oude maar ook snel -'rijzende' stad
biedt voor één miljoen Turken een flat.
In dit land van yoghurt en honing
wordt Atatürk geprezen als een koning.
Twee jaar geleden ging men er met AFS beginnen.
Nu ontdekten vier EVA's de streek en hun gezinnen.
De Turkse keuken, hun cultuur en hun taal
waren een belevenis voor ons allemaal.
Kijk: die ruime school met zwembad, amper zes jaar oud!
Sportstadion, museum, hospitaal, ... pas gebouwd.
Ook een oude burcht, bazaars, een moskee, ...
De Turkse dansen, we deden ze mee!
Tapijtweverij, versierd keramiek, ...
rondleiding in een nieuwe suikerfabriek.
Koffiedras-waarzegging, geloven we dat?
En toch, ... onze buurvrouw was erg gevat.
In de Hammam afgeschrobd worden van kop tot teen.
Mount-Ali beklimmen? ... Ja! Allen daarheen!
Zonder eten of drank de berg op.
Maar wij, sportieve madammen, gaven niet op.
Urenlang köfte en manti bereiden.
Gelukkig liet men ons niet haken en breien.
Cappadocië, met bezoek aan een ondergrondse stad.
Gezinspicknick in 't busje, ... 't Is me wat!
Handwerk en sjaaltjes, bedolven onder geschenken.
We zullen nog lang aan onze gastvrouwen denken.
't Was een krachtig bezoek, we zijn in de wolken.
Toch blij dat de gaststudenten voor ons konden tolken.
't Zijn wel rokende Turken, maar van Engels weinig sprake.
Misschien wel ... als ze rond Pasen in Antwerpen geraken.
Dag prachtig land van uitgedoofde vulkanen!
Tot ziens lieve mensen, zo gastvrij tezamen!
Nog één reistip voor Yildiz, Yasemin, Nasibe en Betül:
jullie vliegtuig wàcht niet in Istanbul!
Drie dikke kussen
van vier AFS-EVA-zussen.
Turkish Translation:
Yoğurt ve bal diyarında
Anadolu'nun ortasında bir ovada,
karşılandık en güzel ağırlanmayla.
Dört aile bize bakar oldu.
Ulusal bayramları hikaye oldu.
Kayseri, eski ama en çabuk 'kabaran' şehir
İçinde bir milyon insan gezinir.
Meşhurdur bu memlekette yoğurt ve bal.
Selamlanır Atatürk sanki bir kral.
İki yıl önce herşey AFS ile başladı.
Sonra dört EVA bu bölge ve aileleri yakaladı.
Türk mutfağı, kültürleri ve dilleri
Hepimiz için büyük bir deneyim olduverdi.
Bak: O koca yüzme havuzlu okul basmış sadece 6 yaşına!
Stadyumu, müzesi, hastanesi, ... yeni bitmiş inşaası da.
Hatta eski bir kale, kapalı çarşı, cami, ...
Türk dansları, biz de katılalım hadi!
Halı, süslü seramik dokuma ve daha neler?
Yeni bir şeker rafinerisinde gezmeler.
Biz de inanıyoruz ne var? Sonuçta kahve falı.
Herşeye rağmen komşu teyzemiz çok esprili çıktı.
Hamama gittik tepeden tırnağa temizlendik.
Ali Dağı mı? ... Evet biz de gittik!
Olmadan dağda yiyecek veya içecek.
Ama sportif kızlarız biz, var mı bizde göz pes edecek?
Mantı, köfte, bunları hazırlamak bütün gün sürdü.
Neyse ki uğraşmadık hiç ne tığ ne örgü.
Kapadokya'da bir yeraltı şehri, harika bir ziyaret.
Otobüste ailecek piknik, ... Çektik nasıl bir ziyafet!
Gömüldük altında hediyelerin, el işleri, atkılar ve eşarplar.
Unutmayacak asla ev sahibelerini bizim hafızalar.
Harika bir ziyaret oldu, ama şimdi göklerdeyiz.
Neyse ki çevirmenlik etti konuk öğrenciler, çok teşekkür ederiz.
Türklerde sigara çok ama yok çok fazla bilen İngilizce.
Ama belli mi olur, gelsinler hele Paskalya'da bir Antwerp'e.
Güle güle, sönmüş volkanlar ve o güzel ana kara!
Sevgi dolu, misafirperver insanlar bizden sizlere veda!
Yıldız, Yasemin, Nasibe, Betül size ipucu, olursa ileride bir gezi:
Beklemez İstanbul'dan kalkan bu uçaklar hiçbirimizi!
Dört AFS EVA kızkardeşinden üçü kocaman öpücük.
