More of those Hittites!

Sunday, May 18, 2014

 

Good morning!  

I know I need to start with dinner last night, but I do need to let everyone know that I woke up this morning with Pink Eye … in both eyes!  I felt like Bob Costas at Sochi, Russia!  We travel with a virtual medicine chest of drugs…those for allergies, hives, antibiotics, etc.  As Robert says, my backpack weighs a ton! 

However, after getting Pink Eye the first time in my 62 years several months ago, did I bring my prescribed drops along?  Of course not!   

So…for the past week+ I have been having difficulties with severe sinus congestion.  I thought at first it might be a sore throat, but that never happened (thankfully!) and then possibly a cold…but nothing ever materialized, and I figured, well, the only option left is allergies.  And then this morning, conjunctivitis in both eyes…great!  I do have to say that the wind has been blowing a literal gale ever since last night, and the horizon is very dusty.  We went down to the desk and inquired about a doctor – but not only is today a Sunday, but tomorrow, May 19^th, is Ataturk National Sports Day – a public holiday! 

The desk directed us to a hospital in town, and we set Emmy to get us there.  However, some time back, I had been reading in one of our guidebooks that pharmacists (called Eczane in Turkish), are able to dispense many drugs that would require prescriptions in the U.S.  So, I thought if we could find an open Eczane, we could check there first.  And voila, right next to the hospital, a pharmacist opening up! We were his first customers of the day!  Well, the interesting thing about Pink Eye is that the translation travels across international lines – the pharmacist took one look at me and found two different kinds of eye drops for me to use, one of them clearly labeled an antibiotic, which is what I needed!  Yipee!!  The cost for both drops was all of 5 TL – about $2.50 U.S.  I can tell you from experience a few months ago that my prescription for an ocular antibiotic cost WAY more than $2.50!!  Robert administered the drops, and I am SO happy to report that I am well on my way to white eyeballs again!

So…back to dinner last night.  After a mediocre buffet dinner on Friday night here at the hotel, we decided to walk next door to a restaurant we had noticed.  Went downstairs about 7 p.m. and had to walk through a virtual gauntlet of flowers on stands with banners attached which means another Turkish wedding was happening at the hotel tonight.  Walked into the restaurant to find that – surprise! – a wedding reception was going to take place there too!  However, the reception was taking place on the main floor, and the restaurant had an upstairs dining area – open to the ceiling area where we could eat (as well as watch what was going on below us!) 

We were seated at a nice table, and asked for menus…but they, of course, didn’t have menus!  What did we want to eat?  Well, I went with chicken and Robert went with lamb.  The first thing that came were platters of vegetables – a small plate of marinated shallots, one of chopped tomatoes, one of yogurt and cucumber, one of a salad green with tomatoes and one of very hot chili peppers.  We both took what we wanted – R loved the shallots, and I loved the salad greens and tomatoes.  I think the greens were some kind of cress; they were great!  (And of course R forgot to bring the camera…)  Once we had digested these, our main courses arrived – chicken shish for me and lamb shish for R.  R absolutely loved his lamb, and says that it was marinated with a very spicy mix, and is the hottest thing he has yet eaten in Turkey!  [In general, the food in Turkey is highly spiced but not picante.  R]  My chicken was tender and good.  After that, we were persuaded to have fruit – which came on three small plates – one of sliced banana, one of sliced oranges, and one of sliced apple.  A nice way to finish a meal!  All in all, the meal cost us a fraction of what it had at the hotel – and was definitely better!  So, that’s where we’re heading tonight … WITH camera this time!

 

By the time we were to the fruit stage, the band downstairs had kicked off into high gear!  It was so loud that we couldn’t hear each other, sitting right across the table from each other!  It was good to get out of the restaurant and away from the music, for sure!  Then, back to our hotel, where the entry way was absolutely crazy with cars coming and going everywhere and lots of people milling about.  (Obviously, weddings are a really big business at this hotel!)  At one point during the night – sometime about 3:15 a.m. – I looked out the window to see some of the wedding cars actually leaving the parking lot!  That, by my count, would have made it an 8 HOUR wedding reception?!  Insane!!

Which brings us to today, Sunday, and our quest for ever more Hittite locations and artifacts!  After the pharmacist, we headed directly for our first site – the Yesemek Open Air Museum – a stone quarry that the Hittites used for some of the sculpture; it was amazing! 

MUCH cleaner now!

However, before we got there, we needed to fill the car up with diesel – AND get it washed, as we are currently vying for the Dirtiest Car in Turkey award!  We found the last time we were in Turkey, that many filling stations also had a huge power washer for spraying people’s cars.  This time, our station had a do-it-yourself kind of car washer, with huge brushes!  You pull into the device, and first it goes front to back with side turning brushes and one across the hood and top.  Then, the machine rolls everything backwards, getting the rest of the car.  I can’t believe what a difference it made!   Although, honestly, I stayed in the car while it was washed, and I could have SWORN that the car was moving, and not the machine!  It was a very disconcerting experience, but we did end up with a much cleaner vehicle!!

Now, to be honest, Robert was not that thrilled about my proposed plan for the day, as it would take us within 5 miles of the Syrian border.  However, always game, he did a great job directing us to the site [without accidently crossing the frontier!  R].  The great news is that there was  actually signage that led us all the way to the site!  How rare!  And when we pulled up, surprise!  There were TWO big tour buses ahead of us!  However, the tours were on their way out which left the Open Air Museum basically to us!

 

Yesemek was discovered in 1890 when approximately 200 sculpture drafts were uncovered.  Basically, the basalt blocks were processed in three stages. 

Me with a lion

Start of two Gods, side by side

Lots of stone to work with!

First they were roughly shaped.  Next, they were glazed and some details were added.  Lastly, the details were sharpened and the final glazing was applied, with the sculpture reaching its final form when it arrived at its final location.  We were able to make out many Hittite lions and a variety of sphinxes, as well as several other items. 

Robert with Lion friend

Biggest block -- intended to be a full-size lion!

Fortunately, the site had a very good explanation with pictures in English, which was great!  Very, very enjoyable!

From Yesemek we headed to the mound of Tilmen, on a stunning site next to the River Karasu. 

Excavations at Tilmen mound

Some very ancient drains!

More of the palace!

This mound, currently being excavated and protected by an Italian university, dates back to the 4^th millennium BC, and included a time as a Hittite city.  We had this site entirely to ourselves, and enjoyed walking around and reading about the various buildings that had been uncovered.  

Stunning site, right on the river!

From Tilmen, we decided to head to the Museum of Kahramanmaras, about 40 km away.  (After all, we haven’t been in a museum since yesterday morning!) 

Hittite lion in Museum garden!

Hittite lion inside museum!

Found the city and the museum with no problem.  Very interesting collection, starting with the skeleton of a prehistoric – which was HUGE and had been excavated locally.  They had some wonderful Hittite carvings, lions and stele.  Very enjoyable!

Hittite Storm God Teshub

Hittite stele

It was now almost 3:30 p.m. so we decided we had done enough for one day.  (What I found two years ago was that each time you discover one thing, there are three or four others that you don’t have time for!  And that is exactly what is happening again!)  A nice drive back to the hotel, where we are resting and watching the Giro d’Italia bike race on TV in Turkish!  Then, out again – this time with camera – for dinner in a bit!

More later!

m

xxx