Posts Tagged ‘Explore’

The Road to Rhodes

Posted: May 24, 2024 in Art, Travel
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Like the roads in Old Town Rhodes, it started off bumpy!

Our ferry was cancelled, so we had to drive 2 hour to get to another ferry spot, and then was told we had to wait 5 hours for the next ferry. Was a bit stressed, but things turned around qwhen I saw a colony of bunnies! They were just hanging out! And then better yet, Jim got us on an earlier ferry we were told was full. We were the last to get on, but all was right in our traveling hearts.

We stayed in the medieval area of Rhodes Town. It’s beautiful, with tiny streets going off in all directions made either of river rock or marble. Ancient rock walls line these streets. It’s just beautifully confusing. You can meander the tiny streets and alleys for hours, picking a street cafe to then people watch, when your feet and legs get weary.

We did our own tour of Old Town our first afternoon/evening, including a meander inside the palace.

Our second day we took a bus to Lindos, another cute but way way smaller town of meandering foot traffic only streets and alleys. We went straight up around 30 flights of hills/stair to the amazing Acropolis. Then we meandered down around 50 flights to the beach for lunch and a cold dip in the Aegean Sea. It was smart because we had a 20 flight up climb still to do and it kept us cool.

Our 3rd day we took sail on what I thought was going to be a nice big catamaran, but nope, Jim booked a pirate ship! It was not a pirate themed tour though, they did keep us well fed and had plenty to drink. There was no walking of planks either. We went to 3 wonderful spots to swim, we jumped off the front of the boat and snorkeled, although the water was beautifully clear and blue, there were no fish. I brought bread on the 2nd stop, we got a bunch of fish and snorkeled a bit more, but the water was sooooo cold it affected my body and I opted out of the last swim spot, but Jim jumped off the top deck and swam to shore. It was mostly overcast for the day, but we got some sun for the trip back to town

Our last day, we slowly made our way up to the Acropolis in town, which is nothing compared to the one in Lindos. And then after a 2pm lunch, we lounged, and then hit a museum for our last day!

ADVICE:

I recommend staying in the medieval part of Rhodes town. Our place, St. Artemois Boutique hotel was more than awesome. Attached to the old, maybe ancient, church St. Artemois. It has only 4-6 rooms only with a pretty courtyard. Made to order Breakfast was in the courtyard and came with our $125. a night fee. Maria is a gracious host too.

I’llSTILL ADVICE:

If you don’t like cold water to swim in, do not go to Rhodes in May, even late May. Even hot out some days the water was still freezing.

We found Rhodes town and Lindos kind of crowded at times, (of course especially with cruises) but the locals said it is nothing compared to high season, which starts in June.  I don’t know if the water gets warmer later into the summer, but the air does.

Also, I recommend Lindos, it’s definitely a workout but as far as history / ruins go its cool and with a beautiful view. Maybe go with a guide to learn more about it than the few informational signs we read.

We are off to Santorini now! Thanks for visiting…

MY GNOME LITTLE WORLD.

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Sailing Along the Silk Road, Swimming in Hot Springs and Swerving Over Mountain Curves

Posted: May 20, 2024 in Art
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Good-bye enchanted beautiful Fairy Chimneys, amazing valleys and colorful balloon clouds in the sky.

Hello high desert, Silk Road Caravan Stops, Dirt Roads, Romani Camps, Rumi and Whirling Dervishes!

First pull over is a ancient caravan stop along the Silk Road from China to Europe. The history, the the adventure, the dangers, oh my! The trails from the US East to the West is nothing compared to this.

ADVICE: Do stop at the Silk Road Caravan Stops. Unless you have unlimited time, don’t go off roads looking for more history.

Looking for another ancient Silk Road Caravan Stop got us off road, a wee bit lost and on an adventure.

We finally found it! Ha, no we did not. But we did find one in a small town!

We reached Konya, home of the Whirling Dervish and its creator, who lies in death there too.

I always associated Rumi with the yoga/self help/hippy seen, but he was a Sufi muslim, which is kind of a hippy sector of Islam.

We went to the museum/mosque where the Whirling Dervishes do their ceremony, but unfortunately we were not there on a night they do it. Sad to miss  them, but visited Rumi’s resting spot.

ADVICE:

Try to go to Konya on a weekend to see the real Whirling Dervish ceremony. Do stop at roadside fruit stands to buy a kilo of strawberries for $2.50 (do wash before eating though). And definitely help tortoise safely cross the road.

We walked around the city center and turned in for the night for a long road trip the next day.

The drive where I bought strawberries from the farm, opium poppies grew, and I saved 2 Greek Tortoise to boot! 

And then came Pamukkale, aka the Cotton Castle, which is a hard calcium buildup dripping down a mountain side for 1000s of years from the natural hot mineral springs. And let me not forget Hieropolos, an ancient Roman town, which was smartly built by said hot springs.

ADVICE:

The travertine (cotton castle), Cleopatra’s pool and the Hieropolos ruins are all in one 30 Euro fee. No wait, Cleopatra’s pool is extra, but it is in the same park. Carry towels, bathing suit, and water in with you. We did not know this.

The warm spring water “pools” at the top of the travertine are beautiful but just wear shorts to go in, they are very shallow, not very warm and the bottom is weird to sit on.

And do all three, including the hike up to the theater at Hieropolos.

We packed in a lot that day, the ruins, and a swim in Cleopatra’s pool, which was another hot spring (immediately above) where ruins are tossed about the bottom. She never went, but the water was brought to her to bathe in upon reaching the shores of Turkey. And also, we slightly bathed in the cotton Castle’s very shallow pools of hot mineral spring water at the top of the mountain.

It was another early night for an over the mountain road trip to the beach the next day, with a stop at a farmers market and a quick stop to save another turtle!

And we made it to the sea, the coast, the Blue Lagoon, Baby!  We are having a nice rest for 1.5 days before we head to Rhodes, Greece!

ADVICE:

If you want a quite very chill stay, get a hotel on the Blue Lagoon. If you want party and action, stay in the beach area of Oludeniz. Do hang out and do activities in the Oludeniz beach area. The pirate ship cruises, the sky dotted with paragliders and the all around festivity is appreciated.

Beach Time, Eating, Drinking, a great massage and then we jumped off the top of a 5000 mountain!

ADVICE:

Do go paragliding here if you want to. It is scary before the take off, but so beautiful and relaxing once you are in the air. Other than that enjoy the many colorful parachutes in the sky all day. Also we went in May, so it was mellow and the water was chilly.

It was amazing, but honestly it scared the caca out of me before we took off. I mean, who purposely walks to the very edge of a 5000ft high mountain with a kite on their back. Um, me, I guess, with weak knees, fear in my heart and my brain exploding. But I did it, we both did it.

I’m 60 Damnit!

This was a long one, will go shorter next time.

Thanks for visiting My Gnome Little World.

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Us Gnomads on the way to Rhodes Greece!

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