It is over a week sinnce we returned from our trip, and I am just starting to recount the amazinng two weeks with John and Yvonne.
The flight to Istabul was 9/1/2025 LAX and Kurt took us there. We sampled the lounge food. KR had pho. The plane took off about 7, Turkish Airline. Should have taken anothere. We realized KLM busiess has a 1-2-1 connfiguration while Turkish has a 2-3-2 nnno wonder the space was so much smaller. Dinner was GOOD !!! And of course I kept the salt and pepper shakers.
We went to the Turkish Lounge ad it is NOT the s ame one as the one I was in 2018. They had built a new airport and now there is no race car drivingn and no golf, but the masseuse was still there and I got a massage and so did KR Six hour layover ad we flew to Athens.
Then it was a cheesy Athens Lounge, that opens at 4 30 am. We flew Austrian Air from Athens to Vienna, then the Austrian lounge then another flight to Erbil. John picked us up after we took the bus down to where the people get picked up. It was at least 105 HOT HOT HOT
We drove to Duhok and had dinner at the mall We were very tired. It was abougt 2 hour drive. I thenn rode with Laurenn who was comingn to the village to visit friends with her son, Ziles, who cried half of the time in the 2 hour ride. We went on to Johnn's house and they gave us their bedroom. We went to sleep. End of 9-3-2025
KR's 68 BIRTHDAY !!! Last year we were in Kenya and this year in Iraq. I had brought a bunch o f birthday decorations and Yvonne put them up. We had graduation to go to tomorrow so KR picked grapes We wnet to the Learning Center and hten tot he camp where I did the volunteering years ago. We then went to the Tigris River where the three countries meet Syria, Turkey and Iraq and saw the catacomb of the Fiirst Church. That night we wennt to Zakho to s ee the new park and bridge. It was beautiful with boat rides inn the river and lights and people all around. We brought food home and had birthday celebration, with Lauren too. She had come over with Zilas
The next morning, a friend of Johns came over for prayer adn then we packed up and went to Happy Park for graduationn in the afternoon. It was an amazing event hosted by Yvonne. She has so much energy and the girls are so amazinng. There was a kissing scene in which I didnn't kow many girls don't kiss their mothers in Iraq but i made a lot of them do it. Praying also that I was not Covid Mary hahahaha We had so much food, pizza and cake and all kinds of stuff the mothers made.
Next day, Saturday was church and it was very interesting. We went out to eat after The rest of the day of sending off another class at the Learning Center. We just could nnont pack the house and go to Happy Park again for another graduationn. We all went to bed late. Tomorrow is the TRIP
Sunday we rushed around and got the house closed and started driving with Odometer reading of 1108368 KM
The Iraq/Turkey border was so so tedious. There were evenn a mechanic hole innn the ground to inspect the under carriage of the car. PLUS at least six checks of registratioins and passport. The car was packed to the gill as J & Y have to go to France for a wedding after they d rive back to Switzerland. The first stop of Torihi Kiwex, shitorical Kiwex Garden where the Yazidis had an abandoned village. Some Germans are tryingn t o restore it. We had a nice picniic there. Y and I sat in the back the whole trip. I slowly jogged to the top of the hill where the peacock temple was.
Next stop was Mardin. We stopped at a monastery annd thento our hotel IMS Carsi otel What a dump. We dropped our stuff and went out to eat and happens to notice THE TOTAL ECLIPSE OF THE MOON
Next morning we drove to Halepli Bahce Park, whre there are bunch of Christian ruinns and had a great lunch at the diner inn the park, for only less than TWO DOLLARS Then we drove to the beach but we didn't like the look of the restaurant so we drove on to Adana and had a great dinner, then crashed at the Ibis Adana hotel
Brekkie next morning was great.
We drove out o f Adana and the highway had a HUGE traffic jam. We took the side street after KR started on the main highway, he actually reversed and drove the wrong way on the highway t o get out. We went through the mainn townn and it was nice to see rural life of Turkey. We arrived at the Derinkuyu Underground City a nd t ook a tour. Then it was otel Ihlara Cappadocia. Our room had the onnly jacuzzi, even though it leaked a little, we used it. We had dinner at a charming little restaurant in town. Ailem Lokanta & Pida & Kahvalti, whatever that means. Nnext morning we had a charming breakfast before gettig on the road.
We stopped by another underground city but did not go inn. Too early.
We arrived at Ihlara Valley Cave Churches annd it was a long walk but we only did a few churches. We drove through the Cone dwellings off the side of the mountain. It was bed at Pamukkale nices econdn floor room. WE ATE AT OPET DIENR ON T HE W AY. I didn't order. Too much food. with three orders.
Next morning 9/11/2025 we had a great breakfast andn met our guide, and drove to Laodicia, as the locals say it. There were many amazing r uins and it was HOT HOT and HOT>
We then drove to Ayvalik where we could NOT get insurance for the EU with Iraq plate as John did not buy insurance in Iraq as he could not find it. We stayed at the Antikhan Guest House where J & Y's shower was about two inches above their heads. We had a great dinner at Tik Mustafa'nin Yeri with many good reviews. Food was great.
Next mornning breakfast was great, even though everyone smoke in Greece annd Turkey. We started driving to Greece as we could not take the ferry.
We were afraid that we would nnot be admitted without insurance, but alas GOD IS GREAT, we crossed and drove estra 12 hours to Athens. On the way, we stayed in Kavala at the Blue Apartment adn had a great dinner by the sea. Apiko on the main water fronnt drag.
We drove to Tessalonikii, Greece and stopped at Church of St Dimitrios, Patron of Thessaloniki We then went to t he water a little swim at I think Leptokarya, all three of us except Yvonne. It was Asproneri Beach at Kamena. Onward to Athens.
We got to the AirBnB and settled into apartment 3. Very nice two bedroom and KR and I went to get din er. We decided on Chiese. We wennt to bed.
9/14 was all Hop on adn Hop off Bus. It was great not having t o drive and park. We had dinnenr at a great restaurant called A Taste of Home. We fell asleep adn took an Uber to the airport at 1 am. Y & J slept onn. The flight to Istanbul was uneventful. I appropriated about 2-3 pounds of baklava from the lounge to bring home. They were 25 euros at the airport per small box and I was NOT gonna buy any. Alan brought us home and we cleaned up and KR took him to the airport for his flight home that inght.
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