So who are better, girls from Istanbul or girls from Izmir? This is a question which needs unbiased answers without any blood letting or cat fights and during my time in Izmir I was not able to come to any definite conclusions and probably because I wanted to leave Turkey safe and sound!! Point of information: both girls have their own plus points but Izmir ones are much prettier! Ooh, did I say it??

Aside from the lighter side my experience in both these cities though short by local standards and other standards was Istanbul is more individualistic whereas Izmir is more family/friendship oriented. There is a great shopping mall culture here whereas in Istanbul there is a better coffee culture and other eclectic pursuits.

I stayed in the central area of izmir city near the foyer•a very big public park with its an amusement park with some very good high performance rides including roller coasters and the 360 degree drop one. The main shopping areas are around 10 minute walk from the foyer. Besides one should also go to the souks near the BOERSE because clothes and accessories there are much cheaper than those at the shopping malls.

Other places of interest would be the ferry terminal I forgot what they call this area locally. At sunset this place rocks as most of the young people descend in droves from the ferries to spend their time. This is also a hangout place for the teenagers and very peaceful.

The most famous shopping mall in Izmir is                           . This place is populated by people of all ages and they have a lot of varied pleasures where one can immerse oneself. The bowling alley and the games area were the places where I spent my time on the Sunday night as most of the shops closed early. The clientele here is the young and hip. These people are very amiable and on my asking they gladly played these games with me to provide me company.

Since it was late on the Sunday meaning more than 12 0 clock, I couldn’t get any public transportation to go to the central area. The taxis charge exorbitant rates in excess of 25 ytl and thus I couldn’t do much but to start walking the more than 20 km journey back to my pension. On my way I took some hitch hikes on police cars but it took me more than 2 hours of hitchhikes and walking to come back to my pension clearly exhausted. Though I saved 25 ytl!!   

Izmir is a city which doesn’t have the same nightlife as Istanbul’s but still I feel there is a lot heart and character in the city and its people especially women! Lolz. It has a whole different experience from what you would find in Istanbul and I recommend it highly for all those social animals. The city still doesn’t have the same coffee culture but I think it makes up in other areas.

The next day I woke up tired from the previous night’s adventures and then had a look around the central area for one more time before I took the bus to Istanbul.

DAY ONE of the Beaches & Ruins Road Trip, IZMIR.

Our flight to Izmir was short and sweet, but it took awhile to straighten out our car reservation at Budget when we arrived. We thought the cost from Expedia was $380, but with all the extras it came to…$805!?  Try as we might, there was no getting around it. Car rental is expensive here in Turkey, and gas it ridiculous too. Figures that I would pick this country to do TWO long road trips in!

After we finally got it settled, we loaded our luggage into our Ford Focus, and set off south, towards Selçuk.

İzmir, historically Smyrna, is the third most populous city of Turkey and the country's largest port after İstanbul. It is located in the Gulf of İzmir, by the Aegean Sea. It is the capital of İzmir Province. The city of İzmir is composed of 9 metropolitan districts (Balçova, Bornova, Buca, Çiğli, Gaziemir, Güzelbahçe, Karşıyaka, Konak, and Narlıdere), each with its own distinct features and temperament. The total population as of 2007 is 2,649,582, of which 2,606,294 is urban.The total area of the nine districts is 855 km².

İzmir has almost 3,500 years of urban past, and possibly that much more of advanced human settlement. It is Turkey's first port for exports and its free zone, a Turkish-U.S. joint-venture established in 1990, is the leader among the twenty in Turkey. Its workforce, and particularly its rising class of young professionals, concentrated either in the city or in its immediate vicinity (such as in Manisa), and under either larger companies or SMEs, affirm their name in an increasingly wider global scale and intensity [3]. İzmir is widely regarded as one of the most liberal Turkish cities in terms of values, ideology, lifestyle, dynamism and gender roles. It is a stronghold of the Republican People's Party, although it lost a lot of ground to the ruling AKP party in the 2007 election.

The city hosts an international arts festival during June and July, and the İzmir International Fair, one among the city's many fair and exhibition events, is held in the beginning of September every year. It is served by national and international flights through Adnan Menderes Airport and there is a modern rapid transit line running Southwest to Northeast. İzmir hosted the Mediterranean Games in 1971 and the World University Games (Universiade) in 2005. It had a running bid submitted to the BIE to host the Universal Expo 2015, in March, 2008, that was lost to Milan. Modern İzmir also incorporates the nearby ancient cities of Ephesus, Pergamon, Sardis and Klazomenai, and centers of international tourism such as Kuşadası, Çeşme, Mordoğan and Foça.

Despite its advantageous location and its heritage, until recently İzmir has suffered, as one author puts it, from a "sketchy understanding" in the eyes of outsiders. When the Ottomans took over İzmir in the 15th century they did not inherit compelling historical memories, unlike the two other keys of the trade network, namely İstanbul and Aleppo. Its emergence as a major international port as of the 17th century was largely a result of the attraction it exercised over foreigners, and the city's European orientation.[4] Very different people found İzmir attractive over the ages and the city has always been governed by fresh inspirations, including for the very location of its center, and is quick to adopt novelties and projects.

After a few foggy and depressing day It was so sunny like celebrating my departure =p Had a  look at the town to keep all my memories alive in my last day in Sheffield. England didn't put me out of countenance, while the plane's taking off, It was pouring with rain in Manchester. Contrary of my last flight to Izmir, it was like a aircraft full of british people landing on an other british city. That's normal for summer time. I felt absolutely sure that I had made the right decision. I would have prefered to have a bumpy flight instead. but was so smooth and boring. And finally we started to settle fluttering down until the last 5 m from the land. And the pilot must have been tired of flying as I was, he gave up the control and landed by bouncing with a loud noise. Hehehe while all those english people were waiting for getting visa, surprise surprise we got in the country straight away. That's a good feeling, that time we weren't the ones waiting for ages =P Amazing night out - 20C- jumped into the first airport transport, local tunes greeted me. I felt strange, I'd been away from my home-town for a long time, but also content. Home, home sweet home, it's a sure that my contentment would double when I see my mother's yummy dishes. And the sea and sun which were the other figures welcoming me arterwards.

I WANNA PARTY IN MAY!!:))

Still under construction, i will upload more photos and texts in time, now just check out photos, izmir is a lovely city ;)

Nice resort, but nothing special. 65km from the airport of Izmir. Good place for surfers and people who're looking for a quiet resort to relax. all inclusive from 10 until 23pm. PADI-diving school next to the resort. Nice rocks in the area.

This is another hotel where I stayed while in Turkey. I remember getting here in the late afternoon. The lounge to hang out while checking in was modern and chic. I'm impressed with the couches. They were leather and it looked like it came out of the Sunset Magazine. The employees at the front desk were helpful and accommodating. I was in a large tour group. They were nice and patient with us. Again you can take the stairs or the elevators. I had a large luggage so I had to wait for the elevator. Again the elevators are small. I finally got in the elevator and headed to my room. I will tell you I was impressed. I loved my room. Decor was great and they had used dark wood for the table, bedside table, even bathroom. I was in awe!!! The room was very clean. I was on the 7th floor and on the 8th floor was the restaurant. It was up to date as in the decor. However the food was ok. I'm trying to remember what I had ordered but maybe it should have been something else. All I can remember was that it was alright. They also had a bar though I didn't utilize it. I wouldn't recommend going out at night. I heard its not in the best part of town. If you absolutely have to you have to go with a group and someone who knows the area. I think the hotel is also close to a lot of businesses, shops, and restaurants. I really liked this hotel because it was very modern and clean. I would stay here again.

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Presently, the Turks refer to Izmir as "Güzel İzmir", i.e. Beautiful Izmir. Konak Square forms the heart of the city and is named after the Ottoman government mansion hükümet kona The late-Ottoman Saat Kulesi or Clock Tower was given to the city by Sultan Abdul Hamit II in 1901. It is the symbol of Izmir and is depicted on the city's flag.

Highly recommended!It was truly amazing!It had its own peninsula and all the rooms have a breathtaking view.First,we have booked it for 4 days but after what we came across (an incredible garden,amazing sun set,beautiful furnished and comfortable rooms, excellent service, an amazing pool, delicious food, friendly staff) immediately we extended it to a week. We have stayed there as a group of friends but next year I definetly visit there with my husband alone. What a romantic spot!Kısmet cocktail at the garden while watching the sun set highly recommended.

For the Aegan part of our trip, I contacted a travel agency called Credo Tours. They set up everything including the flight, the guide, and the hotel. I was nervous at first, not knowing what to expect although I heard good things about the agency from one of my profs. The travel consultant Sila was really helpful and quick to return my emails. She was patient with me since I emailed her every other day for six months with a lot of questions and changes :) The tour guide and the hotel they picked pleased everybody in our little group. It would be a good agency to check if you are planning a group tour to Turkey. I also checked their boat tours on the Mediterranean coast. If you have enough people, you might rent one and do your private tour but it might be little bit costly. They have cabin packages for a boat called "gulet". You only rent the cabin and just wish that the people who are renting the other cabins are somebody you wouldn't mind having around. You might be lucky and make great friends or hate the days on the boat:)  

Kismet Hotel in Kusadasi exceeded my expectations. Well,to tell you the truth, my expectations were not too high to begin with because of  bad reviews I read on some travel web pages. They renovated their rooms except the ones on the first floor. Three sides of the hotel is surrounded by sea, so no matter what room you get, you'll always have a great sea view.I cant tell much about the price since we had a package tour but probably some rooms are average some are higher (depending on what your average price is :) ) . The breakfast buffet had alot of food items. The service was good and the hotel was clean. Everybody in the group was pleased.

Yesterday was a long day. We had three sites to see and some migrane-stomach problems started to occur in the group now. I guess we are not used to being under the sun this much. I did not know that my scalp can get sunburn and turn red this much:)  But we have not had any serious health problems yet, so that is good :) The Temple of Apollo was worth to seeing despite the heat!

Today is Pergamom day. We will drive for three hours to get there and then we will be on our way to Istanbul. As soon as I have a chance to update with the pics, I will do so. Our hotel - Kismet Hotel - turned out to be a great place.I was worried because I read some bad reviews about it before. But there was none of that.

Wait for the pics.. There are hundreds of them:)

It has been couple days since everybody came. One group of friends left to arrive tomorrow. Right now I am using a Turkish keyboard and it is taking me some time to write :)

The first meeting in Istanbul was good. Everybody was tired so we did not do a whole lot, a short boat trip on Bosphorus, a little bit of sightseeing and eating :) My grandma spent two days in the kitchen and everytıme somebody wanted to eat some more, her face brightened up:) More pics will come for those two first two days. Right now I am using the computer at the hotel lobby in Kusadasi.

We have been on the road since Sunday morning. We have seen Ephesus and Aphrodisias so far. It is really strange feeling to be walking on the roads and touch things that are 2000-2500 years old. We have two more days of these ancient city tours. Other than the mind blowing history, the weather, the food and the atmosphere are really great.  Jay's parents liked it so far. I am glad nobody have gotten sick or disliked anything so far (knock on the wood!!!).The tour guide gives detailed information all the time and he is a character:) A former chemical engineer! So whenever he explains something,there is always a little bit of science in it. Dont know how he does that but the other two chemis in our family like it very much:)

In couple of days, I will be able to upload the pics and write more.And in two days, Istanbul tour will start.