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Another night bus journey leaving Selcuk to Konya for 7 hours. Do they always allocating foreign traveler on the same seat number? I find it weird even different bus companies allocated me the same seat 2 journey in a row. Istanbul to Selcuk and Selcuk to Konya , 29 is my lucky seat number. But if you read further it’s not so lucky.

I find Turkish outside big cities are polite and being themselves not like in Istanbul for instant. The Turk boy that I was seating next to was polite and respectful. I offered a snack to eat together but politely refuse with his hand gesture on his stomach meaning full from dinner. In Istanbul every person you bump into always being friendly with straight-up question “ Where are you from?” but bear in mind they just want to sell their carpet, eat in their kebab restaurant, ripping off polishing tourist shoes, or sell their cheap tourist related stuff.

This trip yet another night journey which was nothing can be seen outside. And arriving at 2am made it eventful. I didn’t book hostel accommodation because there were none in Konya!.Was thinking of looking for it soon after arriving but the bus station or Otogar (Turkish term) is 14 kilometers away from Konya's main sites of interest, most of which are located around Alaaddin Tepesi.

I was so sleepy and nowhere to go then I decided to stay inside Otogar terminal. It was half 2am and people wandering around and inside and I found nice spot to lay off my head. I managed to sleep although public and strange space like this never been my bed. After 4 hours sleep on uncomfortable 3-in-a-row chair I was woken up by the Otogar supervisor.

Later I took a tram for 2 lira in 30 minutes ride to Konya’s main sight around Aladdin Tepesi. I was not a familiar face and there’s not many tourist either so I got stared most of the time.

Where to go? Dropped off at the last tram stop and walkabout I saw 6 storey 4 star Hotel. Otel Selcuk lookslike being there since 70’s. I entered in and single bed cost 80 Lira(around €40) so I thought that’s average.

Konya was once the capital of Sultanate of Rum, known in Turkish as Anadolu Selçukluları, a situation which resulted in much of the architectural heritage visible today. At the heart of the city lies the circular Aladdin Park, a low hill dominated by Aladdin Mosque, Konya’s largest.

The next day I went to Mevlana Museum. The former lodge of the Whirling Dervishes, it is topped by a brilliant turqouis-tiled dome - one of the most inspiring images of Turkey.

One of my wish while I was in Turkey was to see the real 'Whirling Dervishes' or Sema in Mevlana Mosque Konya. Such an interesting act to see they spin and twirl but I wasn't lucky as they performed on Tueday and Thursday. I arrived on Saturday.

- travbuddy.com -