Ankara'nin Kalesi

I'm going to try to write quickly today, before I pass out from utter exhaustion. The subconscious stress of learning a new language seems to be hitting me now that the initial adrenaline rush of being in Turkey has subsided. I would have liked to spend more time with my host family this evening, but it looks like I'll be asleep before ten thirty.

We skipped our morning classes today to head up to the Ankara castle, located on a hill on the edge of the city. The castle itself is surrounded by a small village (where people still live today) that has developed over a long period of history. As we walked in, we could see the remnants of old Greek, Roman, and Byzantine stones used to make up the walls of many of the buildings. It was a wonderful example of Turkey's position at "the crossroads of civilization."

The old castle, which is at the top of the hill, offers amazing panoramic views of the city; we hung out there for a while to take pictures and enjoy the still-cool morning breeze. I would have liked to climb up to the highest walls of the ruins, but my vertigo kicked in at the last moment and I had to stop myself before I lost all feeling in my legs. I still managed to take some nice pictures, though, and without falling down a cliff.

We continued back down the hill, stopping in various shops and looking around the houses of the people living in the village. After getting some tea and gozleme in a small cafe lined with Turkish rugs and fabrics, we explored the spice and dried fruit market. That was followed by a brief tour through a more conservative market, where covered women were buying clothing and household goods from locals shouting out their prices alonside simit (sesame seed roll) vendors. Our last stop was the fresh produce market, where I fawned over displays of tomatoes, eggplants, cucumbers, and Turkish delight while trying to remind myself that I was still full from lunch.

It was extremely difficult to concentrate in class once we got back to the TAA, and I've been pretty out of it for most of the day since then. I'll post some more pictures on facebook once I get the chance, hopefully before our trip to Cappadocia on Thursday.