When most people think of Turkey, they think of Istanbul. However, as one heads west, and then south and east, there are a number of historic sites and cities worth visiting.
Our travels first took us along the southwest, thru Troy and Pergamum. Further east we had overnight stays in Cannakkale, Izmir and Antalya. And then we reached deeper into the interior of Turkey, to Cappadocia. At one point, we were 125 miles from the desperately fragile border with Syria. We visited the ancient ruins at Ephesus and dipped our feet in the blue hot springs at Pamukkale. A highlight was visiting the Şehit Murat Yumusak Primary School school in Sultanhani, interacting with the students and teachers. There was a Turkish dinner in Avanos, accompanied by a performance of the Whirling Dervishes . And then, we headed back west to Istanbul for our return trip home.