All posts tagged: Turkey travel

Ordu, Black Sea Turkey

An Unexpected Friendship in Ordu, Turkey.

We impulsively got off the bus at Ordu, a charming little town by the Black Sea Coast of Turkey. But perhaps it was destined. We maneuver our way through NorthernΒ Turkey’s gorgeous countryside. Across alpine meadows sprinkled withΒ the colors of spring. Past cattle grazing on fields of wild purpleΒ grass. Alongside carpets of blooming sunflowers. It’s been eight hours since we boarded the bus for the famous Sumela monastery in eastern Karadeniz, our lastΒ stop in the Black Sea region of Turkey, before we head into Kapadokya’sΒ underground cities. When the sun set an hour back, it took with it the pleasure of gazing out the bus window at the majestic landscapes, and the monotony of the dark quickly set in. Still hours from our destination, the bus rolls into a small town called Ordu. Glittering with the reflection of the moon on the sea on one side of the road, and with the dim lighting of cozy street cafes on the other. I look at my friend, and lament about how we’ve hardly been impulsive on this trip. …

7 Quirky Things About Turkey.

“To travel is to discover that everyone is wrong about other countries.” ~Aldous Huxley. To travel is also to discover whatΒ no guidebooks, travelogues, documentaries, or photographs can tell us. While travelling in Turkey, I got the chance to interact with Turkish people in small towns, despite the lack of a common language, and make observations that Google couldn’t tip me about. Here’s a collection of the quirkiest ones: Shivya NathWelcome to my blog, The Shooting Star. I’ve been called a storyteller, writer, photographer, digital nomad, “sustainability influencer,” social entrepreneur, solo traveller, vegan, sustainable tourism consultant and environmentalist. But in my heart, I’m just a girl who believes that travel – if done right – has the power to change us and the world we live in.

My First Impressions of Turkey.

4 days ago, I landed on the azure blue waters of Istanbul, with starry eyed dreams of my first Middle Eastern experience. Between thanking Turkish Airlines for sponsoring my flight tickets and tying several lose ends before my first international trip after a 10 month hiatus in India, I had almost no time to delve into the depths of Google and form pre-conceived notions of the country. And I’m glad for that, because how can one even begin to imagine that ancient Asian traditions can reside within European influences with perfect harmony, without experiencing it first hand? Shivya NathWelcome to my blog, The Shooting Star. I’ve been called a storyteller, writer, photographer, digital nomad, “sustainability influencer,” social entrepreneur, solo traveller, vegan, sustainable tourism consultant and environmentalist. But in my heart, I’m just a girl who believes that travel – if done right – has the power to change us and the world we live in.

I’m Going to Turkey!

For an eternity, I’ve dreamt about cooling off in a hamam,Β having real Turkish pide & shisha on a rooftop cafe, hot ballooning over the caves of Cappadocia, having Turkish teaΒ with the locals, catching some sun on the Medditeranian coast, placing one footΒ in Europe & the other in Asia, traversing the Black Sea coast, and falling in love with the half ancient half modern city of Istanbul. The closest I’ve been to Turkey so far is Arab street in Singapore, and I’m pretty sure that even with its rustic ambiance, carpet shops, and late night shisha cafes, it doesn’t come close. Shivya NathWelcome to my blog, The Shooting Star. I’ve been called a storyteller, writer, photographer, digital nomad, “sustainability influencer,” social entrepreneur, solo traveller, vegan, sustainable tourism consultant and environmentalist. But in my heart, I’m just a girl who believes that travel – if done right – has the power to change us and the world we live in.