Urfa, Copper, Baklava...Adventure

48 hours in southeastern Turkey...After driving 7 hours southeast Murat and I arrived in Urfa (Sanliurfa), a town which is situated on a plain under big open skies, about eighty kilometers east of the Euphrates River. I wanted to come back here for the copper market where you can find craftsmen working like they did thousands of years ago. I love the travel and hunting (shopping) I do and I am always on the look out for my next best meal or food discovery, and this region delivers. It is a crossroads of Syrian, Kurdish and Turkish cultures. Anywhere else in Turkey the cooks might use 4 spices in a dish. Here, they use 15, the results being often spicy and mouthwatering.  Pistachios are a staple and the baklava is as good as it gets!

After hours of shopping we headed back to Goreme with a trunk filled with copper and a few kilos of baklava...

a shot while leaving Goreme for Urfa...çok güzel(very beautiful in Turkish)

hand made and carved, this is before they have tinned it.

copper dealer who remembered my last visit with my daughter...

proof of life!

Murat mesmermized by the goat skin drum he purchased

beautiful spoons...

Pigeon breeders

Baklava from Dilim Pastanesi in Sanliurfa

the road back to Kapadokya throught the Takir Valley...the Toros mountains in view

On the way back from Urfa Murat mentioned that his grandfather and great grandfather used to travel this route on donkeys to trade in this region.  I closed my eyes and tried to imagine.

Entry To Hanoi-Facebook Free

I just arrived in a Facebook free zone. Hanoi, Vietnam. I had heard from an Aussie friend that this might happen. She lives in Saigon and says it comes and goes depending upon the government. Ha! What will I do? (Answer) I will get a social media holiday that I look forward to! This is such an exciting city. It is chilly and gray here but this beautiful place with so many layers of history just beckons to be explored and always puts a smile on my face.

This next week is the beginning of Tet - Vietnamese and Chinese Lunar New Year, it is the most important Festival of Vietnamese people. It is a scared Festival and falls sometime between late January or early February (depend on Lunar Calendar). Although officially a three-day affair, festivities may continue for a week or more with every effort made to indulge in eating, drinking, and enjoyable social activities. It is also a time for family reunions, and for paying respect to ancestors and the elders. Gifts of food are made to friends, neighbors and relatives in the days before Tet.

While driving in from the airport I saw many motor bikes carrying trees.  I have been to Vietnam several times, never during Tet: I can only assume that this army of tree carrying has something to do with the traditions of celebrating this holiday.

(Photo's by The Loaded Trunk)

I can't wait to discover more...I am staying at, I kid you not, The Amazing Hotel. No, not glamorous, but already I have a time to "listen" as the manager Thom said: to his many stories about why he loves Americans. I sense adventure for these last 7 days of my trip.

First Year Mark

This July marks The Loaded Trunk's first full year online! What a thrill.

Goreme, Turkey

I have been to several continents, met incredible people and learned more about myself then I ever wanted to at times.

Gaziantep, Turkey where we found incredible tinned copper.

Filled and unfilled and filled the Trunk 

Trekked through India to find these Rajasthani Robes

soon to be on the loaded trunk
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Beginning in June and ending in July The Loaded Trunk will share in celebration with weekly giveaways that will show up on this blog.  

Dao Anh Khanh's studio, Hanoi

Help us Share in celebration and watch for some beautiful giveaways beginning June 29th.

Thanks for helping us get this far.