Safranbolu

Tuesday 27/05/2014 to Thursday 29/05/2014 - Safranbolu.


27/05/2014 "Otobüs" ride from Istanbul "Otogar" to Safranbolu.

Safranbolu is the town of the Safran, also famous for the old Ottoman wooden houses.
Unesco World heritage site http://whc.unesco.org/en/list/614

Taking the 11:30 bus from Istanbul to Safranbolu, a 7 hours journey.

Taking a nice cup of soup at a road stop.

Entering backpacked the old town of Safranbolu at sunset.

28/05/2014.

 Hotel room (Mehves Hanim Konak hotel).

 

The lush hotel garden.

Where the breakfast was very nice.

One of Safranbolu's streets.

Locals having a lot of fun around a cup of chai (tea)

The caravanserai, old roadside inn, converted into an high-end hotel.

One of the bakeries.

Turkey is a cat-loving country.  One of the many cat houses in town.

Short hiking the Tokatli Creek Canyon (8km).

One reason to leave the town center: skip the midday sun and temperatures.

 Minibus to the Canyon.

Dropped somewhere, surrounded by very kind and helpful people.

At the start of the trail.

Behind my sultan trone the arches of the Ottoman Incekaya aqueduct.

Found also a comfortable swing set.

Constructors dangerously progressing with a five stars trail through the canyon,

(fortunately they build only a little part of it up to now).

Also proud about their Turkish flag.

Crossing a wild turtle.

And an old silk and spices route bridge near the end of the canyon.

 Time to reach the famous Cinci hammam,
amongst the most renowned bathhouses in all of Turkey (told my guidebooks).

After hammam and scrubbing and a foam massage, with baby skin!

 End of another wonderful day!

29/05/2014.

Awaiting the dolmus for Bartin and then to Amasra on the Black Sea.

In the background yesterday's hammam.

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