In Ankara, gaming isn’t just a hobby — it’s practically a social institution, loved by everyone from students to seasoned pros. Vildan has been running these game nights for years, and the formula is beautifully simple: post an open invitation, name a café, and let people sign up. Apparently, if a foreigner is involved, interest
Getting to know Vildan is like opening a book you can’t put down — equal parts brilliance, resilience, and infectious laughter. She is incredibly intelligent, wonderfully endearing, weathered by life yet still bubbling with joy. At 42, she jokes cheerfully about being a “42-year-old virgin still waiting for the right man,” delivering the line with
All booked right through until I return to Mexico on the 23rd of March — it’s amazing how quickly the calendar fills when life is lived on the move. For now, I’m happily settled in Ankara with Vildan, soaking up a moment of calm before launching into sightseeing tomorrow. From Ankara, I’ll be flying north
Yesterday morning I wandered through the Mevlana Museum, and honestly, it took my breath away. Once the lodge of the Mevlevi Order, the museum is centred around the mausoleum of Rumi (Mevlana), the 13th-century poet, mystic, and philosopher whose words still ripple across the world. The room of Tombs, with their rows of beautifully adorned
Yesterday afternoon I wandered through the ancient ruins, sample houses, and museum at Çatalhöyük — a place that quietly shows off just how long humans have been experimenting with community. The site itself feels calm and expansive, while the museum neatly fills in the gaps your imagination can’t quite reach on its own. Çatalhöyük dates
Konya’s produce markets were a joy to wander through — more traditional and noticeably cheaper than anything I’ve come across before. The meat in particular stood out: incredibly affordable, looking fresher, and neatly packaged. There was also a much wider range of cheeses, including what seemed to be their version of gorgonzola. My father would
The weather seemed to run through every emotion today. Thunder and lightning rumbled through the night and lingered into the early morning, right as I was leaving the pet hotel — a dramatic start to the day, to say the least. Not long after, the scenery shifted completely. Snow-capped mountains appeared, framed by rugged cliffs,
Last night the skies absolutely lost their mind — thunder booming, rain hammering down, on again, off again, as if Mother Nature couldn’t decide what mood she was in. Thankfully, no people or animals were hurt (huge win). We were incredibly lucky, especially considering an electrical fire decided to make a brief appearance in Luna’s
The sun finally decided to make an appearance today, so I took that as my cue to head off to Dim Cave. I’ve seen a lot of caves in my travels, but honestly—this one might just take the crown. Legend has it the cave was discovered by a goat herder out for a wander one
As my time here slowly tiptoes towards the exit, I can’t help but feel a little wistful. Sadly, the weather has decided not to play nice over the past week — and it looks like it plans to continue. Because of that, the Lycian Way will have to wait for another day. Instead, I’m heading