#Turkey2017: What to Wear in Autumn (Late November)

A day before the trip, I was searching on what we need to wear because it's the first time we'll be travelling in late November, and we kept on seeing #firstsnow posts on instagram so we pretty much panicked --

To those who think autumn can't get any colder than winter in UAE, you're in for a surprise so make sure to prep!

Good thing UAE had a major sale that weekend, and Columbia Sportswear saved us from death by autumn cold. Everything was insulated and the boots are waterproof although you still need additional layers if you're not doing thermals as your base. We brought plenty of leggings, thick scarves and pants to be safe +  extra sweaters and a puffer jacket from Muji which we eventually lost in Istanbul *facepalm*

Should've bought the red puffer one from Columbia for 2++ AED hayyst (thought Columbia was more expensive, turns out ~~ not).

The best part was, even though my footwear looked like it was kiddie boots on display, it looked so snazzy when I tried it on and it was so comfy! I liked it so much I wore it pretty much everywhere. It's more comfortable than sneakers/ rubber shoes and it's not slippery (tried and tested at Selime Monastery).

Okkk how should I tell my boss I want to wear it to the office?

#Turkey2017: Pamukkale to Selcuk by Bus

Since we checked out at exactly 11AM, we thought we can still have our 5PM bus tickets changed to 1PM so we'd have an early start to Selcuk but it's either early morning or late afternoon only. I think this is because the tour company has to contract a dolmus to Denizli for an additional 3TL per person, on top of the 32TL bus ticket.

To while away the time, we went to Karahayit and Pamukkale Natural Park again and returned to the tour company by 4PM. The dolmus took us to the station by 430-445 so we had enough time to board the bus by 5PM.

As soon as you alight from the otogar, go up 1 floor and look for the dock for Pamukkale buses. They usually have signboards on the bus but you can also ask the crew and show your ticket.

We were pretty lucky to score seats near the front, I think it's cause we booked our tickets 2 days in advance hehehe

• Legroom check
• Snacks check
• Coffee check
• Ice cold water cheeeeck

They have entertainment as well, but all programs are in Turkish.

WHERE TO BOOK?

You can book with the tour company that picked you up from the Denizli bus station or you can go to the Pamukkale bus company directly. You can book your tickets in advance again (which we did as soon as we arrived in Pamukkale), for a hassle free trip.

Most of the hotels are just within walking distance of the Selcuk otogar (or bus station) so if you have data or wifi, it won't be hard to get to your hotel even in the evening as it's pretty safe to walk around.

See you in Selcuk!

#Turkey2017: Pamukkale (Travertines, Heriapolis and Karahayit)

Pamukkale (or cotton castle in Turkish) was one of the major reasons why I wanted to go to Turkey. Of all the travel inspo photos on Pinterest, it's the travertines, along with the fairy chimneys of Cappadocia and the ancient city of Ephesus, that made me book the tickets to Turkey even if I know I'll have some major major creative accounting to do to survive until Christmas.

Because it's the second stop on our tour and I know we'll be haggard by this time, I booked a 2 night stay at Bellamaritimo Hotel for 30 Euros or 140 TL so we'll have enough time to rest. Mr. Halim was even kind enough to accommodate an early check-in for us (we arrived from Cappadocia at around 6AM) without extra charges - to which we'll be eternally grateful because we're all dead on our feet.

Pamukkale Natural Park

After sleeping in for a bit, we decided to go on a walk to get a feel of the place. Locals don't smile as much but all the children and highschoolers (even in Denizli) we see kept on saying hi to us, or konnichiwa or China (the fiance thought maybe because I look Chinese hehe). We did see a handful of kabayans on solo trips as well, mostly from UAE and one from Oman.

Happy kiddies

The following day we began our Pamukkale adventure! Looks like snowww but it's not! Chos.

Ok first of all, lafang muna. Left a stellar review for the hotel on the merits of this spread alone. Winner! (new fave for breakfast: Simit)

Energy loading at 0900H

Well rested and tummies full, we hiked up to the middle entrance and paid 35 TL per person to enter the travertines, which was a 10-15 minute walk from the hotel. Too bad that it was cold and we had to walk barefoot all the way to the top. Our feet was pretty numb halfway and the terrain was quite rough specially in the areas where the water was not flowing ~ but it's definitely worth it to see the landscape.

Before we entered the area, a local who was offering paragliding advised us to just go back in the afternoon so we'd still have energy to see the sunset.

Took us almost 3-4 hours to roam around Heriapolis, including the trek down again the travertines. The day after this tour, we noticed that there's a dolmus or mini bus (3 TL per person, per way) which will bring you to what I think is the main gate if you're not up for the barefoot trek. If you see a dolmus going the Pamukkale-Karahayit area, flag it down (there's a stop in front of the supermarket where a bus goes by every 20 minutes) and ask if it's the right bus to the gate.

On our last day, we went on a dolmus (3TL) to Karahayit or as what Mr. Halim says, a mini Grand Bazaar. There are multiple hot springs and hotels in the area as well, like the one below. Entrance to this is free and in summer, it's usually flocked by tourists to swim in as the thermal waters and mud has healing properties. 

CAN IT BE DONE AS A DAYTRIP?

Yes, it can be if you're coming from Selcuk by train in the early morning. If you're up to do this as a stopover to Selcuk from Cappadocia, you can leave your bags at the bus company - they're pretty cool with it, and just come back in the afternoon to catch the dolmus back to Denizli.

However, if you're doing Aphrodisias, Kaklik Cave and Laodicea, you can do Pamukkale as an overnight trip :) Just coordinate with your hotel for the tours.

Have fun and we hope you'll enjoy it as much as we did!

#Turkey2017: Cappadocia (Green Tour + Night Bus to Pamukkale)

Cappadocia (which means Land of the Beautiful Horses), or Nevşehir, was one of the most important places in the spreading periods of the Christian religion. The first Christians trying to escape from the Roman soldiers who wanted to avoid the spreading of the Christian religion have settled in the region of Cappadocia which was so suitable for hiding and so they were able to continue their natures and to spread their religions. http://www.cappadociaturkey.net/

Throughout biblical and world history, Cappadocia had been under 3 major empires: Roman Empire, Byzantine Empire and the Seljuk (Ottoman Empire). This has been the driving force on why I wanted to visit the region even if I started out knowing only Constantinopole from our highschool textbooks.

Since we were pressed for time, we were only able to take only 1 tour which Mr. Ali (The Cappadocia Hotel) reserved for us for 140 TL/ person.

The tour includes hotel pick-up and drop-off, with the below sights and lunch at Belisirma. Most of the people we're with are Turkish locals who live abroad (as per Ahmed, our Drew Arellano-lookalike tour guide) and 2 Brazilian backpackers.

Ahmed, on the start of the tour, said that 2017 was really a good year for tourism. Back in 2016 when all the attacks happened at Ataturk airport and at a nightclub, even the locals were afraid of going out but gradually, everything has improved this year for which they were very thankful.

Inshallah, everything will turn out all right, and praying for Egypt as well for the brutal attacks that happened earlier today.

GREEN TOUR:

• Goreme Panorama
• Derinkuyu Underground City
• Ihlara Valley
• Belisirma Lunch
• Yaprakhisar
• Selime Monastery
• Pigeon Valley
• Onyx Demonstration
• Return back to Hotel (or in our case, Goreme bus station)

Turkish tea! Yum!

My battery died after the lunch at Belisirma Restaurant :'( so I'll leave you with a photo of this delish Turkish tea.

After the tour, the bus took us back to the agency where we stowed our luggage. Then, they dropped us off at the Goreme bus station to wait for our 8PM bus to Pamukkale. I'm not really sure on how to book the bus tickets but Mr. Ali offered to buy them for us at 60 TL/person under Nevşehir Seyehat. Originally we were set to depart from Urgup Bus station but as per our tour guide, it's still the same 8PM bus regardless if it's departing from Urgup or Goreme bus station. Just make sure to reserve or book your tickets a day before to have a hassle-free trip.

Taking the bus was similar to UAE intercity buses, only with stopovers. Going to Pamukkale was like 8-10 hours so there were 2 food and WC stops along the way.

The bus stopped at Denizli bus station but there was a shuttle going to Pamukkale that was waiting for us at no extra charge. From there, Mr. Halim picked us up and brought us to the hotel, along with 6 other backpacking tourists (puro bagets! spell #UCB).

Kapoy much bes but it was totally worth it, even the asthma-inducing hike to Selime Monastery (rumored backdrop of a Star Wars movie). For Derinkuyu Underground City, it was overwhelming to be in a place with so much religious history as it is claustrophobic because of all the tourists squeezing in there all at the same time - but so proud to say that I survived being in a cave! I thought I can't just thinking about Sagada but after this I was like yes!!! Bucketlist! Survivor!

Chos.

So much has happened and it's only Day 2!

#Turkey2017: Cappadocia

Most of our travels are based on itineraries from my favorite pinoy travel blogs, notably, Lady and her Sweet Escapes. She and her husband are expats as well, but based in Dubai - and I just love the way she chronicles their "escapes" - so much that I used her itinerary in planning our 9 day Turkey trip!

Their Turkey adventure was for 12 days, starting from Cappadocia then Pamukkale - Selcuk (Ephesus) and Istanbul. Theirs were more laid back as they allotted enough days per destination but with us, it's more fast paced because we were 3 days short (having used up our extra AL days on our September vacation).  

Day 1: Abu Dhabi - Dubai (Dubai International Airport Terminal 2) - Istanbul (via Sabiha Gökçen International Airport) - Cappadocia (Kayseri Airport)

Our flight was on Friday at 0400 at DXB, so we rode the 8PM bus from Abu Dhabi bus terminal to Ibn Batutta Metro station. Pegasus Airlines is based in Terminal 2 and I was thinking that maybe we can just ride a taxi from Terminal 1 but there was a more cost-effective way: 

1. Getting on the bus bound for Ghubaiba Bus Station (E100) - 25 AED
2. Take the green line to Abu Hail Metro station
3. Walk for 5 minutes to the nearest bus stop and take the 13B bus 
4. Bus will drop you directly in front of Terminal 2, departures area. 

Living in UAE for almost 4 years, just learned this now hehehe

E-Tip: Pretty sure that Pegasus Airlines are weighing cabin baggage (excluding handbags and laptop bags) so I recommend you to weigh your carry on and stick to the 8kg limit if you're flying with them. 

For our domestic flight to Cappadocia, we had to go through passport control first since it was not a direct transfer. As soon as we exited international arrivals, we went right and up to the second floor to wait for our 2PM flight.

The Cappadocia Hotel, Urgup

Merhaba Urgup Town Center!

It was an hour or so flight to Kayseri airport, and we have arranged for a transfer to the hotel for 30 TL/person. Make sure you have enough TL or exchange enough TL to get you till the town center, as they're not accepting other currencies (except for Euro, USD, sterling and GBP- which will be your loss considering the conversion rate).

Hotels can do the exchange for you as well, but if you have your cards with you, there are many ATMs in the town center where you can withdraw emergency cash. Mostly in Turkish though, but when I tried with Denizbank, there was an option for English once you insert your card (Urgup town center).

Kimmy Dora

Me worrying about where to get extra TL hehehe - pose pa more!

We ended Day 1 in Ugrak Restaurant, by trying out Turkish pide and tea ㋛

Just a general observation, Turkish people are very warm, friendly and helpful. At least those that I was interacting with - from Mr. Ali of The Cappadocia Hotel when we were still finalizing our arrangements a week before the trip, Mr. Halim of Bellamaritimo Hotel to the airport staff, tour guides, resto owners/crew and local travel agents - they were all very pleasant and approachable. I was loving the experience more and more ㋛

See you in Day 2!

Fri-yay Feels!

I just love that by Friday, I'll be enjoying this view:

The Cappadocia Hotel (Goreme, Turkey)

Top 5 Korean Dramas to Watch

Can't stay much longer on my self-imposed KPop/KDramaworld break when my visa application got rejected, there's too MUCH great shows to lose our weekends in! Tried to do it with Netflix and getting my weekends jampacked with activities but it really can't replace the high and kilig I get from seeing my oppas unraveling over the girls they like on TV - it's like living one episode at a time!

Except for Dramaworld (Netflix) though. I may have posted it on my IG when I was watching it, but it's like.... meh.

Anyway, I made this list based on how often I'd watch it without getting sick of it or what my current preferences are- and what I like mostly now are light-hearted shows to take the edge off work. Besides, I've had enough of my Darla-esque moods lately (hindi Darla Sauler a) so I'm all about finding my happy medium.

1. Oh My Ghostess!

This is such a fun watch! I love how Park Bo-young makes it look so easy to transition from being the agressive Shin Soon Ae to the timid Na Bong Sun and she looks good together here with Jo Jung Suk. For me, this is a far stronger pairing than her Strong Woman Do Bong Soon with Park Hyung Sik because I love their rapport here, their exchange just looks natural and realistic. And the supporting cast, most specially Kang Ki-Young (my favorite) made the show lively and light-hearted despite the rare heavy moments between the leads.

And Jo Jung Suk is just ❤. He's my one and only oppaaa, except of course, apart from TaecYeon ❤ Hirap mamili!  ♮ Sanaa ♬ 2 ang puso ko... ♪ ♫  ♭♯

2. Fight For My Way

Only the second show I've signed up alerts for on when the next episode will be available, aside from Goblin! Kim Ji Won is sooo pretty and it's such a joy that they pair her up lately with manly, non-metrosexual men like in DOTS (Descendants of the Sun). She and Park Seo-joon are such lunatics here along with 2 of their friends Ahn Hae-jong and Song Ha-yoon. Relate much to the second pair's lovestory in fairness, sarap sabunutan ni Joo-man (Hae-jong)! You don't deserve her!

3. Bring it On Ghost!

TaecYeon Oppa!! Saranghae!!

So Kang Ki-Young is here again, with Lee David - and together - they make supporting cast history! It's quite scary to watch alone but if you get to the scenes with the above 2 together, you'd totally forget you're watching a ghost story. I loved the leads as well though but I'd totally rate this as a must watch just for Choi Cheon-sang and Kim In-rang - their antics are totally out of this world, este plane pala ಠ‿ಠ 

4. Weightlifting Fairy Kim Bok Joo

I decided to watch this when I saw my FB feed with memes of the leads - with the most famous one to date as: Do you like Messi? And I loved it! Lee Sung Kyung, who was normally either supporting (Doctors) or the villain (Cheese in the Trap) was just badass here paired up with Nam Joo-hyuk. The gradual build up, the cast, practically everything here is PERFECT. It's rare to find a macho-type female lead in kdramas, which makes WFKBJ so refreshing and fun to watch. Lakas maka high school feels ಠ‿ಠ

PLUS Kang Ki-Young as Bok-Joo's uncle. I didn't feel him here as much as the above shows though but it's ok, he's still my favorite anyway.

5. Goblin: The Lonely & Great God

I don't care what my sister says, Kim Go-eun is GORGEOUS. I watched her first in Cheese in The Trap and loved her ever since. Everybody should watch this because of:

1. Gong Yoo

2. Excellent cinematography

3. OST (which almost all fan-vloggers recreated when they went to that famous tunnel in Seoul)

4. Story

5. Basically everything! I wanted to go to Quebec immediately after one episode where they showed how beautiful it was there. Even Anne Curtis is head over heels over Gong Yoo and no one blames her - he's like hottest SK actor ever since Coffee Prince! 

Goblin is what we paused our NYE celebrations to watch the latest episode for, why we advocate KDramas and why we would love to go to South Korea and fangirl over their filming sites ❤❤❤

Hopefully you'll love these shows as much as I did, and take delight in fangirling as well~~ no one's ever too old, too young, too rich and famous to take delight in KDramaworld. Just the hate that Anne received for her extreme fangirling over Gong Yoo was like SRSLY WTF guys. Hindi lang kayo ang tao sa mundo, please lang.

Update:

Dahil mejo lumawak ang mundo ko, I have to add my runner-ups to this list #spreadtheoppalove:

1. Reply 1997
2. Reply 1988 (Bogummyyyy)
3. Reply 1994 (bff love)

Anyway, have fun watching! ಠ‿ಠ Feel free to suggest more!

DIY Visa Series: How to Apply for a Turkey Visa in Abu Dhabi

Ever since I came here to UAE in 2012, it has been my dream to visit the wondrous city of Istanbul. Only a 4 hour flight from Dubai, to be able to go there will be like going to Asia and Europe at the same time - and with its rich history, the people, the food and the architecture, it will truly be worth the 9 day trip without being tempted to cross to the nearest European country (Greece) which will only be a 20 minute ferry from Bodrum or Fethiye. 4 years in the making and finally~ finally -- my dreams are coming true ^^

Okay, but first things first ~ since we're Filipinos, we definitely need a visa to enter Turkey. However, they do have an exception, you can get an e-visa (like what we did for Taiwan), provided that you have a valid Schengen members or USA, UK, Ireland visa or residence permit. Click here for more information.

Since we didn't have any of those, our only option was to get a sticker visa the traditional way. I tried to search again on how-to's but mostly the process was Dubai-based and if your residence visas were issued under Al Ain or Abu Dhabi, you need to apply here in Abu Dhabi.

Everybody's saying that getting a Turkish visa is a piece of cake but after the hulabaloo for our supposed South Korea trip last September, I didn't rest easy till I see that visa stamped and sealed on my passport T_T Hindi man lang nila pinag-isipan! Chos! #moveonalready

GETTING STARTED

Most of the people I know lodged their visa applications personally at the embassy but first you need a confirmed appointment before going there. I tried to do it online but the scheduling system was fully booked until next year so I went with VFS Visa Application Center. You have to pay an extra fee for the appointment though (128 AED / person) but it's worth it since you can't book by the embassy's website anyway.

However, kindly note that the process outlined here is based on our experience only, at the time of our application.

WHAT TO PREPARE

Listed below are for tourism, single-entry purposes only, taken from the VFS website. For requirements under different categories, please check their website, VFS Global, by clicking here:

• Application form signed by the applicant. This should be filled out online and you need to print it out, sign it, and attach to your application.
• Passport with at least 6 months validity, and copies of entry and exit seal/stamps of previously obtained visas, if any.
• Emirates identity card, and a resident/work permit with at least 6 months validity.
• Current biometric photo (with a white background, taken in the last 6 months, with the face and ears clearly visible, in 5x6 size).
• Round trip flight reservation (pre-reservation) 
• Hotel reservation (pre-reservation)
• Since we'll be going to Cappadocia, Pamukkale and Ephesus, along with Istanbul, we opted to add our 9 day itinerary as well, along with booked domestic flights via Pegasus Air. 
• Travel medical insurance valid for the duration of the visa (A document indicating that the plans of private health insurance holders cover overseas medical expenses is also accepted).
• Even if we both have worldwide coverage from Zurich, we still opted to get travel insurance under AXA Travel Smart. A colleague from work had recommended this to us after she was scammed in Amsterdam. She was able to make a claim as soon as she got back in AUH so yeyyy, and best of all, you can do the whole process online like in worldnomads.
• Family registration certificate issued in the name of the applicant (for family applications).
• Work documents to be prepared by the applicant himself/herself or the person providing him/her:
• If employee: Guarantee letter (a company official or owner statement, which includes their contact details, offers the employee’s position, start date of employment, off-duty dates, and guarantees that the employee will return to his/her country and workplace after his/her travel), payrolls for the last 3 months, and the company trade license, all of which will be obtained from the company he/she works for.
• Take note, a guarantee letter is much like the NOC (No Objection Certificate) in a way but with the wording that your company will guarantee your return after your leave dates. However, some companies will not issue guarantees so you can just submit both your NOC and Salary Certificate in its place.
• If company owner: The company’s certificate of establishment and registration, the company’s trade license, and the company bank account statement showing transactions for the last 3 months (sealed, signed).
• If his/her spouse provides him/her: Documents requested from the above-mentioned employee or company owner regarding the providing spouse.
• Documents showing the financial position: The bank account statement showing transactions for the last 3 months (sealed and signed), documents regarding the person's immovables located in Turkey (title deed, license etc.), and if any, his/her bank account statements available in Turkey.
• If another person provides him/her; then the above-mentioned documents for the provider must be presented.
• Group travels also require the following documents in addition to the above-mentioned documents:
• Documents regarding the company organizing the travel
• Applications are reviewed individually for group travels.
• Visa application fee (225 AED/person)

HOW TO SCHEDULE YOUR APPOINTMENT

If all your documents are ready, go to this link and register for an account. If you're applying with somebody else, you can schedule an appointment under the person's name as well, along with yours.

Once you're registered, you will receive an appointment confirmation like below. Print it out and attach it to your application as well, and if you're doing this by group, 1 copy is enough for everybody.

APPOINTMENT DAY

Go to VFS Application center, see map below, and make sure you're there 15 minutes prior to your appointment. We were the first ones there, but the ladies who manned the Turkish visa area were very pleasant and made the experience very smooth for us.

You will receive SMS and email alerts to track your application status. You can also opt for Aramex delivery instead of collecting your passport personally but it will be an additional 40 AED per person. However, if you do decide to forego the delivery and have another person collect it in your stead (kuripot levels), they can present the original receipt along with your signed authorization letter and a photocopy of your emirates ID.

And 7 working days after, we got our visa!

Over-all, the pre-application period was hectic and the waiting game was nerve-wracking but it's totally worth it! To my world history teacher in high school, cheers to ya! :P I'm going to set foot to where the greats of history have tread before!

Date applied: 31-Oct-17
Passport Collected: 8-Nov-17

To anyone who's going there for the National Day holidays, see y'all around! Hope it's extended till the 3rd so I can sleep off the jetlag! #wishfulthinking