Animals and Nature of Olympos, Turkey

Hi guys! Just to reassure you in regards to our April Fool’s joke (hee,hee) we are actually safe and sound in Italy. We are hanging out in my old stomping ground of Lanciano where I went to high school at the Canadian College of Italy (CCI). Chris and I are both working on photos to show this lovely place to you, but for now here are some photos from back in Olympos in Turkey. Enjoy. -Laura-  

Earthquake Update and a Couchsurfer’s Plea

First of all, I want to reassure everyone that we were well away from the zone of last night’s earthquake. We didn’t feel so much as a tremor, although when I stomp up the steps of our rickety wooden treehouse after the types of huge and delicious dinners we get here, it can feel like a 1.0 on the Richter Scale. Also, after the generous advice of our new friend Brenda here in Olympos, we set up a profile this morning on Couchsurfing.org, a world-wide online community for hosting travelers. The idea is brilliantly simple: travelers get beds and local insights, and hosts get to entertain house guests from new and interesting cultures. There are thousands of users around the world willing to open their spare bedrooms and couches up to strangers based on their online profile and a simple, effective rating and referral system. Users create an online account and…Continue Reading

Tree House Paradise

Chris and I are in Olympos. Yesterday, it took us 5.5 hours to get here by bus. The hotels here are called tree houses because of their style of buildings. The entire area has a very relaxed, almost Caribbean feel. Little roofed wooden platforms line the river. In the high season they are all covered in rugs and cushions, but since it’s the slow season only two are equiped at our pension. I am sitting on one right now. A light breeze slowly moves my hair. The sun beams strongly on my white Canadian skin. The rhythmic, continuous flow of the river is peaceful. There are a few hammocks in the main courtyard. It didn’t take Chris too long to find them. For 50 Turkish Lira (around $38.00) Chris and I get our own little “tree house” which is a wooden shack on stilts with a mattress, sheets, 2 pillows and 3…Continue Reading