Goodbye Turkey

The King family departed Turkey in March 2010, after spending two years there. We had a great experience during that time. We will never forget that interesting place, nor will we forget the wornderful people we met there. güle güle.

Baptism in the Med

Savannah and I were baptized in Yumurlatik, Turkey last weekend. Yurmurtalik is located on the Mediterranean Sea, approximately 50 miles from Antioch...the place where Jesus' disciples were first called Christians (Acts 11:22-26).

It was an awesome experience. We caravaned out to Yumurtalik along with friends from our church. We enjoyed a very good Turkish lunch at a restaurant on the shore. Then we all made our way to the beach. Tristan, our neighbor and church Worship Team Leader, brought his guitar. We sang a couple songs and then went in the water to be baptized.

From Baptism in the Med

From Baptism in the Med

From Baptism in the Med

Hierepolis Castabala

It's been awhile since we went on a local trip to someplace new. Last weekend we decided to drive to Karatepe and Hierepolis. Just a little over an hour and-a-half drive east of Incirlik, we came upon Karatepe. We must've missed our stop because we never found the Karatepe Open Air Museum. Then we decided to head back to Hierepolis Castabala. It was a very neat place.

We parked the van and then headed up the row of old Greek or Roman style columns. Most of which had fallen over. The old castle was up on the hill. It looked too steep to climb, so we passed on that one; come to find out there is easy access from the back of the castle. Oh well. We came upon the amphitheater. It was very cool. Kim and the kids sat down on a couple of stone seats with backs. We brought our lunch with us and ate at the amphitheater. Of course, the kids had to run around and explore the dark tunnels. All in all, it was a worthwhile visit. Perhaps next time we'll find the Karatepe Open Air Museum.

Easter 2009

We went to the Easter Egg Hunt at Arkadas Park. The kids had a good time. Then we colored eggs.

Only in Turkey

I took this picture while one of my co-workers was taking a breathalizer test for being rearended at a stoplight at 10 a.m.; that's another story. This guy was riding his bike and he built a tunnel with his goods so he could barely see where he was going. I got a kick out of this one.

From Our Slice of Turkey

Fishing at the Base Pool

Ricky, Savannah, and I went fishing at the base swimming pool. Each year, they drain the pool, load fish in it, and then let families fish. Altogether, we caught one fish; Savannah caught it. We were bummed out that we didn't catch more, but very proud to have one. We took it home, cooked it, and everyone had a little piece. Pretty cool.

From Our Slice of Turkey

From Our Slice of Turkey

From Our Slice of Turkey

From Our Slice of Turkey

From Our Slice of Turkey

Mersin Mall

After 10 months in Turkey (January 19th), we finally made our way to the Mersin Mall. It was about an hour and a half drive. The mall was very nice. It is three stories tall and has a movie theater and a bowling alley on the top floor. It also has many our the fast food conveniences we've been missing such as McDonalds, Popeyes Chicken, and Dunkin' Donuts.

Click on individual pics to read the caption

From Mersin Mall Visit

From Mersin Mall Visit

From Mersin Mall Visit

From Mersin Mall Visit

From Mersin Mall Visit

From Mersin Mall Visit

From Mersin Mall Visit

From Mersin Mall Visit

From Mersin Mall Visit

From Mersin Mall Visit

From Mersin Mall Visit

From Mersin Mall Visit

From Mersin Mall Visit

From Mersin Mall Visit

From Mersin Mall Visit

From Mersin Mall Visit

From Mersin Mall Visit

Hangin' Out in Adana

I took the kids to the Adana Park a couple months back. We had a great time. Ricky, Savannah, and Kylie ate McDonalds, played at the park, rode on a train around the park, walked across the bridge, checked out the pokey tree, got some cotton candy, and then we drove to check out the lake. We had a great time.

Click on individual pics to read the captions.

From Adana Park

From Adana Park

From Adana Park

From Adana Park

From Adana Park

From Adana Park

From Adana Park

From Adana Park

From Adana Park

From Adana Park

From Adana Park

From Adana Park

From Adana Park

From Adana Park

From Adana Park

Yilankale - Snake Castle

We've been in Turkey for more than 10 months now and I'm becoming angry with myself for not getting out and exploring this interesting country. We decided to take a short trip to Yilankale or "Snake Castle." It's only about a 20 minute drive from Incirlik. Here's our turn.

Sign for Snake Castle

From Snake Castle

Before I go much further, I should tell you that we purchased a book called "Caltles, Cay, and Caravanserai." It was written for people living at Incirlik AB by people who lived here. It has a lot of information about day trips and nearby places to visit. Pretty cool. Here's some of what it says about Snake Castle.

"The 13th century Yilankale, with its eight towers, is strategically located on a mountain dominating the Ceyhan plain, and is part of a line of Armenian fortresses that extend to the sea.

According to mythology, Yilankale was home to a ruler who was part man and part snake. He used snakes to enforce his will until his death in Tarsus, where he had gone to kidnap the daughter of that city's king. Another story surrounding the fortress is that it was so infested with snakes that it had to be abandoned.

Although the precise history of the castle is unknown, a study of the architecture suggests that it was built by the Armenian Crown Prince Leo III (1270-1289) not long before his capture by the Arabs in 1266."

View from the Road.

From Snake Castle

We're gettin' closer

From Snake Castle

From Snake Castle

Driving up and around the castle (to the right)

From Snake Castle

From Snake Castle

Continuing around the castle

From Snake Castle

We parked the van at a restaurant parking lot and paid 4 Lira ($2.50). Now it's just a hike away...steep hike I might add. Ricky led the way.

From Snake Castle

The girls and Maggie. Maggie was thrilled to come along. This was her first time off base and exploring Turkey. She did quite well with the steep climb. That was the most exercise she's had in a very long time. The rocks were quite slippery. So much so, in fact, Kylie named it the Slippery Castle. Good call Kylie.

From Snake Castle

Kim and the kids at the first archway.

From Snake Castle

Kylie posing in front of the tree we dubbed the "Tree of Trash". We're not sure what that was about.

From Snake Castle

From Snake Castle

Look. I'm in a picture.

From Snake Castle

And now with Kylie.

From Snake Castle

View of archway from underneath (looking straight up).

From Snake Castle

Another pic of the Tree of Trash.

From Snake Castle

Kim and the kids climbing down...carefully.

From Snake Castle

That's all the pics we have of today's trip. We intended to stay longer, but the climb was a little too demanding for the kids and we came across quite a few teenage boys. The boys didn't speak English, except for a few words. When we got to the top, one of them had a very large knife with approx. an 8 inch blade. I think they were trying to ask for money, but couldn't really understand them. Whether they intended harm or not, Kim and I decided we better just leave. We left and they followed us all the way down to the van. Luckily they wound up not causing any trouble. The interesting thing is they suddenly appeared at the castle when we arrived and they all left as we were leaving. I don't think we'll attempt to go back there with the kids. All that said, it was nice to get out and explore Turkey once again.