TERRIFIC TURKIYE: World’s crossroads a study in breathtaking contrasts

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“It’s like something out of fantasy, except it’s real.” — Violante Placido

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In this ancient land, visions of big-screen blockbusters are so omnipresent the most talented cinematographer would blush.

For me, Turkiye resuscitated my inner 12-year-old. I was James Bond or Marcello Mastrioni on its azure-shaded Aegean coast.

In Istanbul, my overgrown inner child channelled centuries of international intrigue.

Indiana Jones was my persona of choice in the spectacular Cappadocia, which is older than time itself. The only thing missing was a whip, Nazis and a fully-loaded .38.

Turkiye can do that to you. But don’t stand still too long — its stunning contrasts will leave you dizzy and bedazzled.

“Turkiye is a country of bold contrasts,” one of our guides said. “On the one hand, there is the new, 21st-century nation, and on the other, an amazing past. Everything here is a contrast.”

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The country is East. And it is West. It straddles southeastern Europe and western Asia. It is both a modern state and a mesmerizing journey to the past. Cosmopolitan — and timeless.

Our first stop on our whirlwind odyssey to beguiling Turkiye was the fabulous D Maris Bay Resort, tucked in a cove where the Aegean meets the Mediterranean.

One of the world’s great resorts, D Maris Bay offers spectacular views overlooking the many nearby small islands. The setting is serene and private and offers four beaches nestled among volcanic mountain ranges.

And for jet setters, it has a big cash cache. Amazon gazillionaire Jeff Bezos and his wife Lauren Sanchez recently visited. Bezos even ate at the popular Greek taverna Manos.

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Holding court and extolling Mediterranean virtues was seafood king Michael Manos.

“For me, my God is Poseidon,” he told rapt foreign journalists. “Greek, Turkish, it’s all the same … we eat the same food, like the same things.”

Hovering over a seafood counter packed with the day’s bounty, the one thing we liked very much indeed was the giant Spanish carabinero prawns. A delicacy as rare as it was delicious.

Pricey too! They cost about $165 per pound.

Our seafood feast was washed down with copious amounts of raki — Turkiye’s tipple of choice. Also known as Lion’s Milk, the tipple is made of twice-distilled grapes, aniseed and tastes like a less sweet ouzo.

“Oh, you have to drink raki when you’re in Turkiye,” our guide said, ordering two more bottles. “It’s the nectar of life.”

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Our first night’s finale had our crew smashing piles of plates on the floor.

Accommodations were spectacular. My room — one of 196 — featured a large garden balcony that looked onto the volcanic hills, perfect for morning coffee or a contemplative nightcap.

And then the beaches beckoned! Campari and soda? Yes, please!

The resort has five other unique restaurants and seven different bars. In addition, to Manos, there is also Rainer Becker’s award-winning Japanese eatery, Zuma, overlooking the bay which serves up an array of bite-sized taste sensations.

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The Turkish Riviera portion of the trip ended with a short flight to exotic Istanbul, arguably the crossroads of the world. On one side is Europe, and across the Bosphorus Strait is Asia.

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“The European side is fun and free-wheeling while the Asian side of the Bosphorus is more conservative, and more people reside there,” our guide noted. “Most of the entertainment and large businesses are located in Europe.”

We were lodged at the Grand Hyatt Istanbul. It was difficult to discern whether the joint was a spectacularly maintained early 20th-century edifice or was retro. That was the topic of a long conservation in the spectacular garden-surrounded pool, as exotic birds flew overhead.

The answer was that it was built in the 1980s. Still, the pool and setting made me feel like a Sultan in the Ottoman Empire (helped along by a Campari and soda!).

During our short intermission in Istanbul before the next leg of our journey, we dined at Biz Istanbul which affords diners an awe-inspiring view of the famed city of 8 million. From its terrace, you can see the European and Asian sides linked by the Bosphorus Bridge.

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Our meal was another high water mark. The restaurant’s mandate is to recapture Istanbul’s culinary history alive. Mission accomplished.

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Istanbul was but a fleeting time-out for us to regroup and refresh. Our breath was taken away by the great city and D Maris Bay, but we would need a tank full of oxygen for Cappadocia.

A 90-minute flight from Istanbul, it might as well have been another planet. Do I pack my Indiana Jones or Han Solo outfit?

Created by melting glaciers, it is truly a wonder of the world.

Located in Central Anatolia, Cappadocia is bounded in the south by the Taurus Mountains separating it from Cilicia, to the east by the upper Euphrates River, to the north by Pontus, and the west by Lycaonia and eastern Galatia.

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It is packed with a wide array of natural wonders. One of these is fairy chimneys. The rushing ice created hills pock-marked with caves where people lived until 1945 and the chimneys.

Our accommodations were at the Argos Cappadocia. To describe it as other-worldly does it a grave disservice.

Saying there is no resort like it on the planet would be a gross understatement. Those caves? The hotel was built into them making each of the 71 rooms unique.

The resort was built over 26 years and where possible, constructed around the found antiquities and tunnels. It sits atop a hill overlooking Pigeon Valley, Mount Erciyes and the unbelievable fairy chimneys.

My cozy room was built into a cave, using the work of nature to create an experience unlike any other. It has been recognized as the most romantic hotel in the world.

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Exploring the hotel is an adventure in and of itself. You never knew exactly what you were going to find in its many crevices.

Meals in Argos’ restaurants were events. The menu at Nahita is curated using produce grown within a 60-km radius of the resort and it’s unmistakable. In addition, the resort offered an array of delicious wines from local grapes and made on-premise.

In addition to visiting the caves, we also received a lesson in local ceramics and pottery at the Kapadokya Seramik which has been producing plates and other wares for nearly 200 years.

As for the caves themselves, not only did people once live there but some churches and monasteries date back millennia.

The area is also famous for its hot air balloons that rise at dawn, offering fliers a bird’s-eye view of one of the world’s great vistas.

Defining Turkiye with a broad brush remains impossible. It is old, it is new, it is East, it is West, it is cosmopolitan, it is traditional.

One thing is certain: It is the trip of a lifetime and should be on everyone’s bucket list.

bhunter@postmedia.com

@HunterTOSun

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