This travel review of mine will tell you the story of my travel experience including the important information. It might not be too informative because I guess there are many people writing about this place already. However, it would provide you the latest information. Please also note that this trip is when I travel alone.

However, something bad happened one week right before my trip. There was a girl would like to commit suicide so she jumped in front of my car. I stepped on the brake pedal all of a sudden. As a result, the motorbike behind me hit my car right away with a loud scream of the driver. I didn't hesitate to go out of my car and check what is going on right away. I found out that the person riding that motorbike pregnant for 7 months! Then the ambulance and the policeman came. I explained the scene and told the policeman that I am leaving for a trip in Turkey in a week during police interrogations. It occurred to me that I still need to go to the police station even the day right before my flight and that is when I was informed that the baby is dead. All my friends and family keep telling me to cancel the trip because there is so much going on now and it might be a bad omen. Well, I have decided and I will still go.

The day has come and I feel even more excited with so many things. I fly a direct flight to Turkey with Turkish Airlines. I have arrived in Turkey around 5.30 AM. After passing through the immigration, I am waiting to get my luggage. I have checked the Baggage Claim Flight Board and my luggage will be at Baggage Claim Number 10. Well, I have been waiting for quite long with a few other passengers from the same flight and my luggage still hasn't shown up. I am getting worried now. I guess if my luggage won't arrive, I will just continue my trip without it and will find new clothes later. Luckily that there is a staff approaching me and ask whether I flew from Bangkok or not. He said to me that you might want to check Baggage Claim Number 7. I run there right away and have found that my luggage is the last one here. Huh... this is very exciting already since the beginning of the trip.

I continue my trip by taking the metro from the airport to Otogar Station where the Bus Terminal is. I will take the bus from here to Canakkale to go to Troy, the city of wooden horse. There are a few buses operated by different companies traveling to Canakkale. I have chosen to go with Truva Bus. The ticket costs 50 TRY and the bus will depart at 8.30 AM. I still have got sometimes to kill since it is only 7 AM and I have decided to go into the cafe run by Truva company. You can find some drinks here. Well, I am getting hungry now. I don't hesitate to take out the Grilled Pork and Sticky Rice brought from Thailand and eat. I am also kind of aware whether this should be alright eating pork in Muslim city. It is not long after until the time that the bus will depart.

Photo: Bus Terminal or Otogar in Turkish.

Most of the buses in Turkey are big buses so it is pretty comfortable. My bus offers snacks and drinks along the way as well. It is about 6 - 6.5 hours from Istanbul to Canakkale by bus. I am pretty tired so I sleep right away. I woke up when the bus stop to let passengers use the toilet and have a quick break. I have just realized that I am the only Asian on this bus. There is a Turkish guy smiling at me when I am walking up-stair for the toilet. The same guy gives me some chocolate when I come out. I said "Thank you" but I don't think he speaks English. We then only smile at each other.

The bus has arrived at the ferry terminal. Here, the bus will board onto the ferry to go to Canakkale. All passengers come down to enjoy the refreshing breezy wind and scenery, I am no exception. I am pretty happy with the weather now and the sky is so clear. I learn that I have done the right thing, not to cancel this trip. The same guy I met earlier comes to poke me while I am doing some thinking. He comes with a cup of tea for me. I said "Thank you" once again. We stand next to each other but without any conversations. He can't speak English and I can't speak Turkish either. The ferry is about to approach the shore and I start to go back to the bus. Well, there are 2 buses run by the same company parked right next to each other and I don't remember which one is mine. I am about to board into the wrong bus but that same Turkish guy comes and save me. Thank you, I would be mysterious without you.

The bus has finally arrived in Canakkale. I get off the bus and wave my hand saying goodbye to the kind Turkish guy who treated me for the tea before starting to find my hotel. After walking for a while, I find myself getting lost again. The GPS doesn't help much. I have decided to ask a guy who is smoking by the street for the direction. He can't speak English but he will walk me there instead. This is happening again, Turkish guys are very kind. I kind of fall in love with them right now.

Canakkale is a city located along the coastline of the Sea of Marmara. It is a cute little town by the Aegean Sea and the Dardanelles strait. Canakkale is the nearest major town to the site of ancient city of Troy, a city of wooden horse. This wooden horse city was the filming location of Troy that we have seen before with Brad Pitt as the main cast. The wooden horse saw on the film has been given to Canakkale by Hollywood. It is located right by the shore for people to take photo with. I wandering around and breathing in the refreshing sea breeze air. Locals sell the latest caught along the shore as well. This is also where I have seen Saba fish that is still alive for the very first time. I have only seen those dead ones in the supermarket before.

I have come back to the city center area around the clock tower. I would say it is quite similar to the Walking Street in Thailand where it is full with shops. I didn't buy anything so far because I will be traveling for days but look for a restaurant instead. I have found a restaurant where they have the prices labeled. The food here is not expensive, they are around 7 - 15 TRY. I am having Chicken Skewer served with rice but I don't remember how it is called in Turkish though. After this, I need to go and buy a ticket to go to Izmir tomorrow. Well, I have found that the ticket officer is good looking again. I bought a ticket with him for the bus at 1.50 PM tomorrow to Izmir. The ticket is 50 TRY. Then I think I better go back to the hotel and take some good rest, it has been a long day.

The breakfast served in most of the hotels in Turkey is including cheese, eggs, bread, watermelon, and tea generally. I am lucky that I am pretty easy going when it comes to eating. The breakfast is done and I am going to catch the van to go to the ancient city of Troy. I have done some research and the van that will take me to Troy will be in orange and parked under the bridge. I walk along the river until I see the bridge, then I walk down. Well, it is not an orange van. It is white actually. You can also find the van timetable there and I will take the one leaving at 9.30 AM. I have got sometimes so I will go to the toilet first. The toilet here is pretty similar to what we have in Thailand. To flush the toilet here, you need to use the container provided such as bowl or jug to get some water directly from the tap to do so. On the other hand, you can get some water directly from a water storage to flush the toilet in Thailand. Some toilets here even provide water hose instead.

I still have got sometimes before the van leaves so I think it is a good idea to go to the fresh market nearby. I have found that there are many kind of vegetables I don't know nor have seen before. The color of eggplants here is very nice. The cherries here are also very cheap. It is only 6 TRY per kilogram which is not even 80 THB. I buy them right away so I could have them while traveling in Troy and also it could be my lunch.

The van takes about half an hour to get to Troy. I bought a pass to get in straight ahead but it is very hot today. After wandering around, I would say that there is nothing much to see in Troy and for those who don't like to see the ruins and archaeological sites might get bored like me. I am going back to Canakkale after a visit in Troy before leaving to Izmir later today.

Photos taken in the ancient city of Troy.

I am finding something to eat before going to the bus terminal. I have ended up eating here at the same restaurant I ate earlier because it is close to the bus terminal.

I am now waiting for the bus but it has been quite sometimes that I have been waiting. The same ticket officer comes to apologize that the bus will be late. I said to him that "It is fine". Then I start to chill around again. The bus has finally come after more than one hour of its actual schedule but I need to board at the pier. The ticket officer comes to help me to carry my belonging and send me off. He is super kind, thank you so much.

The trip in Canakkale ends here. Please stay tuned for the upcoming trip in Izmir. Thank you for all your kind supports and if you have any question, please don't hesitate to drop me a line.