A Health Scare, California Cousins and Visiting Turkiye

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In late February Randy returned to the US to spend a couple weeks at home, specifically to get our taxes figured out and filed. Although the whole tax thing can now be done online, Randy prefers to set up a card table, make hard copies of documents and sort through it all at home. I am just grateful that he deals with it year after year so I don’t have to do so.

While he was home he had a couple of routine doctor’s appointments. One of those doctor’s appointments led to several other appointments which resulted in Randy being diagnosed with prostate cancer. The diagnosis was scary for all of us. I wanted to go home immediately but Randy was firm in saying that he felt fine. He was going on fire calls, working in his woodshop and spending time on our property in Scio, New York. Two months later and after several more appointments, it was concluded that the cancer had not metastasized. Thank you, God! He was treated with a procedure called HIFU which is a highly focused ultrasound. The procedure is common in Europe but is relatively new in the US. He was treated on May 11th and has had remarkably few side effects. He returned to Albania in mid-June. All of this has been a bit stressful. I am so appreciative of my family and friends being very supportive through it all.

Back in April, 2020 one of my cousins (Chris from Pasadena, California) and his wife (Cathy) planned to visit Albania for a few days and then the four of us would travel to explore Turkiye together. Of course, COVID hit so those plans were canceled. Fast forward to the spring of 2023. We again made plans for Chris and Cathy to visit Albania and Turkiye. Our first hurdle was Randy’s health situation. I said I wanted to come home for my Spring Break but once again Randy was firm that he felt fine and thought I should go ahead and do the trip with Chris and Cathy. We considered having Randy come over but he wanted to stay put in the States until everything was taken care of heath wise (which is understandable). I felt a bit unsettled with this decision but decided to move ahead. I asked each of our three children if they had the time and/or desire to accompany us since their dad would not be traveling with us. Josh was in between projects at work and was excited about a trip to Turkiye. I was thrilled that he could join us. I treasure time with our adult children because it does not happen often.

Chris and Cathy flew directly from California to Istanbul, spent the night in Istanbul and then flew to Albania the next morning. When they arrived in Istanbul, there was a problem with Cathy’s passport. It was within six months of expiring. She had noticed this back in January but after doing lots of reading about visas, felt confident that she would be okay. There were a few issues getting into Istanbul but after paying for a very expensive visa she and Chris were able to enter Istanbul, spend the night and fly to Albania the next day.

Cathy is a teacher and Chris works with scientists which was all very interesting to my students. They had lots of questions for Chris and Cathy.
After spending a couple days in Tirana, the three of us rented a car and drove to Berat. It you read this blog on a regular basis, then you have seen many pictures of Berat because we have taken many guests to this charming city full of windows, a castle and delicious traditional Albanian food.
The following day we drove along the Albanian Rivera towards Sarande. We saw these paragliders at one of the overlooks. It was amazing (and kind of scary) watching them run off the edge of a cliff and then sail through the air.
This is the beautiful view from our hotel in Sarande. Thanks for sharing this picture with me, Chris! Sarande is a beautiful city in the far south of Albania. You can see Corfu, Greece in the distance. After doing lots of driving over the two day weekend, I decided that Sarande is simply too far to go for the weekend. I look forward to having a three or four day weekend to spend in Sarande in the future.

The day after arriving back in Tirana from Sarande, Chris, Cathy and I flew to Istanbul to meet Josh and spend the week together in Turkiye. When going through passport control, Cathy was again stopped. She showed the passport official the very expensive visa that had been purchased the week earlier. They said that did not work and she and Chris were taken to a police station within the airport. It turns out the expensive visa was really just a fine for having a passport that would expire within six months. Cathy was not going to be allowed in the country and would need to fly back to California. YIKES, IT WAS HORRIBLE!!! Chris and Cathy were given a few minutes to decide what to do. Chris had to make the difficult decision as to if he was going to go back to California with Cathy or continue the trip with Josh and I. He decided to continue with us partially because all the arrangements were already paid for and in his name and it would be difficult to figure everything out if he was not there. We so appreciate Chris and Cathy’s very hard decision. I am passing along a difficult lesson that was learned. Do not travel with a passport that will expire in less than six months of your travel.

Three hours after landing in Istanbul we boarded a flight to the region of Cappadocia. Istanbul is in the far west part of the country and Cappadocia is 150 miles from the far east side of the country. It was about a two hour flight between the two locations. We stayed in the small city of Ortahisar which was about an hour’s drive from the airport. As we drove along we started seeing overlooks like this. Wow, beautiful and unusual!

Chris with our delightful host.
What a beautiful, relaxing courtyard!
Our view of the rock castle from our courtyard at night.
This was the cave AirBnB we stayed in for two nights.
After settling into our AirBnB we drove to this area to do some exploring.
This is how Chris and I felt without our spouses. Cathy and Randy were definitely missed!
Josh is happy to be visiting Cappadocia, as are we. Beautiful, unusual terrain!
That evening we ate at this restaurant that our AirBnB host recommended. We saw all these pots in front and wondered what they were for.
We found out that this way of cooking food is traditional in Cappadocia. It was interesting to see it prepared plus it was delicious!
The following morning Josh and I were picked up at 4:30AM to go for a hot air ballon ride over the Cappadocia rock formations known as “fairy chimneys”. When we arrived at the launch site the balloons were laid out on the ground waiting to be inflated.
Ready for take-off! It was freezing cold and fortunately Josh had brought some extra clothes which he lent me.
Chris tracked us from the ground and was able to grab this picture of our balloon.
The views, beauty and excitement were well worth every penny we spent on this adventure.
For whatever reason, I could not figure out how to shorten this video. It is too long but it does give you the feel of being in a hot air balloon.
Later that day we took a tour of the Cappadocia region. The most interesting part for me was visiting the Derinkuyu Underground City. The multi-layered city was built in the year 700 and goes down 200 feet under the ground. The city could house up to 20,000 people at one time including their livestock and food. The city had wine cellars, stables and chapels in them. People would hide in them for up to six months at a time from roughly April through October. They lived in the caves during this time of each year to protect themselves from invaders who came every spring during the Arab-Byzantine wars. Fascinating!
We also visited a family-owned ceramics factory where Josh tried his hand at throwing a pot.
We are visiting Pigeon Valley which included beautiful views of the area. It is named Pigeon Vally because of the thousands of pigeon houses that have been carved in the soft volcanic rock. There are only a few hundred pigeons there now but at one time there were thousands. The pigeons were used as messengers and their poop was used as fertilizer for the region.
As mentioned earlier, we stayed in the small city (population 3,000) of Ortahisar for two nights. The central part of the city was the rock castle (in back of the mosque’s minaret) pictured on their city emblem, it is a daunting and iconic natural structure.
Of course, we wanted to climb to the top of the castle for the views but mostly for the experience. It was a tight fit at times but well worth the trip to the top.

The next day we flew back to Istanbul to spend a few days getting to know this city that is partially in Europe and partially in Asia. Our AirBnB was very close to The Galata Tower which was built in 528 AD. It was originally built as a watchtower and was an important spot for the military. It later was used as a fire tower. It is now a museum with beautiful views from the top.

Our first night in Istanbul was spent walking to and climbing up the tower.

Istanbul Food Tour!

We had lots of Turkish Tea during our visit. I don’t care for coffee plus I don’t really love tea. However, Turkiye had a tea called apple tea that was wonderful.
Can you see the Galata Tower on the horizon?

Cruising the Bosphorus Strait that runs through the middle of Istanbul.

Until visiting Istanbul, I did not understand what the Bosphorus Strait was and it’s significance. First of all, it is a strait not a river (as I mistakenly referred to it more than once). We took a boat ride through it and as we moved along, there was Europe on one side and Asia on the other. Currently, the Bosphorus is playing a role in the war in Ukraine. Turkiye has closed the Bosphorus to the Russian military which means they cannot get more of their military ships from the Mediterranean Sea into the Black Sea. Yay, Turkiye!

Spring has sprung at this beautiful public park in the center of Istanbul.

When we were making plans to visit Turkiye, a teacher friend of mine said, there are two things you cannot miss when you go, a Turkish Bath and a Turkish Breakfast. Josh found and booked this experience for us. I was not sure what to expect and found it all to be very relaxing. The bath included a steam room, body scrub, bubble massage and finished with a relaxing cup of tea. This Hammam has been around for a long time so several former sultans and other famous guests have visited.

Whenever I travel with Josh, he manages to find a small music venue away from all the tourists. His choice this time definitely did not disappoint. The music was sometimes familiar but mostly new for us. The other patrons all seemed to be Turkish. It was such an enjoyable evening!
Here we are walking along the most famous pedestrian street in Istanbul called Istikial Avenue. When you attempt to get an ice cream cone in Turkiye there is almost always a challenge to actually getting the cone. Fun!
The Grand Bazaar (on the left) is one of the oldest (around 1730) and largest covered markets in the world. 250,000 or more people visit everyday. We spent about 15 minutes there because it was so overwhelming, crowded and congested. On the right is the Spice Market which we visited a couple of times. As the name suggests, it has many, many stalls that sell spices, herbs, baklava and nuts. It smelled so good, was beautiful and not nearly as busy.
The Hagia Sophia (translated Holy Wisdom in Latin) has a very complicated history. It was a Greek Orthodox Church for 900 years and then a Mosque for 400 years. In 1934 it became a museum. Then very recently, in 2020, it was converted back into a Mosque. As I understand it, Erdogan (who was just recently re-elected as President) made the decision to turn the Hagia Sophia back into a Mosque with no consultation and through a surprise announcement.
Leaving our shoes before entering the main part of the Mosque.
Entering the absolutely gorgeous Hagia Sophia.
When we arrived inside the mosque, a service was being conducted.
I took this short video to show that only the men are allowed to pray in this beautiful part of the mosque. The women pray in another smaller, much less beautiful part of the mosque. There are many things I respect about Muslims but their prejudice against women is hard to understand or agree with.
The service has finished so now the whole mosque has been opened up for tourists to wander around.
Can you see the white, triangular curtains near the dome of the mosque? Those curtains are covering up Christian faces and symbols that were part of the original Greek Orthodox Church.
I took this picture because it shows the Christian Lamb of God on the stone carvings with the Muslim minaret in the background.
These pictures show the remnants of this structure being a Christian Church. The gold artwork was in the foyer not inside the mosque.
Chris researched Turkish Breakfasts and we ended up on this street which was full of restaurants offering this traditional meal. This picture of our breakfast does not accurately show ALL the small plates involved with eating breakfast in Turkiye. It was delicious!

We visited the Dolmabahce Palace on our last day in Istanbul. When we were cruising down the Bosphorous earlier in the week, we had seen it and wanted to check it out. It is the largest palace in Turkiye and is relatively new, being built in the mid-1800’s.

There is no picture to go with this but I did want to comment on the political situation in Turkiye. I am definitely not a political person and do not usually pay much attention to the politics of a government when I visit. However, it was hard to ignore some of the things that are happening in this country. When we were on one of our tours, the guide told us not to refer to the president (Erdogan) by name. If we felt we wanted to ask about him about the president, we should use the term “tall man” to refer to him. A few weeks previous to our tour, our guide was taken in and questioned because the government did not like what he was saying on his tours. Obviously, freedom of speech is endangered in Turkiye. In the recent elections, Erdogan’s party did not like the results so the whole country voted again. Many Turks feel the election was rigged. As I understand it, Erdogan is wanting to become more friendly with Russia and China. The opposing party (made up of more young people) wants to strengthen Turkiye’s ties to the West. One more stressful thing for the Turks is their inflation rate. It stands at 40%, depressing! Although the United States is far from perfect, all of this is a good reminder of how fortunate we are as Americans.

A big thank you goes to my cousin, Chris, for all his careful planning for our time in Turkiye. We saw a LOT in a week, stayed in a perfect AirBnB and had such a variety of new experiences. The only thing that would have made it better was to have had Cathy and Randy join us.

Here are a couple of pictures that were taken near the end of the school year. I will miss these 14 sweet faces next year even though I feel they are definitely ready to move onto grade three.

It took me awhile to write this blog post because when Randy had his health scare I lost my motivation to make another post. Now that I finally have this ready to go, I am glad I went forward with it. You really are amazing if you read all this. It has many details that I want to remember from our experience here and I am always happy to share. Thanks for reading!!!

Tomorrow we fly back to America for a six week visit before returning to Albania for my final year of teaching.

July, 2023

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Published by Sarah Williams

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30 thoughts on “A Health Scare, California Cousins and Visiting Turkiye”

  1. What and fascinating yet poignant post, Sarah! I am so relieved and thankful that Randy has responded well to his medical treatments. Your detailed descriptions and beautiful photos of your trip were so amazing and thought-provoking. I know that you and your cousin missed your spouses, but it was great that Josh could accompany you. Looking forward to seeing you this summer and can’t wait to read future posts about your many adventures during your final year of teaching!

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  2. Sarah, I am always so excited when I see a new post from you in my mailbox! It must have been so difficult to be away from Randy during his treatment. Thank goodness he is doing so well. The places you visited in Turkiye looked so interesting and beautiful. I had no idea what it was like there so appreciated your descriptions and pictures. I’d love to see you when you are home. Brian and I are planning a spring ‘24 trip to the Balkans and I was so happy to read that you’ll still be there !

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  3. As always, I LOVE reading your blogs & hearing about your experiences! I especially enjoyed the Underground City & Strait stories … fascinating! I’m so grateful Randy’s health is now stable & look forward to seeing you for a bit while you’re home! Travel safe, my friend … ❤️

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  4. Sarah you are amazing and brave. You are taking me places that I will never be. Thank you again for sharing and I am thankful that Randy has received the medical treatment that he needs. Enjoy your time off!

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  5. Sarah, first of all, I’m sorry that Randy couldn’t join you on your trip, but am so glad that he’s okay! Such a terrible scare. Secondly, as always I loved traveling with you on your adventures. I’ve seen and heard about parts of the world that I didn’t know existed. Lastly, since this will be your last year teaching (which I find hard to believe!), are there places that you haven’t yet traveled to that you want to fit in before you come back to the states for good? II’m curious. Enjoy your time back home and I hope you have a wonderful, healthy summer.

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    1. Thanks for your good wishes, Monica! We have not yet sorted out where we will travel over the next year. Here are some thoughts but no decisions yet: Egypt, Florence (including Tuscany), Italy, Morocco, Jordan, Finland, Dubai. Stay tuned! 🙂

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  6. Once again a most wonderful post! I am so sorry to hear about Randy but sounds like he got great treatment. This post brought back so many happy memories for me as Hilary, Fred and I visited Turkey while she was studying in Prague in college,. A most fascinating and colorful country. Loved reliving Cappacocia in particular. Glad you did the balloon trip as I have always regretted not doing that. Maybe our paths will cross while you are back in the states?

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  7. Thank you so much for writing these blogs. They are wonderful. So glad to hear Randy is doing well. We knew of his health scare as he and Jim had talked.

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  8. Sarah- Most important to this post is that Randy is doing well now . Thank God! I absolutely love all your posts & read every word. Then I share the with Chuck, Lauren & Katie! Your photos make us feel like we traveled with you. Thanks so very much! Happy Summer
    XO

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  9. Sarah, my goodness I’m glad you wrote this although I can understand it must have been tough. We’re so glad Randy is OK and that you had the chance to enjoy time with your cousin and Josh. You’re amazing!

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  10. Wonderful photos and descriptions! Sarah, you missed your calling as a tour guide!😀
    I’m happy to hear that Randy is recovering well from cancer treatment. I can only imagine how stressful it must have been for both of you. Great that you and your cousin plus Josh were able to go on your planned excursions.

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  11. Sarah, So so grateful Randy is doing better. This blog is fantastic! I love following your journey and your blogs. I shared it with Sam & Cindy who went to Croatia and they really enjoyed your trip to Turkey. I am hopeful we can reschedule our trip that got canceled and come visit you next June!

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  12. Sarah,
    I am so glad that Randy was able to have the treatment he needed! What a stressful time being in 2 different places! Thank you for all these amazing pictures and stories. It’s a part of the world that I know little about. So sorry your cousin’s wife had to return home! Wishing you both a very happy and peaceful summer! : )

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  13. Wonderful report of a fantastic trip with cousin Chris!! What a beautiful memory made with Josh in a BALLON over Cappadocia! The caves look so interesting. Hearing about the buildings/towers from the 500’s and 700’s make US seem SO young. I didn’t know Turkey closed a straight blocking Russians from Ukraine. Wow! LOVE your blogs ! I learn so much. Just added Turkey to my bucket list. Love you sis! Jeanette

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  14. What a roller coaster few months you have had! Thank you for the update, and thank you God that Randy’s prostate cancer has been treated and not spread. My Steve had that cancer a few years ago and the “C” word is always a scare. The pictures were glorious, we miss you and think of you often!

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  16. Sarah, I always love hearing about your adventures! You are such an inspiration. I’m glad to hear that Randy is getting the treatment he needs and am wishing him good health! Also, thank you for your PSA about passports. I would have thought nothing of my passport being within 6 months of expiring. That’s crazy.

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    1. Yes, it is so crazy that out passports expire 6 months before the date printed on the passport. They should say our passports are good for 9 and a half years not 10 years. That would be more accurate.

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  17. Six of us are going on a trip throughout Europe in late August. I am mediately sent out a text to each of them to check their passport for the date it expires. Thank you for the important warning.
    I’m so glad to hear that Randy is doing well and can’t imagine what a scare you’ve been through while being in another country.
    Your blog is so inspiring. Now I want to go to Turkey!

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    1. Yes, you should visit Turkiye! It was very different then visiting western Europe. Where are you going in Europe in August? Are you going with family or friends? Did you end up retiring this year?

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      1. I did retire. For a while I thought I’d go one more year but then the orthopedic said I really need a new knee so I decided to end this year. I am going with family to Prague, Portugal, France and Amsterdam. I’m really looking forward to it. I’m glad that your experience in Albania has been so positive,

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  18. Sarah, I continue to love living vicariously through you! I’ve always considered you an inspiration, and you continue to not disappoint!! I am so glad that Randy is responding well to his treatment – wishing him a speedy and full recovery!

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  19. Those worrisome life events when you’re so far from “home” and loved ones…you handle them with strength and grace, Sarah! So sorry to hear about Randy’s health scare, and grateful for you all that he received the best of care.

    Keep writing—I love reading your snippets about your life in Albania!

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  20. Hi Sarah,
    I’m so glad to hear that Randy is feeling better! I didn’t know he had cancer. I really enjoyed reading your blog and getting caught up with you via that. You’ve had a lot of interesting experiences! Great that you could visit Turkey with Josh and your cousin. Very unfortunate about the passport and Randy but you made the best of it! Love and thoughts, Pat 💕

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