Büyükşehir Ankara (Metropolitan Ankara)
We arrive in the evening to Ankara, the capital city of Turkey, after a bus ride of about 270 miles. Even though it is dark outside, you can still tell that Ankara is a busy metropolis. Full of cars, buildings, signs and people everywhere.
That's our hotel in the picture below, the building that's lit up down the street. The Occidental Hotel Ankara. We arrive a little late in the evening, but everyone is probably hungry, so we all head out for a quick orientation tour of the neighborhood around the hotel and then go our separate ways to pick a place for dinner.
Day 4. We check-out early in the morning and head out of Ankara and make our way to Cappadocia. At one of the tour stops, we get the chance to take a group picture at The Mausoleum of Atatürk, with the armed guards watching our lively group!
Ankara'ya hoş geldiniz (Welcome to Ankara)
Day 3 - continued. The first city we visit outside of Istanbul on this tour is Ankara. No scheduled sites for the rest of today after a long road trip.
Arrival in Ankara
Ankara has the feel of a capital city. More of a metropolis and less of an ancient city.
Dinner on our own
An enjoyable dinner at Hosta. You order at the counter, pay at the register, pick a seat that is comfortable for you, and they call you when your order is ready. The staff working there was very friendly and helpful, even though I don't speak the native language.
The sign drew me in...and I was hungry
I think the signage out in front of the restaurant drew me in. A nice, fast-serve restaurant. Everything on the sign looked so good, I couldn't pass it by.
Pizza, Again!
Pide is very common, but it is great. This one included a parsley salad on the side.
Kapadokya'ya giderken (On our way to Cappadocia)
Day 4 -We visit a couple of sites in Ankara in the morning. The Museum of Anatolian Civilizations - The Mausoleum of Atatürk.
The Museum of Anatolian Civilizations
The Museum of Anatolian Civilizations is our first stop. Ancient ruins and incredible artifacts from thousands of years ago are on exhibit here. This is one of the nicest museums you'll find anywhere in the world. After spending a couple of hours in the museum, we all headed outside and played "the name game" with Yaren, to make sure that all of the group members knew each other by name. We did pretty well considering we all just met a few days ago!
The Mausoleum of Atatürk
The Mausoleum of Atatürk is our last stop before hitting the road to Cappadocia. Guards march in with a memorial wreath set on display for Atatürk.
Lunch on our own in Ankara.
Lunch is on our own, but we go as a group to anit lezzet where we get some authentic Turkish food, before heading back out on the road to our next stop, Cappadocia.
Local Cuisine
Lentil soup, salad, and beans for lunch!
and More....
Don't forget the peppers, pita bread, and beef.
Tea and watermelon for dessert
Enjoying some tea and watermelon for dessert!
Gallery of Pictures #1
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Some of my favorite pictures from Ankara divided into two galleries, scroll down to see the second gallery of pictures...