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Travel blog (by 1HT)
Naši učenici prvog razreda opisali su svoje viđenje putovanja u Bugarsku i Tursku u sklopu Nastave na putu na engleskom jeziku.
BULGARIA & TURKEY by 1.HT (April 24th–May 3rd)
DAY 1: ZAGREB- SOFIA by Fran M.
My group and I started the trip to Turkey by bus from Črnomerec at 2:30 a.m. At first, everything was quiet in the bus. Everyone spoke to each other and listened to music. There was a far and big road ahead of us waiting for us. After 6 hours we came to Serbia, where we had some time for breakfast. Travelling across Serbia we came to Sofia- the capital city of Bulgaria.
In Sofia we first visited the town centre. After that we visited the most famous churches and cathedrals like Alexander Nevsky Cathedral and the Saint Sofia Church. In the evening we took a walk. We stayed in a nice hotel with a nice view and good food. We had fun in our room and finally went to sleep at around 5 a.m.
DAY 2: SOFIA- CANAKKALE by Fran M.
We got up at 7 a.m. and had a nice and tasty breakfast. At 8 a.m. we came to the bus nervous and tired because we didn’t sleep much the night before. We drove to Canakkale across Thrace (Trakija) to the Gallipoli peninsula. The trip was boring because everyone was sleeping in the bus during the ride. When we came to our destination we met a funny guy called Edin. He was our local tour guide. We passed the Dardanelles by boat. The boat trip was not long but it was so cold because of the cold wind. The ride wasn’t interesting. When we came to Canakkale we stayed in a good hotel and had chicken, which wasn’t really tasty, for dinner.
*THE DARDANELLES by Paula B.
The Dardanelles is a very narrow sea strait in northwestern Turkey that forms part of the continental border between Europe and Asia. It also separates Asian Turkey from European Turkey. The Dardanelles connects seas along the Eastern Mediterranean, the Balkans, the Near East, Western Eurasia and specifically connects the Aegean Sea to the Sea of Marmara. The Marmara further connects to the Black Sea all the way to the Mediterranean Sea and the Atlantic Ocean. It also connects the Indian Ocean through the Suez Canal making it the main international waterway, especially for the passage of goods coming from Russia.
The strait is 61 kilometres long and 6 kilometres wide with the maximum depth of 103 metres. There are two main currents through the strait: a surface current which flows from the Black Sea towards the Aegean Sea and a more saline undercurrent which flows in the opposite direction. Those waters are rich in various kinds of fish that migrate between the Black and the Aegean Sea. The Dardanelles is unique in many cases. The very narrow shape of the strait reminds of a river. It is considered one of the most crowded, difficult and dangerous waterways in the world.
DAY 3: CANAKKALE-TROY-BERGAMA-KUŞADASI by Karla M.
In the morning we had a wake-up call, but even before that we had a wake-up call from Sarah and Irena. I had toast with jam and some cereals for breakfast. We packed our bags and checked out from the hotel and went to Troy. When we came to Troy we had some free time. The guide told us we can take a picture in the Trojan horse and in front of it. Then we went sightseeing. We saw some old Roman and Greek ruins of city. After sightseeing we had free time for 20 minutes. We could buy some drinks, drink coffee or buy souvenirs. A bottle of water (1, 5 L) costs 2 TL which is only 2, 40 KN. Coffee costs 5 TL, and souvenirs cost around 10 TL. After our free time, we went to Bergama and saw the ruins of the Altar of Zeus, the temple of Trajan and the theatre. Then we went back into the bus and drove to Kuşadasi- sometimes called the bird Island. There was a little problem with the traffic so we checked into our hotel at 9 p.m. It was already past dinner time but they served dinner just for us. I ate some meat with pasta. After we checked in, we had some free time in the evening. Some of us went out with teachers and some of us stayed in the hotel. I stayed in hotel, because I was so exhausted. My friend Kyra stayed with me. But we had some type of a “party”. We were joking, laughing and doing some fun things on Snapchat. The hotel was okay, but it could have been better. Bathrooms were a little bit old fashioned and weren’t clean enough. But, apart from the hotel bathroom, everything else was ok. It was my first trip so far away from Croatia and it was cool and fun.
*THE TROJAN HORSE by Robert B.
The legend of the Trojan horse is a story from the Trojan War about the trick that the Greeks used to enter the independent city of Troy and win the war. In the original version, after an unsuccessful 10-year siege, the Greeks constructed a huge wooden horse, and hid some of their men inside including Odysseus.
The horse was left as a present for the Trojans. The Greeks pretended to sail away, and the Trojans pulled the horse into their city as a victory trophy. That night the Greek force came out of the horse and opened the gates of Troy for the rest of the Greek army, which had sailed back under cover of night.
The Greeks entered and destroyed the city of Troy, ending the war.
DAY 4: KUŞADASI-EPHESUS-KUŞADASI by Leona H.
We woke up around 7 a.m. I barely got out of bed because I was very tired and exhausted. It was very hot outside. The temperature was around 26 °C. After breakfast we left the hotel and went to see Ephesus. Ephesus is an ancient city on the west coast of Asia Minor in Turkey. It is a part of the list of UNESCO World Heritage Sites in Asia. The guide led us through the city and we came to the ancient metropolis. Greek philosopher Heracles was born there. Ephesus is today one of the best preserved ancient cities in Europe and one of the top tourist attractions in Turkey. We went to see the Temple of Artemis. It is one of the seven world wonders. Today, only its remains can be seen. The Temple of Artemis was a holy place. After that, we went to see the Library of Celsus where we took a few group photos. We also went to see the house of the Virgin Mary. She lived there after the death of Jesus. Pilgrims believe she died there, too. Today it is one of the most important pilgrimage places in Christianity. Even Holy Fathers of the Vatican came to visit. Near the roman villa there were male toilets where important conversations were sometimes held. We also saw the remains of the Grand Theatre of Ephesus. The guide told me Enrique Iglesias had a concert there. We didn’t have much free time. We went for a drink and after that we finally got into the bus. The guide was talking too much and that irritated me but luckily he had a very calming voice so I fell asleep quickly. When we came to the hotel, we changed our clothes and went to dinner. After dinner we had a lot of free time but I was too exhausted so I stayed in the hotel while the others went swimming in the Aegean Sea. The day was long and not so interesting to me.
*THE TEMPLE OF ARTEMIS by Tino L.
Ephesus was the capital city of the Roman province Asia. It was the second biggest city in the world at that time. The city was famous for the nearby the Temple of Artemis, one of the Seven Wonders of the Ancient World. Among many other monumental buildings are the Library of Celsus, and a theatre that could fit 25,000 spectators.
The temple of Artemis was located in Ephesus, near the modern town of Selcukin present-day Turkey. It was completely rebuilt three times. In the 7th century it was destroyed by a flood. It was rebuilt around 550 BC and destroyed again by Herostratus in 356 BC in an act of arson because he wanted to become famous. The last, greatest form of the temple, funded by the Ephesians, is described in Antipater of Sidon’s list of the world Seven Wonders. Only foundations and fragments of the last temple remain at the site.
The temple of Artemis or Artemision is also sometimes called the Temple of Diana, a Roman goddess. Fromt he Greek point of view, the Ephesian Artemis is a distinctive form of their goddess Artemis. In Greek cult and myth, Artemis is the twin of Apollo, a virgin huntress. At Ephesus, a goddess whom the Greeks associated with Artemis was venerated in an archaic, pre-Hellenic cult image as a symbol of fertility.
DAY 5: KUŞADASI-HIERAPOLIS-PAMUKKALE by Dario K.
In the morning, my friend Jakov woke me up. I was barely awake because I was sleeping in children’s bed that night. I was sleeping there because they gave us a double room and there were three of us. We found the bed in the hall so we decided to drag it to our room. When we got ready to go, we finally went to breakfast. I didn’t like the food in that hotel because I don’t like trying out new food. After we ate, we started our trip to Hierapolis. When we got there, the sun was very bright and it was hot and I didn’t have any water. We explored the remains of Hierapolis and the only part I liked was the Roman toilets. I wanted to test those toilets but they didn’t let me. I got sunburnt and I was very sweaty. The sweat was dripping down my forehead. We all met near the bus and went to Pamukkale. We arrived around 7 p.m. We went to our rooms and unpacked. Roko, a senior student, asked me if I was going to the market so that I buy him cigarettes. My friends Jakov, Mislav and I went to the market and walked for around fifteen minutes to get there. On our way, we saw a small wedding and people were shouting and singing and listening to music. We walked past them and one guy had a shoutgun and fired a shot. We got to the market, bought water and cigarettes and came back. It wasn’t expensive at all. When we got back, Prajda, Jakov and I went swimming in the hotel outdoor pool. After that we went to dinner. I only ate the sweet stuff. After dinner Jakov, Mislav and I went to the indoor pool. We could go to sauna but it was 30 euros and we concluded that it’s a waste of money for us so we didn’t go. Some older students tried it. We got bored, so we went to our rooms. We were there for half an hour and then we heard that one student got missing and we all went to look for her. We found her about an hour later when someone told that she was actually sleeping in her room this whole time. We were all very angry. We first went to our rooms but then Matic and I showered together and we lived happily ever after.
DAY 6: PAMUKKALE-BURSA-ISTANBUL by Magdalena R.
I shared the room with Leona and Tonka. We were exhausted from previous days, so it was the first night that we didn’t go out for a drink or for a walk. The whole trip the day before was exhausting so I woke up rested that morning. The hotel was beautiful, although the location wasn’t very good because we were located in Pamukkale in some village. The rooms were nice, for three persons. We had a room with view of a big swimming pool. I didn’t eat much for breakfast because I didn’t get used to the Turkish food. After breakfast I went to our room to get ready for the trip to Bursa. Bursa was beautiful but we didn’t stay long in that city we were there just to see the Grand Mosque with 20 domes. We had a little free time. All guys who were wearing shorts had to wrap something around their waist. It looked like they were wearing skirts. It was so funny and the girls had to wear shawls on our heads because that is their culture. Some students took ice cream from those ice-cream guys who are joking with the customers. First they tease you and then they give you your ice-cream. After our free time, we went back on the road to Istanbul. We came to Istanbul right at the time of sunset and went to a view point to see the whole Istanbul. It was so beautiful. We took a lot of photos and some students took photos separately. It took us 10 minutes to get to our hotel in Istanbul, Grand Ons hotel. We had 10 minutes to leave our stuff and go to dinner on the eighth floor. After dinner, a lot of drama happened. Two girls were in a fight and I somehow I was guilty for that and I had to change rooms with a second-grader. That night I was sad so I fell asleep soon. If I could change something about that, of course I would, but I can’t.
DAY 7: ISTANBUL by Luka P.
We woke up too late almost every morning, so we skipped breakfast that day. After breakfast time, we went to the city to see some sights. First we went to the Hippodrome of Constantinople, which wasn’t that interesting to me. After that we went to see the Blue Mosque, which is one of the biggest mosques in Turkey. That was very interesting because it is enormous and beautiful. The Blue Mosque is the only one with 6 minarets. After visiting the Blue Mosque we went to the Sultan’s palace Topkapi. That was one of the most interesting sights of the whole trip because inside it there are a few museums with swords and the knights’ stuff which was very interesting. After that we went to another enormous mosque named Aya Sofya or Hagia Sophia, It was made in the style of Byzantine architecture. For me, that was the most interesting sight of all. After the exhausting sightseeing we had a short break- free time for lunch. A lot of us ate a kebab because there is the best kebab. After all of that we went back to our hotel to have dinner and that was it for that exhausting, but fun day.
*HAGIA SOPHIA by Karlo Đ.
The Hagia Sophia is an enormous architectural miracle in Istanbul, Turkey. It was originally built as a Christian basilica nearly 1, 500 years ago. The Hagia Sophia is in the centre of the Old City of Istanbul and has served for centuries as a landmark for both Orthodox Christians and Muslims, as its significance has shifted with that of the dominant culture in the Turkish city.
Byzantine Emperor Constantius II commissioned the construction of the first Hagia Sophia in 360 A.D. At the time of the first church’s construction, Istanbul was known as Constantinople, taking its name from Constantius II’s father, Constantine I, the first ruler of the Byzantine Empire. The marble used for the floor and ceiling was produced in Anatolia and Syria, while other bricks came from as far away as North Africa. The interior of Hagia Sophia is lined with enormous marble slabs that are said to have been designed to imitate moving water. And, the Hagia Sophia’s 104 columns were imported from the Temple of Artemis in Ephesus, as well as from Egypt. The building measures some 82 metres in length and 73 metres in width and, at its highest point, the domed roof stretches some 55 metres into the air. It is one of the largest churches in the world.
The Hagia Sophia served its pivotal role in Byzantine culture and politics for much of its first 900 years of existence. During the Crusades, the city of Constantinople, and by extension the Hagia Sophia, was under Roman control for a brief period in the 13th century. The Hagia Sophia was severely damaged during this period, but was repaired when the Byzantines once again took control of the surrounding city. The next significant period of change for the Hagia Sophia began less than 200 years later, when the Ottomans, led by Emperor Fatih Sultan Mehmed—known as Mehmed the Conqueror—captured Constantinople in 1453. This main church of Orthodox Christianity was turned into a mosque. The Ottomans renamed the city Istanbul.
In 1935, the first Turkish president and founder of the Republic of Turkey, Mustafa Kemal Atatürk, transformed the building into a museum. The carpets were removed and marble floor decorations appeared for the first time in centuries, while the plaster covering many of the mosaics was removed.
DAY 8: ISTANBUL by Jerko M.
That morning I woke up late and almost missed our tour to the Grand Bazaar. We went 10 minutes later because of some boys and girls who were late. We left without them and they stayed in the hotel.
We exchanged money at the tram station and then entered the tram to the Süleymaniye Mosque. There are separate mausoleums of Sultan Suleiman the Magnificent and his wife Hurrem Sultan. We took photos, ate kebab and got ahead to the Grand Bazaar. My friend Matic and I were joking with people who sell T-shirts because they do not know Croatian. One guy understood us and smiled at us but we were scared and walked away. People were very kind and one of them brought us their best T-shirts and shoes. While we were walking, we met guys from the second grade and showed them that store with that cool guy. After shopping for about 4 hours, went again to eat a kebab. We came back to the hotel. Hanging out in our room was great because we listened to our music over bluetooth. We spent all night comparing things that we had bought and ate at McDonalds’. We were very bored so we spent time wrestling the rest of the night. Then we got tired and went to sleep.
DAY 9: ISTANBUL-PLOVDIV by Luka M.
I woke up around half past 7 a.m. I packed my stuff and ate my breakfast and the meeting point was in front of the hotel at a quarter to 9. We started our ride from Istanbul to Plovdiv. We arrived around 3 p.m. in Plovdiv. We checked in the hotel around 4 p.m. The hotel was nice and it was brand new. It opened only 3 weeks before. Then we had some free time until 7 p.m. Then we had dinner in a restaurant near the hotel. The food was good. We first had salad and the hamburgers. The hamburgers were good and we also got a slice of cake. Then we went to walk around the centre of the city as a group. But the city isn’t very big so we saw it all in around 15 minutes. Then we had free time to do what we want. I went to the hotel and watched a comedy on Netflix, which was for free, and then fell asleep around midnight.
DAY 10: PLOVDIV-ZAGREB by Luka M.
The next morning I woke up and took a shower. Then I got ready and went for breakfast. After breakfast we met at 9 a.m. in front of the hotel and went to the bus. Then we started the ride to Zagreb. We made a few stops on the road to have a break from the bus drive. We also ate ćevapčići in Serbia. They were very good. Then we continued the ride to Zagreb. We arrived in Zagreb around midnight. The trip was awesome we had a lot of fun. The best day was in Kuşadası because we had a great time at night. We went to a pub and ate hamburgers and kebabs.