"Cirali! Cirali!" The call of the bus attendant wakes me from my doze. Flustered and hot, my partner Cedric and I scramble to collect our gear under the watchful eye of moustachioed farmers, white-veiled women, and a red-headed toddler seated quietly on his mother's lap. Squeezing past bags of lettuce, fragrant herbs, and bright red tomatoes, we emerge into the blinding noon sunshine.

In the middle of Central Anatolia lies an area called Cappadocia. It is one of Turkey's main tourist destinations because of its' incredibly funky landscape.

We were hoping our flight from Kuala Lumpur to Istanbul would be an empty one, since it was going to be fairly long. Unfortunately, it started out completely packed but more than half the people on the plane got off when we landed for a stop in the middle of the night in Dubai where the duty free stores seem to be operating on a 24 hour schedule.

I vaguely recall studying WWI in school. But it's not until you come to Gallipoli that you get a true appreciation for what the Aussies, Kiwis, Brits and other Allied troops fought for.

I am LOVING Istanbul! This is a fantastic city with a great vibe. I've been here for 6 days and feel I've only scratched the surface. People have been really friendly, and the shop owners don't hassle you at all.

Merhaba and greetings from Turkey! Although unintentional, I saved the best for last. My five weeks in Turkey have been phenomenal. It is the perfect end to an amazing year of travel, and a dream come true.

Must have gotten used to the 5 AM call to prayer - If I was called, I didn't answer. Up at 7 - showered and packed - wonderful breakfast with Jasper the hotel cat @ 8 and off to the Internet cafe to e-mail travelogue. The Internet is faster in the morning as it only took thirty minutes to upload a letter with three attachments.