Now that Rana and I have a family and kids, it’s hard to imagine that we’ll have another opportunity to take a crusise like this in the next ten years. Rana has always dreamt of taking a “Blue Cruise,” which in my understanding is a cruise leaving from Turkey and traveling to a number of port cities around the Agean region and visiting some of the Greek Islands in the area.

If you want more information on Mediterranean cruises, you may want to click the link provided. Knowing that the Greek economy has endured such tumultuous times, it is easy to assume that cruises in the Aegean are probably at an all time low in terms of pricing, privacy and availability.

I wish we were in a position to go on a cruise this spring because honestly some of the most enjoyable times Rana and I have ever had together have been spent on cruise boats in the Mediterranean or Aegean sea. To be able to look over the edge of the boat and see clear to the bottom is especially cool. I remember dropping a grape and watching it sink all the way to the bottom of an area that was at least 50 feet deep. Here’s to dreaming of the days when we have that kind of freedom again!

If you’re looking for information on Adana, up til now, Adana Adventures was basically the only site to look for information about Adana, however a new blog has popped up in my absence by an Australian gent married to an Adanali bride.  I’d encourage anyone interested in Adana to check out Andrew Rowland’s “Aussie in Adana”.  He has some great posts about this wonderful city and has done a great job getting off the beaten path.

I’ve especially enjoyed his post about “Adana’s Back Street Gems.” He has managed to find some of the best places to visit that most tourists will never find.  All of his posts are rich with lots of pictures and background information.  Although many people will never find their way to Adana on a typical Turkey itinerary, Aussie in Adana is a great source for those of us who find ourselves in Turkey becase of our relationship to a Turkish spouse, or the US Air Force.  Click the image below to visit his wonderful blog.

As I think about all the things that have happened in my life over the past 8 years, I can’t believe how blessed I’ve been.

I’ve gotten to serve on some amazing teams serving college students in the Adana area and made some great friends

I’ve gotten to travel Europe, visiting the beaches of Spain, the castles of Germany, the hostels of Amsterdam and the watering holes of Belgium.  Not to mention all of the wonderful places I’ve visited in Turkey.

I’ve met the love of my life, Rana, and given life to two amazing children, Aksel and Mia. We’ve managed to raise them to be bi-lingual so far, and I’ve successfully learned the Turkish language.

I’ve gotten to work in the teaching sector, the military sector and the online business world.  I’ve even gotten to spend three years working remotely for an internet company which has allowed me the freedom to travel and to see family regularly.

I’m blessed to have shared this journey not only with my wife and kids, but also with my sister, Laura, my brother in law Can and a host of great friends.  I can’t put into words how blessed I’ve been.  As I move into this next phase of life, I’m so thankful for all that the Lord has provided along the way.

Jake Olson
Mora MN
August, 2012

I believe that this is the best resource in the English Language for things to do in Adana, and I’m very proud of it.  I would greatly appreciate your help in spreading the word.  If you know anyone who is new in Adana, or will be relocating here soon, would you please encourage them to visit www.adanaadventures.com/book ? This would also make a great gift for anyone new to the community.

I also want to mention that I offer a no-questions-asked money back promise.  If you’re not 100% pleased with your purchase, I’ll return your money with no questions asked.

Please feel free to email me if you have any questions about this product. jakedolson at gmail.com.

Moving to Minnesota

My family and I are planning a move to Minnesota in mid July.  This transition is the reason for the lack of updates on the blog here. Although I will no longer be blogging much at this site, my goal is to index it in a way that it’s still a good resource for people coming to Adana.

Forthcoming Book

I’m also very excited that I’m creating my first book/ebook.  I am taking the content that I’ve created for the 52 Things to do in Adana series (14 articles) and adding another 14-16, to add up to 28 Things to do in Adana.  I’m very proud of how it’s turning out and excited to say it will go on sale as an ebook or a print-on-demand book within the next 30 days.  Stay tuned for more updates.

I recently found a very helpful cheat sheet for Turkish markets.  Here at Incirlik Air Base, there is  a regular series of articles on the base’s home page called “Ask Mehmet”.  He recently wrote a great article called “Finding Local Markets.” I encourage you to check out the whole article for instructions about shopping at an Adana Fruit and Vegetable Bazaar.   I think you’ll appreciate the list he’s put together below. Click the image below for a downloadable PDF of the list that you can take to the bazaar with you.

Click the image to download a printable PDF

Vegetable – Sebze (sab-zah)

bean – fasulye (fah-sool-yea)

pea – bezelye (beh-zell-yeah)

cabbage – lahana (lah-hah-nah)

spinach – ispanak (ihs-pah-knock)

carrot – havuç (hah-wuch)

cauliflower – karnibahar (kahr-ne-bah-are)

tomato – domates (doh-mah-tess)

potato – papates (pah-tah-tess)

artichokes – enginar (ehn-ghin-are)

cucumber – salatalik (sah-lah-tah-like)

corn – misir (mis-ihr)

pepper – biber (be-behr)

red pepper – kirmizi biber (kihr-mih-ze be-behr)

green pepper – yesil biber (yeh-sheel be-behr)

radish – turp (tuhrp)

egg plant – patlican (pot-le-john)

leek – pirasa (pih-rah-sah)

okra – bamya (bahm- yah)

mushroom – mantar (mahn-tar)

onion – sogan (so-o-aahn)

garlic – sarimsak (sah-rihm-suck)

lettuce – marul (mah-rule)

fruit – meyve (may-veh)

apple – elma (el-mah)

pear – armut (are-mut)

orange – portakal (pohr-tah-kahl)

tangerine -mandalina (mahn-dah-lee-nah)

cherry – kiraz (ke-razh)

banana – muz (mooze)

peach – seftali (shef-tah-lee)

grapes – uzum (ue-zuem)

plum – erik (eric)

melon – kavun (kah-woon)

watermelon – karpuz (kahr-pooz)

grapefruit – greyfurt (gray-fuhrt)

apricot – kayisi (kah-ye-se)

strawberry – çilek (chee-lack)

pomegranate – nar (nahr)

Although this post is a part of the “Adana Food Guide,” I’m introducing a beverage today; namely Ayran.

Ayran is a simple Turkish drink made of yogurt, water with a little bit of salt for flavor.  Honestly, when I first came to Turkey, there was not much more disgusting that I could imagine than plain yogurt and water.  I’ve grown to love Ayran though, and there are some meals that I simply cannot enjoy without a big glass of ayran.  Frankly,  I can’t imagine living without it, and thankfully I’ll never have to since Yogurt is easy to make and water is pretty abundant.

Noitce the cup of Ayran with straw at McDonalds

A fun fact about Ayran that is that it is a very popular alternative to cola for kids when ordering happy meals at McDonalds.  My kids were raised drinking Ayran as their beverage whenever we eat out and often at home and they love it.

I know that Americans are rediscovering fermented foods, “Greek” Yogurt and lactic acid fermentation, and I can’t think of any better way to get those probiotics into your system than with a big glass of Ayran.

How to fall in Love with Ayran: I haven’t always liked Ayran. One day in my first year in Adana, after a long run, I was offered a glass of şalgam (a very tart drink made with fermented black carrots).  I accepted reluctantly and took a big gulp.  I had tasted Şalgam before, but hated it.  Now I was trying it with an  open mind and a very thirsty palate. I’ve loved it ever since. I tried the same thing with Ayran a few weeks later and have loved it ever since.  I encourage you to try Ayran after a workout or at some other time when you’re really thirsty.  It really quenches your thirst, and I think trying it when thirsty is a key.

I also think it’s helpful for Americans to remember before trying Ayran that peoples all around the world enjoy salty beverages and that although it’s not “normal” for us, it’s common around the world and worth a try.  In fact, versions of Ayran exist in Albanian, Arab, Armenian, Bulgarian, Greek, Kurdish and Persian cultures, so I think it’s really worth giving it a try.

A simple recipe for Ayran found at Ayran.com goes like this:

Plain Ayran

1 1/2 cup plain yogurt
1 1/2 cup water
1 tsp salt

Combine all of the above in a blender. Mix for 35-40 seconds. Also after blending, at the top, you will see bubbles and that’s the best part. Makes 4 portions.

You can read about more Adana cuisine in the Adana Food Guide.