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Chuuk

Chuuk (also known as Truk) is one of the four states of the Federated States of Micronesia.

Cities

 * - has the only airport in the state

Other destinations

 * - 4 islands in western Chuuk Lagoon
 * - 3 atolls, more traditional area, also called the Mortlock Islands

Understand
The main population center of Chuuk is Chuuk Lagoon, a large archipelago with mountainous islands surrounded by a string of islets on a barrier reef. Chuuk State also includes several more sparsely populated "outer island" groups, including the Mortlock Islands to the southeast, the Hall Islands (Pafeng) to the north, Namonuito Atoll to the northwest, and the Pattiw Region to west. The Pattiw Region is of particular interest in that they are some of the most traditional islands in the Pacific and culturally related to outer islands of Yap.

Chuuk was originally part of the colonial territory of the Caroline Islands, and as such Chuuk has been a part of the Spanish Empire, then the German Empire and finally the Japanese empires.

During World War II, Chuuk Lagoon was the Japan's main naval base in the South Pacific theatre. A significant portion of the Imperial Japanese fleet was based there, with its administrative center on Tonoas (south of Weno). Due to its heavy fortifications, both natural and manmade, the base at Chuuk was nicknamed by the Allied forces as "the Gibraltar of the Pacific". In 1944 the U.S. forces attacked Chuuk under code name Operation Hailstone. The attack culminated in one of the most important naval battles of the war. Twelve Japanese warships, thirty-two merchant ships and 249 aircraft were destroyed.

After the War, Chuuk was one of six districts of the Trust Territory of the Pacific Islands which were administered by the United States under charter from the United Nations from the end of the Second World War to the early 1990s. Now Chuuk is a state within the independent Federated States of Micronesia.

Talk
The native language is Chuukese, although many people (particularly those in the hospitality industry) speak English. Making life more difficult for travelers, Chuukese varies from island to island although most people from different islands can understand each other.

Get in
United Airlines flies to Chuuk from Guam and from Pohnpei.

Passports are required for entry and must be presented. US citizens may enter without restrictions. All other countries must have outbound ticket and are limited to 30 days.

Get around
There is no public transport infrastructure in Chuuk. On the main island, the two options are either take a taxi or rent a car or scooter. Both are fairly cheap, but the quality of the roads and the quality of the vehicles are about what you would expect in a relatively poor country.

Travelling between islands will invariably require hiring a boat. There are ferries but they can be irregular.

Do

Chuuk is renowned for its wreck diving. The PADI Encyclopedia of Recreational Diving lists four "Meccas" of wreck diving, and Truk Lagoon is one of the four.

In 1944 the US Navy conducted Operation Hailstone, the largest surface bombing campaign in history, wiping out a Japanese fleet stationed at the island. The seabed around Chuuk is now littered with nearly 70 wrecks of ships and planes, all protected from deep sea currents by a reef system, and most within depths appropriate for scuba divers.

Although Truk Lagoon contains a number of spectacular wrecks, the Fujikawa Maru is often singled out by diving magazines and travel guides as one of the top 10 wreck dives in the world.

However, apart from scuba diving, there is not very much to do in Chuuk. There are no real beaches on Weno (although some of the outer islands which can be reached by boat do have beaches). None of the hotels on Chuuk has a swimming pool. For non-divers, a trip to Chuuk can be dull and tiresome.

Chuuk Lagoon
The Chuuk Lagoon is a major scuba diving destination for divers interested in wreck diving. Chuuk Lagoon was a port for the Japanese fleet in World War II and was attacked by the American navy in Operation Hailstorm on February 16th 1944. The lagoon contains the wrecks of over thirty naval ships and 250 aircraft, making it the largest underwater military cemetery in the world. Many of the ships still have cargo including medical supplies, armaments, trucks and mines. The most commonly dived wrecks are the:
 * Heian Maru, a 530-ft (162-m) long ship in 110ft (34m) of water
 * San Francisco Maru, a 385-ft (117-m) long cargo boat with the stern in 210 ft (64m) and the front mast in 90 ft (27m).
 * Fujikawa Maru, a 437-ft (133-m) long freighter upright on the sea floor.
 * Nippo Maru, a 353-ft (108-m) long freighter sitting upright in between 50 ft (15m) to 150 ft (46m) of water.
 * Upside Down Zero, a Japanese fighter plane in 60 ft (18 m) of water.
 * Betty Bomber, a Japanese bomber plane in 50 ft (15 m) of water.

Buy
The official currency of the FSM is the U.S. dollar ("$", ISO currency code: USD). It is divided into 100 cents.

Drink
Alcohol is subject to a 50% sales tax in Chuuk, and all alcohol is imported. Accordingly, an evening at the bar can rapidly become quite an expensive proposition in Chuuk.

Sleep
Although the Chuuk Visitor's Bureau lists a number of options, there are principally two land based hotels in Chuuk which tourists tend to stay at:

Chuuk is a very poor country, and visitors should adjust their expectations of the hotels accordingly. Although the rooms will be air conditioned and clean, the amenities will be somewhat limited.

Visitors who come to scuba dive (which is to say, almost all of them) often stay on one of the two liveaboard dive vessels which operate in Chuuk:

Stay safe
It is best to observe the cultural norms of each island. For the most part conservative dress and manners will do much to ensure you have a safe visit. Women should NOT wear shorts or short skirts and bathing suits should only be worn at the main resorts. It is best to wear a T-shirt over your bathing suit if you will be swimming near public beaches. Speaking to a local of the opposite gender can be thought of as an open invitation to a more serious relationship.

When on the main islands, avoid going out alone after dark. As in many places around the globe men have more freedoms to behave as they choose. Many use the darkness, and a few too many drinks to behave as they would like. For the most part they will be more aggressive and overt in their attention-seeking behaviors. They will over-react if they believe their ego/reputation has been questioned.

Connect
Cell service available only with FSM SIM card purchased locally.

title: Chuuk


text:
Chuvashia

Chuvashia (Russian: Чува́шская Респу́блика choo-VAHSH-skuh-yuh rees-POOB-lee-kuh or Чува́шия choo-VAHSH-ee-yuh) is a sovereign republic in the Upper Volga, bordering Mordovia to the southwest, Nizhny Novgorod Oblast to the west, Mari El to the north, Tatarstan to the east, and Ulyanovsk Oblast to the south.

Chuvashia is in the center of the European part of Russia. The republic is not large, at 18,000 km², but is one of the most densely populated regions in the Russian Federation, with a total population of 1.4 million people. It is bordered to the north and west by the Volga river and its capital, the city of Cheboksary, on the banks of the Volga river, approximately 650 km east of Moscow.

Cities

 * Yadrin
 * — the capital is a lovely stop on Volga cruises with lots to see, surprisingly pretty and well maintained city streets, and a populace distinctly more happy than the national average
 * — a very Soviet satellite city of Cheboksary
 * — a small town ecological tourism destination, near Chuvashia's national park and nature reserves
 * Kozlovka
 * — a small industrial city and major railroad junction

Other destinations

 * Chuvash Varmane National Park
 * Тhe mountain "Bird flight"
 * Prisursky Nature Reserve
 * The "Gosudareva gora" mountain
 * Mokrinsky bridge

Understand
Approximately 60 percent of the people of Chuvashia live in urban areas. The largest city is the capital, Cheboksary, followed by its nearby satellite city, Novocheboksarsk.

Within Chuvashia, the Chuvash and Russian nationalities make up about 67 and 27 percent of the population, respectively, giving the region a rich multi-ethnic character. The Chuvash are descendants of the Bulgars who migrated to this region and are Orthodox Christian; they are very closely related with their Muslim Tatar neighbors.

Talk
Russian is the language of business and the lingua franca among all residents—you will have no problem getting around if you speak Russian. The Chuvash language, however, is spoken by many, especially in the country. The Chuvash language belongs to the Oghur subgroup of the Turkic language group.

There is also a resurgence of native Chuvash pride and many people are looking back to their Chuvash roots, exploring the culture and heritage and relearning the language. Most building signs, road signs, and announcements are in both Russian and Chuvash.

By plane
Cheboksary airport receives regularly scheduled flights from Moscow and other destinations. Cheboksary is about a two-hour drive from Nizhny Novgorod, a city with international air connections through Lufthansa.

By train
The railway network is developed and accessible all year. One of the largest railway junctions of Russia, Kanash, is in the center of the Republic. Via Kanash, the rail system connects the major towns in Chuvashia with the major industrial centers of Eastern Siberia, the Urals, and Moscow. Express trains present a low-cost, comfortable way to travel. Express trains from Moscow are available everyday, and the easy overnight journey is approximately 14 hours.

By car
Autos, trucks, and buses carry the majority of transportation, as the Republic ranks fourth in highway density in all of Russia. Cheboksary is on one of the main highways of the Russian Federation leading from Moscow to the industrial areas of Tartarstan, the Southern Urals, and Siberia. Furthermore, a bridge across the Volga to the north connects the republic to the developed Ural-Provolzhye and Kirov Oblast regions. To the south, highways connect Chuvashia with Saratov and Volgograd.

By ship
With the Volga and Sura Rivers, Chuvashia is connected to a national and international water network. To the south, Volgograd, Rostov-on-Don, Astrakhan, the Caspian Sea, and Black Sea are directly reachable. To the west, the Volga river connects Cheboksary with Nizhny Novgorod, Yaroslavl, Moscow, and the northern regions of Russia. By using river-sea vessels, it is possible to get from Chuvash riverports all the way to Saint Petersburg, Novorossiysk (on the Black Sea), Astrakhan, and ports on the Danube river. However, the river is frozen from December through April.

Public transport
Extensive public and private bus systems connect all towns within the republic with each other and with surrounding regions.

Cheboksary is covered by an extensive system of trolleybuses, autobuses, and minibuses. There are several official taxi agencies, but also many so-called "gipsy" taxis, which are privately owned. The latter can be a convenient way of getting around, but also potentially dangerous and thus not recommended. Official taxis cost less than two dollars for travel between most points within the city.

By boat
Cheboksary is a frequent stop on many boat tours that travel up and down the Volga. A boat tour to the major cities along the Volga is highly recommended.

Drink
Ask someone in Russia about Chuvashia and they will likely respond with a comment about beer, as the republic has been a center of hops-growing and beer-brewing for hundreds of years. There are two beer manufacturers in Cheboksary, Buket Chuvashi and Yantar, as well as Russia's only beer museum.

license: Creative Commons - Attribution Share-Alike - https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/

title: Chuvashia


text:
Chuxiong

Chuxiong (楚雄市; Chǔxióng Shì) is a city in Central Yunnan Province and the capital of the Chuxiong Yi Autonomous Prefecture. It's a delightful town which doesn't see many western tourists.

Geography
Chuxiong is about 127 kilometers (79 mi) west of Yunnan's capital Kunming on Highway GZ65. Chuxiong City is nestled between mountain ranges on all sides in a plateau region at 5,800 feet (1,800 m). Chuxiong City has a population of 130,000 inhabitants and the entire Chuxiong Prefecture has an estimated 2,542,530 inhabitants.

Chuxiong is located between Kunming and Dali, with Dali about 140 kilometers (87 mi) west of Chuxiong and Kunming about 120 km to the east. Lijiang is about a six-hour drive from Chuxiong, and Lugu Lake is about 11 hours north, on the Sichuan border.

Administrative divisions

 * 12 towns
 * 3 townships
 * Shuju, Yunnan|Shuju (树苴乡)
 * Daguokou, Yunnan|Daguokou (大过口乡)
 * Dadiji, Yunnan|Dadiji (大地基乡)

Climate
Chuxiong experiences a mild dry-winter humid subtropical climate (Köppen climate classification: Cwa), bordering on a dry-winter subtropical highland climate (Köppen climate classification: Cwb). Winters are mild, dry, and sunny, although average lows in January reach barely above freezing. Spring begins early and remains dry and sunny until late May when there is a dramatic uptick in the frequency and amount of rainfall lasting until late September. Summers are warm, rainy, and generally overcast, with June, the warmest month, averaging 21.4 °C (70.5 °F). Autumn sees an abrupt reduction in rainfall and a return to clear skies.

The annual mean temperature is 16.00 °C (60.8 °F), while precipitation averages at 890.7 mm (35.1 in) a year, more than 70% of which occurs from June to September. With monthly percent possible sunshine ranging from 28% in July to 70% in February, the city receives 2,177 hours of bright sunshine annually. December and January both have an all-around average temperature of 8.7 °C (47.7 °F).

Drink
Huidong Street (汇东街) is a small street with several cafés and bars. It runs north from the little lake at Lóngquán Lù (龙泉路).

Sleep
It is easy to find any kind of accommodation. This is especially true for an area of small streets north of the river called Fēngshèng Xiǎoqū (丰盛小区). Go to the intersection of Fēngshèng Lù (丰胜路) and Lóngjiāng Lù (龙江路) to get there. You will see several expensive Hotels (Jiudians) at those big streets at first. Go into the side streets northeast of the intersection to find dozens of cheap hotels (Lüguans and Binguans) from ¥20 there.

Go next
Some of the destinations to go to from here are:
 * Heijing - by bus
 * Lufeng - by bus or train
 * Yuanmou - by bus
 * Dali - by train
 * Lijiang - by train

title: Chuxiong


text:
Chuy

Chuy is a town in the Atlantic Coast region of Uruguay, with its twin town of Chuí right across the street in Brazil.

The main street in Chuy is the actual border between Uruguay and Brazil. One half of the town speaks Spanish and pays in pesos, while the other half speaks Portuguese and pays in reais.

Get in
Buses stop in the center of town, on Leonardo Olivera near the Plaza Artigas.

The border is open, so you're free to cross back and forth between Chuí and Chuy. If you plan to continue into Brazil past the town of Chuí, though, make sure you get your passport stamped at before entering the town. Bus drivers should stop there and wait for you if you ask them to. When leaving Chuí for the rest of Brazil, you'll likewise need to stop at, and the same thing in reverse if you're coming from Brazil to Uruguay.

See

 * The main street might be not an impressive sight, but it is the actual border between Uruguay and Brazil.

Go next

 * Chui in Brazil just across the main street.
 * Seven kilometer west of town is the beautiful Fuerte San Miguel an old Spanish fortress. There are infrequent buses going, but hitchhiking is also an option. If you have to wait for your connection it's worth a visit.
 * Punta del Diablo – the nearest major beach town, less than an hour away by car or bus.

title: Chuy


text:
Ciacova

Ciacova is a town in Timiș County, Banat, Romania.

Understand
Ciacova is located in Timiș River Plain, on Timișul Mort River, at a distance of 28 km from Timișoara.

Get in
Road access in the area is provided on the county road DJ 693, in length of 9 km, connecting with international highway E70 Timișoara - Stamora Moravița. Connection between Ciacova and Timișoara is made also by the railway Jebel-Gier.

See

title: Ciacova


text:
Ciamis

Ciamis is a city in the East Parahyangan region of Western Java, Indonesia.

By car
Ciamis is along the main road of the Southern Java Route that runs from Bandung to Yogyakarta. To get to Ciamis from Bandung, you will need to take the road over the Nagreg mountain pass. The journey takes about 3 hours if traffic conditions are good. However, serious traffic congestion is common on the mountain pass road. The larger city of Tasikmalaya is just west of Ciamis, and by car the journey from Tasik's city centre to Ciamis takes about 30 to 45 minutes.

By train
is in the city centre. There are four daily economy class trains to the west (to Bandung and Jakarta) and four to the east (2 to Purwokerto, 1 to Surabaya and 1 to Kediri). In addition, there is one daily business class train to Surabaya that also calls at Yogyakarta and Solo.

By bus
Many buses on the Southern Java Route drop off and pick up passengers in Ciamis. is on the southern side of the city. However, as the terminal is a bit off the main road, bus drivers do not always stop there but sometimes just let passengers get off along the main road. From Jakarta, most buses that call at Ciamis depart at Kampung Rambutan bus terminal in East Jakarta (mostly buses with destination Cilacap or Pangandaran). There are also very frequent buses during daytime from the Cicaheum terminal in East Bandung. In Bandung, it is also an option to wait for buses at the Cileunyi toll gate, as all buses from Jakarta towards Ciamis pass there. From other destinations, such as Cirebon, it is usually easier to get on a bus to the city of Tasikmalaya first, and then get on another bus or minibus (or hire an ojek motorcycle taxi) to Ciamis.

Get around
There are also small size public transportation which reach almost every corner of the town. These transportation are differentiated with route number, each route number serves a particular places. People can use an ojek (motorcycle taxi) to go to places outside the public transportation routes.

Do
The town itself is pretty quiet, the business activities are not much. People usually come to the central park (Alun-alun) with their family to rest and enjoy the park. There are several tourist places outside Ciamis that are worth a visit. One of the possibilities of attraction is to visit or spend a night or two at local village such as Jelat Village. They are offering experiences of village life along with the delicious traditional meals. Walking and biking tracks are available at the village, along with its scenery.

Buy
There are no special store for souvenirs in town selling traditional items. It is possible to find ordinary farmers hat, or bamboo matrasses but nothing special.

Eat
There are many small restaurants that sell local food. A typical snack from Ciamis is galendo. Galendo is a sweet snack that was a byproduct of the coconut oil production process. Coconut milk is boiled until dry, and then the oil is separated from the pulp. The pulp is often mixed with other flavours, such as chocolate or strawberry. Nowadays, the galendo is more expensive than the coconut oil, so it is no longer a byproduct.

Sleep
Hotels in Ciamis are usually full during weekends, as many domestic tourists stay here when they want to go to Pangandaran beach.

Connect
The telephone area code of Ciamis is 0265.

Go next

 * Tasikmalaya — the largest city in the region, 15 km from Ciamis.
 * Pangandaran — the nearest beach town, popular among both locals and foreign tourists.
 * Kuningan — small town north of Ciamis, from where you can visit Mount Ciremai National Park.

title: Ciamis


text:
Cianjur

Cianjur is a city in the Bogor Raya region of Western Java, Indonesia.

Understand
Cianjur is a city with a population of about 170,000 (2020). The city is located in the valley, about halfway between the Puncak mountain pass and the provincial capital city Bandung. Cianjur is the capital of the regency of Cianjur, which stretches from the border of the Greater Jakarta metropolitan area in the north to the Indian Ocean coast in the south.

By car
Cianjur is along Indonesia's National Road 3, also known as the Southern Java route. The city is about 30 km northeast of Sukabumi, and 45 km west of the Cipularang toll road with quick connections to Bandung and Cikampek. Traditionally, Cianjur was on the main road from Jakarta to Bandung (the Great Post Road via the Puncak pass). However, since toll roads have been built most people don't drive via Cianjur anymore. In good traffic conditions, to go from Jakarta to Cianjur is still the quickest via the Puncak pass. However, especially on weekends when traffic is seriously congested it may be quicker to take the detour via the toll road (via Cikampek).

By bus
Cianjur's main intercity bus terminal is on the eastern side of the city. However, many of the buses do not call at the terminal, but simply drop and pick up passengers in front of the terminal, along the main road (the road from Cianjur in the direction of Bandung).

During daytime, there are regular buses to Cianjur from Jakarta's Kampung Rambutan bus terminal (East Jakarta). The price of a one-way ticket is Rp25,000 (with airconditioning) and the journey takes about 3 hours if traffic conditions are good. Cianjur is also served frequently by economy class buses on the route from the port of Merak to Bandung, and there are very frequent (during daytime at least 6 per hour) buses of various classes from Bandung via Cianjur to Sukabumi.

The small shuttle buses of Siliwangi Trans also cover the route Bandung-Cianjur-Sukabumi, leaving Bandung every 2 hours from 05:00 to 19:00, with an additional bus at 21:00 on Fridays and Saturdays. In Bandung, shuttle buses depart from the Balubur Town Square shopping centre in North Bandung.

By train
is in the city centre, but is served by a very limited number of trains. The only train service is three daily trains to and from Sukabumi (about 1hr 30min, economy class only). In Sukabumi you can transfer to trains to Bogor, but except if you want to take the train ride for the experience, it is better to take a bus instead.

See

 * Mount Manangel and Geulis are adjacent to each other, a row of the foothills of Mount Gede and Pangrango.
 * Mount Manangel and Geulis are adjacent to each other, a row of the foothills of Mount Gede and Pangrango.
 * Mount Manangel and Geulis are adjacent to each other, a row of the foothills of Mount Gede and Pangrango.

Do

 * The Cianjur Adventure Programme (see below: Sleep) offers opportunities for voluntary work, helping teaching English to the local students. This is a great way to get into contact with the local population and is very appreciated by them. The programme also offers several trips around Cianjur, like visiting a rural village or climbing a nearby mountain. Contact them if you would like to get some more information about the trips offered.

Eat
A popular dish from Cianjur is bubur Cianjur, or Cianjur-style chicken rice congee. This porridge includes beans, celery, fried onions, and shredded chicken. A key difference with chicken congee types from other cities is that no coconut milk is used, but there are pieces of chicken innards (liver, gizzard, and intestines).

Go next

 * Mount Gede Pangrango National Park — conservation area centred around two volcanoes.
 * Puncak — mountain pass with a wide range of recreation facilities.
 * Cimahi — 50 km east of Cianjur, with a large Dutch war cemetery.

title: Cianjur


text:
Cicero

Cicero is a town of 81,000 people (2019) in the Chicagoland area, just west of the Chicago city limits. It became famous when gangster Al Capone moved here to escape from the Chicago Police in the early 1920s.

By train

 * The Chicago Transit Authority (CTA). runs the Pink Line from Chicago proper. The Pink Line runs parallel to Cermak Road, with stops at Cicero and 54th/Cermak (which has a secondary exit on Laramie Avenue).
 * Metra operates the BNSF Line running between downtown Chicago and Aurora, with one stop in the city of Cicero located on Cicero Avenue near Ogden Avenue. Service is much less frequent than on the CTA Pink Line.

By bus
The CTA operates the following routes:
 * 12 Roosevelt starts on the Near South Side close to Downtown and travels along Roosevelt Road through the West Side, skirting the northern border of Cicero before terminating at Harrison Street and Central Avenue in Austin.
 * 18 16th/18th starts in the Near South Side and travels through Pilsen and the Far West Side before terminating in Cicero at 16th Street and Cicero Avenue.
 * 21 Cermak comes from the same neighborhoods as the 18, running along Cermak Road through Cicero before terminating in neighboring Berwyn.
 * 54 Cicero starts in the Far Northwest Side and runs south along Cicero Avenue through the Far West Side, terminating in Cicero at Cicero Avenue and 24th Place.
 * 54B South Cicero starts at the Ford City Mall on the Southwest Side and runs north along Cicero Avenue through the Southwest Side (passing by the Midway Airport stop on the Orange Line) and Cicero before terminating at Cermak Road and Kenton Avenue near the Cicero/Chicago border.

Pace is the main suburban bus operator in Chicagoland and operates the following routes:
 * 302 starts in La Grange at the town's Amtrak/Metra station and takes a jagged route east through the western suburbs. In Cicero the rout runs east on 26th Street, north on Laramie, and east on Cermak, terminating near the Cicero Pink Line station.
 * 305 starts to the northwest in River Forest/Oak Park, passing by the Harlem Green Line station, runs through Forest Park, passing by the Forest Park Blue Line station, and then runs on Roosevelt Road along the northern edge of Berwyn and Cicero, before turning south into Cicero and mostly running along Laramie Avenue.
 * 315 is a U-shaped route serving Cicero, Berwyn, and Oak Park. In Cicero it runs along Austin Boulevard.
 * 322 starts at the Yorktown Center in Lombard and then continues east along Cermak Road through the western suburbs, including Cicero. The route terminates at the 54th/Cermak Pink Line station.

Do
The Lithuanian Opera Company of Chicago was founded by Lithuanian Chicagoans in 1956, and presents operas in Lithuanian. It celebrated fifty years of existence in 2006, and operates as a not-for-profit organization. It is noteworthy for performing the rarely-staged Rossini's William Tell (1986) and Ponchielli's I Lituani (1981, 1983 and 1991), and also for contributing experienced chorus singers to the Lyric Opera of Chicago.

title: Cicero


text:
Cicero (Indiana)

Cicero is a town on the northern suburb of Indianapolis in the Nine-County Region of Indiana.

Understand
Northern Hamilton County is comprised of Arcadia, Atlanta, Cicero and Sheridan. Each town has some notable attractions worth the drive. Hamilton County is located just north of Indianapolis comprising of rural communities full of scenic drives and agricultural heritage.

 * Hamilton County Convention and Visitors Bureau is located in Carmel.

Get in
While you can get close by plane, a car is a necessity to reach Cicero. There is no bus or train accessibility to Cicero directly from Indianapolis but there are train rides to Cicero from Fishers which is just in the suburbs of Indianapolis, however, since it only about an hour outside ofIndianapolis you can see arrival options there too.

By car
From the metropolitan Indianapolis area, take U.S. 31 north to 236th Street. Cicero is off State Road 19 to the east of U.S. 31. It is a 45-minute drive north of downtown Indianapolis. Cicero is north of Noblesville, the Hamilton County seat, on State Road 19, followed by Arcadia and Atlanta. All are within 10 minutes of each other off of SR19. Sheridan is in the northwest corner of Hamilton County, off State Road 38, a few minutes north of Zionsville.

By plane
In addition to the Col. Weir Cook Indianapolis International Airport, located off of I-70 in Indianapolis, smaller planes can schedule a landing at one of two airports in Hamilton County and nearby Boone County, just west of Hamilton County. Both offer aircraft charter, sales, rental, catering, and flight school.

 * Indianapolis Executive Airport 11329 East SR 32, Zionsville. +1 317-769-3288. This airport also is home to a Hamilton County Welcome Center, open 6-8PM daily.
 * Indianapolis Executive Airport 11329 East SR 32, Zionsville. +1 317-769-3288. This airport also is home to a Hamilton County Welcome Center, open 6-8PM daily.

By car
The region is connected by a series of State Roads and highways. General speed is between 55-70 on interstates and highways, and generally 35 on other roads unless otherwise posted.

See

Outdoors

 * Morse Reservoir This man-made lake, located between Cicero and Noblesville has 1,500 acres for boating and water activities and 35 miles of shoreline. More than 95% of the shoreline is residential, but recreational boating is allowed. Launch your boat from the Carrigan Road Bridge marina. Morse Lake Park, by the dam on the east side of the lake, allows supervised swimming in the lake and year-round picnicking as well as fishing.

Festivals

 * Weekends in October Pumpkin Train (Indiana Transportation Museum excursion) 825 Park Dr. in Forest Park +1 317-773-6000.  The train excursion includes a visit to an area pumpkin patch, straw bale maze, petting zoo, face painting and more autumn related activities. The highlight is the ride on the train, which leaves from the Noblesville train station. Reservations are STRONGLY recommended.
 * Weekends in October Pumpkin Train (Indiana Transportation Museum excursion) 825 Park Dr. in Forest Park +1 317-773-6000.  The train excursion includes a visit to an area pumpkin patch, straw bale maze, petting zoo, face painting and more autumn related activities. The highlight is the ride on the train, which leaves from the Noblesville train station. Reservations are STRONGLY recommended.
 * Weekends in October Pumpkin Train (Indiana Transportation Museum excursion) 825 Park Dr. in Forest Park +1 317-773-6000.  The train excursion includes a visit to an area pumpkin patch, straw bale maze, petting zoo, face painting and more autumn related activities. The highlight is the ride on the train, which leaves from the Noblesville train station. Reservations are STRONGLY recommended.

Go next

 * Noblesville

title: Cicero (Indiana)


text:
Cidade Velha

Cidada Velha is a city on the island of Santiago, Cape Verde. It is the oldest European city in the Tropics. This is an easy half-day trip from Praia although there probably won't be enough interest to keep you there any longer. It was declared a UNESCO World Heritage site in 2009.

Get in
From Praia, aluguers leave from the Sucupira Market west of Plateau. Cost is 200$ (Cape Verde escudos). Ask to be dropped at (the side road to) Forteleza Real de São Filipe. A taxi from Praia shouldn't be more than 1000$.

Aluguers returning to Praia leave every few minutes from the main square where the pelourinho is.

See
Even without a specific attraction in mind, there is plenty to see just walking around the historic city center, which constitutes a UNESCO World Heritage site.

Walking tour
Start at the fort above the town. Tickets cost 500$ and include a map and pamphlet guide for the town.

From the fort, follow the path downhill past the ruined cathedral to arrive at the seashore. You can duck down to the beach before continuing on to the main square. The monument here is the Pelourinho ou picota and was a place of execution. Further along the Rua Banana leads up hill. This is Africa's oldest European-built street and leads to the chapel Igreja Nossa Senhora do Rośario.

Eat and drink
There are some bars and restaurants around the main square.

Sleep
Accommodation is available - ask at the tourist office.

title: Cidade Velha


text:
Ciechocinek

Ciechocinek is a spa town in the Kuyavian-Pomeranian Voivodeship, Poland at the Vistula River.

Get around
To many places and parks in Ciechocinek you can easily get on foot.

Other means of transport include:
 * rickshaws
 * horse-drawn droshkies
 * Melex electric cars (like golf course electric cars)
 * taxis
 * public transport bus (free of cost)

Parks

 * The Spa Park
 * The Pine Park
 * The Graduation Tower Park

Do
You can take courses of treatment for numerous rheumatic and respiratory ailments in 5 hospitals and 16 sanitariums.

Go next

 * Raciążek - the Bishopric Castle that dates back to 15th century and a late-Renaissance church

title: Ciechocinek


text:
Ciego de Ávila

Ciego de Ávila is a city of 120,000 people (2010) in Central Cuba. The city of Ciego de Ávila is a modern city, although in the historic center you can find many features of the colonial architecture typical of this type of city.

Get in
The city lies on the main east-west highway, the Carretera Central, and is served by Astro and Viazul bus services.

It is 460 km (290 mi) east of Havana and 110 km (68 mi) west of the city of Camagüey.

The nearest airport is Jardines del Rey Airport on the island of Cayo Coco.

See

 * Parque Martí is the largest park in the city of Ciego de Ávila.
 * Teatro Principal is a 500-seat theatre that is a few blocks from Parque Martí.
 * University of Ciego de Ávila (Universidad de Ciego de Ávila, UNICA) is the province's secondary education institution.
 * La Turbina is a small amusement park to the north west of the city with approximately 6 rides to use.
 * La Turbina is a small amusement park to the north west of the city with approximately 6 rides to use.

Connect

 * Invasor is the local periodical.

title: Ciego de Ávila


text:
Cienfuegos

Cienfuegos , the Pearl of the South, is a small city in the Central Cuban province of Cienfuegos. The historic center of the city is a UNESCO World Heritage Site.

Understand
Cienfuegos is the only city in Cuba that was founded by the French. As a result, it feels a little different than other Cuban cities, with wider streets. There are two main areas of interest to tourists; Pueblo Nuevo, the city centre; and Punta Gorda, a peninsula with lots of 1950s homes. It's a nice place to visit for a day or two, but after that, you might run out of things to do.

By car

 * Trinidad – About 1 hr, just stay by the coast most of the way. Not all turns are signposted.

By bus
The two daily Viazul buses between Havana and Trinidad, as does the daily bus between Varadero, Santa Clara, and Trinidad. This last bus arrives from Varadero heading for Trinidad at noon, and arrives from Trinidad heading for Varadero at 16:00 (it is missing from the Viazul website). Travellers heading east and wishing to catch the 8:00am Viazul bus from Trinidad to Santiago de Cuba can sometimes arrange for an early morning minivan through Viazul. Ask at the bus station.

By taxi

 * From Trinidad: 1½ hr, CUC10
 * From Viñales: 5-6 hr, CUC40

By train
There are two trains that run from Havana: a very slow daytime train (every second day) that returns the following day, and a somewhat faster late-evening train (every second day) that operates via Matanzas and returns overnight. Trains may also leave for Santa Clara (very) early in the morning and return in the evening, and leave for Santa Clara and Sancti Spiritus in the afternoon, returning the following morning. Check that the trains are running in advance.

By plane
Jaime González Airport has three flights a week: leaving Miami at 8am Mondays and Fridays, returning 10:45; and leaving Miami 17:30 Wednesdays and returning later in the evening (20:00). A roundtrip ticket is US$509. The airline is a charter. The telephone number is (800) 493 8426, the website is http://www.destinationcuba.com/.

Get around
Both the centre and Punta Gorda are easy of walk around, but are about 3 km apart. They are joined by Calle 37 (del Prado), which runs by the sea. If you don't fancy walking, the principle public transportation is coches or horse-drawn carts that seat 6 or 8 people. They go up and down Calle 37. The price is CUP1 for Cubans or CUC1 for tourists.

You can most likely easily arrange taxi at your place of stay, esp. if you'd like to visit one of the more remote parts (e.g. Playa Rancho Luna).

See

Sleep

 * Hotel Faro Luna. Staying at the Faro Luna is like being at your own villa, only 25-30 rooms a beautiful pool overlooking the Caribbean and attentive staff.
 * Hotel Jagua. This is a large hotel to the south of the city, around 2 km from the city centre. The building itself is a square concrete block and fairly unattractive. However, the rooms and facilities are pretty good by Cuban standards. For cheap water and drinks, visit the shop outside the hotel, opposite the entrance, rather than the hotel shop itself and pay half the price.
 * Hotel Pascacaballo. This is a big, modern resort-hotel at Rancho Luna, on the coast, opposite Castillo de Jagua. Lunch was awful, unless you like jello and canned vegetables. The hotel looked like it was maybe a quarter full.

Casa Particulares:
 * Casa de Nadia Hernández Garcia. Ave 16 #4307 Altos (upstairs) e/ (between) calles 43 y 45 (streets). In Punta Gorda, big room with a refrigerator, air conditioner, and bathroom. Good food and laundry. CUC25, plus CUC4 for breakfast and CUC10 for dinner.
 * Hostal Elena y Elio, Ave 62 #3107 e/ Calle 31 y 33, +53 43 593611, elenayelio@nauta.cu helpful couple sometimes meet arriving buses and can arrange onward travel/tours, from CUC20 (double room).
 * Casa de Nadia Hernández Garcia. Ave 16 #4307 Altos (upstairs) e/ (between) calles 43 y 45 (streets). In Punta Gorda, big room with a refrigerator, air conditioner, and bathroom. Good food and laundry. CUC25, plus CUC4 for breakfast and CUC10 for dinner.
 * Hostal Elena y Elio, Ave 62 #3107 e/ Calle 31 y 33, +53 43 593611, elenayelio@nauta.cu helpful couple sometimes meet arriving buses and can arrange onward travel/tours, from CUC20 (double room).

Connect
5 Septiembre is the local periodical.

Stay safe
Before 2003 Cienfuegos had a reputation for teenage prostitutes. Girls would skip school to go to the airport three times a week for the flights from Canada and meet Canadian men. Beginning in 2003 the police cracked down on prostitution and now Cienfuegos has a reputation for the most vigorous anti-prostitution police patrolling in Cuba (and there are no longer flights from Canada). After dark be careful at nightclubs, restaurants, or on the streets; simply asking an innocent young woman for directions could get her arrested. Don't bring a Cuban guest into your casa unless she signs the guest book; several home owners lost their homes because tourists brought "girlfriends" home for the night. If a woman is arrested twice in a year for being with a tourist she is fined. If she's arrested three times she goes to prison for four years. (Tourists are usually not arrested or punished.)

Go next

 * Santa Clara – Take a day trip to Santa Clara, ca. 1 hr away, to visit the museum and resting place of Che Guevara.
 * Varadero

title: Cienfuegos


text:
Cieszyn

Cieszyn is a town in the Silesian Voivodeship of southern Poland, with of population of 33,500 in 2021. It stands on the River Olza on the Czech border.

Český Těšín a short walk west is now a separate town in the Czech Republic.

Understand
Cieszyn historically straddled the River Olza but for over a century has been partitioned by the border. This region was under Hapsburg / Austrian rule until the end of the First World War, when Poland regained independence and the river became the border with Czechoslovakia. The two sides were forcibly re-united under Nazi occupation, but after the Second World War the border was restored. The Schengen Agreement has made this an open border, facilitating trade and transport with what is now the Czech Republic.

By train
From Katowice trains run every couple of hours via Tychy to Goleszów, heading for Wisła in the mountains. Change at Goleszów for the short branch line to Cieszyn, with a total journey of 1 hr 45 min.

Five trains a day are direct from Czechowice-Dziedzice on the line between Katowice and Bielsko-Biała, taking just over a hour. is north side of old town, with the bus station adjacent.

Trains run hourly from Frýdek-Místek in the Czech Republic via Dobratice pod Prasiv, Horni Tosanovice, Hnojnik and Ropice to Český Těšín, 40 min. Here they either terminate, or sit for 5-10 minutes before trundling across the border to Cieszyn. It's usually quicker to get off at Český Těšín and walk over the river bridge.

Trains also run every 30 min from Ostrava via Bohumin to Český Těšín, 35 min, and continue to various destinations including Kosice in Slovakia.

is on Nádražní in the centre of that town.

By bus
From Kraków Flixbus 1369 runs once in the evening, taking 3 hours via Katowice.

Wispol Bus 52 runs hourly from Koniaków via Wisła and Goleszów, taking an hour. Bus W3 runs every couple of hours from Szczyrk via Wisła.

Other buses from around the region are from Ustroń, Brenna and Strumień.

June-Aug Bus W1 runs three days a week from Kołobrzeg on the Baltic coast, taking 12 hours overnight via Poznań and Katowice.

Cieszyn bus station is next to the railway station.

Get around
The town sights are close enough to be reached on foot.

See

 * is the attractive town square, lined by fine houses and Ratusz the Town Hall.
 * Church of St Mary Magdalene is a short block south of Rynek on Plac Dominikański. It was built around 1300, and re-built in Baroque / classical style after the great city fire of 1789. Rulers of Cieszyn are interred in the crypt.
 * on Plac Kościelny is Lutheran. It was built 1710-30 with the tower added in 1750. It's usually open M Tu Th F.
 * is a bosky atmospheric place at Hażlaska 39. It began in 1647 as a private burial plot for the Singer family, then was expanded and made available to others. The New Jewish Cemetery 100 m up the street lacks ambience.
 * on Plac Kościelny is Lutheran. It was built 1710-30 with the tower added in 1750. It's usually open M Tu Th F.
 * is a bosky atmospheric place at Hażlaska 39. It began in 1647 as a private burial plot for the Singer family, then was expanded and made available to others. The New Jewish Cemetery 100 m up the street lacks ambience.
 * is a bosky atmospheric place at Hażlaska 39. It began in 1647 as a private burial plot for the Singer family, then was expanded and made available to others. The New Jewish Cemetery 100 m up the street lacks ambience.

Do

 * Film on the Border is a film festival in April, showing mostly Polish, Czech and Slovak work.
 * No Border Festival is held between the twin towns over a week in early October.
 * No Border Festival is held between the twin towns over a week in early October.

Buy
Several convenience stores near Rynek, including two branches of Żabka open M-Sa 06:00-23:00, Su 09:00-21:00.

Eat

 * Places around Rynek include Lavash Bistro, Bazylia Pizza, Limonka, Kuma Sushi, Kamienica Konczakowskich, Mare Fuori and Winowajcy.

Drink

 * Pubs around Rynek include Starówka, Nie ma problema, and Chill Island.

Connect
As of July 2024, Cieszyn and its approach highways have 4G from all Polish carriers, and 5G from Czech carriers.

Go next

 * Bielsko-Biała 40 km north is a resort town which like Cieszyn was once divided by a border, hence the double name.
 * Nearby mountain resorts are Szczyrk, Wisła and Ustroń.
 * Ostrava is a sprawling modern city in the Czech Republic, but with an attractive old centre.

title: Cieszyn


text:
Cilento and Vallo di Diano National Park

The Cilento and Vallo di Diano National Park, the second largest Italian national park and World Heritage site, is maintaining unchanged the harmony between nature and thousand years of history and will enchant visitors with its amazing landscapes.

History
Cilento is a territorial area in the province of Salerno, in southern Campania. Together with the Vallo di Diano, in Roman times Cilento was part of Lucania;

from the Middle Ages onward it belonged to the Principato Citeriore, also called "Western Lucania" but under the city of Salerno.

In ancient times, the Cilento territory was identified among the towns at the foot of Monte Stella (1131 m); this area is referred to as "Cilento antico" and is partially included in the national park.

The name Cilento, from the Latin "cis-Alentum," meaning "on this side of the Alento River" appears as early as 994 A.C. and was given by the Benedictines, who erected churches and monasteries there, which became population centers.

The Cilento was taken over by Prince Guaimarius IV, who was later ousted by Roberto il Guiscardo in 1076. Thus arose the barony of Cilento, which, at the beginning of the 12th century, passed to the Sanseverino family (princes of Salerno), who held Cilento until 1552.

Beginning in the late 1800s the place-name attracted the area of the former barony of Novi (Vallo della Lucania and its neighbors) east of the river. For objective reasons it was intended to extend Cilento to a large part of the southern coastal and inland province of Salerno.

Since 1991, as a result of the establishment of the Parconazio Nale del Cilento e Vallo di Diano, much of Cilento's territory has been protected. Some 181,000 hectares of land, 8 mountain communities and 80 municipalities fall within the protected area. The institutional headquarters of the park authority is located in the most important center of the area, Vallo della Lucania.

Climate
Cilento's climate is classified as warm and temperate. Winters are wetter than summers in Cilento. This climate is considered to be Csa according to the Köppen-Geiger climate classification.

See

 * Velia
 * Casal Velino
 * Castellabate
 * Ascea
 * Paestum

Do

 * Agropoli is a large coastal town which offers a good base for exploring the Cilento. It has a quaint old town perched upon a promontory, with a medieval castle and picturesque port. Along its coastline 'Lungomare' there are a lot of restaurants, hotels and shops.
 * Santa Maria Di Castellabate is a very popular tourist resort with a good selection of beaches, hotels and restaurants.
 * Paestum is a 6th-century BCE Greek town with 3 large impressive temples. The ruins are open all year round, along with a museum nearby.
 * Castelcivita has some spectacular caves called 'Le Grotte Di Castelcivita'. Guided tours take around an hour and cost €10 per person.
 * Velia, near the coastal town of Ascea has interesting archaeological remains from the early Greek settlers, and later the Romans. Admission is €3 per person, and takes around 3 hours to explore.

Eat
In August many Cilento villages celebrate Sagras, which are eating festivals where you can try all kinds of typical local dishes. Zeppola/Zeppule are ring doughnuts covered in sugar. Fiorilli/Sciurilli are egg and flour fried courgette flowers. Lagane e Ceci is chickpeas with long flat pasta strips. Mulugnane m'buttunate/ melanzane imbottito is eggplant stuffed with breadcrumbs and flavouring, and pan fried.
 * In Agropoli, good restaurants are 'Il Buttero' on via Pio Decimo, 'La Brace' on Via Risorgimento, and 'La Barracuda' on lungomare.
 * At Paestum, visit a traditional Casereccio (dairy) to buy fresh Mozzarella buffalo cheese, popularly known as Bocconcini.

Drink

 * Lacrima Cristi (the tears of Christ) from Naples, is a strong red wine.
 * Paestum produces a couple of local wines.
 * Grappa is a very strong clear spirit which is made locally in all the villages.
 * Amaro Lucano is a local aperitif.

Stay safe
When hiking in the Cilento, be aware that there are some natural hazards. There are vipera (Vipers) and cinghiale (Wild Boar). Vipers are poisonous and need to be identified and avoided. They are around two feet long and grey/green in colour. Wild Boar are numerous in the Cilento, and can attack if they are with their young. Wild Boar are nocturnal, and can be seen after sundown.


text:
Cilician Mountains

The Cilician Mountains forms the central part of the Mediterranean Region of Turkey. This rugged part of the ancient region of Cilicia also has an extensive coastline fronting the Mediterranean, which is one of the main drawcards, and the others are numerous ancient ruins and medieval castles dotting the region, although for the most part the overseas travellers are yet to discover them.

Cities

 * — the southernmost point of Asia Minor (near 36° N); well known for its banana plantations, and its charming seaside fortress is not to be missed
 * — a quiet coastal town; the nearby caves are the habitat of the Mediterranean monk seals and Mediterranean sea turtles
 * — another coastal town situated on one of the rare plains
 * — a coastal town between Mersin and Silifke
 * — a small town with preserved stone architecture over the Taurus Mountains
 * — the home of the nomadic Yörük tribes
 * — a town up in the mountains; when arriving from Central Anatolia, you will be welcomed by the Mediterranean climate and the associated subtropical vegetation here
 * — the primary city of the region is slightly inland on the banks of the azure Göksu River
 * — a small town with Mediterranean architecture, and is the gateway to Cyprus as there are frequent boats to Kyrenia from the harbour

Other destinations

 * — the ruins of a Roman city, including a surprisingly impressive amphitheatre relative to its size, clearly visible from the highway east from the Maiden's Castle
 * — between Silifke and Mut. Formed by the turquoise Göksu River (the ancient Saleph River) through the Taurus Mountains in millions of years, the valley, with its deep cliffs, canyons, forests, and lots of citadels dotting the hillsides has a spectacular scenery. The valley once conveyed, among others, the army of the Third Crusade, on their way to Jerusalem, but it also signaled the end to a branch of Crusaders, as their leader Frederick Barbarossa of Germany drowned in the river in 1190. The, where the Göksu empties into the Mediterranean near Silifke, is home to 106 species of birds of international importance, 12 of which are endangered species. The delta is also home to 3 species of sea turtles, all endangered.
 * (Cennet-Cehennem) — two huge chasms located a few minutes of walk from each other, which were formed when the ceilings of two underground caves collapsed. They are situated near the town of Narlıkuyu.
 * (Kızkalesi) — a quite big and well-preserved castle built on an offshore islet. There is a story that a powerful king had the castle built away from outside interference to protect his beloved daughter from death after hearing a prophecy told by a fortuneteller, but a snake had found its way to the castle (inside a basket of fruits) and, as you have already guessed, had bitten and killed the princess (quite the same myth with that of the Maiden’s Tower in Istanbul). The castle is situated between Silifke and Erdemli, very near the Heaven and Hell Caves. Small boats from the mainland village of the same name take the visitors across.

Understand
Although nowhere near as widely visited as its western neighbour, Pamphylia, the Cilician Mountains has a lot to offer to every taste. For history lovers, it offers hundreds of castles, city ruins, temples, inns, and artifacts dating back to the Roman, Biblical, Crusade, Seljuq, and Ottoman epochs. For nature lovers, it may mean mountains, mountains, and again mountains covered with pine forests. For green warriors, it holds the last shelters for the endangered Mediterranean monk seals (Monachus monachus) and Mediterranean sea turtles (Caretta caretta). For sun and sea seekers, it has hundreds of miles of beaches, both sandy and pebbled, spared from pollution, and lying under perhaps one of the sunniest skies of Turkey and of Europe.

Despite its close proximity to Turkey’s main touristic areas, upon venturing out into the region you will find that being a "traveller" is still the norm here, as opposed to being a "tourist". If you want to have a cup of tea, then you should head for a local coffeehouse, not a fancy café pretending to be straight out of Paris. When you'd sleep somewhere, then it would most likely be at a guesthouse where the other regional guests are staying, not an “all-inclusive” holiday resort as part of a package tour. Therefore the people are more friendly, and the prices are lower.

The region, the western and southern parts in particular, is mostly rugged and wooded, and is dominated by the Taurus Mountains with very little (or no) flatland between mountain slopes and the shoreline. Quite surprisingly, this mountainous area—one of the remotest and most beautiful along Turkish Mediterranean coast—has one of the least population densities anywhere in maritime Turkey and distances between the towns are huge. From Silifke eastwards, the mountains retreat a little inland, but the coastline still keeps its hilly topography.

In ancient times, this region was called Cilicia Trachea, i.e. "rough Cilicia" or more precisely "mountainous Cilicia", as opposed to Cilicia Pedias, i.e. "flat Cilicia" lying to the east of the region. The European travellers of the 18th and 19th centuries knew the region as Karamania, after a local medieval kingdom based in the inland city of Karaman to the north, preceding the Ottomans. In modern political terms, the Cilician Mountains extend over western and central two-thirds of Mersin Province, as well as the southern panhandle of Karaman Province (the rest of which is associated with Central Anatolia).

The region is Turkey’s main citrus (predominantly lemon, orange, and grapefruit) and banana growing region. Almost always sunny climate also allows intensive greenhouse operations, which cater Turkey’s central and northern regions (and also parts of the Middle East and Europe) with fresh vegetables in winter.

Climate
The typical Mediterranean climate; hot and dry summers, mild and rainy winters. Temperatures often climb to around 35°C in summer, while winters average 12-15°C during the daytime. It is also relatively sheltered from rainstorms that affect the rest of Mediterranean Turkey, which, unfortunately, does not completely erase the possibility of severe storms during winter. September is the best time for a beach holiday for those not used to the summer heat, as the waters are still warm by then.

Talk
In eastern part of the region (i.e. around Erdemli), you would probably be fine with a little bit of English, especially in tourism-oriented businesses. Some German can also be useful as Germans are the largest number of foreigners visiting Turkey. In more remote places, such as those in the western and southern parts of the region, you will need at least a few Turkish words. However, Turkish spoken in parts of the region is a bit far away from standard Turkish (i.e., that is spoken in Istanbul), lying in a medium between Konya dialect and Cypriot Turkish (closer to the latter). So, it may be best to ask for written answers as the pronunciations in the phrasebooks are not exactly how the people of the province pronounce the words. They all understand standard Turkish, though.

By air
Nearest airport for both international and domestic flights is in Adana. For the southernmost part of the region (Anamur and its environs), international airport in Antalya is another possibility, although it's still a fair distance to the airport.

By train
There is no station (nor any railtracks) in the region. The nearest station with passenger services is in Mersin.

By bus
Major regional towns are usually served from regional centres, such as Mersin to east, Konya to north, and Antalya to west, with the most links oriented towards east (Mersin).

By car
D400 highway between Adana and Antalya enters the region from its one extreme and follows (or at least tries to follow as long as rugged geography permits) the coastline until the other extreme in the NE-SW axis of the region. It traverses all the towns located along the shoreline. D715 from Konya in the north also joins D400 in Silifke after passing through a pass on Taurus Mountains (Sertavul Pass) and Mut.

By boat
There are scheduled ferries from Cypriot cities of Kyrenia and Famagusta to Taşucu.

By bus/minibus
Smaller settlements in the region have minibus services to bigger regional/nearby towns/cities, such as Mersin, Silifke, and Anamur.

By car
The main highway of the region, D400, is wide (mostly 4-lane), smooth and straight in the section between Erdemli and Taşucu, 15 km west of Silifke. All other roads in the region are narrow (only wide enough for two cars passing side by side) and very (in some cases, extremely) winding because of the very rugged landscape.

By thumb
People are friendly towards hitchhikers. Despite its favourable climate and proximity to Turkey’s main touristic areas (e.g., Pamphylia), there are not as many travellers as you may assume, therefore people treat you like guests (but don’t expect them to do more than giving you a lift and may be offering a fruit). The general problem is that there are not many vehicles in much of the region, and therefore waiting for a lift can take up to 2 hours, under the cruel sun between April and October. Don’t forget to take lots of water and sunblock lotion! The drivers that offer a lift also are mostly driving town-to-town, so there is little chance to find a long-haul lift, but that is not such a bad thing as you will experience more of rural/real spirit of Mediterranean Turkey.

Drink
Locally produced ayran (no matter pre-packaged or being sold "fresh" in roadside stalls) tends to be saltier than those found in the rest of the country, which is great to recover the sodium you lost by sweating but may take longer to get used to if you haven't had any ayran before.

Buy
In the western and southern parts of the region, always carry an extra amount of cash with you. Most of the settlements you’ll come across are far in-between, rural and doesn’t have enough population to justify setting up an ATM. Also, supermarkets are rare as well, and the smaller the place you are in, the less chance that your (or any) credit card will be accepted.

Stay healthy
Being located at the same latitude with the Mediterranean African cities such as Algiers or Tangier, sun is very strong in this part of Turkey. Even non-local Turkish people (those from more northerly locations, such as Istanbul) can have hard time. Don’t forget to drink lots of water to stay hydrated, to have more salt in your diet than you are used to for balancing your sodium loss by sweating (or better drink at least one cup of salty ayran evey day), and to use sunblock lotion.

Respect
Respect the nature:

 * Most of the region is covered with pine forests. Hot and dry Mediterranean climate, which reigns in the area, makes them very vulnerable to wildfires. A forest fire in Summer 2007 destroyed an extremely large tract of forest (the width of damaged area is somewhere around 10-15 km) and couldn’t be taken under control for 4 days. Therefore, in wooded areas, be careful with your fire (and your cigarette!), or better, do not use any fire if possible at all.
 * In some places on the road (even on the highway), you’ll see turtle signs. They mean the place in question is used by endangered Mediterranean sea turtles (Caretta caretta) for crossing into their egg-laying area. Don’t ask why on Earth the turtles are attempting to cross the road, they just follow their million-year-old habits, and the road was built in a different era, when habits of turtles (and the turtles themselves) weren’t much of an interest. Be extremely careful when driving in an area with such a sign. Also, be aware that many of the sandy beaches in the region (especially those in the southern part, i.e. around Anamur) are used by turtles as egg-laying areas, whether there is a sign or not. So be careful when using these beaches, avoid thrusting sharp things—such as beach umbrellas—into the sand, and do not leave behind even the smallest piece of trash.

Connect
The telephone code of the region is 324.

Go next

 * Cilician Plains to east — larger cities, some of which has sites of Biblical importance; extensive transportation links connect the regions
 * Pamphylia to west — a more heavily-touristed destination; accessible by a winding road through a verdant mountain scenery from the region
 * Central Anatolia inland to north — wide open steppe landscapes; accessible by a winding road through beautiful Göksu Valley or even wilder and remoter mountain road north of Anamur
 * Northern Cyprus to south — beautiful small towns and castles; a short ferry ride from Taşucu

title: Cilician Mountains


text:
Cilician Plains

The Cilician Plains, or Çukurova in Turkish, is a region on the Mediterranean coast of Turkey. It is characterized by the pine-clad Taurus Mountains sharply dropping to the pancake-flat, sweltering-hot agricultural land of the exceptionally fertile plains of the Seyhan and Ceyhan Rivers, extending to the sand dunes at the edge of the Mediterranean Sea. Home of the occasional rocky outcrops topped by Crusader-era castles, remote Hittite sites, early Christian landmarks and a renowned culinary tradition, this is one of the parts of the country surprisingly little-visited by international travellers.

Cities

 * the regional capital has an old town plus huge modern mosque.
 * — a town up in the mountains once inhabited only seasonally as a retreat of Mersin to escape the summer heat
 * — the north of the region features various natural and historical attractions amidst mountainous scenery
 * — a sea-side resort mainly enjoyed by locals of the region
 * — a rapidly growing industrial city with a beautiful palm-lined waterfront and the region's main window to the sea
 * — a city in the east serving as a base for remote attractions in the countryside such as Karatepe-Aslantaş National Park
 * — a fairly large city between Mersin and Adana, with a well-preserved old quarter and sites related to Biblical personalities such as St Paul (one of the residents of the town)
 * — a small town on a major railway junction which had its moment of fame in 1943, when Churchill, the British prime minister and İnönü, the Turkish president secretly met in its station of all places to discuss the Turkish entry into World War II
 * — a local beach resort

Other destinations
There are several national parks in this part of Turkey, many with excellent hiking opportunities.

 * – major stop over for migrating birds, popular with bird watchers
 * – national park with an ancient Neo-Hittite settlement
 * – a Ramsar Wetland site

Understand
Çukurova is Turkish for "hollow plains", describing its geography in relation with the soaring Taurus Mountains that surround it fairly well. It is the largest lowland of Turkey with much agricultural production, especially of cotton, peanuts and citrus.

In modern geopolitical terms, the region extends over all of Adana and Osmaniye Provinces, and the eastern third of Mersin Province. Bordered by the Cilician Mountains to the west, Central Anatolia across the Taurus Mountains to the north, Southeastern Anatolia to the east, and Hatay to the southeast, the region has a shoreline on the Mediterranean to the south, but unlike its neighbours to the west, the extensive beaches of this part of the coast are not well known to the outside world, although fairly popular with the locals.

In addition to its traditional agricultural output, some heavy industry has also entered the scene, as have the oil and gas pipelines coming in from the Caspian Sea through the Caucasus and reaching the Mediterranean ports here.

History
Commanding the few passes that allow crossing through the sheer Taurus Mountains and as such providing a reasonable land connection between Europe and the Middle East, the Cilician Plains had been much contested for.

The region was at the heart of a series of states known as the "Neo-Hittites" or "Syro-Hittites", formed after the collapse of the Hittite Empire (which was based in Hattusa far to the north in the Anatolian plateau) around 1180 BCE, during the Iron Age, with a unique culture drawing from both that of the Hittites and of the ancient Near East. Later on, the area became part of the Seleucid Empire, a Hellenic state founded by a general of Alexander the Great. During the first century BCE, an Armenian state formed in the region, which came to be known as the "Lesser Armenia" between the 11th and 14th centuries CE, when it was allied with its co-religionist Crusaders, who stormed through the area in pursuit of the Holy Land. The Turkish settlement, of various Oghuz tribes, in the region began in the 12th century, after it was captured by the Seljuks. These tribes then were united under the rule of the Ramazan kingdom, one of the last Turkish petty kingdoms to be annexed by the Ottomans, in the 17th century. Even then, the area was more under influence of the autonomous rulers of Egypt than of the Ottoman throne in relatively distant Constantinople.

People and culture
While a small Roman Catholic community in Mersin, mostly of Italian extraction, and the Alawite communities of Syrian peasant origin elsewhere call the Cilician Plains home, the region is no longer the multicultural hotspot it once was, and most locals are ethnically Turkish. They are often descendants of the nomads, masters of horsemanship and falconry who roamed between their summer meadows up in the mountains and the lowlands of the Cilician Plains, before being forced into sedentarism starting from the 1860s, when the Industrial Revolution was in full force around the World and the cotton was in high demand in the markets — and so was the workforce, initially formed from involuntary nomad-cum-farmers, needed to grow it in the fertile, humid, and hot plains of Çukurova. Others with relatively sizable regional populations include the community of Cretan Turks/Muslims, unilingual Greek speakers when they were expelled from their native island in the late 19th and early 20th centuries during the collapse of the Ottoman Empire and settled in the coastal areas, especially Mersin (as well as elsewhere along the Anatolian and Levant coasts), and the Kurdish community, which started to form after their homeland in Eastern Anatolia was invaded by the Russian Empire during World War I, although most are newcomers to the main regional cities in search of jobs.

Historically the region was better linked with the Levant than with the rest of Turkey, as food lovers will quickly find out upon their experience with the great local culinary treats strongly influenced by the Middle Eastern cuisine.

With a population of almost 6 million people, the Mersin–Tarsus–Adana–Osmaniye area (along with its southern extension of İskenderun in the neighbouring Hatay region) is one of the largest metropolitan conurbations in Turkey.

Read
Çukurova is the setting of most works of Yaşar Kemal (1923–2015), a native of the region and one of the best internationally acclaimed writers of Turkey. Using a lyrical language, his extremely colourful depictions of the region form the background for the tales of the lives — joys and sorrows — of the common folk in a time of change, whether they be nomads unable to secure a land to overwinter as all wintering grounds had been ploughed into agricultural land, landless peasants whose abilities had become worthless due to mechanization, or noble outlaws who dedicated their lives to fight injustice of the greedy feudal landlords, who in their turn failed to realize they were soon to be outplaced by the even greedier nouveau riche capitalists of the new order.

Get in

 * Adana's international airport, Adana Şakirpaşa Airport, is so far the only airport in the region.
 * Adana and Mersin is well served by intercity buses and trains (you will need to transfer to a local train for Mersin, though, as the main trunk line bypasses the city).
 * The region is connected by the motorways O-21 to the north (Central Anatolia), O-51 to the west (the Cilician Mountains), O-52 to the east (Southeastern Anatolia), and O-53 to the south (Hatay). There are also toll-free highways that are in fairly good condition from all directions.

Get around
The highway D400, which traverses through major cities and towns of the region, and the 8-lane motorway/toll-road O-51/O-52/E90, which parallels D400 a few km north of it (and thus bypassing the congested urban areas), form the backbone of local traffic.

Fairly frequent and modern (best of all, air-con) trains connect Mersin with Adana, also calling at Tarsus, the other major city of the region, and Yenice, a town with a station on the national rail network, on the way. Services east from Adana (towards Toprakkale and Osmaniye) are spotty at best, with apparently vintage passenger cars dating back to the 1950s.

Drink

 * Şalgam suyu or fermented hot carrot juice, though possible to find at kebab joints and some supermarkets nationwide nowadays, is originated from this region. It's an acquired taste — very salty, nowhere near what you may expect from carrot juice — and the original here has a much more distinctive, garlicky aftertaste than what is available elsewhere in the country. Fresh product is available from the specialized shops around late September, the season of black carrot harvest.
 * Meyan kökü şerbeti or liquorice root juice is another local acquired taste. Its appearance is like cola drink, but its taste couldn't be further — the most similar analogy might be somewhere between a heavily burnt coffee and lignosulfonate waste of paper milling but even that isn't close enough. You can find it sold comfortably chilled by street vendors, for 4-5 TL a cup (Oct 2022).

Stay safe
The Cilician Plains are the last part of the country where malaria has not been totally eradicated—it was indeed a common disease in the region until up to the 1980s, and it's reported that there are still (weakened) populations of Plasmodium vivax in the region. While you will most likely be safe, take the usual precautions (e.g., apply insect repellents liberally) during visits May through October, when mosquitoes are active, and go see a doctor if you happen to perceive the symptoms within two weeks after your travel to the region.

Go next

 * For a change in scenery, and beaches that you will be the only human being for kilometres, head west to the Cilician Mountains.
 * You will certanly start to feel the Middle-Eastern influences in culture, cuisine, and architecture while in the Cilician Plains; for a lot more, head south to Hatay. This route was also a major gateway into Syria before the civil war there.
 * Southeastern Anatolia to the east is another destination with much Middle-Eastern influences, and impressive ancient towns.
 * Just north of the mighty Taurus Mountains, across the Gülek Pass (the ancient Cilician Gates), Cappadocia awaits.

title: Cilician Plains