Kaya Side Hotel - Eclipse Day, 3/29/2006

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Lap of Luxury470 viewsThe Kaya Side was probably the most luxurious hotel I've ever stayed in, not excepting Las Vegas. The roses and rose petals scattered around the bathroom added an extra touch of opulence to an already outstanding ambience.

Rube Goldberg Improvisation465 viewsChuck and Elouise concocted some cockamamie scheme to try to capture the onset of totality, while I looked on with bemused scepticism. Don't remember how well their crazy apparatus worked.

Concerto460 viewsThe imaginative decadence of the Kaya Side desserts surpassed our wildest expectations.

Clouding Up458 viewsTowards sunset, the clouds, which had mercifully given us a clear sky for the entire eclipse, began to move in on our observation site.

Cabbage Rolls and Stuffed Peppers455 viewsIn Turkish the cabbage rolls are called Lahana Sarmasi; in Romanian they are Sarmasi, in Greek they are Lahanodolmades, in Polish Golabki, in Russian Golubtsy. Regardless of what you call them, they are delicious.

An Eclipse-Chaser's Dream451 viewsThe beachfront park behind the Kaya Side Hotel was an ideal site for watching an eclipse, and the weather was cooperative.

Kaya-Blooey448 viewsChuck gets a generous helping of shrapnel from the bombe.

Kaya Side Hotel at Sunset445 viewsThe central section of the hotel, with the dining area where we were about to enjoy our evening feast, as seen from our room in one of the wings of this enormous hotel.

Kaya Side Hotel near totality445 viewsThis is a slightly blurry view of the Kaya Side Hotel, as seen from the beachfront where we watched the eclipse, taken close to totality, when the light was getting low, the camera lens was wide open and the shutter speed too slow to deal with camera shake.

Cabbage Flowers439 viewsFlowers, apparently made of carrot slices with scallions serving as the stems, "growing" out of a cabbage.

Jim Windlinger's Setup438 viewsJim Windlinger brought a superb array of equipment to the 2006 eclipse - a Borg telescope, all-automated mount and guiding apparatus, digital camera. But it was the Nazar Boncuk hanging from the counterweight shaft that really guaranteed the success of his endeavor.

Dessert Trays438 viewsA stunning array of desserts was awaiting us in the dining room.

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