Turkey: Snippets

Our first dinner in Turkey, some Döner Kebab and Linden Tea. We were practicing amongst ourselves ‘Te shukere’. What was it? The Sukhreee, teh Shukree. Suddenly, the long haired chap in the next table pips up,
“Tea Sugar in dream”
What’s that?
“Say it quickly, you’ll have it”
Tesekkür ederim

Thank you!

Many, many evil eyes. Every street, corner, wrist, ear, home.
Nazar boncuğu

Sigh! Now all I hold are snippets of memories. Like Mehmet says.
C'est la vie, baby.

Turkey: People I met

If you ask me, people make Turkey. Warm, garrulous and inquisitive.

Women are like bubble wrapped strawberries and men are like thin, fair, red lipped treats. There! I was dying to say this.

An Iranian family was so excited on hearing I was from India.

“India?”

“Yes”

“We love India. What was that Indian movie we saw?”

DDLJ? My Name is Khan? 3 Idiots?

“Slumdog Millionaire’

Not Indian, my friend. Not Indian.

Ali was most excited.

“I can speak Hindi too. Aap kaise hain?”
Ali collects sand from all over the world. Egypt, Peru, Nepal, Bulgaria. Puts them in coloured little glass bottles.

Selçuk bus stop. We ran excitedly to someone distributing a sweet, brown, drippy treat.
"What's that?"
"Lokma"
"How much is it?"
A rotund man comes running to us waving his hands.
"No, no, its free. take it, take it. It's for my uncle's death anniversary" pushing loads of them into our hands.

Men playing backgammon. Not a tourist trap. They gather around every evening, chatting aloud, playing their game, sipping their Raki or Çay. They invite you enthusiastically, but alas I cannot play.

Shopkeepers!

Spice Bazaar.

“How much is saffron?”

“You are Indian?”

“Yes”

“I am Shah Rukh Khan. How are you Kareena?”

My saffron came only slightly cheaper.

There was this one day when I was up at the terrace and was peering into one of the open windows below. Old man on the couch, beige sweater on, being served Çay by his wife in baggy shalwar and scarve. He looks up at me. Smiles. I half expect him to offer to sell me Kilim on the floor. Half price only for you.

Yes, it's the people.

Istanbul: Hidden gems

Anadolu Kavagi. Last stop on the Asian side of the Bosporus Strait. A 20 TRL ferry ride will get you there, leave you to roam around for three hours and brings you back by 3 PM. You can walk to the castle on top, which although good exercise, does not offer much to see. It was nice to sit at the Yosun restaurant by the sea though and have some yummy Calamari and tea. The Asian side is greener, less 'developed' and you can eye spy the Black Sea.

There is an odd little toy display on the way to the castle.

"For the past eight years I make these toys. No selling. No photographs please." the owner says as he chats up curious visitors.

Buyukada. It was a Saturday. The ferry would have almost toppled over with the number of jostling visitors. It was a carnival. Flower bands, Mado ice cream, cycling teens, screaming kids. If you want to do just one Bosphorus ride, do this one and get to the Prince’s Islands. Enjoy the fat, white, screeching seagulls flying along.

Eyüp. I had been toying between going here and Ortaköy (to have the original Kumpir). Finally, just because I knew the bus number, I opted for the former. I wasn’t disappointed. Serene and residential, it’s a great peak at local life. No tourists.

Turkey: People

Well, thank God, I am not tall and blonde. Not much untoward male attention (which wasn’t already welcome). But for one bad incident at Sirkeci tram stop, where the guy at the information booth refused to help me (Was I supposed to imagine that the Tram ‘Joten’ or tokens were sold in the little shop next to it), people have been exceptionally nice.

Two incidents I will remember.

She was Fethiye.

The hamam was not top of my list. But it would feature in my new top 5 things to do in Turkey. I was a bit shy to begin with; it is a communal bath after all. But the lady purging my grime was such comfort and she put so much effort into it. Almost motherly. Two hours of absolute bliss.

He was Fahre.

I was at Eyüp waiting. I just knew one way to get back to Sultanahmet via Eminönü. I’d already let one bus pass by, alarmed at how crowded it was. He was standing at the side, just the two of us. Red striped sweater. Cute.
“Which bus are you waiting for?”
“99A to Eminönü, And you?”
“I need to go to Sultanahmet”
God send. ”Me too. But how does one get there directly. I just know the 99A”
“One can take a bus to Beyazit square. Sultanahmet is close. Are you here for business or as tourist?”
“Tourist actually. Today is my last day” Wistful.
A very crowded bus comes by. He nods. This is it.
So, I get in hanging at the door like in Mumbai buses. Atleast, it has a door.
Luckily for me, he was the perfect gentleman. I get escorted in, sit before anyone else on the next empty seat, get dropped to Beyazit square.
“We get down here. That’s the way you should take to reach Sultanahmet, behind the blue building”

Angels.

Turkey Shopping: Explore, compare, bargain

Grand Bazaar (Kapalicarsi): It is large and well stocked yes, but are you game to bargain with 4000 enthusiastic shop keepers all ready to pounce on you with their many wares? It just seemed to me a larger and more aggressive version of Palika Bazaar or Janpath. But for the bounty hunters, there may be some killing to be made if you can bargain hard, really hard.

Old Book Bazaar (Sahaflar Çarsisi): Liked. À la Kolkata’s College Street. Old books, maps, stamps, coins. One needs to scout for English books though.
Spice Bazaar (Mısır Çarşısı): I went on a Saturday and it was stiflingly crowded, But the variety of spices, my, my! Specially Saffron, dry fruits and tea. Advice: Walk the length and look for the best price.
Istiklal Caddesi: Books, music, French style bistros, high street stores. The equivalent of an Orchard or Oxford Street or maybe a cramped version of Champs De Elysees. Wide selection of food and a vibrant night life.
Bylanes: By far the best idea. I liked Tribal Art at Sultanahmet, couple more shops on the same street, some leather and jewellery shops at Selçuk and Ürgüp, Demetrius of Ephesus at Şirince. Hassle free, neat shopping.

But what you just shouldn’t forget: No matter what, bargain. On your tour prices, on everything you buy, on your hotel rates, even on your Cappadocia balloon ride (we got it as low as €100 whereas on the internet it lists at €160). Just bargain. They expect it.

Istanbul: Bosphorus Lights

The favourite part of my day was sitting at the guest house terrace with Turkish tea and stories from all over the world. Of course, there was the view to be thankful for.

First day in Istanbul. Since I was back early, I decided to settle down, read my book and plan for the next day – with the Bosphorus beside. Bosphorus for the uninitiated is the strait between the Black Sea and the Sea of Marmara. The ancient passage way for Greece, Rome, the Byzantines and the Ottoman Empire. A lot of history, lot many stories.

But look out there now. First the Lighthouse lights up. A single flicker of light in the darkening waters. Followed by little yellow dots, one after the other across the horizon. The yachts sail across languidly. The night tram buzzes past in a flurry, carrying a stream of lights with it. And gradually, almost like magic, the whole of the Bosphorus is alight.

But that’s not where the magic ended. I was to meet the German student who on a whim came over to learn Turkish, the caretaker who was learning English (and today’s words are earthquake, divorce and slay), the PhD from Cambridge, the German student who is actually Korean, couple of Croatian college kids, a Swiss couple one of who is actually Brazilian and the other German. Everyday a new face, everyday cheerful farewells.

Merhaba. May you have many happy memories.

Turkey: Before you go, you should know

A little bit on Turkey’s history. Not too much, I promise.

First, Istanbul. The earliest it was called Byzantium, the Greek name for a city on the Bosphorus. In 306 AD, Emperor Constantine the Great made Byzantium capital of the entire Roman Empire. From then on, the city was known as Constantinople. The Ottoman Turks lead by Sultan Mehmet II conquered Constantinople in 1453. and it was renamed Istanbul. Ottoman rule continued until it was defeated in WWI and Istanbul was occupied by the allies. The various monuments carry marks of this volatile history. An obvious example is the Aya Sofya.

Second, Mustafa Kemal Ataturk. Every home, every lane has a picture of him (and the Turkish flag). They revere him, that is obvious and not without reason. He was the architect of the nation that is Turkey. He converted the Ottoman Empire into a modern, democratic, and secular nation-state. He also made Ankara the country's new capital

Third, Turkey and its neighbours. The Turks hate the Greeks. Turks hate the EU (Although, their leaders are trying hard to get in. It could be a case of sour grapes). But coming back to the topic of Greece, after the 1919-22 Greco-Turkish War most of the Greeks were transferred to Greece under the terms of the 1923 population exchange between Greece and Turkey. As in any exodus, there were massacres on both sets of population. And the hatred continues with both parties blaming the other. In addition, Turkey's treatment of Kurdish citizens has been a frequent subject of international criticism.

That’s all. A short (but necessary) perspective.

Istanbul: The mosques, Oh!

Just how many mosques were there in Istanbul? Everywhere I looked, slender spires extended into the sky. Every few hours, Muezzins called out in symphonic unison. The domes, the spires, azaan on a cloudy day, a dreamy concoction.

Then they were calling out at every entrance.
“Pretty lady, are you from India?”
“Let me show you around the mosque for free”
“Here, here beautiful lady. Why don’t you marry me?”

The attention was at once gratifying and irritating. “These are the heirs of Alexander and Constantine, and Socrates! And they're no better than children!".

Now everyone asks, how were the Blue Mosque, The Topkapi Palace and the Aya Sofya? Everything you could imagine and more. Again, something magical about those huge domes, the gangly spires, the expansive ceilings, the very vastness.

Then there was Derya. Not so much a guide, but a crash course of life as a Woman in Istanbul.

“I am 30. I have my share of men, a good job which pays. I meet interesting people everyday. Live and pay my rent in Istanbul. What can marriage give me, what I don’t already have?”
“Are women like that everywhere in Turkey, or is it just Istanbul?”
“Well, I am from Izmir, and women from Izmir are supposed to be extra modern. In fact if you tell someone from Istanbul you are from Izmir, they turn up their nose like this”
Laughter.
“Have you heard of the common saying in Istanbul?”
“No, which one exactly?”
“If you are married to a man who works in Istanbul, there is 50% chance he will be unfaithful. If he works in Istanbul and is well travelled, there is 75% chance he will be unfaithful. If he works in Istanbul and is well travelled and in tourism, there is 100% chance he will be unfaithful”

“And you should try the Tavuk Gögsü, It actually has chicken in it. People don’t believe it, but taste it. It is my favourite desert”

But coming back to the mosques...

Turkey: Large and tiny wonders

She thought Ürgüp was a delightful little town – set in caves, oh yes! In fact, the Brit-Canadian couple told her that this was exactly Santorini 20 years back. She hadn’t been there, but she adored the quaint little yellow cave town anyway.

Cappadocia. Of large and tiny wonders. Fairy chimney. Dervant’s valley. Avanos. Göreme Open Air Museum. There was a snake church, an apple church, an underground city, rivers and canyons! The clock tower by the street, the kilims on the wall.

There was this tiny market street where she met Ömer, the corpulent carpet seller.

“I want an Indian or Japanese wife. They make good wives”
“Why? What’s wrong with Turkish women?”
“They are very conservative.”
“It’s not their fault you know, you change the society and they will stop being conservative. I mean can you imagine sending your sister on a trip to India on her own?”
Some silence. After a while.
“If Turkish men could experiment before marriage, there wouldn’t be extra marital affairs”
The same. We are men. We are like that.
Börek brought back some good taste. And so did the whirling dervishes. Eyes in a trance, white umbrella skirts billowing round and round, round and round,

Turkey: Into the wine cellar

This was to be my second crush. And this time, blame the wine.

Ephesus was another doze of history, albeit a grander one. This used to be one of the seven wonders of the world. Library of Celsus. Temple of Artemis. Agora marketplace. Fat cats on broken columns.

But Şirince was even better. Specially, Grandpa jewellery who directs me to Grandson wine. Who directs me to the old Greek Church cellar with a treasure trove of many wines.
You name the fruit, he had a wine. After several swigs and a swimming head, it was time to go in for the kill.

“How much?”
“10 TRL”
300 rupees, seems cheap, but…
“Too expensive, we can’t pay that much”
“It’s the cheapest price you will get”
“Give us something free then.”
“One olive oil soap free with a bottle”
“Won’t do, something more”
“A tall glass of blackberry wine free”
More wine? Sounded good.

So, drinking with young Zaid, while old German couples on their second honeymoon came and went. I was much entertained. And giddy.

Until the sun set and it was time to go.

Turkey: Start of Spring

Maybe because it was the first day of spring. Maybe because of the soft guitar strums. Or maybe it just was. I had a crush. And it was to be the beginning of many.

When I woke up in the morning, under the white snow leopard quilts, looking at the faraway castle, smelling the fresh bread and salted olives for breakfast, the heart was glad. The sun rays beamed through the breaking mist, and the müezzins called out together in a distance.

Rushing for the bus.
“Two tickets to Pamukkale please”
“Good morning!”
“Oh yes, sorry, Good morning. Could you please give us two tickets to Pamukkale please? Are we very late already?”
“No, let me show you the bus.”

We stand near the bus.
“So, how many husbands do you have?”
“Excuse me?”
“The rings on your fingers…”
“Oh, just three at this time…” (Flirt!)
“There’s your bus ready to leave to Denizli”
“Thank you, see you at night.”
“I wish!”

I found the two guitar strumming boys on the dolmuş and they were chatting up. Company is good. And when they were this delightful….

The spring flowers were all around. The calcium in the Travertines sludged under soft soles. The miles of colossal ruins at Hierapolis. That Greek city on top of hot springs. That humbling feeling of being a small part of some ancient history.

Those round button eyes, that glib tongue. Did not Shakespeare say that spring is the start of all things amorous? Blame him then.

“Travellers are the same everywhere eh? They are a different breed”
“Yes, I think travel opens up your mind”. I'd thought it up myself.
“I like that phrase”

I ate the Gözleme and the Döner kebab for the first time, and I had to admit, not too impressed yet.