Türkiye
Leaving Finland and entering Turkey was a multi-sensory shock. Finland, a COUNTRY with a population of just 5.5 million, with its peaceful saunas and expansive nature parks, is in stark contrast to even just Istanbul, a loud, busy, vibrant CITY with a population of 15.6 million. In Istanbul, not only populous but large, it took 2 hours on the metro to get from the airport to our accommodation in the old town. The metro isn’t slow.
We allocated an entire month for Turkey. Some highlights are captured below.
Istanbul
We spent 6 full days in Istanbul at the outset of the visit yet seem to have barely scratched the surface of this city. Following are a few thoughts on some of what we encountered and learned:
Geography
The city of Istanbul straddles the Bosporus Straight placing it in both Europe and Asia. North is the Black Sea and south is the Marmara Sea. The photo below was taken from the Galata Bridge over the “Golden Horn,” the primary inlet of the Bosporus and a major urban waterway. The waterway is constantly busy with water vessels moving freight, commuters, or tourists indulging in views of the skyline and the seas. The bridge is busy with shoulder-to-shoulder fishers equipped with fishing lines and buckets filled with small writhing catches. Frequently seen walking along the bridge are photographers capturing the beautiful view, the ever-expected selfie taker, and even couples dressed in white for wedding photos!
Mosques and Islam
Turkey is not the first predominantly Muslim country we’ve visited. However, compared with Bosnia and Albania, in Turkey, we were more exposed to the religion given the number of mosques, the audible daily calls to prayer, more conservative dress, and hijabs.
In Istanbul, many mosques have become tourist attractions for their incredible architecture, historical significance, and intricate, colorful geometric designs. Tourists can enter the mosques except during prayer times. Because the mosques’ primary role is still one of prayer, the space is considered sacred, and respectful and modest dress includes the removal of shoes, ensuring covered legs and shoulders, and for women, covered hair.
Inside a mosque, men and women pray separately and might have separate entrances. Within each mosque is a mihrab (small semi-circular indentation in a prayer room wall which indicates the direction of Mecca for prayer).
Two historic and impressive mosques we visited:
Hagia Sophia— This awe-inspiring building was commissioned by Byzantine Emperor Justinian and consecrated as a church in 537 AD. It functioned as a principal church of the Byzantine Empire in its capital (Constantinople). After the Ottoman Empire conquered the city, the church was converted to a mosque in 1453. The mosque was made into a museum in 1935 before being converted back to a functioning mosque in 2020 by President Erdogan.
Hagia Sofia’s interior is filled with art and architecture that reflects its history. Simultaneously visible are an omphalion where Byzantine emperors were crowned, and a mihrab indicating the direction of Mecca. Mosaics depicting the holy family, angels, and saints from the building’s time as a church are still present. Some are visible. Others, particularly those that would be visible while Muslims are praying in the direction of Mecca, have been covered with curtains or panels of calligraphy since the building’s conversion to a mosque. In the pictures below, these curtains and large circular panels can be seen. The face of a seraph or 6-winged angel can also be seen. The covering of religious figures is congruent with the Muslim faith which generally avoids what it perceives as idolatrous depictions of animate beings in religious settings.
The building has a constant line of visitors. The building alone is remarkable evidence of architecture, artistry, and craftsmanship of the 6th century and its interior, an extraordinary physical representation of religion, empires, change, and time.
Blue Mosque — The Blue Mosque (Sultan Ahmed Mosque) was a favorite of ours in Istanbul. Absolutely stunning. Constructed in the 17th century during the Ottoman era, and under the rule of Ahmed I, it still serves as a functioning mosque today. We happened to visit during a call to prayer (see video below).
Topkapi Palace
For more than 400 years, the Topkapi Palace in Istanbul functioned as a residence for Ottoman Sultans and the administrative headquarters of the state. Construction of the Palace commenced in 1460, following the capture of Constantinople by Fatih Sultan Mehmed, and it has been expanded/altered many times since.
The entire site is massive. One of the highlights is the harem (all photos below), the site where the sultan lived with his family. There are more than 300 rooms, 9 baths, and 2 mosques.
Food
Lahmacun and Pide- One of our favorite stops in Istanbul was for lahmacun and pide.
Lahmacun (pronounced ‘lack-mah-joon’ which we never quite got a handle on- each knowing there was a ‘j’ sound and placing it in a different location, then arguing over who was correct every time we ordered… ) is an inexpensive and delicious flatbread topped with minced meat, minced vegetables, herbs, and spices, and served with lemon wedges and pickled vegetables. It’s a popular food in Turkey and the Middle East.
Pide (‘pee-day’ — easy enough) is a soft doughy bread topped with cheese, sausage, egg, etc.
We happened to stumble upon this particular place (specializing in lahmacun and pide) on our first night in Istanbul and had a meal as locals streamed in to buy a snack and a week’s supply of breads. We asked to take a photo and though busy at work, the masters of bread happily obliged.
Simit — Simit is a circular bread typically encrusted in sesame seeds. It is ubiquitous on the streets of Istanbul and throughout Turkey. We typically saw it sold from small red carts for about 10 lira (about 35 cents at the time…inflation is constantly changing Turkey’s prices). It can be served with cheese or Nutella but we thought unadulterated was best!
Islak — I'm not sure if an Islak burger is for everyone... It’s ultimately a wet hamburger. The meat is spicy, and the bun is wet from a thin ketchup/garlic-like sauce as well as from sitting in a humid glass case under heat lamps. It seems to be ultimately intended for a 2 AM eat after several alcoholic beverages. We had to try it. There were no subsequent GI issues to speak of!
The burgers are 30 TL or $1.03
Çorba — You could live off Çorba (pronounced ‘chorba’)in this country! And aside from sampling some other Turkish foods- we largely did live off of it. It is a lovely lentil soup typically served with a generous side of bread. It's also often accompanied by lemon wedges and other stingy treats as you can see below. The price can be as cheap as $1.50.
Kebab — I would be remiss if I didn’t mention the kebab in Turkey. Per Chris, ever in search of the elusive ‘best kebab in Turkey’,: “Salty perfection in every bite.”
Districts and Neighborhoods
Balat/Fener— We spent one full day trekking north of the old town of Istanbul along the Golden Horn to the neighborhoods of Balat and Fener. These neighborhoods have Jewish (Balat) and Greek Orthodox (Fener) roots historically. Jews from Spain were some of the first to settle here. The houses here are very colorful and the streets charming. The first picture below is of Private Fener Greek High School. There is nothing remarkable about the school that we are aware of but the architecture is beautiful.
Balat is one of the most diverse districts in the city in terms of its history and architecture.
Beyoglu— Across the Golden Horn is the Beyoglu district. This district contains popular neighborhoods such as Galata, Taksim, and Karaköy. It is also home to the popular Byzantine-era Galata Tower (first picture below)
The district also contains the bustling Istiklal Avenue (second picture with tram). The avenue unfortunately saw a terrorist attack purportedly by Kurdish separatists on November 13th, 2022, killing 6 and injuring 81. Today, with the exception of a heavy police presence in the area, there is limited evidence of such an attack, as the street is busy with locals and tourists. That said, still a bit of an odd experience to walk through the area.
The third picture below is one of a common sight in Istanbul with both cars and handcarts using the same narrow streets.
The Orient Express
Be it from Agatha Christie or otherwise, you probably already know about the Orient Express! The pictures below are of the train station in Istanbul. The Orient Express was created in 1883 and ran until 2009. The original train traveled the length of continental Europe, from Paris to Istanbul. In 1977 however, it stopped serving Istanbul. The station has now completely gone quiet with no train service as of 2013. There is however a very busy metro line underneath the station that services Halkali station (a large international train station in western Istanbul).
Cats
Istanbul has a sizable feral cat population- estimates range up to one million cats. The presence of cats dates back to the Ottoman era when they were employed in rodent management. Generations after those who may have served the sultans in the palace, the cats continue to be dedicated to this work as we never saw a rat or mouse in Turkey! The cats are generally viewed by Turks as “community-owned pets.” Locals will feed them, build them little shelters, pet them, etc. The country has a blanket no-kill policy! Chris is a big fan of the community-owned cat concept. Unlimited cats to pet with no expense and limited responsibility! More on Chris and the cats of Turkey in an upcoming entry!
Bazaars
We have never seen anything quite like the Grand Bazaar in Istanbul. The Grand Bazaar is a covered marketplace, but because of its size, it appears like an internal street system on Google Maps. In total, the bazaar has over 61 covered “streets”, and 4,000 shops, and is regarded as one of the first shopping malls in the world. Items for sale include scarves, souvenirs, ceramics, lamps, spices, teas, Turkish delight, rugs and clothes! It is busy during all opening hours and the “tides” of people move you from one row to the next. Amidst the sales, haggling, and competition for tourist dollars (Chris got more than one summons with “Hello mustache man!!”), men are running around with small silver trays covered in hot glasses of tea to be delivered to busy shop owners (oddly enough we’d heard much of Turkish coffee before coming to Turkey but when actually in the country the drink of choice [despite the heat] appeared to be tea. We rarely went more than a few minutes without seeing someone drinking or vending small glasses of hot black tea!)
That's just the Grand Bazaar! There is another enormous Egyptian Bazaar just a few streets away. The streets in this district are busy shopping blocks too!
Cappadocia
We returned to our preferred method of travel with a 12-hour bus journey south-east from Istanbul to Göreme (a town in the region of Cappadocia). Well, the cost is preferred… duration of sitting, less so. Turkish buses are a lot like Balkan buses: surprises abound! Our bus was an hour late to start (though Istanbul streets and traffic would make one forgiving!) We made various unlisted stops for locals to get on/off. We had a temporary stowaway cat. An older couple noted our foreignness and, with smiles and gestures, guided us through moments of confusion.
We had barely enough Turkish and the driver/assistant, barely enough English, to get us on board and avoid our being left behind at the intermittent ‘coffee-toilets’. ‘Coffee-toilet’ is a catchall term we use for stops on buses that do, often, include coffee and a toilet, but also cigarettes, snacks, and full-blown meals of unknown duration. This term comes from Albania where our bus driver had enough English to say “coffee-toilet!” to the ignorant tourists whenever we stopped. Self-explanatory! So now… we’re often hoping for a ‘coffee-toilet’ after a few hours on the bus!
At one coffee-toilet, when we came back from the bathroom, our bags had been moved from our original bus to another (a bit of a surprise as a bus change wasn’t specified on our ticket). Fortunately, the older Turkish couple dragged us onto the correct bus with them (and made sure Marlene had a jacket she’d left on the original bus!) At another stop, everyone was questioned in an attempt to determine ownership of a large unmarked box found in the cargo under the bus. We don’t know the outcome…Comforting! And our stowaway: a small kitten jumped onto the bus at a stop for gas. The couple in front of us took care of the kitten until the next stop where he/she was dropped off and to start a new kitten life!
One amazing perk of buses in Turkey is that a steward brings free snacks and beverages just like on airlines. However, care must be taken in liquid consumption as we couldn’t possibly predict the next coffee-toilet!
We eventually reached the town of Göreme around midnight (3 hours behind schedule). Our lovely “bus guides” waved goodbye and we walked on through town to our accommodation.
Day 1
The Cappadocia region (currently best known for hiking, interesting rock formations, and hot air balloon rides) has been home to many different peoples over the centuries. The Hittites, the Persians, the Romans, the Byzantines, and the Ottomans all inhabited the area at different times. Early inhabitants found that the soft rock in the region could be excavated and they built whole cities into the rock (both above and below ground). Some of the most famous underground cities were built by persecuted Byzantine Christians. These underground cities could shelter thousands of people and were complete with living quarters, areas to worship, stables, and storage units.
We got acquainted with this new region by hiking through Pigeon Valley, known for all the tiny pigeon homes carved into the rock. Pigeons were historically used as a source of food, their droppings used as fertilizer, and their homing abilities used to send messages.
We also explored a few short tunnels carved into the rock.
In the picture below you can see a centuries-old citadel carved into the rock spur.
Having reached the citadel, we dropped down into another valley and worked our way back towards Göreme.
And Marlene picked up a “guide” on the way.
Back in town, we enjoyed an amazing Turkish lunch of manti (small meat-filled dumplings covered in yogurt and pepper sauce).
Day 2
We woke early to visit Love Valley. The rock pillars you see below (kindly named “fairy chimneys”) were formed over millions of years. First volcanic ash rained down across what would eventually become Turkey. Over time, this ash hardened into tuff (a porous rock) and was covered with a layer of basalt. Erosion over millennia wore the softer tuff down leaving behind tall pillars with basalt caps. Unique to say the least…
Having seen more than enough fairy chimneys, we worked our way back south towards the town of Uçhisar. Once in town, we met a Swiss couple (Liz and Aurelio, an anesthesiologist and a nurse, respectively) who were lost trying to find the trail to Pigeon Valley. They joined us on our hike after I (Chris) promised to know the way (turned out I didn’t and ended up leading us through two active construction sites..). At least the views were good!
We eventually found our way… (Irish folklore talks of stepping on a stray sod enchanted by fairies and subsequently getting lost. The only way to get back on track is to turn your sweater inside out. I, Marlene, am unfortunately very familiar with this folklore after very confidently getting my dad, brother and I lost in Cork, Ireland one fateful night years ago. I have yet to live it down). Luckily Google Maps resolved this particular fairy-related issue for us!
Day 3
We woke up with the call to prayer this morning so we could watch the hot air balloons at sunrise. The experience is pretty incredible even from the ground.
Marlene with all the balloons.
We later walked north to explore more ancient cities. These historical sites are completely open to the public to explore at will. We climbed in and out of small rooms as we scaled the cliff upwards.
Day 4
We woke early again to view the balloons. There is palpable excitement in the dark before sunrise as the quiet rocky desert is filled with the audible bursts of propane tanks propelling fire and hot air to fill the balloons. The balloons themselves seem to come to life as they go from flat dark fabric on the earth to gradually more upright brightly lit balloons ready to take off into the sky!
Sunrise.
Chris can't choose a favorite so here are more balloon pictures following many balloon pictures.
Kas
After a week in Cappadocia, we made our way southwest to the Mediterranean Sea. I’ll spare you another bus story but I will say it was quite windy coming down through the mountains and that numerous small plastic baggies were handed out by the bus attendant for those with motion sickness (surprisingly not needed by us as the bus hit each turn at terminal velocity).
We arrived first in Antalya for an overnight stay. The next morning we boarded a Dolmus (a minibus reminiscent of the marshrutkas in Georgia and the furgons in Albania) en route to the beautiful seaside town of Kas.
Our five days in Kas were very slow. We spent the majority of our time exploring town and relaxing on the beach. Despite it being October, the Turkish coast was still very warm (80+ degrees F) thus having access to the ocean for a swim was incredible.
We also couldn’t pass up the opportunity to have a proper Turkish breakfast!
We spent one day kayaking out to Kekova Island to explore a sunken city. The city (Dolchiste) was an ancient Lycian settlement overtaken by the sea due to an earthquake in the 2nd century AD. From the Kayak, we were primarily able to see building foundations below the water surface.
After a few hours of kayaking, we stopped off for lunch and had time to explore a cemetery containing ancient Lycian sarcophagi. The sarcophagus you see in the water was also victim to the 2nd-century earthquake.
Fethiye
A short dolmus ride west along the coast brought us to the town of Fethiye. We had plans to hike a small section of the Lycian Way (more below) and use Fethiye as our base for preparation and excess luggage storage.
We settled into our new accommodation with our host Kerim. He was welcoming and engaging. He is ex-military and refers to himself as essentially allergic to guns after his period of service. He has since tried a number of jobs, including bee-keeping, and he currently hosts an airbnb. He assisted us with our Turkish pronunciation and was great company! At his suggestion, we later stopped by a local produce market for lunch. The market was enormous and bustling with locals buying vegetables of all kinds.
We also spotted a small food stand selling Gözleme (a savory flatbread stuffed with cheese, potatoes, herbs, etc). Gaze long enough to covey even minimal interest and you will be beckoned! An elderly man welcomed us over and sat us down at a table. Of course upon noting the multiple tubs of pickled mystery vegetables placed on each table (of which, each tub contained different concoctions…) Chris was loath to resist.
We proceeded to wander around Fethiye, stopping to look at ancient Lycian ruins carved into a cliff before heading home to pack for the next leg of our journey!
Likya Yolu (The Lycian Way)
The Lycian Way is a 520km (320 mile) trek that follows ancient footpaths used by the Lycian people who are believed to have lived in the region from as far back as the 14th century BC to 546 BC. The entire trek takes about 35 days and stretches from the city of Ovacik to Asagi Karaman. Along the way, hikers have the option of camping or staying in guest houses (complete with Turkish meals)! With the high temperatures and significant elevation gains/losses each day, we were happy to stay in the guest houses and pack light.
We tackled the first 40 miles of this trek over 4 days but could have easily imagined continuing as the coastline is magnificent.
Day 1 — Fethiye to Kabak
Distance: 11 miles
Elevation: 2844 ft ascent, 3314 ft descent
With our bags packed as lightly as possible and with several liters of water each, we boarded a dolmus from Fethiye to the trailhead. The start of the trail didn’t was no gentle introduction as we climbed up and up into the hills. While the coast was just to our right (and the hours early), the temperatures were still quite hot.
We passed by the popular Butterfly Valley before descending into the town of Kabak. We were welcomed into our accommodation with Turkish coffee and chats with the host, Sertaç.
He, like Kerim, was ready for chat; giving us advice on local hikes and lamenting the state of Turkish politics. While refraining from restating his specific concerns, it is no secret that many young people in Turkey are dissatisfied with trends toward increased conservatism, youth unemployment, inflation, and limitations on freedom of speech.
We enjoyed dinner at the guesthouse (a burger and vegetables…after which the cook came to tell us he made it “American style.” I don’t entirely know what that meant but it was delicious).
Day 2 — Kabak to Gey
Distance: 11.5 miles
Elevation: 4198 ft ascent, 2722 ft descent
A Turkish breakfast (no small affair) was included in our accommodation costs. Though starting early would allow us a few hours of potentially shaded hiking, we were unable to deny ourselves the free breakfast so we got started a little later in the day.
We tackled the elevation gain with full stomachs and attempted to stick to whatever shade still existed!
At the top of the climb was a reward of gözleme and fresh Aryan yogurt sold by a local elderly couple. Again, linger just a moment outside the humblest of establishments and you will be shepherded in for food and drink. We are often happy to have that decision made for us!
Aryan yogurt is a mainstay of Turkish and Balkan cuisine. It's available at all stores and restaurants and is frequently drunk with meat, borek, kebab, gözleme, etc. This was our first encounter with fresh Aryan yogurt. It was sour, a little fizzy, and frankly delicious. Though the couple spoke limited English, we’ve got ‘hello’, ‘thank you’, ‘gözleme’, and ‘Aryan’ down in Turkish. And they have a calculator to show us the price. We won’t starve here!
On the trail again, we motored along until we met a tortoise on our path! Can’t blame her for taking the smooth dirt path vs the rocky hillside.
To Marlene’s disappointment, the tail then turned along a fairly severe cliff. But if the Lycians could do it, so could she!
The trail then meanders through farmlands. Many of the small settlements here rely on subsistence farming. The land is full of animals (goats, chickens, etc) and small plots of crops.
We eventually reached our guest house, said hello to the neighborhood cat, and went on a sunset walk before dinner. On the 15-minute walk, each consecutive dog in the area barked to communicate our presence. I’m sure the neighbors were thrilled.
At dinner, we ate with the only other guests at the house (a British couple our age, Alister and Hannah). They were great fun and are about to set out on their own world trip in a couple of months. We swapped stories late into the evening.
Day 3 — Gey to Patara
Distance: 10.5 miles
Elevation: 1575 ft ascent, 3464 ft descent
Today, fortunately, had less climbing than yesterday.
About an hour from our endpoint and fatigued from the seemingly endless eccentric quad work of descending what we’d climbed (hiking… in a nutshell) we were resting in the shade under a tree, and noticed a Turkish couple shaking seed pods out of a tree. After collecting a bag's worth, they stopped by and offered us a few. They explained (in gestures) what parts were edible and encouraged us to try one. We took the chance and found the texture was dense and sticky and the taste was sweet. We later learned that this was carob and in fact, was pictured on some granola bars we’d recently purchased.
We reached our final guest house in the early afternoon, said hello to the neighborhood cat, and watched the sunset with Alister and Hannah from the previous night.
Day 4 — Patara Beach
Distance: 6.5 miles
Elevation: 65 ft ascent, 204 ft descent
Today was an easy day! We woke late for another big breakfast and tea.
Tea! As previously mentioned, an absolute staple of Turkish life. We’d noted its popularity in the bazaars and on the streets of Istanbul. This did not wane as we traversed the country east and south. It is consistently served in a small glass. It's served black and with the option of sugar. Unable to change at this stage, I often bastardized tradition by adding milk…
One interesting thing about travel is noting different equipment/tools/appliances for life’s daily activities. For cooking (clay pots, woks), for showering (electric box and showering over the toilet), for toileting (squat toilets), for sleeping (two separately folded blankets on one big bed), for eating (chopsticks… or spoon and fork without a knife), for drying clothes (clothes horse- we have seen perhaps one clothes dryer since leaving the US), etc. Later in this blog, Chris goes to England and learns about tea cozies! People will not even mention these differences, likely unaware anywhere does things differently until a bemused expression or bizarre misuse causes need for intervention! One interesting instance of this was tea in Turkey. I'm assuming all readers make tea like I do… boil water and pour it over tea leaves or a tea bag. Not so in Turkey!
Turkish tea is made from two teapots stacked vertically. In the bottom pot is water brought to a boil and in the top, tea leaves are mixed with a small amount of water. The top pot is heated indirectly to create a tea concentrate. To make a cup of tea, you first fill the glass a quarter full with concentrate and then dilute it with the hot water.
There are numerous pots available, from a traditional double teapot to an electric kettle with a stackable top, to the wood-fired kettle you can see below.
After finishing breakfast, we set off with Alister and Hannah for Patara Beach. We said goodbye as they boarded a dolmus for a city further east (once again I forgot to get a photo of all of us) and we spent the morning walking barefoot along the sandy beach.
After exfoliating our feet for a few hours, we caught a dolmus for the 3-hour journey back to Fethiye.
Fethiye (round 2)
Having completed our four days on the trail, we were looking forward to a few down days by the water. We found a local boat company that organizes a cheap multi-island tour (complete with lunch and stops for swimming) and spent the day enjoying the sunshine. Or, in my (Chris’) case, feeling seasick (of course, Marlene asked if I wanted a scopolamine patch before we left the house but I abstained because I NEVER get seasick…).
Ephesus
We said goodbye to Kerim and the town of Fethiye and boarded a bus to Ephesus.
Ephesus is an ancient city in Turkey’s Central Aegean region and is home to the Temple of Artemis, one of the Seven Wonders of the Ancient World. The city’s remains contain centuries of history (Greek, Roman, Christian) and it is thought to be one of the most important cities of the ancient Mediterranean world.
Terraced houses (preserved Roman homes from the 3rd century AD) and beautiful ancient mosaics and frescoes.
Church of Saint Mary built in the 4th century AD
Path to the sea. I found this particular photo interesting as the sea is nowhere to be found. Centuries of silt being deposited by the Cayster River pushed the coastline miles away from the ruins of Ephesus.
Goodbye Turkey
We ended our incredible trip to Turkey with a couple of additional days in Istanbul. One particularly great day was spent taking a ferry across to the Asian side (called “Asian side” because it is literally in Asia) and walking the neighborhoods of Kadiköy and Üsküdar (and getting one final lahmacun)!
For dinner, we found a little restaurant above a tea shop near Üsküdar. The restaurant is ultimately a small kitchen with enough space for about 10 guests. If you’ve been to Art’s Cafe on Irving St. in SF, you know the scene (be prepared to shift seats to accommodate more hungry patrons!). Each night, the chef (see below) prepares a variety of dishes- these are placed on the counter for you to choose from. It was one of our favorite meals in Turkey.
A final ferry ride across the Bosphorus straight, back to the European side of Istanbul was complete with seagulls and the dorsal fins of surfacing dolphins amidst ferries and freight, and against the backdrop of a mosque and Turkish flag-adorned skyline. After a month it’s lonesome to leave but we’re ready for the next adventure.
Chris’ Reflection on travel planning:
Travel planning outside of the United States can be tricky. In the States, every bus, train, shuttle, van, taxi, etc has a website where you can obtain the most up-to-date information about a trip and its cost. It’s generally possible to buy a ticket/seat online, the routes run on a strict schedule, and the vehicle may be equipped with GPS so you know exactly where it is at all times. Often times there are phone apps for individual transport companies to make the journey even more seamless. This is of course not the case in other parts of the world. In Turkey, online information is rarely available. To get from one place to the next, it’s often easiest to just show up at a bus station, look for city names you recognize, and hope there is a “departure time” written somewhere. Sometimes the city you want isn’t available and you have to ask a surly station attendant how to get there. They will tell you to get on “x bus” and get off at “x station” to transfer to “x minibus” to your destination. The minibusses have no names, no phone numbers, no schedules, and no specific station location to pick them up. You just have to trust that when you show up, it will all work out. And it usually does. An example was the journey from Fethiye to Ephesus. We caught a bus halfway and then got off at a random station. With backpacks on, we wandered around until we saw a minibus stand, a driver came out to greet us, we said the name of the city we wanted to go to, he loaded our bags, and then offered us a seat at a table by a coffee shop. No English is spoken at any point. About a half hour or so passed and he gave us a whistle, we jumped in the van, and away we went.
Sometimes a bus takes an hour, sometimes it takes two. Sometimes it stops for passengers, sometimes it stops for coffee. Sometimes it stops in a village and a little old lady gets off, the bus circles around the village and then returns and the little old lady gets back on with a few sacks of bread before it travels to the next village.
Locals here travel like this every day and it works just fine. It’s been difficult for me to transition out of my USA mindset where I need to know everything ahead of time and have tickets purchased/routes studied/schedules planned (I even have an app on my phone which tells me details about the plane we are flying on…tail number/year it was made/routes its flown…why does anyone need to know this??) and just go with the flow.
But I’m getting better at it.
Turkish we learned:
Merhaba: Hello
Tesekkür Ederim/Teşekkürler: Thank you very much/thanks
Kolay gelsin: Literally ‘may it come easy to you’ but appropriate for many situations- hello, goodbye, thank you, for someone you see working
çai: Tea
ç= ch sound
Cheers: We didn't learn the Turkish word for cheers because we didn’t have a drink here. The country is predominantly Muslim, pub culture is all but absent and alcohol is expensive!
