Reflections Enroute » Turkey

Day-tripping to Chios

corinne — Wed, 28 Jul 2010 08:00:56 +0000

One of the great things about living in Turkey is that it is almost entirely surrounded by water. Where there is water, there are ferries to interesting places. Along the western coast, many of these ferries goo to Greek islands. Last year we took one to Rhodes, and this year we tried the small island of Chios.

To get there we drove to the coastal city of Cesme and paid a mere 40 Euros for the return ticket for that one day. The only frustrating thing was that we didn’t know to fight to get to the front of the passport control line and we were behind many Turks. The Greeks have to hand-input all of the Turks’ information and this took up some of our precious time.

The rest of the island is well set up for a day trip. We walked straight to a car rental place and rented one for the remainder of the day. The lady even marked out the route we should take to get the most out of one day. She was right, next time I would at least spend a weekend there. One day really is not enough.

Our first stop was the Nea Moni Monastery, a UNESCO World Heritage Site (inscribed in 1990) along with two other monasteries from the same period and style. It’s a good thing we started here, too, as the monastery closes at 1:00 PM each day. We had about forty minutes to do the entire complex, which included the church and a small museum.

I love hearing how the monks decided on where to build a new monastery. For Nea Moni, three monks were looking for a new site to build upon when they discovered an icon of the Virgin Mary on a bush. The icon is now located in the museum along with at least one copy. Constantine, himself, footed the bill after he was named emperor according to one of the monk’s predictions. Because of its lofty beginnings and favors, Nea Moni became one of the riches monasteries in Greece.

Evidence of this can be found inside the church where the background of the many mosaics is painted in gold. Some of the mosaics were very complete where others have been badly damaged, either from the Ottoman take-over or the earthquake that followed.

Apparently the battle of Chios was extremely bloody. One of the rooms inside the church has a glass cupboard displaying skulls and bones from some of the victims.

After the monastery, we drove to Lithio, where we ate lunch and swam in the warm water. Along the beachfront were many restaurants, and we had our obligatory calamari. Calamari, in Greece, is the whole squid cleaned and cut into slices, lightly battered and fried. The tentacles are delicious, but you must remember to not swallow some of the cartilage, like the beak.

After swimming, we didn’t have much time, so we high-tailed it back to the rental car agency. The girl had said she would be there to collect the car, but it was siesta time and the shop was closed up tight. We had just a few minutes before our ferry was supposed to launch when she showed up, got in a fight with a parking policeman, and delivered us to the port. A heart-pumping end to a relaxing day on just another Greek island.

Celebrating Children’s Day in Turkey

corinne — Wed, 12 May 2010 08:00:20 +0000

Children's Day in Kizilay

April 23rd was Children’s Day here in Turkey. The entire country, but especially the schools, are decorated in Turkish flags as well as photos of Ataturk. Mustafa Kemal Ataturk was the first president of Turkey after he helped gain indepence from Greece. He set up the First Grand National Assembly on this day in Ankara, which he made the new capital of the country. That was in 1920, but in 1927 he dedicated this day to children to emphasize their role in Turkey’s future.

Kids all over the country prepare sports and cultural events to show the community on this day. Many of the programs revolve around traditional dances and customs to celebrate their “Turkishness.” There area also plenty of activities like plays, art exhibits, parades, and lots of other activities for children last the entire week.

We went down to Tunali, which is one of the busiest streets in all of Ankara. We usually try to avoid it at all costs. If you are visiting, though, there are plenty of bars, restaurants, and cafes. Normally, it takes you at least 10 minutes to drive through the intersection, but on this day, the road was completely blocked off for the parade. In Kuglu (Swan) park, there were characters in costumes, a stage with dances and bands, and of course some snack vendors. The park was decorated in a rainbow of netting, and children were getting their faces painted. The parade itself was very short with the entire crowd following it.

This float honors Nasreddin Hoja, a lovable folk character.

It was an interesting little celebration, but I would recommend seeking one out if you happen to be in the country during the week of April 23rd.

Bliss – Book Review

corinne — Sun, 18 Apr 2010 08:54:14 +0000

Bliss, by O.Z. Livanelli, is a good read about a naive young girl who is condemned to death by her family. I’m a little torn that in some ways it confirms a lot of suspicions that the west has about Muslim countries, but on the other hand these events do still happen – especially in Eastern Turkey. There is also a movie that has English subtitles and supposedly has fantastic cinematography.

Avoiding the Evil Eye

corinne — Tue, 13 Apr 2010 08:00:51 +0000

Lots of Nazar boncugular to ward off the jealous eyes!

The moment you enter Turkey and start looking around, you immediately notice the “Nazar Boncugu” or Evil Eye everywhere. They are hung from car rearview mirrors, worn as jewelry, nailed to the outside of houses or in an entryway, or even woven into a prize sheep’s collar. The evil eye has been around for centuries, and can still be found all over the world. I have seen them in Jordan, Egypt, and other Middle Eastern countries, but never so many as here in Anatolia.

Purportedly the first recorded mention of the evil eye was on clay cuneiform tablets from the Sumerians, but it is believed to go back farther than that. It has been found in all types of ancient literature from many cultures to include Christian, Jewish, Hindu, Buddhist, and Muslim. In Turkey, the evil eye is a charm to protect your loved ones from someone casting the evil eye on them. If you are young or beautiful or have lots of money, or if there is any reason for someone to be jealous of you, then you definitely need this protection.

Young children and animals are the most susceptible to the evil eye, so you will often see a small safety pin with a tiny blue eye bead on it pinned to the back of the child’s sweater. It is in the back so the child can’t reach it and mistakenly take it off or put it in his mouth.

Often you will hear two phrases used in conjunction with the giving of the evil eye, “Mashallah” (“God will’s it.”) or ““Allah nazardan saklasin” ( “May God protect it from the evil eyes”). The evil eye of today is often a glass bead or ornament that is worn or hung on a building.

You should never buy the evil eye yourself, but give it to those who you believe need protection. If the evil eye breaks, then it means that you used the magic in it, it did its job, and you have been protected.

Listening to the Past at Pembe Köşk

corinne — Tue, 17 Nov 2009 14:59:27 +0000

The house where the 2nd president of Turkey lived.

We’ve joined this wonderful group called the Friends of the American Research Institute which supports scholars and archaeologists all over Turkey. The group does tours in and around Ankara and it also holds, lectures, movie nights, and even an “Antiques Road Show.” It’s been great learning about Turkey from this standpoint as opposed to being just your run-of-the-mill tourist.

One of the places they took us was to Pembe Köşk, which was the home of the second president, Ismet Inönü. He was a great friend of Ataturk, who actually gave him his name. He was named after the location of the last battle of the War of Independence. He was president from 1938-1950.

The organization (FARIT) has built a relationship with his daughter, Ozden Toker, and she took us around the house herself telling us personal stories about her father and of course the items in the house.

As we sipped wine, we wandered through the bottom part of the house and listened to a history that amazed me since I could only imagine the people that she was talking about. For example, Jim and I were completely intrigued by a chess set that was given to Inönü by Stalin. They were red and white pieces, with a very propogandist theme. The white pieces were Czarist with starving peasants in chains for pawns. The red pieces were, of course, the communists, the pawns here were happy workers wielding scythes and clutching bundles of wheat. Very interesting!

Pembe Köşk is only open twice a year, in April and October, but if you happen to be passing through during those times, I would certainly put it on my list.

Flying Through Heaven and Hell!

corinne — Thu, 12 Nov 2009 08:00:43 +0000

The pit that is Hell!

In many guidebooks about Turkey, they recommend a jaunt to Heaven and Hell. Well, it sounds intriguing. Since it’s so far south and there is supposed to be a lot of hiking (specifically 450 steps) involved, we decided to get up before breakfast when it was cooler to check it out. Of course no one was here this early, so we didn’t have to pay an entry fee. I think it’s usually 3 Tl. for each Heaven and Hell. As you pull up in the parking lot, you see two signs one points to Heaven and one points to Hell.

We decided to go to Hell, first….more fun! Well, not really. There is a long driveway up a hill, which we drove, but I’ll bet we were supposed to walk, and at the top is a small, very small, overlook with a white railing. It oversees a huge pit where supposedly some evil-doers were thrown over as punishment. It is a little scary. At the bottom is a river that supposedly was the river that Achilles was dipped into by the heel. I saw nor even heard a river, but I’m sure it’s there some parts of the year. Going to Hell was a quick trip. I think we spent about ten minutes doing this part, so we were ready for the real reward, Heaven!

We drove down the long driveway and parked then found the steps that descended into Heaven. Hey, this isn’t the way it’s supposed to go. I thought Heaven would be an ascent! Oh well, here we go, down, down, down. Soon we come to what looks like a cement church that was not built all that long ago. I’m not sure what the official dates are, but it certainly doesn’t look very old. There’s also graffiti everywhere which doesn’t do much for its ambiance. After the church, you are supposed to go down even more steps and into a cave. I opted out. I’d had enough of Heaven already! But Jim, Cathleen, and Matthew went on and on. I watched as they slipped and slid down into the depths of Heaven. What did I miss? A cave. I’m totally done with caves since Malaysia, so I don’t feel any chagrin at all.

All in all, if I’d known what it was, I would have not done Heaven or Hell at all. The beaches are truly Heaven on the Med, and driving in Turkey can be pure Hell, so yeah, been there, done that. Don’t follow suite. Skip this site!

Dibek…A Restaurant Review

corinne — Thu, 23 Jul 2009 08:00:33 +0000

The spices and homemade wine make this one of the best eats in Goreme.

The Dibek resaraunt is conveniently located right in the center of Goreme, which of course is where you find the UNESCO World Heritage Site of Cappadocia. After a tiring slog up, down, around and through rock chapels galore, an evening at Dibek will put you well on the road to recovery.

The family that owns the restaurant has lived there for five generations. Mehmet, the son and manager, speaks a bunch of languages, and really helps the evening along with his jovial banter. The house is over 500 years old, and tables are distributed among the rock rooms, with colorful cushions.

The family makes their own wine, and we cannot seem to pass it up. We order at least two carafes each time we go. I had asked Mehmet who does the cooking, because the restaurant boasts “home cooking”, and he said his mom did. And boy, does she do it right.

Everything on the menu is beyond comparison. Traditional dishes such as Kurufasulye (Beans with lamb), cacik (yogurt sauce), or sac kebab (lamb stew) are all fantastic. If you can remember, though, their signature dish is testi kebab (a stew cooked for three hours in a clay flask, which is broken open at the table), and you must order it the day before. Call Mehmet at 0384-271-2209.

Afiyet Olson! Good Eating!

Nargile…A Turkish Tradition

corinne — Tue, 21 Jul 2009 08:00:21 +0000

Smoking hookah in one of the many cafes in Ankara.

One of the best things about living in Turkey is the weather, and the way cafe owners have learned how to maximize the abundance of sun to their advantage. Everywhere you go, cafes abound. The proprietors have gratiously provided either umbrellas or canvases along with fans to keep you in the shade and as comfortable as possible. The European tradition of sitting all day at a cafe is alive and well here, and one of the best ways to do this to order a nargile, a hookah, a water pipe.

Nargile tobacco comes in an abundance of flavors from coconut, apple, and pineapple, to the modern taste of cappucino. As with all Turkish services, the waiter will do all the hard work for you preparing the pipe. Nargile is a tradition brought to Asia Minor from India and Persia; even if you don’t smoke, this is one to try. The fruity flavor, along with the warmth of the Anatolia sun and your Turkish hosts, makes this an experience to remember.

The Pigeon Man

corinne — Fri, 17 Jul 2009 08:00:35 +0000

The Pigeon Man in Cappadocia.

What is it about pigeons? They are everywhere I’ve been, all over the world. People hate them or they love them. I, personally, don’t want them hanging out on my balcony, but I do like them. I like watching people with them as well. They must have some appeal, people feed them, chase them, and as with this guy, raise them. In many parts of the Middle East, pigeons are raised for food. I’m not sure if this guy was doing that, but I suspect he was.

In Cappadocia, walking through one of the many, many valleys of rock formations that sport religious icons and frescoes, we heard some extreme flapping. We pinpointed the source of the noise to discover that there was a bunch of pigeons doing air somersaults. I never knew that pigeons like to do air flips. It just never occurred to me. We couldn’t help getting a closer look, and at first the pigeon farmer ignored us…just another couple of tourists. Then I spoke to him and he became super-friendly. I asked him what he was doing in my limited Turkish. With hand gestures and not-a-little perserverance, I found out that yes, he raised the pigeons. He had lived in this valley for the last eight months to be the guard. He raised the pigeons for fun and food. He was more than a little lonely being far from home and having few real visitors, so we chatted for about half an hour.

This man, these pigeons, they epitomize the reason I travel, to meet real people in real places living real lives; places that aren’t tourist attractions to them, just home or a job.

Not Our Best Day in Turkey!

corinne — Wed, 15 Jul 2009 08:00:02 +0000

Jim and I love having the ability to drive everywhere we go…usually. On this particular day, we probably should have taken a bus. As we were driving west from the small town of Kahta, in eastern Turkey, an industrial tractor took us out! Here is a photo of the right side of our car. Thankfully, no one was hurt, but it has put our car completely out of commission while the body work is completed. We’ve had to use a rental since.

A tractor demolishes our two right doors.

After the incident, it didn’t take long before there were plenty of cars stopped on the side of the road to see if we were all right, and the police showed up in less than ten minutes. Everyone, including the driver of the tractor, was concerned about our emotional as well as physical well-being.

As in most bureaucratic instances, the police report takes some time, but is all done with the driver of the tractor taking full responsibility. We just stood around in blazing sun, a little shaken, waiting to be released, so that we could just go home!

We finish with the report, but we have too much glass inside the car to ride in it, so Erika and I rode with the police to the nearest gas station where they vacuum out the car. Of course we are offered cay (Turkish tea) and water. We accepted both. The cay was no problem, but I guess water was limited so they had to search for one glass for our entire party to share. After we all had a few sips, the policeman asked if we were finished and proceeded to down the glass.

Meanwhile, men are arriving in droves. Most of the people who live in this region are Kurds, and they were very concerned and hospitable. One old man offered us each a cigarette, and practially forced it on Jim after he refused, with this incredulous look of disbelief; how could he possibly refuse a cigarette after this ordeal?

When the car was finished, we had to negotiate a deal with the police to let us drive the car back to Ankara. They thought it was unsafe, and they didn’t want to take any chances that these Americans would be hurt in any way. We finally convinced them, and as we said our goodbyes, the old gentleman invited us for lunch at his house. We would have taken him up on it, too, if we didn’t have another ten hours to drive to get home.

Finishing up the accident report.

Having an accident is no fun, but this day turned out to be as pleasant as possible. The Turks and Kurds were courteous, helpful, and genuinely concerned about us. There was no arguing, no frustration, just everyone working together to take care of us and send us on our way. The policeman was also worried that this would make us not like Turkey, and he tried to tell us all the great things the country has to offer. We tried to reassure him that, on the contrary, even having an accident had been – for the most part- a very pleasant experience.