First Family

I'm in a hurry, but here is what I have writtent he last few days:

Well, here I am, staying with my first family.  I am in the apartment of Abdullah, or, Abbe as I have been told I can call him.  He is an incredible man.  What am I doing here? One of his daughters heard about a foreigner who wanted to come to Turkey for a few weeks to stay with a family and help with their English.  She thought of her father, Abbe, who has taken up the hobby of learning English since his wife died about five years ago, and asked him if he would like to have someone come and stay for a few weeks who could speak in English to him.  So, here I am!

Abbe lives on the ground floor of a 5 or 6 story building.  The apartment has two bedrooms and one bath and a rather large living room/dining room combination.  He explained to me that there had been three bedrooms, but he took out a wall to make the living space larger.  He also remodeled the kitchen, but I don’t know in what way. 

Every day Ayten comes to be his companion and helper.  She makes his meals, does his laundry and housekeeping and visits with him.  Although I don’t understand the words, I can tell they are teasing and bantering and having a good time with each other.  Ayten is 38 and married for the first time 9 months ago.  She doesn’t know any English, although she is picking up words from me quickly.

Upstairs in this same building lives Abbe’s second daughter, Ayşegül and her husband.  Ayşegül is in the Insurance Business and her husband is an Accountant.  Ayşegül speaks some English; we are able to communicate on a variety of subjects, but not in too much depth.  Last night we took a very long walk together along the water front, chattering the whole way.  She is 57 and has a daughter who is 19 who started her first year of University yesterday.  She also has a son, Mete, who is married and returned to Turkey a year ago from Denmark.  He and his wife came along the waterfront last night and walked back with us.  His English is very good and he also speaks Danish, German and a little Spanish.  He is a mechanical engineer and has his own business, while his wife is a “food engineer”… I didn’t quite figure that out yet, although I think it is actually along the lines of scientific work, not dietary work.

The oldest daughter is Makbule (59) and she lives with her husband a bit further away in a house from what I can tell, and not an apartment building.  They have a daughter who lives in Australia and a son, and I either don’t remember, or haven’t been told about him!  Makbule works with the Cambridge textbook and testing systems, and meets with the representatives for these programs at the schools.  Yesterday, with the first day of school across the country, she was quite busy, including attending an opening ceremony and cocktail party last evening.

There is also a son, Mehmet who is 51, is married and has a daughter.  They live near Makbule, and I have not met them yet.

So, yesterday when I arrived by taxi from the Konak, or old town section of the city, I was met by Abbe and Ayten who quickly invited me in, showed me my room and asked me to sit.  We had tea and before I knew it, we were into the late afternoon!  I discovered Abbe’s English is all self-taught, which is incredible, as he uses filler expressions in English, for example: “Let me see”, “What do you think of that?” and “Can I say”, and a few others I can’t think of right now.

Yesterday for lunch, the three of us – Ayten, Abbe and myself – had a yogurt and mint soup, stuffed eggplant, meatballs, salad (lettuce, tomato, onion with oil and apple cider vinegar for dressing) and rice.  All of this had been prepared before, so it didn’t take long to put on the table.  What really surprised me was when Ayeten came out of the kitchen with a bottle of cold vodka and poured all three of us a full glass!  I sat there and watched the other two, and neither took a drink for some time.  There was a pitcher of water on the table, but no other glass, so I could not pour myself a glass of water.  Finally, I was quite thirsty and gave in and took a sip of the vodka, only to realize it was only cold water!  I just had to chuckle at myself.  They use the old vodka bottle because it is glass, to put the water in the fridge to cool it!  The other thing was that the plates were dished up in the kitchen, except the salad.  The salad was on a serving plate on the table and Ayten and Abbe ate directly from the serving plate.  I had read that this used to be the custom with all dishes, but wasn’t as common any more.  I didn’t hesitate long, and dug right in…just can’t pass up those tomatoes. 

When Makbale came by in the afternoon, she definitely took charge, reminding me of Mary Kay!  She walked me through the house, showed me where everything is, and explained that I was to feel at home: “mi casa es tu casa”, but in Turkish!   Her English is very good and I was able to talk to her about needing to have my hair cut and colored and to get a sim card for my phone, if the phone isn’t too old (it is the one I had in Hungary).   She explained that these two weeks are the busiest time of year for her, so she will be short on time.  While she was here, she was on two cell phones at one time and then onto the computer!  Hopefully, I will see her more.

Tuesday, September 20

This morning I shared breakfast with Ayten and Abbe and Ayten helped me to put in a load a clothes to wash.  We then walked a few blocks and then caught a taxi to the same café where Asyagul and I walked the other night.  We sat there for a good hour, chatting and watching the goings-on in the park.  I am just amazed at Abbe’s English and his constant studying of it.  I would think it would wear him out, but he loves using it.  Asygul told me he drives everyone crazy saying things in both Turkish and English all the time!

In the afternoon, Ayten’s sister and nephew stopped by to visit.  Neither spoke English, although the nephew is in his third year of studying it.  They do all the book learning like everywhere else, and very little speaking or listening.  Both were quite jovial and looked at my Alaska and family pictures and asked questions through Abbe.  Ayten’s sister wore a headscarf and no make up.  Abbe said yes, they are nice people, but very simple.  Whatever that meant!  

Late afternoon Asegul stopped by to get me to take me to get a sim card for my phone.  After three shops, we discovered that although the phone wasn’t too old, it could only take a T-mobile sim card, and there is no T-mobile service here in Turkey.  So, I ended up buying a used phone for 50 lira, about $30 US dollars and spent another $30 to get the service and some time.  They use a pay as you go system.  Actually, Asegul’s English is ok, but it was difficult for her tocommunicate all the intracacies to me, so she called Osmen (pronounced Irsman), her daughter-in-law to come help us.  Osmen was in the same area buying a pair of boots, so came over and helped out.  She was great and I watched the two of them negotiate with one man about a used phone and decided against getting one from him – I came away with respect for their negotiating ability and told them so!

Osman wanted to share a local food with me, but I had already tried a number of them she suggested, so we ended up getting one that I had already had: mussels on the half shell with rice and lemon juice.  Quite good.  She showed me another local food, lambs head!  They separate the meat on the head from the brain and cook it all separately and then mix it up together with lettuce and tomatoes, etc., and wrap it in a thin peda bread!  I think I will pass on that one!

I got home about 8pm, so Abbe had already eaten, but I needed a little more so had one of the stuffed eggplants from the day before.  We then enjoyed some fruit together.  We had grapes and peaches and plums.  It’s just so wonderful to have fresh juicy fruit!  Abbe is such a joy to be around as he just beams with happiness to have company and to be able to speak in English.

So far, I really have not had any free time, but will try to work that in today.  He just wants to talk and talk and talk.  I have started to direct the conversation a bit into his history and what his life was like when he was younger, as I find it fascinating.  I need to organize our subjects a bit and then set some time limits….or maybe not, as this is just two weeks! 

He also wants to use the computer more for writing to pen pals around the world in English, but needs help signing up for this.  I’m not sure if his family just doesn’t have the time to help him do this, or if they don’t want him to for fear of the perils of the internet! 

The internet is dial up from what I can tell, and is quite slow.  I am not able to connect my computer to it, but will try to get out today to find a café with wireless and then upload this.

 

This and That

Remember that fire hydrant picture that I posted in Ecuador?  The one of the fire hydrant that was half buried in the cement of the sidewalk, and there was no way that it could be used?  Well, here is one for Turkey!  Have to wonder how the fire department would ever find this one if needed. But, at least it is probably still useable.  Also, I would hate to be the customer sitting at this table!

Tomatoes, tomatoes, tomatoes.  Those things we get in Juneau at Costco in the plastic containers are not tomatoes!  They have the real thing here and they are delicious.  They are on every breakfast buffet in big bowls – sometimes sliced and sometimes quartered, or sometimes a bowl of each.  They are often grilled and included on the plate when you get a shish kabob for lunch or dinner. At the very least they are on most plates as a garnishment. And then they make salads and more salads with them.  And then they are served grilled in olive oil with peppers and eggplant.  And then they are made into salchas (like a salsa) and pastes and sauces AND, the best part is that they are delicious in all these forms.  They are ripe and full of flavor and a beautiful red.  Love them!  I’ve eaten more tomatoes in the past few weeks than in my whole lifetime! (I can even eat a few cucumbers if there are enough tomatoes with them!)  I've posted a ton of food pics on Facebook, so no new one here!

Cats Everywhere!  The people of Turkey love cats.  They are obviously not spayed or neutered and they just live on the streets with everyone feeding them, holding them, and caring for them.  I’ve seen this at each of the cities and villages we have been in, as well as at the archeological sites. These cats are actually pretty small, but seem to be long-legged in comparison to their bodies.  They are lazing around on the street, rooftops and on monuments.  I often see people at tables leaning down with some little tidbit in their fingers, feeding a cat.  When dining at an outdoor restaurant, or even an indoor one that has open areas, at least one cat is sure to be under the table and around your ankles --- and sometimes they try to get up on your lap.  Maybe this is ok with others, but not for me….yuk!   In Istanbul I remember seeing a bigger cat sitting outside the laundry where I took my clothes.  That was a larger cat and he was pretty dirty and looked pretty beat up.  But most I have seen are smaller and cleaner. Since I am not a big cat lover, I don't seem to have any pics of cats, except this one...glad it turned away so I didn't capture it's creepy eyes!!

Toilets!  Did you really think I could write about “this and that” without writing about the toilets! (At least I didn’t make this the paragraph before or after the one on tomatoes!) First, you must ask for the “toilet” not the “bathroom” or “restroom” or “washroom”. They’ve got both the western style sit-upons that we are used to, and the more Asian squat type that I saw in a few places in Italy.  The squats are not just in old places, but also in many of the larger bathrooms in public places or roadside restaurants where there will be some of both types.  Whichever you use, toilet paper cannot go down them, so there is always a trash can located next to the toilet.  This was the same in Ecuador and Peru – their sewage system – or rather their pipes, just can not handle the paper.   At some of the roadside restaurants we stopped at along the tour, we saw some of the cleanest and nicest toilet facilities ever.  I have advanced a bit, and have not taken any photos of the toilets themselves --- but here is the ceiling and grape trellis up one wall and over the roof.(I'll tell you about the "evil eye" - the thing that is hanging there, in another post.)

On the tour, we drove through many agricultural areas, seeing fruit orchards, greenhouses with tomatoes, almond trees, olive trees, corn fields, cotton, etc., etc.  And as we approached the cities we would see a different type of crop: highrises!  (I can’t claim that quip – Ayşegül is the one who called them their biggest crop.)     Some of the buildings reminded me of the Soviet Era ones I used to see across Eastern Europe, but in a little better condition.  Most have balconies, as being able to grill their kebabs is a fact of life here.  People are moving into the cities from villages and in tourism areas they are built as hotels. 

Caravanserais

I have visited two Caravanserais here in Turkey; one where the Whirling Dervish performance was and another that we toured.  Ayşegül pointed out the different aspects to the design and explained how this was a resting spot for the caravans on the trade routes between Asia and Europe.  This was during the Seljuk Turkish rule period around the 1200’s.  Basically , they were a safe resting place for traders and their animals along the trade routes connecting Asia and Europe.  Here is a short summary from this web page:  http://www.turkeytravelplanner.com/architecture/SeljukCaravanserais.html 

“The Seljuk Empire of Rum [pronounced room] spanned the ancient trade routes of Anatolia, the camel trails along which the riches of Persia and China had been carried to the markets of Europe, and vice-versa.  With trade came wealth, so the Seljuk sultans and the grandees of the empire worked to encourage, increase and protect commerce by road.  The great men and women of the empire endowed hans (inns), or kervansarays (“caravan palaces”) along the Silk Road and other major routes. These huge stone buildings were made to shelter the caravaneers, their camels, horses and donkeys, and their cargoes, to keep them safe from highwaymen and to provide needed travel services.”

Ayşegül’s explanations of the services they could get, i.e., food, baths, medical care, etc., and the ability to trade with others at these sites almost brought the place to life.  But this painting that is hanging in my hotel in Izmir, finished off the image!

When I look at this painting, it just makes the pictures of the empty one I visited come to life for me.  They are soo big, with a huge inner courtyard and then covered areas around the side and at the far end, used for different purposes.  Check out how huge the door is!

I can just see the travelers/traders in these arches: resting, eating and talking with the others.  Or, laying out some of their wares from far off places to trade with others from the opposite direction so they can begin their journey back with new goods.

Look at the intricate designs behind Ayşegül!  

Vacation from my vacation

Ok, so I took a vacation from my vacation!  Kind of lame, eh?  But not really!  So much of our time has been spent viewing museums and archeological sites, that it was great to take a day for a boat trip on the Mediterranean and go swimming.  

We were the only ones on the boat and went to a cove where we were able to swim.  We weren’t the only boat there and everyone was enjoying the coolness of the water.  I was surprised by how salty the water was.  Our boat was similar to this one, and I am sure we looked the same to them, with all these heads bopping up and down.   Some of us saw a sea turtle also, but I was unable to get a picture of it.

 We were served a fantastic lunch with quite a few salads, rice pilaf, and sea bass, after which we were able to swim again before heading back to the city.  The dish in the right front was roated eggplant and zucchini with yogurt. They sure know how to use their veggies here!

Some tour members were dropped off at a museum while the rest of us went back to the hotel.  I was able to take a nap – exhausted from the heat! – and email my first host family about my arrival time, as well as make a hotel reservation for my first two nights in Izmir.  That evening we ate as a group at the hotel, the meal being made by one of the brothers who owns the hotel. 

Konya to Antalya

When we left Konya on Saturday morning September 10 , we traveled through the Taurus Mountains to the sub-tropical coastal town of Antalya.  We stopped at a cave site in the morning, and a few people went in.  A few of those came right back out while the others finished.  The admission cost was not included in our tour and I chose not to go in.  I’m glad I did, as those who came out first said the railings, etc., were a bit rickety and those that came out later, said there were definitely more stairs than they had thought there would be!  I sat among the pine trees with other tour members visiting and adding captions to my pictures.  Rafet and Alexa got in another game of backgammon before we had lunch and then continued on our way. 

Antalya is the region that Ayşegül is from, so she definitely had additional insight into the area.  We stayed in the old city, within the old city walls, which is typical on a Rick Steves tour.  On our arrival, we had a nice orientation walk, which included Hadrian’s Gate – a three arch structure leading into the city  (it seems he traveled a bit in his life, as I believe there is a wall in northern England or in Scotland also named after him.)  The old town had narrow winding streets and at the end, a great view of the yacht harbor and the cliffs falling into the sea.  Ayşegül explained how much had fallen into the sea in the last 20-30 years and how buildings were having to be abandoned due to this. 

Ayşegül  had then arranged for those who wanted, to visit a Hamam, a Turkish Bath.  The cost of this was not included in the tour, but, with the transport, bath, a luffa scrub, a bubble massage, an additional oil massage, face mask and pedicure, I paid 85 lira: about $60 US dollars!  Not only was it a deal in terms of what it cost, it was so cleansing and felt wonderful.  Also, the cost was much less than what one of the tour members paid in the tourist area of Istanbul.  Having a group of women together who had not experienced this before was also fun as we were all in awe of the process and joked and laughed our way through.  I hope to do this every other week while I am here!  This bath was one outside of the old city, and outside of the tourist area, so the rest of the women who were there were local.  Sorry, no photos as everyone was half naked and there was too much steam.  

Had a nice dinner out that night not far from the hotel with a few of the other tour members.  I had one of my favorites: tomato, mozzarella, with a basil pesto.

Konya Market

In Konya -- a conservative city and a Muslim holy place and the burial place of Mevlana Rumi, spiritual father of the Whirling Dervishes.  We arrived late yesterday and were able to tour the Mevlana Museum and walk through the bazaar.  I loved this bazaar: it was more like those I have experienced in other countries and seemed so much more "real" to me than the Grand Bazaar in Istanbul.  Tourists from outside the Muslim world are rarer here than in Cappadocia and other places in Western Turkey and we received our fair share of stares and kids giggling and following us.  I held to the back of the group and talked to the kids who were following us.  These girls just couldn't stop giggling, so I talked to them and got their names and their ages (they needed help understanding the "how old are you" question.  

These boys sell Turkish tea to the stall workers, but had none at the time we saw them.  They were more than happy to pose for the picture!

These boys were at the shoe repair stall next to the one that Ayshagul stopped at to talk to the man.  They were busy texting, but I got their names.  I had to wait for Ayshagul to ask though if they were texting their girl friends....that got a big laugh and extreme head shaking of "no"!

Hot air ballooning and Underground cities

This morning I, along with 12 other of the tour group got up at 4:30am for a 5:00am ride to the hot air balloon launch!  This is the one place in the world where there are so many balloons in the air at the same time every day.  We were fortunate our company changes their launch site daily, depending on the morning winds as this is what determines where you go.  We were able to fly over the many valleys of Cappadocia, including the Gerome Open Air Museum that we visited yesterday.  I was kind of surprised by how this worked.  We didn't just launch and go up and sail along.  Instead, they did their best to take us down and up and between the fairy chimneys in the different valleys.  We scraped bottom a few times on brush, etc., but there was no concern by the pilots! (Both had over 10 years of balloon piloting and one is also licensed in the US.)  This is definitely an experience I would like to do again -- well worth the money!

This afternoon we went to the underground city of Kaymakli, which "features a maze of tunnels and rooms carved eight levels deep into the earth (only four are open)." "During the 6th and 7th centuries, when Persian and Arabic armies set off to vanquicsh the Christians....the Byzantine Christians would escape into secret tunnels leading to vast underground cities."  There are at least 140 of these cities, although only 36 have been excavated. Some 3000 people lived at Kaymakli, spending months at a time...  (From Lonely Planet Turkey Guide book.)  I found I was only comfortable at the first two levels and went back to the surface when it was time to go through long skinny tunnels that you had to really scrunch down to get through!  I saw enough though to see the thought that went into the details of these rooms to allow whole towns of people to hide underground for months at a time.

Our dinner was at another little town, in a venue that serves only group meals.  This tour is giving us opportunities that we could never have on our own.  This place was run by Adam and his family: his parents, wife, sisters and their husbands, and daughters.  The tables were on a terrace overlooking another of the many valleys/gulleys of the Cappadocia region.  We saw Adam's mother cooking up the "salcha" -- a seasoned tomato base that is used for much of their cooking.

We also had this on our bread that they  made while we watched.  All in all, each day just keeps getting more amazing!

After the dinner, some of us chose to go to watch a group of Whirling Dervishes perform their ceremony -- not sure what else to call this, as it wasn't really a "show", but rather like attending their religious ceremony.  No photos were allowed.  Basically, the men twirl in small circles (like kids like to do) into a trance like state in an effort to be closer to God.  Ok, probably not the best explanation, but you can google it to find out what I mean!  It was certainly interesting, and difficult to stay awake as it was late, warm in the room, and we had just had that very filling and delicious meal!