Subject:   [adventure!] Plans vs. planes

Date:   4/20/2004 8:13:05 AM

 

 

 

 

Merhaba!

 

Those of you who are worried about me spending more time with Russian girls

can breath a sigh. Not a sigh of relief, but a sigh of TERROR!! I have

decided on my next destination: Russia!

 

Under normal circumstances I would be looking up Iranian and Pakistani bus

schedules right now, but my plans have been changed by an annoying Texan. I

had considered flying to India or Thailand, but I really would like to keep

this trip on the ground. Flying over countries just makes me really curious

about what's down there.

 

I have been having a great (and safe) time in Istanbul visiting some friends

of my Turkish friends in Illinois. One highlight of this week has been

visiting a small village outside of Bursa. One of the guys we went down

there with is Greek, and his grandfather lived in this small village until

the war in 1922, when all the Greek and Turkish people were sent to their

respective home countries. His grandfather and the other people of this

village moved to a similar area in Greece (where this guy's family still

lives) and tried to recreate their home town. So when we arrived in this

village near Bursa, he said it was very similar to his home town in Greece.

We spoke to some old guys in the town (who had been relocated there from

Greece) and they were very excited.

 

(How's that for a nice safe story that doesn't involve Russian hookers or

drugs Mom?)

 

I am still madly in love with Turkish food which, perfect as it is, is only

barely able to keep me distracted from the incredible Turkish women. Expect

me to return to Canada fat, married and diabetic. See below for a list of

reasons.

 

Other (non-food) highlights include riding in a dolmus, which is a little

bus crammed with people (dolmus is a form of the Turkish word for

'stuffed'). In these buses, people pass their money forward from person to

person, until it reaches the driver who counts it out and returns the change

while navigating the absolute craziest streets I have ever seen, and I am

including Morocco. The cost of your dolmus trip depends on the distance you

are going, so as the people pass their money forward to you, they tell you

where they want to go, which is usually something like

'Belevomenkalarlutfen' and then you turn to the person in front of you and

hand them the money and say 'Benkarhislertolfen', then the next person

passes it along and says 'Benkarfelhutfel' and the next person hands the

money to the driver and says 'Winnepeg'. It's a lot of fun!

 

I've also learned a lot about Attaturk, who was a charismatic leader who

made huge changes in Turkey by defeating the Ottomans in a dance

competition. Anywhere you go in Turkey, you can see his picture or statue,

which invariably shows him looking sassy with raised eyebrows, commemorating

the defiant moment when he issued his challenge to the Ottomans who he knew,

over the centuries had developed arthritis in their knees. He also

travelled to Istanbul in the 1950's and replaced all the 'Turkish style'

toilets with 'Western style' ones. Today, there is not a single

hole-in-the-ground toilet to be found in Istanbul, thanks to his prophetic

vision. People all around the city can be seen giving thanks to Attaturk by

posing in the Western-style or 'seated' position (pants up, of course) on

park benches and high curbs.

 

I hope you are all doing well, and I would love to read anyone's thoughts on

Russia, China, Thailand, Iran, Pakistan, India or Burma. I'll be in Turkey

for another two or three weeks, heading South then East then North.

 

jay

 

‘***

 

Kebap: like a gyro/donair/shawarma style sandwich with flat bread wrapped

around lamb/chicken shaved from a vertical skewer. Adana kebap is the same

thing but with spicy chunks of lamb.

 

Iskender/Bursa Kebap: the same thing disassembled on a plate and covered

with melted butter, a tomato-based sauce, and yogurt. This was invented in

Bursa, so we had to stop and get some there!

 

Corba: Turkish soup, often with lentils and I think mint.

 

Simit: Bread roll that is similar in texture to Montreal-style bagels,

rolled in sesame seeds, with cheese or sometimes olive paste inside. These

and some other baked goods are available at street stands which are spaced

at approximately 2 metre intervals in Istanbul. I have eaten so many of

these that actual sesame seeds are coming out of my pores.

 

Cucumbers: Ah, they don't claim cucumbers as Turkish food, but here in

Istanbul you can find street stands piled with cucumbers, and for 50 cents a

guy will peel one for you, make a slice down the middle, sprinkle salt on

it, and send you off with the most refreshing cucumber-sicle. The best.

 

Baklava and similarly ridiculously sweet desserts I don't know the name of,

including candied chestunuts: yum!