A Poem

I found this poem today. I wrote it long before I came to Turkey--long before I even knew I wanted to come. I had read a National Geographic book about gypsies in Istanbul and had imagined it to be something like this.


The Gypsy Madam of Old Constantinople

Through a dizzying hive of brass and smoke,
I wander into the street bazaar of old Constantinople,
Where the shoes are shined for loose change
And pickpockets plot, selling cheap flowers.
A bear dances on a dog-leash to tambourine songs
Next to a lacquered sign—Futures foretold
For all who have eyes to see! Walking past, I stop
And wonder if there’s an answer there for me.

Ducking low, I enter the dimly lit tent
That smells of wax and rosehips. The Madam sits
Wrapped in a shroud of deep purple thread
And blinking with beady eyes. She beckons me in.
Digging through her bag of dried beans and twigs,
She pulls out an orb the size of an egg.
My dear child, you have one uncommon hand.
She swivels the glass in her hand. Her bony arm
Moves like a dancing cobra head as she inches
Closer, and stares right through my skin.
Tell me now, what do you see within?

My eyes focus on the blurry crystal, glowing
Orange from the flickering burn of a candle.
Squinting hard at the orb, I prepare to see
My lot—of wealth or of trouble, of joy or despair,
Or perhaps even a vision of death, lurking near.
But the light adjusts as the glow fades to grey
And all that remains too see of some fate
Is the reflection of my own familiar face.

Cappadocia and Eastern Turkey

This is coming about a week late but I've been sleeping. It was a long 2 weeks!!

During the month of Ramazan I didn't have many classes so I was able to travel quite a bit (since most students would rather not learn English for 4 hours on an empty stomach). With two weeks off I decided to make my rounds through Central Anatolia and Kurdish territory in the SE of Turkey.




With only a small day pack and a sleeping bag, I decided start my trip in what has been coined "backpackers paradise": Cappadocia! And since I'm often annoyed by the watered-down package tours you usually get at these places, I decided to set out alone with a map (and a little good sense) into the heart of Cappadocia.



It took 2 bus rides and an overpriced taxi to get to my launching point but the site of the Ilhara Valley was more than enough to make up for my disappointment. Usually hikers start from the Ilhara Vally village and hike south to Selime but, being the hard-heading and often idealistic traveler I am, I decided to hike it the other way around to add a little adventure to the 8 hour trek. The only problem was my starting point was probably the most difficult part of the hike and the trails were somewhat wayward. All hazard aside, I was able to explore the cave monasteries (dwelling places of Byzantine monks, covered with colorful frescos)and trek some of the less traveled territory and at my own pace. All in all it was quite wonderful.



At the end of the trek, while sipping some tea and recovering from near exhaustion, I happened to meet and older American couple staying in Goreme who happened to have a personal guide. Luckily, they told me I could hitch a ride back with them back to Goreme and even tag along for a private tour around the area. What luck!! Turns out they were quite a globe-trotting twosome--spending half of the year in Washington state and the other half kitesurfing at their beach house in Mexico. We all stayed at the same pension and they even let me come along the next day for a private tour of the underground cities and fairy chimney sites. On my last day, I rented a bicycle and rode the 18 km loop around the major outline of the area....completely misjudging the difficulty because I was quite sore the next day. However, the views from the ride were breathtaking. I'll just make sure I'm in better shape next time so there will be more admiring and less time spent trying desperately to catch my breath. The beauty and magic of Cappadocia cannot possibly be described. I suggest checking out my photos for that!




From there, I took a flight far-east to see Van and the surrounding Van Lake area. I stayed with a friend, Semet, from Couchsurfing who was just great. He took the afternoon off of work to pick me up from the airport and take me directly to see my first site at Van Castle! And wow. It really is stunning. After a night of Turkish coffee and foreign films, Semet and I went to an island on Lake Van to see an ancient Armenian church and to catch some magnificent views of the lake. I didn't have much more time in Van because I had to catch a minibus to my next, and most anticipated, destination: Dogubayazit and Mt. Ararat!!!!





Dogubayazit is Turkey's eastern-most city, 35 km from the border of Iran and just on the other side of Armenia. This is also distinctly Kurdish territory, with most of the people identifying the area as Kurdistan rather than Turkey (touchy subject!). On the 3 hour bus trip I met 3 Polish travelers also going to Dogybayazit and immediately befriended them--as it is often nice to have companions when traveling into the unknown! They agreed to let me stay in their hotel room and travel to see the sites with them...I've got splendid traveling luck I tell ya!!! Aside from the dreamlike view of Mt. Ararat in the distance, the main site in Dogubayazit is IshakPasha Palace. We made our way to the stop to take a gander and while waiting for the doors to open we met a Kurdish guide who happened to be on his day off--but who also happened to be willing to show us around the place for free. Again, jackpot! The guy was friendly, incredibly funny, and was full of historical information about the place. Walking around I really felt as though I was in a dream. The view from this place is unreal. I had to pinch myself. Afterward the guide took us to eat at a local spot and sang us some Kurdish songs over several pots of tea and a few games of arm wrestling (strangely popular with the Kurdish). And just when I though the day couldn't get any better, he invited us to partake in a Bayram tradition with his family! (*During the Bayram at the end of Ramazan, it is traditional for people to spend time with their extended families and eat lots of Bayram goodies! Children often going door to door partaking of trayfulls of baklava and lokum) So, we all went door-to-door to his families homes and sat down for many glasses of tea and an obscene amount of chocolate and baklava. One of my best nights in Turkey.




I was always warned by Turks about the dangers of Eastern Turkey. And, ofcourse, the area has its share of political tension, but the warmth of the people is grossly understated. It was on this trip that I received my most genuine displays of hospitality and kindness. Definitely my favorite part of the country. Next time I'll be back to climb that Ararat!!!

**As a side note, every Kurdish person seemed to enjoy asking openly political questions. They all kept asking me if I liked George Bush. I just laughed.

Soon I was on the bus for a 11 hour journey to my next destination. I was set to meet up with some of my friends from Bursa in a place called Antep (known for its baklava---which I bought, and subsequently ate, a whole box of). From there we drove to the prized Mt. Nemrut to catch the most breathtaking sunset I've ever seen. Since we wanted to see the sunrise, we decided to sleep in the car at the top of the mountain. Needless to say we didn't get much sleep because of the near freezing temperatures. After thawing out over breakfast, we decided to check out one more place before going home. The town of Urfa was only about a 3hour drive so we though we'd make the trip. Urfa is the supposed home of Abraham (like father Abraham. you know. the one with many sons.) Also, its the site of one of the earliest civilizations: Harran (which is mentioned in Genesis). Aside from the blazing heat, it was great. The place had a definite Middle Eastern feel with one of the most magical and exotic bazaars I've seen in Turkey.






By this point in the trip I was so exhausted and ready to be home in my own bed. Unfortunately, I had an 18 hour bus ride back to Bursa.......

Bozcaada: Annual Wine Festival

A wine festival during Ramadan?! Seeing as though it's the time of the year when Muslims normally abstain from drinking alcohol, I was surprised to hear it. Ramadan isn't exactly a prime time for wine-guzzling Turks to make the journey to Bozcaada's annual harvest celebration. But judging from the crowds mingling by the vino merchants, it doesn't seem that the observance fazes the residents of Bozcaada.

The journey from Bursa took me about 6 hours--2 bus rides, plus the ferry trip. Coming across from the mainland the site of Bozcaada wasn't too impressive. The first (and only) thing you can really see is the castle that sits along its shoreline. The rest of the island wasn't exactly bursting with natural beauty...from the initial view anyways.



My company didn't arrive until the evening, so I had plenty of time to explore the city center just off the harbor. Lined with cafes and fish restaurants, the center was quietly teeming with charm. I stumbled upon a particularly lovely cafe owned by an Australian woman called Cafe at Lisa's. I sat for a few hours to eat lunch and people-watch. Even though it was festival time, the town was still pretty laid back and unassuming. Walking back through town I came across a man that was dishing out free bundles of grapes from the baskets strapped to his donkey. Geez. That was great.



I brought with me a tent and sleeping bag with the intention of "bush camping" somewhere on the island. So I decided to walk along the road that cuts through the middle of the island to the western edge--a neighborhood inhabited mostly by Greeks. The walk takes about 1.5 hours and gives you the opportunity to get a closer peek at a handful of the vineyards found throughout the island. I had walked for about an hour when a nice elderly gentleman picked me up on his motorbike and dropped me off at a place called Ada Camping (which I had no idea existed...so much for guidebooks). Turns out the place is a campers paradise: nice shower and kitchen facilities, on-site cafe with homemade goodies, and only a 10 minute stroll from a secluded beach and some of the most stunning views on the island. So I set up my tent and headed off to the beach while awaiting my company...stopping along the way for a bottle of Bozcaada's best and a few items for dinner at the camp.



My company arrived early and so we treated ourselves to a Turkish breakfast at the campsite and set out for a day at the beach. After frying ourselves in the sun for a few hours, we showered and hitched our way to the other side of the island for a fish and wine dinner. Turkey has a great fish called the Chupra (I'm not actually sure what this is in English) and is traditionally eaten with Raki...but we opted for some more red vino! By this time, the center Bozcaada was pretty lively--restaurants were packed, the icecream shop was equally as busy, and a nearby cafe was pumping out some decent music while people sat and sipped on their beverage of choice.


The final day in Bozcaada was spent shopping and strolling the streets of the city. My friend Salih and I played Cribbage (my new favorite card game) for a bit and I drank my weight in coffee trying to alleviate the pain of the previous nights wine tasting.

And soon it was time to catch the ferry back....



My guidebook said that Bozcaada was "the kind of place that you go for a couple of days then end up wishing you could stay forever." He wasn't kidding. The simple charm and ease of the place really made you feel at home. Bozcaada is definitely a place I will visit again....next time I think I'll do it by bike!

Amasra and Safranbolu

Hey All!

I had 3 days off this last week so I decided to take a spontaneous trip to the Black Sea coast. You can take these kind of trips in Turkey....bus fares are like $10. Pensions--or homestays--are about the same for a good night sleep and some breakfast!

I was traveling with a guy, Mack, I met my first day in Bursa. He's from Maryland and is in Turkey for the summer working a kids camp. In a few weeks he will off to Saudi Arabia to teach (makes Turkey seem like a walk in the park, eh!).

Anyways, we took the bus to a lovely little town on the water called Amasra. It's popular with Turkish vacationers but is virtually unknown one the Turkey travel circuit. Other than 2 French people, I think we were the only tourists around. No one seemed to really notice though. The Amasra folks were pretty laid back and friendly.

After some Efes and fish on the seafront, Mack and hopped a bus to the even lovelier town of Safranbolu.

The city is known for its Ottoman style architecture (the wooden houses you might see in my Facebook pictures) as well as its saffron and the irresistible Turkish Delights (lokum) it flavors. YUM! I bought half a kilo of them and finished the box in about 4 hours.

While hanging around our pension, we were able to meet some other travelers from South Korea and China. They were a hoot. One of the Korean girls actually came and stayed with me last night in Bursa!

My trip home was a wreck though. During my stopoff in Ankara I realized I left a small bag filled with my Safranbolu goodies and some other belongings on the local bus that took me to the station. I frantically tried to talk to the guy at the terminal in English, and then in really bad Turkish, and then again in English.....with no luck. Finally I found someone that could piece together what I was saying and he arranged for the bag to be dropped off at the station. After a 2 hour delay I made it back....just in time to nap and wake up for my class!!


You know, I think that its during the messy/hectic/unpredictable in-between parts of traveling that I learn the most about the world. The destination is like a reward!

Traveling and living in a new culture is quite uncomfortable in a lot of ways. Everything around you is different....different ALL day long. I find myself constantly having to be aware, think on my feet, and adapt. Sure its exhausting at times, but what I have to gain here is much, much greater than any of that!



I'm reading some Robert Louis Stevenson these days. I stumbled upon this gem of a quote.

"For my part, I travel not to go anywhere, but to go. I travel for travel's sake. The great affair is to move; to feel the needs and hitches of our life more nearly; to come down off this feather-bed of civilization, and find the globe granite underfoot and strewn with cutting flints."

In Bursa!

Sorry it's been so long since my last post. I arrived in Bursa on Friday morning and have been going nonstop since I've been here.

I got in Friday morning and someone from my school picked me up to show me around and take me to the apartment I'll be living in. It's located about 5 minutes walking distance from the school and is the nicest part of the city. The neighborhood is situated on the side of the mountain and is full of parks and trees. It's a four bedroom apartment with 2 bathrooms and 5 balconies (one in every room and one with a view of the whole city!)

The schools is really great....the best language school in Bursa. I started today and have been observing the students I will be teaching on Wednesday. I have 4 classes: 2 junior clubs (8-10 year olds) and high school. This will only be for the summer term, then I will have adult classes starting in a few weeks.

I've met so many people already. One of my flatmates, Matt from Milwaukee, has introduced me to all of his friends...he's been in Bursa for 2 years. The English speakers hear are really diverse....one Polish girl, a Tunisian guy, a few Brits, and a couple people from the US.

Yesterday I took the cable car with a few people to Mt. Uludag (the mountain Bursa is situated on) and it was incredible. I'm surprised the world hasn't discovered this place....some of the best scenery and hiking I've ever seen. The pine covered slopes felt more like Colorado than Turkey. I'll definitely be making a few more hiking trips this summer and back for some skiing in the winter!

Bursa as a city is really wonderful. Since it isn't a tourist spot, people here much different than some of the other cities I've visited. I can actually walk down the street and shop in the bazaars without having to worry about the yabanci-hassling shopkeepers. Plus the shops are filled with handmade goods and fresh foods....rather than the piles of tourist crap you find in Istanbul. All the produce comes from the local farming communities and so it's super cheap (a bag full of fresh cherries for like $1.50!). The peaches and tomatoes are heavenly.

I don't have to worry about transportation too much because I'm within walking distance of my school, a big market, and good coffee shop. To get to center city I just take a dolmus (which is like a taxi but works more like the bus system) There is a place called "fish street" situated in center city on a cobblestone street that is full of fish restaurants serving up fresh seafood and meze--small sample size portions you usually drink with raki (anise flavored liquor). It is wonderful!

Although the food is good, I must say I miss me some spicy food. I would kill right now for some spicy mexican or thai or indian curry. The western part of Turkey doesn't have much spicy food and what they do consider "spicy" is laughable. Good thing I know how to cook!!

I learned to play backgammon today. The game is HUGE in Turkey and you see everyone playing it the cafes. Instead of reading books or chatting over coffee, Turks play board games.

There is so much more I learn about Turkey every day. To many things I can even right here. Most of them good or at least interesting.....some bad and annoying. But I guess that is part of the experience. I came here to know these things. To learn to live in it and survive. And hope to come out the other end with a better understanding.

I'll keep you all updated! : )

Love from Turkey!

Gokpinar Village

Oh where to begin!?.....

I decided on a whim to come to Gokpinar (SW Turkey) just last night, boarded a bus, and arrived this morning!! I had heard about this traditional Turkish cooking school that is run by a mother and son....for dirt cheap. They teach Mediterranean style Aegean cooking as well as spicer versions of Turkish cuisine from the Black Sea and Eastern Regions.

Gokpinar is a small traditional Turkish village of 100 people that was established by nomadic Turks some two hundred years ago. The house where I stay (and cook!) is atop a hill overlooking the village here most of the residents are either goat herders, farmers, musicians, or beekeepers. The guy who owns the house use to be a tour guide in Bodrum but realized that any visitor of Turkey wanting a true cultural experience had no place to go. So he bought and fixed up the place, planted a vegetable garden, and brought his mother to teach some really really delicious and authentic Turkish cooking.

The mother doesn't speak English, but there is a sweet girl about my age who translates while we are cooking. She also constantly quotes Rumi, which is nice.

Today we made homemade sundried tomatoes, green beans with olive oil and peppers, Parslane salad with yogurt, and bulgar pilav (bulgar wheat pilaf). We picked all the vegetables from the garen ourselves! Tomorrow morning: traditional Turkish breakfast, manti (my favorite!!!) and homemade bread. At some point we'll be making bakalava from scratch....mmmmmmmm. I'm writing down all the recipes and paying close attention so maybe I can carry all of these foods with me with I return!

I realized that cooking and picking vegetables makes me just about as happy as anything : )

There is also an AMAZING view of the night sky. I haven't seen starts this clear since I left West Texas....

Also, I get to attend a wedding that is taking place in the village on Sunday, which is great because I'll get to see an authentic wedding ceremony and celebration!! We'll be helping with the food preparation before.

This has by far been my best experience here yet.....

You can see more photos on my Facebook page!

Yawn

Lazy day today.

I spent most of the day at the internet cafe reading my book and plotting my travels. Needing to recover from jet lag and the endless amounts of things Ive been doing the last 5 days....

This Turkish keyboard is really frustrating by the way. The period and the i are out of place...plus I cant figure out how to do an apostrophy or the AT sign for email addresses. But I guess thats pretty minimal. Not too many complaints so far : )

This place never ceases to suprise me. I ate at this sandwich place today that used a huge Belgium waffle instead of bread. And actually, it was pretty delicious.

Tomorrow I am going to the Spice Bazaar and Grand Bazaar!! Lets hope my bargaining skills have improved!

Sultanahmet, Istanbul

It's been a few day since I've updated...but I've met like a dozen new friends in the last two days and have been busy running all over the city! I'm a little exhausted and have not had much time to rest. Hopefully I'll have a nice respite in Bursa soon!

If it's one thing I love about Turkish culture, it's their willingness to treat you like a family member or close friend within the first few minutes of meeting you! My second hosts name is Buket and she has really been such a bright spot in my trip...endless energy and enthusiasm. I got lost on the way to her apartment but after about half an hour trying to speak Turkish to my cab driver, I made it! We stayed up for hours drinking tea and talking. Buket studied abroad at the University of Michigan and goes to the same university as my first host, Cenk. (Something about those BosphorusU people :) ) She had some friends come in this morning from her home town of Eskisehir (pictured in the new photos I posted) and we all sat around Buket's table and had a proper Turkish breakfast....seseme bread, feta cheese, Nutella, cucumbers and tomatoes....and tea ofcourse. I asked why they eat breakfast this way. Their reply...."because it's easy!". Anyhow, I'm okay with bread and cheese pretty much anytime of the day : )

After I left Buket's, I decided to roam around Sultanahmet a while to see the Blue Mosque and the Grand Bazaar. Sultanamet is the most "touristy" spot of Istanbul and I have been putting it off, not wanting to fight the droves of camera yielding yabanci's (yabanci is turkish for "foreigner!). But it was actually one of the most amazing experiences I have had so far.

I spent the first hour or so walking through the streets (somewhat lost because I didn't want to take the overcrowded Tram) and happen to stumble upon a cafe called Maya's that was next to The Kybele Hotel. I sat down to order a cappuccino, but just ended up getting a mineral water after I found out it was going to put me out 8 TL (6 bucks). While I was flipping through my dictionary and trying to arrange some Turkish sentence in my head, the guy at the table next to me began to chat me up. He was a man about 50 or so, completely dressed in linen, with a rambo-style scarf around his head, and Birkenstocks....definitely not your typical Turkish guy! Turns out he was the owner of the hotel and the most prolific Turkish carpet dealer in Istanbal. (Authentic carpets sell for upwards of $50,000 or more). His hotel also has a merchant art museum full of hundreds of lamps and other authentic goods he has collected in his travels over the last 30 years. Seriously, the craziest thing I've ever seen. The room was like a bungalow COVERED wall-to-wall, floor-to-ceiling with the most rare and interesting goods from the Middle Eastern region.

While I was visiting with Mike (he made that name up haha) he introduced me to his close friend, Mimi, who was a Bulgarian journalist from San Francisco. Apart from being one of the most genuine people I've met, she also leads an extraordinary life. As a investigatory film maker, she is currently in Istanbul as an undercover prostitute to expose the dealings of the Kurdish mafia's sex trade and prostitution industry. She has been working on this project for 7 years and is one her last trip to finish the film. I was immediately intrigued! (And no, it's not exactly like the movie Taken...I'm in no danger Mom and Dad.) Although most of the women are their by choice or the result of addiction and poverty, some are Kurdish women who were forced into prostitution and brought to Istanbul....where they speak no Turkish and have no means to free themselves. Mimi hides cameras in her clothes and dresses in disguises to do her reporting.

I sat and talked to Mimi for 2 hours and she told me about some of the things she has witnessed over the past 7 years. Her report covers all parts of the world, including Mexico, Asia the Middle East. Aside from these fascinating stories, Mimi also shared with me practical life advice about living in Turkey. Most of the things I was already aware of, but she made me feel more confident about my choice to come here. Even after her work and all her travels, Istanbul is her favorite city in the world! She proceeded to go on and on for another hour about Turkey and her favorite spots to go! I took notes : )

That was kind of alot. But it would have taken me days to recount that by phone.

International calling is so expensive. Goodbye Blackberry addiction! : )

Talk soon!!

Day on the Bosphorus

Ridiculous.

This photo was taken from Boğaziçi University where my host goes to school. I explained to Cenk that the few from Texas Tech is not near as appealing...

After touring the University, we went to an art exhibition that featured original works from some famous Turkish and Portuguese artists. My favorite paintings were by an artist named Hoca Ali Riza as well as Osman Hamdi Bey--Turkey's most beloved painter. Then we ate dinner (with some tasty desserts!) at an outdoor cafe along the shoreline of the Bosphorus.

I can't get over how great my host, Cenk, has been. What an amazing first couple of days.

Oh, and I have a Turkish cell phone now. They have a ban on foreign cell phones (they say this is for safety, but most agree it to boost cell phone sells in Turkey).

PS. Coffee here = everything I hoped it would be : )

First day in Turkey

After 10,000 miles and a ridiculous amount of bus/train/plane/dolmus rides, I have made it to Istanbul!! It's really late here (about 1:30 am) but I figured I would write to cover the days events and let everyone know I'm okay.

What an amazing city. The magical quality of Istanbul is difficult to put into words...and is hardly done justice through a photo (even though I will be posting some in the next few days!) From my first view of Bosphorus, to my drive through the city's colorful hills and winding streets, to my first Efes beer on the rooftop of a Taksim cafe, Istanbul has been a wonderful host. Several Istanbul'ers have even welcomed me into their homes for this first week--graciously giving me a first look at the city through their own native lens.

I got to chat over a long dinner with my first host, Cenk, but haven't seen any of the "sites" just yet (even though the one from my plane window was pretty good : )) With everyone in class tomorrow I'll be able to see some more of Istanbul. Not sure what's on deck, but it's sure to be as good as these first few hours!!

Welp, looks like I'm going to Bursa!

I have been dancing around the idea of going to Turkey for some time--a fact little known by most I suspect.

With a fancy Cambridge ESOL certification under my belt, a couple job offers, and enough Turkish to get me out of the airport, I have decided to give Turkey an honest go-at-it. My job will be at a Language Academy in Bursa (I don't really know about work/blog rules, so I'll leave it at that. If you really want to know where I'm working, ask me.) I'll be teaching university students and doing a little private tutoring now and then.

Bursa is a city of 1.5 million people located in Northwest Turkey about 80 miles south of Istanbul by ferry across the Sea of Marmara. I'm told it's often overlooked by most tourists because of its close proximity to Istanbul's massive urban sprawl, but offers a distinct charm and beauty. Bursa was the first capital of the Ottoman Empire and has some truly amazing architecture. Its nickname is "Green Bursa" because the city rests beneath the tree-clad slops of Uludag (Great Mountain) and is covered with some of the loveliest parks in the area. Bursa is a great place for a lover of the outdoors (your's truly) because I'll only be a short cable car ride away from a maze of hiking trails and rock climbing sites...not to mention skiing in the winter time!

That's alot of information you could probably find on Wikipedia or something but I figured I would let ya hear it from the horse's mouth.

I know that the reactions to the news have been varied. Some have responded with vauge encouragement...while others just look at me like I'm a crazy person. And really, its a hard thing to understand even for me. I just know that God has been intrisically involved in every decision and event I have made, including this one. The gift of discernment is a powerful one and so I pray that I am making my decisions in that truth. Some bizarrely amazing doors have been opening already in Turkey, so I am encouraged.

I fly out on July 14th and will be spending some time in Istanbul and possibly Bodrum (bellydancing class : ) So stay tuned for that!

I'm going to keep this much like a personal journal and will be updating if frequently. Feel free to send any questions my way. Emails are also welcome: jana.m.smart@gmail.com