I’m sure I’ve mentioned how I love to walk along water: seas, lakes, canals, WATER. I needed the walk this morning.
I canceled our last utility account today: Turk Telekom for TV, internet and home phone. Because we were terminating a two-year contract, it cost about one-month’s rent to cancel. Fortunately, if I ever come back, I won’t have to pay another deposit. Whoopie! If this was the last thing to do, a first thing for today was to put on my winter coat for the season. It was nippy out there!
After my adventure in telecommunications hell, I needed a good walk. I love feeling the cold wind blow through my unnaturally blonde hair when the rest of me is bundled up and warm. I didn’t walk for physical exercise with time, speed and distance on my mind, but with my spiritual and mental health in mind. Unless you experience the call of God’s natural world in the same way I do (wind, sun, water, earth) I cannot explain how calming these walks can be.
I am at rest even as I am moving.
I am at peace even as I stumble over holes and mud.
I am alone, even as I feel His presence all around.
My mind and imagination sees things that I would miss if I was concentrating on the physicality of exercise walking.
For instance, as I was coming back on the causeway that leads to Quarantine Island, I saw this road block.
I thought, “I need to be on the other side of this water hazard, I can clearly see dry road on the other side.” I could choose to wade right through the shortest stretch of water, knowing it would be deeper on either side. Or, I could refocus my attentions away from just right in front of me. When I looked to the right and left I saw dry paths on either side of the hazard. One path was narrow and a bit dicey. The other side was wider but very uneven. Both would take a few more steps than just plunging through the narrow stretch of water. I chose the right one and pun intended.
This little exercise reminded me of how our life and our plans may become more difficult when we just forge ahead without looking at alternatives that have been presented for us.
After I successfully managed this hazard, I was stopped by a man and woman in a new car. He asked if they could drive out to the island. I told him it was private but they could drive near it and there was plenty of parking and nice views. Although our conversation had been in Turkish, he thanked me in English. This is not unusual, but here is the interesting part. Clearly the couple were observant Muslims. While in their 20’s, he had the full beard of a married man and she was covered in a plain scarf and tan coat. Yet, here in this officially secular country, where Islam is on the ascendance, a Muslim man spoke to an obviously non-Muslim foreign woman. I wish all the Islamophobics around the world could have these normal, people-are-people, neighborly, experiences.
I sat for a while on a bench and, as I said, just let the wind blow through me. I even unzipped my coat. I watched the last of the beach-side cafes stow their outdoor tables and chairs for the winter.
I noted that even the Roma/gypsy families had cleared out in the past few days.
As it happens on long walks, not just the wind called me, but so did mother nature, so I headed back to the hotel. I stopped at an open café for a glass of hot salep and sat outside, still enjoying the breeze. The only others around were the smokers.
My unnaturally blonde hair will be even more unnatural in a couple of days after a final trip to the salon. My husband reminded me I’d have to find a new salon in Virginia. Ugh!.
I have a few more days here to enjoy cold, windy walks. I am sure I will see other things that capture my imagination, but this was Todayz Walk. I thought of you as I walked.
Not sure why I didn’t see the water trap on the way out to the island. Probably was dodging a car coming from the other way.
I’ve wanted to complete this post for a while. I thought maybe there would be more to add because we’d be here longer. But since this particular Carolz Travelz took up nearly three months of our 12 month stay, I think I’d better get ‘er done.
This journey began on July 2, when it became evident my husband Larry needed to see a specialist about his ongoing back problems. Well, that was a Sunday and you can’t just go to the Yellow Pages. On Monday we asked close Turkish friends if they knew anyone. Of course, it’s the way here, someone ALWAYS knows someone.
By Wednesday afternoon we were in front of an orthopedic surgeon. That fast! No finding a GP and then getting a referral. Just make a phone call and,…we have an appointment.
Larryz doctor is associated with a private hospital. In Turkey a physician has a practice in a hospital or is in private practice with hospital privileges. Dr. Prof. Erhan Sesli, was in practice at the Ozel Ege Hastahanesi (Private Aegean Hospital) in Izmir. He ordered the tests you’d expect: x-rays, MRI, blood work etc. As we anticipated, surgery (titanium rod fusion) was recommended and scheduled for July 11. So the initial doctor’s visit was about what we would experience in the US.
Then July 10 came and we had to be at the hospital one day ahead of surgery. We see the doc and he informs us we need $10,000.00 right then to buy the titanium rod! I don’t know about you, but that’s more cash than my wallet would hold, even if I had that much ‘on me.’ Obviously Larry couldn’t have the surgery without the implant. So after at least 5 hours, discussions and anxiety, the medical supply representative came to the hospital room with a credit card machine. Talk about home delivery. Too funny.
I alternately slept in the chair and the fold out bed. Sevim brought chocolate cookies and blueberry cake for Larry but unfortunately after the surgery he just couldn’t eat. Thanks Sevim, I enjoyed the cookies and cake.
I doubt there was anyone else on the ward that first night, since I neither heard nor saw anyone; not even a care person coming in to check vital signs. No need to go into the surgery and procedural stuff. I just want to share some observations, not complaints, about the experience.
Universal Protection. This was the most surprising aspect of care in a private hospital. Indeed in any of the hospitals or doctor’s offices we had to visit. Hardly anyone used gloves. Not when giving injections, taking blood, maintaining the catheter, or even wound care. The only group that consistently used gloves were the people delivering meals. There were pump bottles of hand sanitizer everywhere. Never saw anyone use it except me.
Personal caregiver in the room. Uh, that would be me. I was expected to spend 24/7 in the hospital with my husband. We had a fairly big room with a sleeper sofa. But no towels, no bath or shower soap, nothing. I was not prepared for this. I cannot see how anyone without family could get by for a long stay in the hospital without someone there to advocate and physically help the patient.
Food. Okay, we know hospital food is denigrated and sometimes that’s warranted. And considering the dietary needs of different patients, you’re not going to get gourmet. But here, forget protein, fruit and vegetables. Bread and rolls- yes, soup-yes, carbohydrates- yes. But the attending caregiver also gets a meal, same as the patient. Meals were delivered and set way across the room from where my husband was, and he couldn’t get out of bed. Without an aid I don;t know what others do. Out of all five days, there was identifiable meat in only two of the 13 or so meals.
This was breakfast.
The Room. As I mentioned, it was fairly big thanks to a request from the doctor. There was a small fridge and a TV, which a patient couldn’t view comfortably from their bed. The wardrobe was fine, but wobbly and not connected to the wall. Then there was this little door, with a key in it. I was curious so I opened the little door. Okay, it wasn’t a dumb waiter but an access point for plumbing. Glad my asthma is under control. They kept the room very clean and serviced it twice a day.
The Cost. Certainly can’t complain about the cost. Besides the initial $10k just for the titanium, the bill was the equivalent of just under $12,000.00 dollars. That covered EVERYTHING else: room, meals, tests, supplies, surgery, etc. for the five days.
Health Insurance. We could not purchase private health insurance for my husband because he is over 65 years old. Fortunately we have other resources for reimbursement.
Language. This turned out to be less of a problem than anticipated. Sevim was with me all day the first day to help with getting settled in. And she answered a phone call or two. Google Translate was always available too. It’s helpful that most practices were what I’d seen on the US and intuitively understood what was happening. Dr. Sesli spoke sufficient English to establish trust and confidence.
Follow-Up Care. Now I was surprised that no rehab was suggested. We lived in a second and third floor apartment and I didn’t think Larry would be able to do those stairs right away. So I arranged to stay in a hotel for a few days. This allowed him to walk and take a flight of stairs, eventually. This was a good idea. The only thing recommended by the doctor was for Larry to walk. There were no pain medications prescribed other than non-narcotic analgesics. I had to ask a nurse to write down the words for the dressings I would need at home for four or five weeks. Fortunately, a pharmacy was across from the hospital. We didn’t return to the doctor for six weeks.
The Rest of the Story. There was a complication after a week that necessitated a visit to the local Urla hospital. We saw a triage person who gave Larry some medication. He was told if that didn’t work we’d need to go to the university hospital in Izmir, 40 minutes away. There was no cost for the visit or the meds. Oh, they didn’t work.
So off we went late at night, of course, to the emergency room of the 9 September University Hospital. Like most big city public hospitals, this one was crowded, crazy busy and an adventure. Fortunately, one of the ER docs, an intern, was fluent in English and took great care. Larry was extremely uncomfortable and in pain but he had to wait for a decision by the internist and a surgeon about how to proceed. The surgeon won out and we were sent home with more prescriptions.
Bright and early the next day I visited three pharmacies in Urla to fill the prescriptions. Not!! So back to Izmir I drove, where at the fifth pharmacy I was able to fill most of the meds. It wasn’t expensive, just widely unavailable.
Larry began to recover quite well after that. Even with my being the chief cook and bottle washer for three months. For about six weeks or so I walked with him at least once and then twice a day for short walks. Then I ‘allowed’ him to walk on his own.
At six weeks we visited Dr. Sesli again who proclaimed the surgery a success and reminded Larry he can never fall and could then lift up to 2-3 kilos. At three months, October 11, 2017, the last follow-up, he was again given a good report and told he could life up to 15 kilos. Larry is still walking twice a day. He has enjoyed hot thermal waters, although he doesn’t lie to swim, and is, as I write, bending over putting a jigsaw puzzle together.
Special Thanks. This journey would have been much more difficult without the help of Kaya and Sevim Sener. The language situation I could have handled, well, me and Google translate, but the processes were a challenge. I would have called TRICARE Overseas to get a referral for a physician. I did call my urologist to get a referral and I would have interrupted a friend’s vacation out of country, to get his advice since he is also a physician. I could have handled making an appointment and getting things set up. We already figured out how to pay and what would have been expected at the hospital. But all this was made easier because of caring friends!
In this intense and acute medical situation it was so comforting to have friends at our side. Kaya knew Dr. Sesli from a social club. Sevim insisted on staying with us the first day and she and Kaya stayed the whole day of surgery. They helped us navigate the later hospital visits and drove us to Izmir. And it was to their hotel that Larry had a respite before going home. Oh, and we also had homemade soup from the Maison Vourla staff. Rather than surgery within a few days, I know it could have been much longer and Larry would have suffered longer than he did. So many thanks Kaya and Sevim. We are ever grateful for your compassion and support.
Naturally we would have preferred to do other travel during those three or four months. Yet, as a life experience with a good outcome, it was worth it in the end. Larry is still trying to regain some of the twenty pounds or so he lost. I probably should not try to keep up with him in this part of recovery.
Notes: A few weeks after the six week follow-up, Dr. Sesli was shot by a patient in his office. The wound was not serious and our three month follow-up was on Dr. Sesli’s first day back to work.
I also want to thank Larryz sister Renee’, who is a nurse, and her wife, also a nurse, for their invaluable advice and support. I called or texted them from hospitals and home. They kept Larryz daughters and mother appraised of the medical situation in a way that I couldn’t. Oh, I’d send pictures to his daughters, but couldn’t answer specific questions. Renee and MaryJo also didn’t mind getting the cool wound pictures I sent them. Women after my own heart.
There is a 13 inch titanium rod in there and two pieces of cadaver bone. A benefit of the bone fragments is that Larry can no longer smoke. Guess who is spending his cigarette money?
Just to recap. We had a very nice trip to this beautiful city. Eskisehir is clean and active, green spaces and super walkability. And oh so many museums, parks and statues.
Our last day was long because not only did we see Sazova Park, the zoo, aquarium, and Miniature Park, we had a five-hour drive home!
In those few days, we only saw 10 of the 50 plus museums. It would take several days to, number one, find them all; and number two, visit them all. We went to a Caricature Museum, which I would say was really an op/ed cartoon museum. Some were quite risqué and others quite provocative for their take on the government and Turkey. But they all pretty much pre-dated the current government.
The large Sazova Park is just outside Eskisehir. Strange place with replicas of the Mayflower and Noah’s Ark. Across from it was an outdoor Miniature Museum. There were replicas of world buildings but mostly miniatures of significant Islamic mosques and buildings.
This is as close as I’ll probably ever get to the Taj Majal.
We stopped at a popular restaurant on the way back. Again we were treated to a number of complementary appetizers. I had chicken kebab. As you can see, Larry has his appetite back; empty plate.
We were offered “Balloon Bread.” It swells in the over and comes out hot and yummy. When we told Savash about our appetizers, he said he and the driver only got two! By the way, one rarely see butter for bread on tables.
And then there were interestingly notable funny things we saw.
We saw evidence of really enlightened efforts to accommodate physically challenged people. The swing set was extra large for wheelchairs and lots of handles on everything. Even the signage indicated it was for handicapped people only. The city sidewalks had ramps. Maybe they didn’t meet US standards, but it was obvious the municipality is trying. Evidently, citizens actually take a picture of others who park or otherwise abuse these spaces and e-mail it to the police. And, to have an elevator where there are stairs, and they are widely used, was the real surprise.
There were also reminders of improvements yet to be made. Yes, these are bags of coals just dropped on a sidewalk. Now, someone will have to hand carry all those bags to a building’s basement for heating. The other picture speaks for itself. This was in a public restroom.
How tall must a woman be to use this hand dryer? Your hands wouldn’t dry before the water runs down into your sleeves.
Hodja is never far away. The water Hodja was huge but I would have loved to have that large copper pot.
These books would take up all the space left on Larry’s Kindle.
As it turned out, our trip to Eskisehir was our last tour in-country for CarolzTravelz. I am so glad we had such a memorable time.
One of our objectives for living in Turkey was to revisit some favorite places and explore new ones. We accomplished both of these in just one visit to Eskisehir, or “Old Town.’ There is so much to say about the city, that this CarolzTravelz will come in two parts.
Gotta say that it doesn’t really look old anymore. It did in 1983 when I was last there, but not now. Gone are the dusty streets; the little shops that made meerschaum products by hand; the sort of hardscrabble laborers everywhere; and the horse carts. In 2017, Eskisehir is a bustling college town with lots of cool places to eat, walk and shop, gorgeous parks, statues and museums. It is also probably the cleanest city in Turkey. My husband called it “Disneyland Clean.” That is saying something.
Our trip began with a front door pickup by one of Heracles Travel best guides, Savash, and our driver, Yashar. When we were all settled for the five and a half ride, we realized we’d forgotten to bring out Fatma. We paid for our oversight because she insisted she needed an entire bench seat all to herself. It is a bit of an extravagance to have door to door pick up, but we get so much more than just a ride. We get local commentary from Savash, stopping whenever we need and opportunities for side trips with a private tour.
Our hotel was recently bought by a new owner and shared some wear and tear but it was centrally located to the walking districts and restaurants. Yashar was from Eskisehir and he recommended the Urfa Kebab restaurant right around the corner from the hotel. Well, as foreigners, and being with a tour guide, we were offered lots of complementary appetizers. We tried most but turned back the raw lamb kofte (spiced ground meat). Usually guides don’t eat with the clients, but Savash did on this occasion.
Then we walked to the river. Eskisehir has invested serious resources in miles and miles of pedestrian only streets. It was fabulous! Every time we turned a corner there was another side street for walkers only. No, not street walkers. Plenty of benches and street lighting on the cobblestone. Like many places in Turkey, there was maintenance and renewal on the streets and a tramway building project. It was dark that first night so I didn’t get any pictures, sorry.
Our first real day was museums and parks. And everyone we spoke with credited the mayor of Eskisheir for his nearly 20 year vision to modernize and make the city a place for students, innovations, workers, businesses and tourists.
This is as good a selfie as I can muster. We warned Savash about our “Orange People” jackets so he would’t be too embarrassed to guide.
I can’t remember in what order the museums we visited were, but here are just a few.
We were surprised to find a Balmumu Heykeller Muzesi (wax museum) in the city. The story goes that the mayor and others visited Madame Tussaud’s Wax Museum in London. They saw what they believed was a wholly inadequate reproduction of Mustafa Kemal Ataturk, the founder of modern Turkey. They offered to help the museum staff prepare a better replica. It was on the condition that someone come to Turkey, live there and get to know the Turkish people and their feelings around Ataturk. This way the impression would have personality and feeling. And that is just what happened.
Ataturk’s family.
Yet in the process, the mayor determined that Eskisehir also needed a wax museum. So Mr. Mayor, who has three replicas of himself in the museum, went about sculpting wax figures of Otoman rulers but mostly contemporary Turkish journalists, entertainers, educators, technocrats and politicians. I don’t know if the wax figures are accurate of Turks, but the few of American figures were not quite spot on. We even had a chance to pose next to a President Obama figure.
The Cagdas Cam Sanatlari (Glass Museum) was on the bottom floor of a renovated caravan stop. Animals and carts would have been kept on the ground floor and people would stay in the top floor. We couldn’t take pictures. On the second floor was the Kent Bellegi Muzesi (City History Museum).
Check out the glass chandelier!Another caravan spot has been renovated for retail and kitschy little shops. This is, again, an initiative of the current city government. We had a tea stop here.
We had lunch at Waterfall Park, way above the city and a beautiful setting. There was a mishmash of attractions but the views of the city were fantastic.
The waterfalls were about four times bigger than this picture. But this was the only section that had running water. Note my pedometer on my waist. Larry, and I, walked over five miles every day.
This was lunch at the park. The dish on the right is a local favorite. Savash showed us to our table and then left. Then he came rushing back with the server. What!! Turns out the young man was worried he wouldn’t be able to understand these foreigners. Savash assured him we, and he, would be okay.
Larry found a friend to share his lunch with and then Fatma joined us at the table.
Well, who knows why there was a triptych of Don Quixote, Sancho Panza and a windmill (off to the right) in the middle of a park about waterfalls.
Full day of wandering required an afternoon rest. Then it was back out to forage for dinner. Another beautiful walk past statues, expansive green spaces and the river walk. When there are so many options, you just pick one. We chose the Traveler’s Cafe.
The menu was Turkish international cuisine. But I was really fascinated by people going into the phone box right behind our table. They were in there long enough to make a brief call, but why? At first I thought maybe they had to pay in there or something.
When our server came over, who happened to be the manager, he showed me. A phone charging station. How cool is this!
We started day three at Kent Park. Kent Park has a man-made beach, horses, acres of wide paths and sculptures.
This is what greeted us at the entry: a village woman bearing flowers, an island in the middle of the river, a woman expressing welcome and another expressing that guests will always be placed above her.
Day three also included a gondola ride, open air Aviation Museum, bad lunch, Starbucks and a good dinner.
We walked around a large shopping mall; splurged and ate Popeye’s Chicken for lunch. In addition to Popeye’s, there was Burger King, McDonalds, KFC, Subway and many other local fast food restaurants. I may have loved that chicken from Popeye’s, but my heartburn told me, maybe I shouldn’t have.
Fatma prefers Pumpkin Spice Macchiatto (must be the red hair) but Larry gets black.
I will finish up Eskisehir, Part 1, with our visit to an open air aviation museum. It used to be managed by the Turkish Armed Forces but now is under the umbrella of a university. Very well maintained and a lovely setting, considering it is mostly military aircraft. I stood in front of a tribute to an airman martyr who lost his life during the war over Cypress. My first Air Force assignment in Turkey was about that time.
Larry did some wing walking at the entry. Simple but clever.
We went back to Traveler’s Cafe for dinner. And in keeping with our luck (or appearance, or tips, or whatever) we were offered a complementary fruit pate for dessert.
If you’ll stay with me for Part 2, I know you won’t be disappointed. I have some funny things to share. The longest day and some observations.
And the song continues, “happy are we.” This CarolzTravelz journey started last year and took me 10 months to reach Columbus, Ohio. And it was a happy trail.
WARNING: This post contains massive amounts of Girl Scout green and blue, doodads and uniforms!!!
I was privileged to lead the Faith Engagement Team for G.I.R.L. 2017, the triennial Girl Scouts of the USA (GSUSA) national council session and convention. Thousands of girls and adults from all across the United States, its territories and around the world, gathered to conduct business for the organization and reconnect with our sisters, and brothers, in Girl Scouts.
The goals of our Faith Engagement Team were to share the ways in which Girl Scouts can enrich their faith lives, whether they are active in a faith tradition or not, and how a faith life, again, whether or not they practice any, can enhance their Girl Scout experience. After all, every member of Girl Scouts shares the same Girl Scout Promise:
On my honor, I will try:
To serve God and my country,
To help people at all times,
And to live by the Girl Scout Law.
Members can use whatever term or expression they are comfortable with in place of ‘God.” Our team included adult Girl Scouts from Jewish, Islamic, Buddhist, Roman Catholic and Protestant traditions. I was thrilled to work with and learn from women across this religious spectrum and from across the United States. At the end of our journey in Columbus, we had prepared and hosted an interfaith worship service, a Friday Muslim Prayer service, a ‘campfire’ to talk about the GSUSA My Promise, My Faith patch programs, 2000 colorable COEXIST S.W.A.P. (swap) bookmarks with explanations and a meditation and quiet space open to the thousands who were at the convention.
Tara Mochizuki, Buddhist, and me, Protestant United Methodist, in our very comfortable campfire setting at the Lifestyle Cafe. Please take note of my colorful new sneakers: old lady purple.Although it was an 8:00 a.m. meeting I was awake for it; just not for the picture.
Each of us also represented our traditions at the GSUSA Interfaith working group which was hosted by P.R.A.Y (Program of Religious Activities with Youth).
These events, in addition to helping price merchandise in the store before the convention even opened, were my volunteer “work” activities. Yet, it’s what happens between the work details that made G.I.R.L. 2017 so special for me: making new friends and finding the old.
Of course I met my team for the first time since we’d only communicated via e-mail and teleconferences until then. I caught up with former Girl Scout colleagues and volunteers. And, I was thrilled to see someone who I thought wasn’t able to travel anymore. So, unexpected friend sightings were the best.
My youngest new Girl Scout friend was Lillie, a Girl Scout Daisy. She was so excited to give her SWAPS to others. She showed real compassion too. The oldest new friend, Courtney Austin, was 86 and has been a registered Girl Scout in Maine since 1939!!! Along with 20 or so other Girl Scouts from Maine he arrived after a 12-hour bus trip. Nothing was going to stop her. She SWAPPED me an international friendship knot.
We met in the Lifetime Member Lounge. Even at her age she made SWAPS.
My new, older Girl Scout friend, was Vedya. She is working on her Gold Award project; recording the stories of strong women. I was flattered she wanted to include me in her project. We’d only just had a conversation at lunch one day.
We do have brother Girl Scouts and one of my favorites is Steve Parnell from Little Brownie Bakers. I’ve been running into Steve for about 12 years at Girl Scout events. Once at a Girl Scouts Overseas event in Italy, Steve won a bid on a mystery gift at our annual fundraising auction. Turns out it was a bottle of my husband’s special marinade and sauce! When I saw Steve in Columbus, he told me he still has it on his shelf! Not sure if it’s still viable but there is vinegar in it, so, maybe……….
I ran into former volunteers and colleagues from Europe and Chattanooga, Tennessee. Even with millions of Girl Scouts, it is still a small world after all.
Longtime volunteer and US Navy retiree, Cynthia Panzani from La Maddelena, Italy. We were at the USA Girl Scouts Overseas alumnae reception. Also, visited with Ruth Miller, Laura Miller, Ursula Werner and others.Colleague Sandra Rivera from USA Girl Scouts Overseas- North Atlantic, Livorno, Italy.
Kathy Clontz, from Moccasin Bend Council. Another veteran and great Girl Scout volunteer.
You never know who you’re going to meet in the ladies room at a Girl Scout convention! All I did was say to someone, “It’s nice to have hot water in the bathroom!!!” Turning around she said, “Yes, it’s great.” Wait a minute!! “I know you.” She told me another friend from the council was attending.
We met up at the SWAP tables.
Kathy rounded up Debbie Lane, Registrar, from Girl Scouts of Appalachia: formerly Girls Scouts of Moccasin Bend Council – Chattanooga, Tennessee. She’d never attended national convention in her 30 years with Girl Scouts, so this was an anniversary present from the council. And a present for me, too!
Because I was in the US, I did take advantage of food that I don’t find in Turkey: iced tea and pork.
Sorry, no pictures of me pigging out on bacon, pulled pork and port ribs.
On Sunday afternoon, after all the programs were finished, hundreds of guest speakers and vendors departed, most volunteers and staff left the building and convention center decorations were being replaced for the next big gathering, I had a few hours to explore the area around the hotel in downtown Columbus. It’s a beautiful city with great transportation and lots of cultural and arts activities.
As I was walking back to the hotel, I noticed police closing off some streets. Didn’t know if this was a normal thing on Sunday afternoons. Turns out because it was Columbus Day weekend in the US, there was an Italian Festival and high school marching band competition. Did I pick a good time to go out for a walk or what? Quite honestly I had considered just laying up in my hotel room for a nap or swimming. I’d walked probably 35 miles in seven days, after all.
The bands were really quite good and larger than most high school bands I know of. I also loved the diversity of the band members.
It was a long flight schedule from Izmir to Istanbul to Chicago onto Columbus and back. I don’t want to do that every week. But it was certainly worth it. It was worth it because even in my small way, I know I am ensuring that, “Girl Scouting builds girls of courage, confidence, and character, who make the world a better place.”
And in the category of the world is a very small place. I waited out the band competition drinking tea and have conversation with Bulent and his wife, the owners of Karavan; a store selling all manner of treasures from Turkey!! Karavan has been on High Street for over 10 years. Glad I didn’t take a nap.
This missive is not an advertisement for the popular Altin Yunus (Golden Dolphin) resort in Cesme, Turkey. But when I travel it’s almost impossible not to mention where I actually went! And besides, the Altin Yunus still advertises in all the major travel magazines. I leave any real testimony about a place to my Travelocity.com posts.
Thirty-four years ago when, my husband and I were dating, we took a little trip from Ankara to the Altin Yunus. It was highly recommended by the foreign community in Ankara. I still recall one night when we ventured to their disco. I say ventured because we weren’t disco people then. (Oh yeah, we’re not disco people now). Anyway . . . . we were amazed to discover after a short time that the disco was open air! Recall this was decades ago and we were easily impressed. And, to this day, whenever we look at sandals to buy, we think of the “cool by the pool” shoes we bought at Altin Yunus so long ago.
So, a few months ago we drove down to Cesme. By the way, to me, everything is either ‘down to’ or ‘up to.’ In all honesty it’s only about 30 miles away. We just wanted to look around and maybe think about staying a few days after kids went back to school. It was much as we remembered and we made reservations for a couple of nights. We told the desk clerk we had stayed there in 1983, so as repeat customers we got a discount. Way to go.
Last week we went back. Happily, this time we didn’t have any anxiety about staying in the same room because we are now married but cohabitation back in 1983 was tricky. Then and now, a trip to a resort is really about getting away from things and sleeping, eating, reading and relaxing. That is just what we did.
Larry is shade bathing.
The views from our room in 1983.
The views from the room in 2017. More boats and more shade below.
Like decades before, the beaches were very clean and the water! My gosh – to die for.
Larry on the same beach: then and now. But our friend Fatma was not a fan of the sun; claims it highlights her freckles.
Channeled my mother while discovering that Fatma doesn’t float. Pity.
We also spent quite a bit of time in the thermal iron and mineral pools. They have one inside and another outside.
Looks like mud but actually lots of iron and other minerals. Note the flattering swimming cap required at all the indoor pools.
According to the sign, the water prevents or eliminates everything from asthma to dyspepsia. I had look that one up; upset stomach.
On our first night we had a knock on the door. Strange, but… it was a housekeeper delivering a gift from management to us, as returning guests. Perfect! We opted to leave the disposable corkscrew that came with the wine. I just finished up the green apple today. Just goes to show you how fresh the fruits are here in Turkey.
Check out the picture of the entire resort area on the table. The beach (under bottle and glass) was less than a five minute walk from the front of the hotel. Could not believe that the original reservation clerk from June, had annotated our reservation as repeat customers from long ago.
We splurged on our mini-vacation and signed up for reflexology foot massages. This was a first for both of us. Very peaceful. And it proves we are not too old to try new tricks! Fortunately no pictures.
The cost per day, for two, was about $138.00 (500 TL). This included all the pools, beaches, and, and . . . two huge buffets for breakfast and dinner. According to a chef I sought out one morning, there are usually about 300 items on the breakfast buffet and 200-250 on the dinner buffet. Never have I seen people eat so much bread at meals.
Fatma hates the sun but loves her breads.
She passed out just looking at the desert station. A second set up, same size, offered fruits and other sweets.
We went after schools resumed, so, as expected, we didn’t see school-aged children or teenagers, the bane of hotel pools. Sorry parents, it’s true. But we made some observations about the families and guests.
-First, there were people of all ages enjoying one of the final weeks of summer. Older couples leaning on one other to get through the sand (we’re not there yet). Sunglasses wearing babies in strollers. Diapers to walkers.
-Second, just watching middle-aged women and men enjoying the freedom of minimal clothing almost made me want to seek out a nude beach. NOT!!!
-Third, on our previous visit I distinctly recall women changing their suits from a one-piece, getting in the pool, to two piece, laying in the sun. They paraded back and forth from the cabanas to change throughout the day. I didn’t see any of that behavior in 2017. This time a handful of women were fully covered from head to toe, even in the water.
-Finally, family units were usually late twenties to early thirties couples with one child. Seemed like there were grandparents there with little kids too. Again, this makes sense for the time of year we were there. But it also prompted questions about Turkish family sizes these days. We are acquainted with a number of folks in these age ranges here and the United States, who aren’t married and don’t have children. I’m afraid Turkey may be suffering the same adverse population issues as other countries: difficult economies, lack of opportunities, unsettled communities and yet, upward mobility, all at the same time. Or maybe I’m wrong.
Since pools are indoors too, we’ve decided to go back later this year. The hot water is really good to relieve stresses of retirement (?) and it should be even less crowded. Plus, we can reuse those charming bathing caps. Mine was yellow. Not sure if we can milk another fruit and wine gift, though. Will leave Fatma behind since she was so whiny.
Notes:
Where the disco was situated we believe is now the lovely cafe near the beach.
Larry and I both come from large families, 12 and 6 children, respectively. And oddly when we started looking at what’s happening with them, we found similarities in the ratios: 0-3+ children per couple, number of divorces, number of college graduates, gender breakdown, relative health, etc.
I started and finished a book by a new author I know personally, On the Homefront, by Barb Warner Deane. Well-written novel about the lives of three women during WWII.
Photobombed by cats …..who thought our books offered something tasty.
I have always enjoyed observing people doing everyday activities. It could have been Christmastime at Hamilton Place Mall in Chattanooga with a Starbucks coffee or observing criminal suspects under surveillance doing ????? in ?????. My husband’s grandmother, Ruth, was a wonderful friend and travel companion for me and she said, “People are endlessly fascinating.” I certainly agree with her. So this blog will be pictures of people doing everyday things; activities that might not make newspaper or TV news but are nevertheless “endlessly fascinating.”
What is more sweet than a little girl with an Oreo flavored ice cream cone! Her name is Melissa (pronounced with strong vowels). Had a nice visit with her mom and other women relatives. Mom and Melissa live in Istanbul.Motor scooters, motorbikes and motorcycles are ubiquitous here. Kids driving mom around and bread delivery are just two reasons why. Check out the footwear and lack of safety equipment. The electric ones are also popular and you don’t hear them until they are right behind you.If you look to the lower right you’ll see a grandfather and his young friend watching the big- boy toys across from our house. The little guy was enthralled and very excited to point out all the action to us.This constitutes the platform used to load 19 liter bottles of water into the delivery truck. They do this at least once a day. I hope the gas canisters are empty.We saw this lone flower (?) growing among cobblestones. Not even other weeds grow along this walking street. Maybe it’s getting something special because it’s outside a pharmacy. And yes, those are gas pipes going into the building.Oops! How did our morning tea with cookies get in here?Thought it was quite charming to see this teenage boy, who arrived on a nice bike, playing with a street kitten on his lap. This is across from where we sometimes have tea.Minutes before I caught this, granddad was showing the child how to hop! And kudos if you recognized the stool from the previous picture.One morning I heard this gentleman coming up our street with his cart. He makes the colorful pants that are won by women at home and often in public. He makes the ‘worry beads’ too. We regularly hear fruit, vegetable and other street sellers driving along the streets. Sometimes they push a cart, like this man, sometimes they use a bullhorn and sometimes just call from truck cabs. “Karpuz – Armut – Eskici.”Right outside one of the high schools there was a banner that listed the graduate’s names and where they will attend college or university. What a great way to share the good news with passers-by.This is a major traffic circle right in front of Urla City Hall. Dogs own the streets and sidewalks. They rarely bite nor are they aggressive; they just want to be where they want to be.“Okay. I’m ready to move.”These girls are young entrepreneurs who sell their wares on our street. “GIRLS RULE!”Well, this ain’t Cat Stevens,’ ‘Cat’s in the Cradle.” But it is book lovin’ cats. We’ve counted about 6 regular cat readers at this used book shop.I am constantly amazed and impressed by how well people of ALL ages navigate uneven sidewalks and streets with loose-fitting flip-flops. Some western parents spends lots of money on children;s shoes. Here.. not so much.Oh my! On the way to his circumcision. Don’t see as many boys on horseback but rather on truck beds or even in convertible cars.Some of these vehicles are actually parked with no driver and some are actually still trying to move. This is normal, even when there is traffic police around. Again, this regularly happens at a busy intersection.This is Nasriye and Hatice. I’ve passed them many times, smiled and said good morning. So finally I just stopped and asked to take their photo. They adjusted their scarves and pulled themselves up straight. I asked their ages and Hatice was emphatic to let me know she was 72 and her friend only 71. They sit out on the narrow sidewalk by a busy corner and watch the world go by. Sometimes they are joined by another women and sometimes a younger person will stop by to chat. I gave them each a copy of this photo. We chat about where I’m going and what I’ve bought.This isn’t even the egregious example of double parking.What is sweeter than Melissa with one ice cream cone? Melissa with two.
With rare exceptions, I always ask permission to take a photograph. I’ve ever been refused. As you can tell, I am certainly not professional and I probably miss more candid photos then I take. But for me, it’s part of the lifeblood of my experience here in Turkey. I am constantly reminded that most people n the world want the same things for themselves and their families.
We use about 4 of the 19 liter bottles or potable water every week. I just make a phone call when we need it. It’s delivered within a short time, via motorcycle, and the delivery man brings it up two flights of stairs. Hard work.
I’ve always felt that my beauty salon was a place of refuge. From California to Tennessee and Germany to Turkey, I could always just sit and visit, be pampered and try something new with no judging. But from time to time, I’ve wondered if men got the same satisfying feeling at a barber shop. So I determined to visit one. And what better opportunity than when my husband needed a haircut.
Larry’s preferred barber is Mustafa at Kuafor Dervish, right on Urla’s main drag. Mustafa agreed to let me interview him while he worked on Larry. The first thing I noticed was that passers-by can see you at your worst; lathered up and wet. We walk by the shop quite often and I’ve not noticed anyone standing and staring in the window. But it is possible and I don’t think I’d like that.
Outside just about every barber and salon is a towel drying rack.
Mustafa is a young professional entrepreneur, only 32 years old, and the owner of a very nice two-chair barber shop. He took over after the previous owner’s retirement. This is a common practice in Turkey. I believe he is single and he said he works seven days a week. This is also a common practice for small businesses.
In order to get his professional license, he apprenticed for five years. He now has an apprentice under him, although I didn’t meet him that day. Mustafa is also licensed for salon services for women. The price list was prominently displayed. And apparently prices are fixed by a government agency. It was good to know that allowances are made for village and rural barbers and those in bigger cities.
Larry had a haircut, wash and shave. And gosh, did it go fast! I don’t think we were there even 20 minutes. My hair cuts take about 30 minutes and when I have my natural blonde locks ‘revealed’ again, it’s over two hours.
Lathering and single-edged blade shaving looked like what I’ve seen on TV. Mustafa shaves with a one-time use blade rather than a traditional blade with strop.
The surprise for me was leaning forward for the hair wash. I think I would totally like this. Stretching my neck over a hard plastic wash basin and still getting water down my shirt might be mitigated with a front wash. I may ask about it next time I am in my sanctuary salon.
A trip to the Barber of Urla may be an unusual topic for my blog, but it was a mystery to me. Of course I could always have simply stood on the sidewalk outside and stared in at all the goings on. Afterall, it’s only that #anamericaninurla.
To be offered something, ‘on the house;’ something for free, often happens after an unhappy customer service incident. Maybe the food was cold or late or something like that. Management wants to keep you happy, and coming back, so they offer to discount your meal or give you a free appetizer or dessert.
The closest expression here would be “Ikram ederim,” or just “Ikram.” It means “I’m treating you.” But when I hear, “ikram,” it really means a heartfelt treat. On Thursday of last week, I was blessed three times!
Ikram 1: Karamel Patisserie. For the past couple of weeks we’ve been stopping into this local café for early morning tea during my husband’s rehab walks. It gives him a break from the walk and we get to enjoy a good cup of Turkish tea. Better than the tea bags I’m currently using at home. As I walked up to the counter to give my order, the owner was engaged with a departing customer over leaving a 5TL tip on the counter. The customer wanted to leave it and the owner was saying it wasn’t needed. They were joking with each other and seemed to be enjoying the repartee. I was listening and smiling and eventually just picked up the bill and put it in the tip box. We all laughed. A foreigner resolving their ‘argument.”
A few minutes later when we received our tea, the owner also brought out two tarts and said, “Ikram,” placing his hand on his heart.
Just for the record, Larry enjoyed both of them.
Ikram 2: Urla, Iskele Pazar Yeri. It you’ve read my blogs, you know how much I love the open markets for fruits and veggies. I try to go to the same green grocer when I can rather than a supermarket. On this day I stopped at a different grocer. The seller was interested in where I was from; asking if I was German. I said I was American and that brought others into the conversation. Apparently the patriarch of that stand has a son in Philadelphia. I needed quite a bit of produce so I was there for several minutes making various selections. As I was paying for my purchases, I heard the patriarch tell a helper to give me something. I didn’t want to pay notice of it, because this sort of thing still embarrasses me. But in the end he said, “Ikram,” and I couldn’t refuse. You may think it was only green onions, but it was a gift he could offer me.
All of this will last a few days. I’d rather shop for fresh food several times a week rather than buy for a whole week.
Ikram 3: Kadikoy Cafe. I haven’t stopped to count all the restaurants, cafes, sandwich shops, pastry shops, tea houses and the like within a 10 minutes’ walk of home. I wouldn’t be surprised if there were over 100! So we always take any dining recommendations seriously. We’d already planned to eat dinner out so decided try a new place. The café’s seating area was outside and it was hot but there was nice shade. As I try to do, I told the server that they had been recommended to us. We knew they were known for their liver dishes, which we don’t eat, but the selection of other traditional Turkish fare was also very good. We even tried something new. When our salad was served, we also got another appetizer, “Ikram.”
The ikram side dish was a cold, sightly spicy, peppers and tomatoes salad. Quite tasty. The side salad was huge and we usually share salads.The menu said we would get six of these Icli Kofte, but there were at least eight. This is spiced ground meat insde a bulgar based dough. I think they were steamed. We’ll definately order these again, but not with all the other foood we had.
The generous and hospitable nature of Turkish people is one of many traits that drew me to live here. Yet I cannot underestimate the power of being a good guest, too. In all my Air Force overseas assignments (Turkey, England, Germany), we were always told how important it was for us to be good ambassadors for the United States. We carried the reputation of our country when we interacted with people.
I continue to live into this responsibility. But really it’s not hard. It’s easier to be nice than naughty. It’s better to leave a positive rather than negative impression. It’s more fun to be part of, rather than apart from, our neighbors. And this doesn’t just apply to #anamericaninurla, but wherever we live.
Ikram 2: All of the fruits and veggies cost only 22TL. Later on that day I was buying some fresh figs. They were packaged in one kilo packs. We didn’t need a whole kilo. But the vendor responded that it was only 4TL. Over two pounds of fresh figs!
Ikram 3: We ordered way too much food. I found out that I can ask for half portions of the manti, which is like tortellini. Kadikoy Cafe Restaurant, Malgaca Pazar, Urla
Spiced meat inside tiny pasta packets. Served with yogurt, hot and buttery tomato sauce, sumac and parsley. TO DIE FOR!!!!
“When you’re hot, you’re hot. When you’re not, you’re not.” Jerry Reed
“The heat is on.” Glenn Frey
I grew up in Florida. Summertime meant heat, humidity, mosquitoes, palmetto bugs, afternoon rain and little, sticky green frogs on screen doors and jalousie windows. It also meant we pulled out a box floor fan or two. One was usually directed mostly at my dad. Oscillating fans didn’t come around for a while. I doubt most of the houses we lived in even had A/C since it used lots of electricity and we were a big family. I seem to recall there was a room air conditioner in my parents’ bedroom at one time or another.
You see, my dad was a house painter and summers were hard work. Especially those summers some of us kids would work for dad for 50 cents an hour cleaning repossessed VA and FHA houses. So it was early departures to beat the heat and returning in the afternoon. It wasn’t unusual for him to be laying on his bed with just a sheet covering his “bits and pieces” with a fan directed right at him. Or, if it was a house with A/C in the master bedroom, we’d hear, “Hurry up and shut the door.” Maybe one of the reasons I didn’t have many friends over was the no A/C thing or the whole dad lounging in boxer shorts thing. I didn’t know that other dads didn’t relax that way. And thankfully I don’t have any pictures to share either. All good.
As I think back, about half of the houses Larry and I have shared didn’t have A/C either: two in California – yes, DC – yes, two in Ankara, Turkey – no, Germany and Italy – no, two in Tennessee – one yes and one no, three in Colorado – two yes and one no. Urla, Turkey – no.
As you might expect, in this weather, I do my ironing when I first get up. Partly because it’s a bit cooler, but also I can get cooled down remembering a scene from the 1968 film, Dr. Zhivago. It’s the a one where Omar Shariff, as the good doctor, is watching his lover, Lara, iron. It’s a repetitive movement of lifting the hot iron off the iron base and pressing the clothes. Of course Lara, played by Julie Christie, a natural blonde like me, is gorgeous. While my ironing includes dripping brows and gulping two bottles of water. You really should rent the movie. Maybe those winter scenes will cool you down too.
This heat also makes me want to just loll around. Now my idea of lolling around is a fan directly on me and, Lord, don’t let anyone touch me! But I can’t just loll everyday. Because everyday life and chores and visits have to be done. I still have to get out and see what’s happening around my town. This is a sundress capital as far as I’m concerned: sundresses, bare midriffs, short shorts, high healed sandals, t-shirts, and hats. I truly admire the religious women who can be completely covered and still move around and work in this heat. Because none of us wants to let the heat get us down.
And, since I like to pretend that ice cream and fresh lemonade don’t produce fat when it’s this hot, I feel like I need to continue to support my local eateries. So at some point in my day, I must get dressed and go out.
This is Larry at Irmik Hanim Patisserie.
But with the heat of summer also comes the bounty of fruits and vegetables: peaches and nectarines, apricots, plums, melons, bell peppers, okra, and corn. Well, I have heard the okra is coming but we won’t have it in our house. Don’t bother to send me YOUR favorite recipes, it’s already been tried.
Baling first cut wheat the old-fashioned way, by hand.
But the beautiful flowers and flowering plants is where summer really shines here in Urla.
I have to be honest and write that I had forgotten how hot summer can be, when there is humidity above 30%. Even as I finish this missive, it is 94 degrees and 44% humidity (fan directly on me).
True confession ……. I am already a slacker in our first summer here. We just ordered two air conditioning units to be installed next week. Now I just need to get through the projected three digit temps for the next three days!
Note: The title refers to a time in August, many years ago, when I was doing Air Force work in the American southwest. It was 96 degrees at 9:00 a.m.! I was wearing a suit, holster and radio and thought, ‘all this I do for my country.’ This was way before American and allied military personnel suffering in real heat conditions in Iraq and Afghanistan.
We paid for our oversight because she insisted she needed an entire bench seat all to herself. It is a bit of an extravagance to have door to door pick up, but we get so much more than just a ride. We get local commentary from Savash, stopping whenever we need and opportunities for side trips with a private tour.
We do have brother Girl Scouts and one of my favorites is Steve Parnell from Little Brownie Bakers. I’ve been running into Steve for about 12 years at Girl Scout events. Once at a Girl Scouts Overseas event in Italy, Steve won a bid on a mystery gift at our annual fundraising auction. Turns out it was a bottle of my husband’s special marinade and sauce! When I saw Steve in Columbus, he told me he still has it on his shelf! Not sure if it’s still viable but there is vinegar in it, so, maybe……….
And in the category of the world is a very small place. I waited out the band competition drinking tea and have conversation with Bulent and his wife, the owners of Karavan; a store selling all manner of treasures from Turkey!! Karavan has been on High Street for over 10 years. Glad I didn’t take a nap.
According to the sign, the water prevents or eliminates everything from asthma to dyspepsia. I had look that one up; upset stomach.
Carolz Travelz 