A Catch Up Day

Letter 5

(Monday) our group left the gulets, which had been our home on the water for three days. (In olden days, Turks used smaller gulets to catch fish. Images of those are easily available on line). During that time we cruised the Turquoise Coast, the south west coast of Turkey. Sometimes we were in the Aegean, other times the Mediterrean. This coast is bad news for all husbands, since it set a hard standard to follow. This is what Mark Anthony gave Cleopatra as a wedding gift. Fortunately for me, Carol didn’t know about this when I gave her a Cracker Jack ring on our wedding day, 44 years ago. Our ships were 85 feet long, 21 feet wide (midway) and slept a dozen comfortably. However, it is a different statement that we slept comfortably. Turkey has been having a heat spell in the south, where it is often very hot. This is typical for the year, and our tour is one of the last for the season. One day was over 100 F. The heat has been intense, and is compounded by the crowds who are doing what we are.

On the gullet after one lousy night sleep, Carol & I decided to venture up on the deck. There were found a sleeping area under the sail. Small pads had been laid out. Calm breezes kept us cool, and as always it is great to go to sleep looking at the stars. Each day we would sail, or more often power, to the nest hike site. We would hike for a half hour to two hours to find the remains of a city, usually in the hills. It remains incredible to me to see places where people were living 2000 years ago. The roofs, which I assume were wood, are all gone. However, walls of many buildings which may have been made from rock, stucco, plaster, or whatever remain. This is after hundreds of years of earthquakes, storms, high winds, and who knows what else. In addition, most cities, particularly Myra had huge amphitheaters. In that case it seated 15,000. I don’t know how many people called that Myra home then, but it reminded me of Permian Texas, whose high school football stadium holds more than the population of the town (Read Friday Night Lights, if you haven’t already). Myra is also the site of Lycian tombs. Here and at Dalyan River, we saw tombs carved into mountains. The reason they were built there was to protect them from looting. Unfortunately, greed trumped this caution, and many sites have been robbed blind.

Down the road from Myra is Demre, whose claim to fame is the 12^th century church of St. Nicholas. Here is where we learned about international relations. It seems that in 1862 Russia’s Czar Nicholas I made major renovations to this church which was built 700 years before. We learned to strong link Russians feel for St. Nicholas, even though our kids all relate to him as our Santa. (We were told the red and white colors of Christmas were first shown in an ad for Coca Cola, where a large bearded man was shown with a bag of cokes). Turkish kids home Noel Baba will leave them something, just as a Christian bishop provided dowry money for impoverished girls. If you have any doubt Russians are doing well, forget it. BRIC (Brazil, Russia, India, and China) are growth areas of the world. At Myra, our guide said there were 85 Russian tour busses on a prior day. These buses seat 40 or more, so you do the math. Waves of these distinctive characters, complete with their loud voices, were in every nook and cranny of every site. My advice to Russian women, wear more clothing. The Lady Gaga look doesn’t work for everyone. I hate to generalize, but the men were insensitive slobs. There was a particular indoor set of columns, which I thought would make a great photo. Surprisingly, I wanted to have it without Russian families whose kids wore garish tee shirts which said dumb stuff. However, when one group was done, in would step another. Then they would look at the picture and either a) re-shoot, b) change the permutations of who was “in”, or c) stand directly in front admiring the results. I waited 10 minutes, and am still not sure if I got the shot I wanted.

I realize that I never told you much about Istanbul, Pergamum, Izmir, or Ephesus. Rather than doing a diary, I will use the rest of the time to share some impressions.

                                                                                                              

·         The Third Eye           Turks, Peruvians, and perhaps others share a common bond to a talisman of white, dark and light blue circles usually made of glass or plastic. These are usually 2-3 inches, roughly circular, and bright. This “eye” wards off evil spirits and may bring good luck. You can see these is cars, offices, and in every bazaar and shop. (Memo to the Turkish Minister of Tourism: get shopkeepers to display less, sell more. Create a sense of rarity, not over abundance.) This is not what I am talking about. Rather I am thinking of the ubiquitous digital camera. From the simplest point and shoot, to the monsters which take HD video, they are almost an appendage to many. There is not one square inch of our tour’s path which has not been photographed in the past 48 hours by us or others. If you doubt this comment, go to Google Images, and you will find a picture (or more) of just about anything other than the Texas Rangers celebrating the 2010 world championship. Often you will see groups focusing on something of interest. Rather than looking, I observe some who merely capture the image, and more on. Who am I to talk? I have taken over 600 images in about a week. Yes, I love the flexibility of digital images, despite their absence here. I will probably preen and assemble a slide show (bring your own pillow). I will almost certainly post them to Shutterfly or something similar. What’s the point? Look more, snap less.

·         The camp movie Topkapi, which we watched with the Wongs before leaving, was shot in part at Topkapi Place in Istanbul. Just like Tom Cruise in Mission Impossible, they were trying to steal something valuable. In this case it was a jeweled encrusted dagger. When you go to Topkapi today, you see display after display of jewel encrusted daggers, swords, and the like. How many jewel encrusted daggers do you need? Does it make sense to enter battle with a very valuable (and heavy) weapon? Do the rules of combat include the right to stop, if a jewel falls out of its setting?

·         The public sector. Turkey is lead by a pro-free market party, which controls but has opposition. When Turkey became independent in the 1920s, the government operated many businesses which are now private. That transition continues. However, the government remains strong in several areas. For example, all beaches in Turkey are controlled by the government. No private enterprise, like a hotel, can own them.

·         Food – This has not been a good trip for dieting. We have enjoyed a rich and diverse cuisine. Breakfast is usually fruit (dried apricots, figs, watermelon), and a great assortment of breads and pastries. I did not try the “fried bread with egg”, which sounds worse than French Toast. Lunch is not a skimpy meal. Pasta, kebobs, and plates of eggplant, beans, yoghurt, and the like. Dinners have been lots of fish with veggies, again the plates just keep coming. Snacking is mandatory. If you are ever here, you must try a Magnum Double Chocolate bar. This makes a Dove Bar taste like a popsicle. (For younger readers, they were frozen fruit water on a stick.) Coffee drinkers have seemed to like the thick and very strong Turkish Coffee. I tried the Turkish Delight. It isn’t. Halva tasted like sweet chalk to me. Our guide extolled the various biscuits which young kids like. These are sweet crackers, often filled or topped with chocolate, coconut or jam. After tasting several offerings, I understand why there is no international clamoring for Turkish wine. On the other hand Efes (the Turkish spelling of Ephesus) beer is a great pilsner type brew. Two thumbs way up for food.

·         Islam – I admit when I hear that word I often think of the few radical demons whose intent is the demise of the western world. That is not what we have seen or heard. Our guide, Hasan, has shared his incredibly developed view of the world. While he may not attend the mosque as often as others, he often sees the world from a religious viewpoint. I start by admitting I am no expert on Islam. However, one can’t miss several common features of life in Turkey.

o   Every village has a mosque, every town has a few, and every city has many. They are everywhere.

o   New mosques are often built where rich benefactors “suggest”. Thus, there is no zoning. You will sometimes see two or more mosques very close to one another.

o   Mosques are lead by Imams. They are hired and pay by the state. The buildings and land are generally owned by the state.

o   We were told if you ask Turks who they respect most in society they would answer, an Imam. This is in a country where perhaps only one in four regularly attend a service. Repeatedly, we have heard most Turks don’t want a religious government.

o   Unlike cathedrals and churches of the west, many of these buildings seem very mundane. Some of the old ones are huge. I have seen only one mosque without a minaret. Some of the larger ones have two or more. These narrow towers are perhaps a few feet in diameter and 30-50 feet tall. The original purpose of the minaret is to allow the Imam to call people to prayer five times a day. In days of old, the Imam climbed the stairs and shouted charts from the Koran, a calling to prayer. Times change. Now he can do call in the air conditioned comfort of his office, using a PA system. Who knows someday he may use Skype. One would have to be totally deaf to not hear this call, which occurs 5 times a day. This call lasts few minutes. What follows is a steady stream of men who first wash their feet and hands at stalls outside the mosque. They then walk to the front door, remove their shoes, and enter a large, often rectangular room. (I don’t believe women go to the mosque. Not sure about their spiritual life.) I am sure you have seen pictures of the offering of prayers, which seems to last about 10 minutes. With our driver I observed one such session and was moved by its solemnity and sense of serenity. Businessman, student, and merchant were all equals on the rug. There is a ritual of this service, but I am not sure I understand. Hopefully I will go again in Istanbul.

June 21