Wrap It Up

What a whirlwind tour. Not to complain, but we had much less “free time” than I had anticipated. So much to see, such a distant place, so foreign in many ways. We tried to cover the progress of civilization over more than 2000 years in three short weeks. Impossible. Equally tough is trying to gain an understanding of a country as full of conflicting pulls and tugs. What do I mean? Turkish businesses competing in the world economy, know that at 1:15 PM some employees will leave for prayers at the mosque. Streets which were built before Christ’s time, now are dealing with the fast, crazy Turkish drivers. The wonderful concept of merchandise without a posted price. All reflect some of what we saw.

Our trip was completely fulfilling (on one hand, and bewildering on the other) because of our guide, Hasan Yeniocak. He had all the history at his fingertips, and yet always had a great way of conveying the human side of any situation. His sense of Turkey is through, and was seen through a humorous, understanding eye. I see the fierce Turkish national pride which rallied a small band of loyalists to hold off wave after wave of Brits at Gallipoli nearly a century back. (Having the higher ground didn’t hurt.) I come away with a deep respect for our Turkish friends, their rich and diverse society, their deep historic roots, and their obvious love of life.

I offer some final impressions based on what I saw, heard, and read.  

Just the facts, Ma’am

·         Modern Turkey was formed in 1923 under the leadership of Mustafa Kemal, more commonly, Ataturk. It sounds like he was Washington (a famous General and first country leader) Lincoln (an Inspiring leader who made some very tough choices), and Roosevelt (who implemented many significant changes to society), all in one. His statues and pictures are everywhere, and his mausoleum in Ankara is “world class”. In its early days, Turkey was not a democracy, it couldn’t afford to be. The fun started in the 1950s when opposition parties were formed. Although there have been 4 military coups (1960, 1971, 1980, 1997), it sounds like democracy is alive and well here. The recent election sounded good, despite the Economist’s cautious article.

·         Turkey’s current leaders are pro free markets, although this is tricky in an economy which is changing so quickly and one which needs lots of infrastructure. The government seems to be privatizing industries, although not too quickly. Despite a population which is 99+% Muslim (and most of those are Sunni), Turks worry about keeping church and state separate. This is tricky as the state owns the land of most mosques. They also employ all Imams.

·         Turkey wants to be a good neighbor. However, this is asking a lot. With neighbors like Greece, Iraq, Iran, and Syria, it is a tough goal. Turkey is an associate member of the EU. However it doesn’t have full recognition. It sounds like Turkey needs to resolve some territorial issues with Greece before going further into the EU. It sounds like Turks are divided on whether full membership is a good idea. Given the goings on in Greece, going slow probably makes sense.

·         The country is about the size of Texas, yet has a population of about 78 million, more than 3 times Texas. About a quarter of all Turks live in one of their 5 large cities. That means there are huge sections of the country which are sparsely populated. The largest city is Istanbul (over 10 million), while the capital is Ankara.

·         Rob Bond has already determined its tallest peak is Mt. Ararat, where Noah’s arch is said to have landed. It is nearly 17,000 feet. Don’t expect us to go anytime soon.

·         Turkey’s south and west coastline is beautiful and they have important hubs for commerce (Black Sea, Straights of the Dardanelles, and the Bosphorus straights in Istanbul). That coastal land was a boon for early trade, but unfortunately made it easy for others to invade.

·         Turkey’s median age is just under 29, which is low for a country its size. Ours is a bit over 35 reflecting the bulge of baby boomers. Life expectancy is 72.5 years, 6 years shorter than ours. However, I am betting the statistics are wrong. That is because so many middle aged men seem to do nothing other than sit in plazas drinking tea, playing backgammon, or just watching the world go by.

·         While nearly 90% of the population is literate, regrettably women lag significantly. Spending on education is very low (137^th of countries in the world.) Another woefully underfunded area is the discovery, presentation and preservation of their rich historic sites. Most had lots of visitors, as the end of comfortable spring weather was approaching.

·         There is a president and Prime Minister in Turkey. The legislature is a unicameral body with 550 members. The largest three parties hold shares of 46.7%, 20.8%, and 14.3%. Thus, the AKP (the Justice and Development Party) can’t quite claim a majority, they are close.

·         The GDP of Turkey is not quite one trillion (US is $14 trillion) close to Mexico. Growth is very robust, and can be seen all around. Unfortunately, inflation is a continuing problem, with an index of about 9%. The central bank discount rate is 15%, thus money is expensive. While agriculture is about 30% of the employment (and 10% of GDP), industry and service sectors are growing quickly. There is an aggressive more by the government to privatize previously state run businesses, particularly in banking and transportation. Unemployment is over 12%.

·         Exports are a healthy 11% of GDP, about the same as the US. Apparel, foodstuffs, textiles, metals, and transportation equipment are the largest groups. Russia is the largest trading partner for Turkey.

·         A Turkish Lira is about 66 cents. Its value has lost about 20% (relative to the dollar) over the past 5 years.

·         Government spending is about 15% of GDP, while their debt is about 48% of GDP. You don’t want to know the numbers for the USA.

Show me what you got

·         Turkish shopkeepers love to bargain. Not doing so is almost insulting. However, as good as you may think you are, this is their home court. Small trinkets take on added meaning as you battle wits to save 66 cents. When the money becomes bigger, there is a bit more parity. Don’t be surprised to see a merchant include something extra after a long push to get to Fair Market Value. Alternatively, I was often offered tea before “the games began”. Some few stores had signs similar to “Bargaining is a game, we offer hassle free shopping”. Stuff under $50, you should expect to pay half of the initial offering price. It may be less, if you buy multiple units, a more expensive item than originally focused, note a small defect, etc.

·         Turkish men are to fashion as a balloon is to zoology. It just doesn’t compute based on our brief stay. What does compute is the fact that many young, affluent Turkish women adopt the styles of today. In the large cities and seaside resorts we saw lots of eye catching attire with hair to match. This is a stark contrast to the burka wearing religious conservatives, many of whom are from neighboring countries. (I observed the answer to what you may be thinking. They lift the veil slightly and discretely bring the utensil to their mouth when they eat.)

·         You will never see a richer offering of veggies. Eggplant is an incredibly versatile and tasty addition to any meal. Pilaf is also usually available, and beats Rice-a-Roni by a country mile. Get ready for a great variety of breads. You will have to work to not have lamb every day or so. Desserts were generally too sweet, and you can skip Turkish ice cream which is almost the consistency of taffy. To offset the above mentioned veggies, and an exception to the dessert comment, you NEED to try several of the Magnum Chocolate bars. My favorite was the double chocolate, but raspberry is not far behind. You will be astounded when you learn this is not ice cream.

·         There are about 30 million visitors to Turkey each year including in country travelers. I would guess tours are more important than in other more developed countries. They certainly negotiate low room prices than those posted in the rooms. No problem. However, be aware, hotels charge excessively for drinks and services. The $20 Margarita perhaps was the high water mark. Soft drinks usually cost $4-5, while across the street the small shop was happy to get 2 Lira, about $1.30. Meat, alcohol, and gas ($9-10/gallon) are expensive. I was told gold was a deal, as are carpets. But caveat emptor.

·         I failed in my one shopping mission. I love backgammon (ever notice?), and have an assortment of mid to poor quality boards, all well used. Some hold sentimental value because of their prior use. I planned to buy one on the trip, since this is (or is very close) to the game’s ground zero. Istanbul’s Grand Bazaar didn’t have any of note, even in the antique section. After weeks of seeing nothing of interest, I found a merchant in a busy Istanbul square. I was salivating after seeing the workmanship and design, but soon learned that they really were mother of pearl inlays, these were solid wood with intricate designs, etc. Starting prices were $2,000 and they went well up from there. The heartbreaker was each board was custom made for the buyer, and took a month.

OK, Well Would You Go Back?

            In a New York minute. Here is kind of my “to do” list.

·         I would definitely spend 3-5 days in Istanbul. The grand bazaar and spice markets are a must, even if you aren’t in the market for anything.  Ayasophia was spectacular, as was the close Museum of Turkish Treasure. The Blue Mosque is interesting outside, but shabby inside. Definitely cruise up the Bosphorus. The Roman Cisterns are beautiful and incredible engineering. Lighting is worth the trip alone, and the below ground setting is great, particularly on a hot day. Sleeper pick is the less visited Summer Palace. That sultan had it going including as 60x20 sq foot Turkish rug. Despite living in the 1860’s I saw many equally impressive features as seen in Versailles. Sorry, Topkapi Place is good, not great. Zuma was a great place for dinner next to the Bosphorus, but avoid like the plague the haughty (but great view) Topaz. Another sleeper is the hard to get to Chora Museum which is filled with early mosaics.

·         The gullet ride was very cool, but four days got a bit long. It was fun to see various vendors in small boats come up and offer, crepes, veggies, sweets, etc. It seems each place you dock there are the ruins of old cities.

·         Ephesus is quite interesting since you can see a large section of the city being excavated. Unfortunately, one ruin begins to blur into others.

·         Troy is a disappointing bust. Rich mutli-period cities are built one on top of another, but it is very poorly displayed. The model Trojan Horse was a joke, not even worthy of Disneyland.

·         Driving along the Turquoise Coast was spectacular, but assume it is going to take a couple of days. 

·         Cappadocia was magical, particularly the early morning balloon ride.

·         Deme was very interesting to me since we met St. Nicholas or Noel Baba, as called in Turkey. Rumi’s bastion in Konya was very special to Carol & me. It was hard not to feel the strong sense of religion there.

·         Antalya is like a fast growing coastal Florida city. True, Perge is close and interesting, but I could have skipped it.

·         Finally I leave you with a four word admonition. Get a Turkish Bath. Having had only one, I am not an expert on where to go, but they are available in almost any town. I can tell you my skin has never felt better than after that soothing 45 minutes of bliss. The sleep inducing massage which followed was over the top, and only matched state side by Andrea Bryck. When I rejoined to world I was trying to focus on just walking a relatively straight line. Limp towel now is a vivid memory.

As always the best fun is getting in touch with the home boys. Despite never saying one world of Turkish (shame on me), I was invited to play backgammon, talk with guys on the street or in restaurants, and yes, match wits with merchants of all types. They generally won. All were fun, optimistic, and engaging.

One final note. Carol & I have never taken a tour before. “Plan it, buy a guide book (Carol), go, and then get around” was our approach. Our travelling partners Bob & Sheryl Wong and we decided it might make sense to let someone else organize it all this time. Good choice. I believe the reasons are obvious:

·         You can’t fake Turkish, it isn’t a Romance language.

·         The distances between venues are often great. Nice to have a driver.

·         There is so much to understand, it is nice to be “spoon fed”, and have the ability to ask for more detail, if wanted (again, usually Carol).