Travelling in Turkey end post

Current mood: pained
Category: Travel and Places

{Pictures from the trip forthcoming}

Istanbul. 5AM Sunday June17th.

My father and I said goodbye, as he departs for Amsterdam and me Milano.

It has been 3 long weeks, and I am definitely ready to be home. It's always like this. This long is my breaking point.

A) To be in my own home instead of others, or hotel rooms, no matter how luxurious. Nothing compares with home.
B) To be amongst my own things...stereo, instruments, my own bed!!
C) No more plastic bags. I travel Eastern-style, which means all dirty clothes, shoes, and cosmetics go in separate bags {Tr. is "torba"}

Overall, we went to Istanbul, Ankara, Kayseri, Afyon, Bodrum, and Fethiye. I guess Istanbul is my favorite. I like big cities, and it qualifies. Plus it has ocean all around. So there is the double happiness of city and sea.

We traveled by plane, by bus, and even rented a Fiat Albea (kind of a shi*box, that one...).

Across land and sea to fulfill my mother's last wish, to take in the culture of my ancestors.

Our last day was nice. Back in Istanbul. An old family friend called, and we caught up for almost an hour. She remembers everything my mom had told her about our affairs, relatives, etc. She is such a nice human being. Maalesef (Tr. for "unfortunately"), she lives in Ankara, and though we rang her and emailed, meeting up was not to be. Ayla's family is from the Black Sea area of Turkey, near Russia, and I have been there, but I was too young to appreciate it. I got pinched there by some stranger on the street because I was wearing shorts, of modest length even. It's not like that everywhere, but I still feel wary of showing a lot of leg and arm at the same time.

Men are like wolves, you see, and they wanna gobble you up! At least that's what their burning eyes seem to say sometimes.

Sigh. What comes next, I don't know. More of the same? Something better? A world-wide tour? Bring it.