Turkey General Trip Report from a Loud Mouthed Opinionated American - Part 1 General Observations
Sep 7th, 2005, 10:40 AM
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Turkey General Trip Report from a Loud Mouthed Opinionated American - Part 1 General Observations
My wife and I last visited Turkey in 1982, so we decided that it was time for a return trip to see the country in depth. We just got back from a wonderful vacation, so I will be posting two detailed trip reports, the first being of a general nature and the second being specific to sights, restaurants, hotels, etc. Questions will be cheerfully answered with extreme bias!
The Country
Turkey is a country that has it all for the typical and atypical tourist. Literally any reason that you would have to travel or any sight you would wish to see can be found in Turkey. Great scenery, history, art, architecture, food, culture........ Turkey has it all. Most Americans are unaware as to the wealth of touristic opportunities which may be found in Turkey. Turkey has great cities, great scenery and many great cultures which date back thousands of years.
To Drive or Not to Drive..............
Well I am an American, so the lure of the open road seems quite irresistible. We decided to rent a car and leave Istanbul embarking on a 2 week road trip. Now it appears that most travelers to Turkey take guided tours or rush off from cruise ships, so this may not be the best means of transportation for everyone. There are many pros and cons to driving in Turkey....... here’s my analysis. The pros: unfettered flexibility; go where you want to go, when you want to go. You can see the small towns, rural life and the many scenic opportunities. Now on the con side, driving is definitely not for everyone. The roads, once you leave the western part of the country, are not up to American and European standards. There really are not a lot of what we would call highways. many of the roads are just two laners. In addition there are a lot of roads that twist and turn through the mountains. This means you MUST be prepared to do a lot of passing of slow trucks, slow cars, tractors and livestock. In the cities and towns pedestrians seem to wait for your car to approach before darting out into the street without warning. Constant vigilance is required and you must be prepared to go native! The Turkish driving style is very akin to that of Italy without the Autostradas. You must learn to make two lanes into three or learn to be alert for someone else doing it. We had read that Turkey had a very high accident rate, but in 1400 + driving miles, we only saw one. In addition driving in the cities will give you a sense of what the word anarchy truly means. We did not drive in Istanbul, but did so in the cities of Bursa, Konya and Ankara. A true test! Also, do not drive at night as the concept of street lights has not passed out of any of the cities. Finally, the cost of gasoline is a big minus. Gas seemed to come in at around $7.25 a gallon if my metric conversion was correct. Higher than Europe, but again....... how many times do you get an opportunity to drive through Turkey! I would do it again in a second without hesitation.
The People
First let me start off by saying that the Turkish people are some of the nicest and friendliest people that we have ever met anywhere in our travels. This was true in 1982 and remains true today. However, the tourist climate has definitely changed over the years. In 1982 if I took a map out of my pocket in Istanbul, a stranger would immediately approach me and offer to assist. In addition random people would approach us in the street and make conversation in an attempt to perceive our attitude towards Turkey and its people. In one week in Istanbul we had a lifetime of adventures of the non-touristic sort with strangers showing us around without a carpet store in sight. Unfortunately, this is one item that has changed as the Turks seem to have become quite acclimated to the foreign tourist. Now, the reality is that taking out a map out of your pocket has become an open invitation for the touts to hassle you. In addition, anyone who approached you to make conversation in the streets of any tourist-oriented city or town invariably had two things: a cousin in the United States and a carpet shop in Turkey. Being that I am always cognizant of the fact that we American travelers are good will ambassadors who foreign citizens will use to judge America, we are always friendly and polite to everyone we meet. But the touts really took us to the edge at times. The expression “won’t take no for an answer” must have been derived from dealing with the touts. Unfortunately we got to the point where we would pretend we were Swedish and did not speak English. Yelling out “No English, Sverige” in a funny accent went a long way. Now I know that culturally this is just the way business is done in the part of the world and I know this is to be expected in the Grand Bazaar and such places (talk about running a gauntlet!), but being accosted on the steps of the Blue Mosque was a little too much. The sales technique of stating that I could not afford a carpet anyway and the tout would not sell one to me even if I wanted one may work on a five year old, but that kind of reverse psychology really doesn’t work! Finally by the time I got to Konya, I tried the honesty approach as in this true dialogue: “Hello, where are you from?” “Let me guess, you have a carpet shop!” “Wow, how could you know, you must have been in Turkey for some time.” “Yes, I bought three carpets on my last trip and I do not want a carpet now nor do I have any space for a carpet.” “Yes, I do not want to sell you a carpet, but please have a look at my wonderful shop.” <Sigh>. It was back to being Swedish.
Do any carpet dealers understand the concept of “soft sell”? Do these strong arm tactics actually work?
Now I understand that anyone traversing the public streets is fair game, but the touts knew no boundaries. Getting off the beaten path, we drove to Hattusa, an ancient Hittite city. A wonderful site in the middle of nowhere, an ideal destination for the rubble buffs among us. The city is within a Turkish National Park. So one would think that the site would be policed or monitored by some authority? Nope. The touts outnumbered the tourists. I think there were maybe six to eight other tourists in the whole site. However, at each stop at the site (think a driving loop with ruins located at about six stops) there were a handful of touts offering tour services and “hand-carved” Hittite reproductions (all identical). Again taking no for an answer seemed quite the foreign concept. So basically you would exit your car and have three to four touts attached to you at the hip until you got back in the car. Rinse and repeat. It was amusing to see numerous “carvers” all wielding the same exact sculpture whip out the pocket knives and pretend to whittle as soon as the tourists arrived. Frankly only at the Sultanhani caravanserai did we ever see anyone chasing touts!
Well I did rant on this subject, but again I think the Turkish people are amongst the nicest people anywhere in the world. Unfortunately the tourist is no longer a novelty, but rather a potential mark. A little policing would go a long way!
The Food and Restaurants
Please do not have my cholesterol checked right now! Turkish food is wonderful! Plates of mezes and excellent salads, piles of grilled meats, honey drenched desserts followed by a glass of tea. Heaven. Please do yourself a favor and get a little off the tourist path. The restaurants where the locals go have excellent food and English is (at least partially) spoken just about anywhere you would go. Even if there is a language barrier, often there is no menu anyway. Just point and eat! Prices are quite reasonable for a plentiful meal. The only problem is eating too much! Top this off with phenomenal fruits and vegetables, plus pistachios, dried apricots and Turkish delight. I am already in withdrawal. The service is the restaurants we visited was for the most part quite excellent. There were always staff members hovering around the tables waiting to scoop up an empty plate or soda can as soon as the last morsel disappeared. Also we found that uniformly tables were cleaned quite thoroughly between courses, often by a younger man with a hand held vacuum. Remember, the lemon stuff in a bottle is cologne for your hands after the meal and not an additive for your tea!
The Children
Children are given quite the free rein in Turkey. In a restaurant, the adults tended to eat their meals and ignore the children. The ignored children tended to be rambunctious and run around the restaurants..... exactly the same way as it is done here in Florida, USA. It created a sense of deja vu for sure. Now here I must get a little gender oriented. Out in the streets, the little girls were extremely cute, nice and friendly. They liked to say hello in English, giggle and run off. Sometimes they would pose for photos. The little boys on the other hand knew three phrases: “hello, photo”, “hello bon-bon” or the refreshingly honest “hello, money”. Stick to taking pictures of the little girls! Unfortunately a lot of well meaning tourists have created a child-driven photo industry.
The Religion
If there is anywhere in the world which would be a better showcase for Islam, I don’t know where it would be. Historically, Islam as practiced in the Ottoman Empire showed a great tolerance for other “people of the Book”, that being Jews and Christians. Jews were welcomed in the Ottoman Empire after the Spanish Inquisition and Expulsion. That still seems to be the case today. A country with both a religious and secular heritage rolled into one. Most Americans seem ignorant of the legacy of Ataturk and the unique society that he created. Where the West and East meet may be a cliche, but one that is certainly merited here. We were freely welcomed in every mosque we visited from the big ones in Istanbul to the small ones in the country towns. We were never made to feel unwelcome or uncomfortable anywhere. Note to fellow tourists: learn some basic manners and respect for the religions of others. Don’t wear shorts and a tank top in a mosque. It is not great imposition for a woman to carry a head scarf around in her purse and use it in a mosque. The Turks were surprisingly tolerant of tourists who showed a lack of respect and dressed improperly in mosques. However we found them very accommodating of those who obviously were not Moslems but did show the proper respect. We were given “private tours” on several occasions in certain mosques. Americans need to learn more about Turkey and their secular society. Everywhere we went, people said that they had not seen many Americans since 9/11 or the Second Gulf War. They need to see Turkey: this is exactly the kind of society we would like to see in Iraq.
The Language
So what does it take to learn 25 to 50 words of Turkish? Not much! A simple “merhaba” shows that you respect their country and culture. No one expects westerners to be fluent or literate in Turkish, but a little effort really goes a long way. Otherwise, Turkish is a fairly phonetic language, so with a little studying of the basic rules of pronunciation you can be on your way. You will be pleasantly surprised at the positive reaction you will get with a little effort in the language department. It did get a little embarassing when I got the accent down and was responded to in fluent and fast Turkish. I had to confess my linguistic inadequacy in response. That always got a smile. Of course once ordering bread in a little out of the way place and getting a beer instead shows that my language skills still need a lot of work.
Conveniences
Don’t worry..... anything you need or could get at home, you can get here. Stores have long opening hours and are well stocked. Store clerks are well versed in English (for the most part) and are eager to help. My wife’s greatest fear (the Turkish toilet) was not a great problem. Most places offer you a choice. Do carry toilet paper for WC’s at historic sites!
Shopping
If you are a casual window shopper, stick to the modern shopping malls. Otherwise, be prepared for a bit of the hard sell and a lot of bargaining. For tourist goods, prices are rarely marked and are always subject to negotiation. You will always be offered the opportunity to purchase anything and everything in any given store or stall (“What?! You only want 5 postcards?! How about this nice..... or this...... of that ........”). Be polite but firm. A smile goes a long way (except with carpet vendors). The more touristic an area, the more tourist hassles you will encounter. We shopped in the Covered Bazaar in Bursa and were never once approached, hassled or touted.
Money
This year presents quite the unique challenge to the math deficient. The Turkish lira has been changed to the new Turkish lira. Just drop six zeroes and you’ll be fine. Unfortunately both currencies are in circulation simultaneously and prices can be marked either way. Some taxis (Istanbul) had old lira while other taxis (Urgup) had new lira. Turkey, like other countries we have visited, seems to have a great aversion to making change. At Ephesus we were second on line to buy entrance tickets. The Italian family in front of us did not have the exact entrance fees and had to wait for us to purchase our tickets so that the clerk had change. A museum clerk was annoyed to have to make change for a 5 lira note for a 1.50 lira purchase ($3.75 to pay for a $1.13 for the math deficient). Even the ATM’s will often dispense large quantities of 20 lira notes. Try to avoid any notes of greater denomination.
Taxis
We had read numerous posts and articles on taxi scams in Turkey. I learned to spot the “gunduz” (day) rate versus the “gece” (night) rate. I learned that I must demand the use of the taxi meter. But, we must have taken dozens of taxis in various locations in Turkey with hardly a problem at all! The taxi drivers ALL used the taxi meter. The taxi drivers always used the day rate. I had one taxi driver in Istanbul who could not make change, so I got my bank bill back and paid in coins. No scams were attempted anywhere! However, some of the taxi drivers in Istanbul did not seem to know where they were going and often had to stop pedestrians or other taxi drivers and ask for directions!
American Jingoistic Moment
I would like to take this opportunity to announce the death knell for the myth of the “Ugly American”. Although a lot of Americans have an irrational fear of Turkey due to it’s being a Moslem country, there are many Americans who do visit Turkey. In my travels I have found Americans to be among the most polite and respectful travelers. I never saw or heard an American wearing shorts or yelling in a mosque, being rude to a waiter or being generally disrespectful to the culture of the country they were in. The large boisterous tour groups disturbing the tranquility of a given site were not speaking English (my prime offender awards go to the Spanish, closely followed by the Italians). I can assure you that everyone who stepped off the carpet and touched the various items of furniture and sculpture on the English speaking tour at Dolmabahce Palace did not speak English as their primary language. In Thailand last year it was Russians who were climbing on the Buddha statues. From my many conversations with Turks, Americans as people and America as a nation are held in high esteem and great respect.
Well, those are many general rants and raves..... warts and all. When time allows I’ll get down to the many specifics in a second post.
The Country
Turkey is a country that has it all for the typical and atypical tourist. Literally any reason that you would have to travel or any sight you would wish to see can be found in Turkey. Great scenery, history, art, architecture, food, culture........ Turkey has it all. Most Americans are unaware as to the wealth of touristic opportunities which may be found in Turkey. Turkey has great cities, great scenery and many great cultures which date back thousands of years.
To Drive or Not to Drive..............
Well I am an American, so the lure of the open road seems quite irresistible. We decided to rent a car and leave Istanbul embarking on a 2 week road trip. Now it appears that most travelers to Turkey take guided tours or rush off from cruise ships, so this may not be the best means of transportation for everyone. There are many pros and cons to driving in Turkey....... here’s my analysis. The pros: unfettered flexibility; go where you want to go, when you want to go. You can see the small towns, rural life and the many scenic opportunities. Now on the con side, driving is definitely not for everyone. The roads, once you leave the western part of the country, are not up to American and European standards. There really are not a lot of what we would call highways. many of the roads are just two laners. In addition there are a lot of roads that twist and turn through the mountains. This means you MUST be prepared to do a lot of passing of slow trucks, slow cars, tractors and livestock. In the cities and towns pedestrians seem to wait for your car to approach before darting out into the street without warning. Constant vigilance is required and you must be prepared to go native! The Turkish driving style is very akin to that of Italy without the Autostradas. You must learn to make two lanes into three or learn to be alert for someone else doing it. We had read that Turkey had a very high accident rate, but in 1400 + driving miles, we only saw one. In addition driving in the cities will give you a sense of what the word anarchy truly means. We did not drive in Istanbul, but did so in the cities of Bursa, Konya and Ankara. A true test! Also, do not drive at night as the concept of street lights has not passed out of any of the cities. Finally, the cost of gasoline is a big minus. Gas seemed to come in at around $7.25 a gallon if my metric conversion was correct. Higher than Europe, but again....... how many times do you get an opportunity to drive through Turkey! I would do it again in a second without hesitation.
The People
First let me start off by saying that the Turkish people are some of the nicest and friendliest people that we have ever met anywhere in our travels. This was true in 1982 and remains true today. However, the tourist climate has definitely changed over the years. In 1982 if I took a map out of my pocket in Istanbul, a stranger would immediately approach me and offer to assist. In addition random people would approach us in the street and make conversation in an attempt to perceive our attitude towards Turkey and its people. In one week in Istanbul we had a lifetime of adventures of the non-touristic sort with strangers showing us around without a carpet store in sight. Unfortunately, this is one item that has changed as the Turks seem to have become quite acclimated to the foreign tourist. Now, the reality is that taking out a map out of your pocket has become an open invitation for the touts to hassle you. In addition, anyone who approached you to make conversation in the streets of any tourist-oriented city or town invariably had two things: a cousin in the United States and a carpet shop in Turkey. Being that I am always cognizant of the fact that we American travelers are good will ambassadors who foreign citizens will use to judge America, we are always friendly and polite to everyone we meet. But the touts really took us to the edge at times. The expression “won’t take no for an answer” must have been derived from dealing with the touts. Unfortunately we got to the point where we would pretend we were Swedish and did not speak English. Yelling out “No English, Sverige” in a funny accent went a long way. Now I know that culturally this is just the way business is done in the part of the world and I know this is to be expected in the Grand Bazaar and such places (talk about running a gauntlet!), but being accosted on the steps of the Blue Mosque was a little too much. The sales technique of stating that I could not afford a carpet anyway and the tout would not sell one to me even if I wanted one may work on a five year old, but that kind of reverse psychology really doesn’t work! Finally by the time I got to Konya, I tried the honesty approach as in this true dialogue: “Hello, where are you from?” “Let me guess, you have a carpet shop!” “Wow, how could you know, you must have been in Turkey for some time.” “Yes, I bought three carpets on my last trip and I do not want a carpet now nor do I have any space for a carpet.” “Yes, I do not want to sell you a carpet, but please have a look at my wonderful shop.” <Sigh>. It was back to being Swedish.
Do any carpet dealers understand the concept of “soft sell”? Do these strong arm tactics actually work?
Now I understand that anyone traversing the public streets is fair game, but the touts knew no boundaries. Getting off the beaten path, we drove to Hattusa, an ancient Hittite city. A wonderful site in the middle of nowhere, an ideal destination for the rubble buffs among us. The city is within a Turkish National Park. So one would think that the site would be policed or monitored by some authority? Nope. The touts outnumbered the tourists. I think there were maybe six to eight other tourists in the whole site. However, at each stop at the site (think a driving loop with ruins located at about six stops) there were a handful of touts offering tour services and “hand-carved” Hittite reproductions (all identical). Again taking no for an answer seemed quite the foreign concept. So basically you would exit your car and have three to four touts attached to you at the hip until you got back in the car. Rinse and repeat. It was amusing to see numerous “carvers” all wielding the same exact sculpture whip out the pocket knives and pretend to whittle as soon as the tourists arrived. Frankly only at the Sultanhani caravanserai did we ever see anyone chasing touts!
Well I did rant on this subject, but again I think the Turkish people are amongst the nicest people anywhere in the world. Unfortunately the tourist is no longer a novelty, but rather a potential mark. A little policing would go a long way!
The Food and Restaurants
Please do not have my cholesterol checked right now! Turkish food is wonderful! Plates of mezes and excellent salads, piles of grilled meats, honey drenched desserts followed by a glass of tea. Heaven. Please do yourself a favor and get a little off the tourist path. The restaurants where the locals go have excellent food and English is (at least partially) spoken just about anywhere you would go. Even if there is a language barrier, often there is no menu anyway. Just point and eat! Prices are quite reasonable for a plentiful meal. The only problem is eating too much! Top this off with phenomenal fruits and vegetables, plus pistachios, dried apricots and Turkish delight. I am already in withdrawal. The service is the restaurants we visited was for the most part quite excellent. There were always staff members hovering around the tables waiting to scoop up an empty plate or soda can as soon as the last morsel disappeared. Also we found that uniformly tables were cleaned quite thoroughly between courses, often by a younger man with a hand held vacuum. Remember, the lemon stuff in a bottle is cologne for your hands after the meal and not an additive for your tea!
The Children
Children are given quite the free rein in Turkey. In a restaurant, the adults tended to eat their meals and ignore the children. The ignored children tended to be rambunctious and run around the restaurants..... exactly the same way as it is done here in Florida, USA. It created a sense of deja vu for sure. Now here I must get a little gender oriented. Out in the streets, the little girls were extremely cute, nice and friendly. They liked to say hello in English, giggle and run off. Sometimes they would pose for photos. The little boys on the other hand knew three phrases: “hello, photo”, “hello bon-bon” or the refreshingly honest “hello, money”. Stick to taking pictures of the little girls! Unfortunately a lot of well meaning tourists have created a child-driven photo industry.
The Religion
If there is anywhere in the world which would be a better showcase for Islam, I don’t know where it would be. Historically, Islam as practiced in the Ottoman Empire showed a great tolerance for other “people of the Book”, that being Jews and Christians. Jews were welcomed in the Ottoman Empire after the Spanish Inquisition and Expulsion. That still seems to be the case today. A country with both a religious and secular heritage rolled into one. Most Americans seem ignorant of the legacy of Ataturk and the unique society that he created. Where the West and East meet may be a cliche, but one that is certainly merited here. We were freely welcomed in every mosque we visited from the big ones in Istanbul to the small ones in the country towns. We were never made to feel unwelcome or uncomfortable anywhere. Note to fellow tourists: learn some basic manners and respect for the religions of others. Don’t wear shorts and a tank top in a mosque. It is not great imposition for a woman to carry a head scarf around in her purse and use it in a mosque. The Turks were surprisingly tolerant of tourists who showed a lack of respect and dressed improperly in mosques. However we found them very accommodating of those who obviously were not Moslems but did show the proper respect. We were given “private tours” on several occasions in certain mosques. Americans need to learn more about Turkey and their secular society. Everywhere we went, people said that they had not seen many Americans since 9/11 or the Second Gulf War. They need to see Turkey: this is exactly the kind of society we would like to see in Iraq.
The Language
So what does it take to learn 25 to 50 words of Turkish? Not much! A simple “merhaba” shows that you respect their country and culture. No one expects westerners to be fluent or literate in Turkish, but a little effort really goes a long way. Otherwise, Turkish is a fairly phonetic language, so with a little studying of the basic rules of pronunciation you can be on your way. You will be pleasantly surprised at the positive reaction you will get with a little effort in the language department. It did get a little embarassing when I got the accent down and was responded to in fluent and fast Turkish. I had to confess my linguistic inadequacy in response. That always got a smile. Of course once ordering bread in a little out of the way place and getting a beer instead shows that my language skills still need a lot of work.
Conveniences
Don’t worry..... anything you need or could get at home, you can get here. Stores have long opening hours and are well stocked. Store clerks are well versed in English (for the most part) and are eager to help. My wife’s greatest fear (the Turkish toilet) was not a great problem. Most places offer you a choice. Do carry toilet paper for WC’s at historic sites!
Shopping
If you are a casual window shopper, stick to the modern shopping malls. Otherwise, be prepared for a bit of the hard sell and a lot of bargaining. For tourist goods, prices are rarely marked and are always subject to negotiation. You will always be offered the opportunity to purchase anything and everything in any given store or stall (“What?! You only want 5 postcards?! How about this nice..... or this...... of that ........”). Be polite but firm. A smile goes a long way (except with carpet vendors). The more touristic an area, the more tourist hassles you will encounter. We shopped in the Covered Bazaar in Bursa and were never once approached, hassled or touted.
Money
This year presents quite the unique challenge to the math deficient. The Turkish lira has been changed to the new Turkish lira. Just drop six zeroes and you’ll be fine. Unfortunately both currencies are in circulation simultaneously and prices can be marked either way. Some taxis (Istanbul) had old lira while other taxis (Urgup) had new lira. Turkey, like other countries we have visited, seems to have a great aversion to making change. At Ephesus we were second on line to buy entrance tickets. The Italian family in front of us did not have the exact entrance fees and had to wait for us to purchase our tickets so that the clerk had change. A museum clerk was annoyed to have to make change for a 5 lira note for a 1.50 lira purchase ($3.75 to pay for a $1.13 for the math deficient). Even the ATM’s will often dispense large quantities of 20 lira notes. Try to avoid any notes of greater denomination.
Taxis
We had read numerous posts and articles on taxi scams in Turkey. I learned to spot the “gunduz” (day) rate versus the “gece” (night) rate. I learned that I must demand the use of the taxi meter. But, we must have taken dozens of taxis in various locations in Turkey with hardly a problem at all! The taxi drivers ALL used the taxi meter. The taxi drivers always used the day rate. I had one taxi driver in Istanbul who could not make change, so I got my bank bill back and paid in coins. No scams were attempted anywhere! However, some of the taxi drivers in Istanbul did not seem to know where they were going and often had to stop pedestrians or other taxi drivers and ask for directions!
American Jingoistic Moment
I would like to take this opportunity to announce the death knell for the myth of the “Ugly American”. Although a lot of Americans have an irrational fear of Turkey due to it’s being a Moslem country, there are many Americans who do visit Turkey. In my travels I have found Americans to be among the most polite and respectful travelers. I never saw or heard an American wearing shorts or yelling in a mosque, being rude to a waiter or being generally disrespectful to the culture of the country they were in. The large boisterous tour groups disturbing the tranquility of a given site were not speaking English (my prime offender awards go to the Spanish, closely followed by the Italians). I can assure you that everyone who stepped off the carpet and touched the various items of furniture and sculpture on the English speaking tour at Dolmabahce Palace did not speak English as their primary language. In Thailand last year it was Russians who were climbing on the Buddha statues. From my many conversations with Turks, Americans as people and America as a nation are held in high esteem and great respect.
Well, those are many general rants and raves..... warts and all. When time allows I’ll get down to the many specifics in a second post.
Sep 7th, 2005, 11:43 AM
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From a perennial "critic" of messag headers... yours was just attention-getting enough to get me to open it... and I fully anticipated that I would NOT be really interested in your observations about visiting Turkey.
Pleasant surprise for me. One of the best (starter) trip reports I have read here in a long time (and I confss, I do not rad a lot of trip reports).
I hope you will post Part 2 and onward here (on this thread)... makes more sense, to me, than a lot of separate postings (on the other hand, if you're going to give them highly descriptive headers about their respective contents, then maybe it's a good idea in its own right).
Best wishes,
Rex
Pleasant surprise for me. One of the best (starter) trip reports I have read here in a long time (and I confss, I do not rad a lot of trip reports).
I hope you will post Part 2 and onward here (on this thread)... makes more sense, to me, than a lot of separate postings (on the other hand, if you're going to give them highly descriptive headers about their respective contents, then maybe it's a good idea in its own right).
Best wishes,
Rex
Sep 7th, 2005, 11:43 AM
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I loved reading this report, and can't wait for more details! I'm leaving for Turkey in just 10 days, so I'm really eager to hear more.
I went to a Turkish restaurant in the Atlanta area last week, and had a wonderful conversation with the owner and her son, both of whom seemed so impressed that I could say please and thank you in Turkish.
I'm a big advocate of learning a few words wherever I go, but I must admit to having a harder time on my Asian trips, than in France or Italy. Turkish is not as easy as the Romance languages, but easier than Thai or Chinese.
Please give us more details--where you went, what you saw, etc.
I went to a Turkish restaurant in the Atlanta area last week, and had a wonderful conversation with the owner and her son, both of whom seemed so impressed that I could say please and thank you in Turkish.
I'm a big advocate of learning a few words wherever I go, but I must admit to having a harder time on my Asian trips, than in France or Italy. Turkish is not as easy as the Romance languages, but easier than Thai or Chinese.
Please give us more details--where you went, what you saw, etc.
Sep 7th, 2005, 11:50 AM
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Well done! I thoroughly enjoyed your report. You gave great insight and detail. Turkey has always been a country that interested and intrigued me, although I must admit that my husband is one of those people who are hesitant to visit. Still, being the ancient history buffs that we are, Turkey would be hard to beat and we will no doubt make a trip there in the near future.
Tracy
Tracy
Sep 7th, 2005, 11:54 AM
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I enjoyed your report very much! I was in Turkey in June, and had to laugh at you comment about Italians being the second most offending tour groups- I thought they were first! I found the Italian women to be very scantily clad everywhere I went in Istanbul. I was very self-conscious of this as I was getting many looks about my clothing, and I was dressing conservatively (for me).
I went to Italy immediately after to visit family, and I didn't find anybody loud and disturbing in any way, but in Turkey, they stood out!
I went to Italy immediately after to visit family, and I didn't find anybody loud and disturbing in any way, but in Turkey, they stood out!
Sep 7th, 2005, 12:26 PM
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I agree, in general, as to the many advantages/sites to be seen in Turkey and glad you re-discovered them.
What makes your report refreshing is that it is totally honest without any of the sugar-coating AND it shows that you actually DID experience things besides the usual.
I'm not sure that some of those roads you described in Turkey are all that different than some of the roads in the US, however, but perhaps the ones in the US which I am thinking of are those which you haven't yet discovered.
What makes your report refreshing is that it is totally honest without any of the sugar-coating AND it shows that you actually DID experience things besides the usual.
I'm not sure that some of those roads you described in Turkey are all that different than some of the roads in the US, however, but perhaps the ones in the US which I am thinking of are those which you haven't yet discovered.
Sep 7th, 2005, 12:40 PM
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I, too find myself, echoing the previous posters comments about enjoying your report so much.
Yes, it's very informative and well written, but I think it's your good, positive attitude that shines through. No wonder you enjoy your travels as much as your hosts enjoy having you.
I look forward to more of your tripreports jrlaw10.
Thanks, and well done.
Sep 7th, 2005, 01:12 PM
#14
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Dear jrla10;
Woow, thats a great observation & trip report. Being a Turkish citizen and working in Travel industry there has been some comments where I bite my lips but can not do more than agree. I hope our Tourism ministry reads these forums as well as some of the merchants giving you guys hard times time to time.
What I really want to say is ; I truly enjoy reading your post, I would like to thank you very much as I had the pleasure to read and enjoyed. Everything can be a lesson for future
I am also happy that you enjoyed your trip and sharing with other readers and potential Turkey addicts. I belive on top of the culture and history, let alone the diverse nature biggest asset of the country is its people. And you confirm this. The positive reaction to your report shows you are an ambassador for my country, THANK YOU....
All the best and happy travelling,
Murat
Murat
Woow, thats a great observation & trip report. Being a Turkish citizen and working in Travel industry there has been some comments where I bite my lips but can not do more than agree. I hope our Tourism ministry reads these forums as well as some of the merchants giving you guys hard times time to time.
What I really want to say is ; I truly enjoy reading your post, I would like to thank you very much as I had the pleasure to read and enjoyed. Everything can be a lesson for future
I am also happy that you enjoyed your trip and sharing with other readers and potential Turkey addicts. I belive on top of the culture and history, let alone the diverse nature biggest asset of the country is its people. And you confirm this. The positive reaction to your report shows you are an ambassador for my country, THANK YOU....All the best and happy travelling,
Murat
Murat
Sep 7th, 2005, 04:34 PM
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I enjoyed your observations, as my trip report on Turkey (Turkey in the Straw: Thingorjus Sleeps in Istanbul) is probably the greatest to ever appear on Fodor's. Yours is a close 22nd.
Agree about the carpet salesmen. One tout blew a sale on an eleven-thousand dollar carpet to my friend, Muffy. If he only didn't use the strong-arm approach he could have bought himself a new car. Isn't it ashame that these people give tourists the wrong impression of the Turks. However, you only see this in Sultanahmet. Nobody bothers you in Beyoglu, Taksim, or Ortakoy.
Take care,
John G.
Agree about the carpet salesmen. One tout blew a sale on an eleven-thousand dollar carpet to my friend, Muffy. If he only didn't use the strong-arm approach he could have bought himself a new car. Isn't it ashame that these people give tourists the wrong impression of the Turks. However, you only see this in Sultanahmet. Nobody bothers you in Beyoglu, Taksim, or Ortakoy.
Take care,
John G.
Sep 7th, 2005, 05:19 PM
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So, what does "merhaba" mean? I don't like to throw around foreign phrases in polite company without knowing their meanings...
Seriously, this is great start to your report. I want to visit Turkey someday.
Seriously, this is great start to your report. I want to visit Turkey someday.
