Travel to Turkey

By William Recktenwald

Kas, Turkey--- Pushing aside the curtains I step out on the hotel balcony to an idyllic scene fit for a post card or tour book.

A few boats punctuate the cobalt blue expanse of the Mediterranean, while flowering vines deliver bright red blooms to my balcony before climbing higher.

Across the cobblestone street a stairway descends to a pebble beachwith water so clear you can see the bottom 15 feet below. On the rocky outcroppings ladders lead to multilevel patios holding beach chairs and umbrellas. In the distance is the Greek Island of Meis.

This is my first morning at Kas (pronounced Kosh) in an area known as theTurkish Riviera.

Situated in both Europe and Asia Turkey is a mix of east and west. While its history dates back 9,000 years, the modern Republic of Turkey just turned 80.

“You’re going to Turkey?” a friend asks. “Is that safe?”

Safety had neverbeen my concern, but, it does border Iraq, and there have been several deadlyattacks by terrorists. But wait a minute, I lived in Chicago most of my life,

and still watch the WGN news on TV, the nightly litany of Chicago urban violence far exceeds any dangers in Turkey.

Turkey is not on the other side of the earth — but it’s close.

I started in Evansville, connecting in Chicago with an American Airlines flight to London.
A six-hour layover at Heathrow was not quite long enough to sightsee and the final leg on British Airlines landed me in Istanbul close to midnight.

With the eight-hour time change it had been 24 hours since leaving myHardin County home.

Istanbul’s Ataturk Airport is rich and contemporary with marble and glass, a monument to the founder of modern Turkey Mustafa Kemal Ataturk.

Leaving customs I meet a knot of drivers holding signs with customer names, and quickly find mine. I’m told a car is on the way. I head to a nearby ATM to get Turkish money.

I never use money changers; they charge a hefty commission, while my bank will allow a withdrawal of any amount for just two dollars.

Insert card; instructions appear ---in Turkish.

I can’t read Turkish!

I spot a small British flag on the screen and touch it, the instructions change toEnglish.

I withdraw 300 million Turkish lira. Sound like a lot? It’s really only about $200 American. The exchange rate of 1.5 million lira to the dollar is very favorable to the U.S. traveler. The car arrives and the driver loads the luggage for the 15-mile drive to downtown Istanbul.

I found a small 17-room hotel by searching Expedia.com. The Hotel Poem is in the old part of the city called Sultanahmet. I did not book through Expedia but sent a direct e-mail to the hotel stating I wanted to be met at the airport and notified of the charge.

The response was prompt and reassuring, the transport cost $15.

Arriving at the tiny hotel on a dark side street well after midnight felt like a scene from a mystery movie, but the warm greeting — in English — from the desk clerk was reassuring. He showed me the garden and breakfast area, grabbed my luggage and hiked up three flights of stairs to my room. It was tiny and simple. There was a comfortable double bed, a window that over looked the Sea of Marmara and a small, but impressive bathroom with rich tiled walls. Sleep came easily. Breakfast, included at the $37 room rate, was typical Turkish cuisine, a buffet that included, tea, coffee, fresh breads, honey, several types of jams, black and green olives, sliced cucumbers, sliced tomatoes, two types of cheese, ( a white goats milk cheese and a mild yellow processed cheese) yogurt, corn flakes, hard boiled eggs and milk. I came to look forward to breakfast.

Getting around Istanbul was a breeze, just three-minute walk to the Blue Mosque. This impressive building — built from 1606 to 1616 — with six minarets takes its name from the blue Iznik tiles on the interior walls.

It is a must for every visitor to Istanbul. Just a few hundred yards away is Aya Sofya,built in the sixth century as a Christian church and converted to a Mosque inthe 15th century, it is now a popular museum. Entry is $10.

For centuries after its construction it was certainly the greatest church in Christendom. Its minarets were added later.

Almost immediately I encountered the Istanbul T’s: first the touts, persistent men who want you to visit a carpet shop. My advice is do not stop, do not talk, do not make eye contact, just keep walking. They are pests, but not dangerous.

Next is traffic, it is awful, and slow, and pedestrians appear to have no rights. The tram (street car) lines cost one million lira (66 cents) don’t confuse the one million note with the 10 million note. A taxi is cheaper here than in Chicago, but if the driver does not turn on his meter, get out. The #T4 city bus from the Blue Mosque to Taksim Square cost one million lira and was simple.

Taksim Square is the site of one of the earliest monuments of the TurkishRepublic. Erected in 1928, Ataturk, his successor, Inonu, and other revolutionary leaders are shown. Take a walk down Istiklal Caddesi(Independence Avenue), home to many fine shops.

A century-old restored tram line services the street, which is closed to auto traffic.You can easily spend a week in Istanbul and not see everything, but this was not in my plan. On my third day I headed for Izmir — Turkey’s third largest city — on the Aegean Sea.

There are flights every hour but I wanted to see some of the Turkish countryside. I took a bus. Intercity coaches in Turkey are not what the Greyhound is in the States. You can reserve your seat in advance online, I chose Varan, a respected company, the nine-hour 300 mile trip cost $33 the one-hour flight $150. The huge white bus is not at all like the “big dog” back home.

There is a comfortable reclining seat and a headset if I wanted to watch the movie (it was in Turkish), and as we leave attendant offers me a copy of the TurkishDaily News (printed in English). Next comes a bevy of beverages — coffee, tea, soft drinks, water — and pastries. Service continues throughout the trip. The bus was more fun than I thought it would be.

It included a 30-minute ferryboat ride and the opportunity to view the scenic countryside was great. We made one stop at a cafeteria run by the bus company.

The server described the food in Turkish, I said “I’m sorry” and he immediately described it in perfect English. On the menu was chicken breast with mushroom sauce, rice, a small salad and a large bowl of tomato soup along with a tasty desert and a Coke that cost less than $7.

The eldest brother of two SIU students met me at Izmir. He is an architect who I met when he visited the States and the following day we visited some of the local landmarks in this beautiful and modern city. We spent time in the Grand Bazaar, a labyrinth of streets filled with shops and stands selling everything from t-shirts to tea pots, which was fascinating and great fun.

I learned that the first price isnever the final one, bargaining is routine, and expected.

The next day we drove south to Marmaris, the place where Mark Antony courted Cleopatra, today the a seacoast town is packed with vacationers from England and Germany.

I had a chance to visit a Turkish friend now serving in a military police unit at Marmaris. He was able to get a pass and acted as a guide to some nearby villages, which had stunning scenery such as the waterfall at Turgut and its centuries old water powered mill, and Kizkumu beach and its half-mile sandbar that makes you feel like you are walking on water.

These nearby small villages retain the charm and natural beauty that brought tourists to the area. The tiny village of Ciftlik has a couple of stores and two or three open-air restaurants nestled next to a small harbor with a pebble beach and crystalclear water.

In places like this the local fish is fresh and delicious. Trust the suggestions of your waiter, for appetizers (called starters or mezes in Turkey) don’t be surprised to have the waiter walk you to a delicatessen-type windowed refrigerator case. There he can point out the various dishes; cucumberand tomato salad, green beans, calamari, olives, etc. Choose several, but remember this is just the beginning.

The fish comes grilled and whole along with a side of rice and, of course, freshly baked bread. And prices at many small restaurants are no more than a value meal at a fast food place in the States.

The drive east from Marmarus toward Fethiye is remarkable. The fields are filled with stones and boulders, many fashioned into rock walls, the roads are in good repair and wide, but from time to time you can encounter a Sheppard herding a group of goats or sheep along the highway.

Fethiye is a city with the feeling of a small town and a history that datesback to 500 B.C., when it was called Telmessos, and later Megri. It was renamed in 1934 to honor a fighter pilot of the Turkish Revolution, Fethi Bey.

It is filled with economical hotels, pensions and apartment hotels, the summer influx of visitors use this harbor city for a base to make day trips ranging from daylong boat trips to horseback riding. A visit to Saklient Gorge nearby allows you to wade through chilly waist deep water to explore deep into the gorge. If you are not interested in getting wet, dine on a platform suspended over the rushing water.

The cliff above Fethiye holds its most interesting sight. Dating to the 4th century BC are several tombs hewn into the face of the rock that replicate Greek temples right down to the cornices and porticoes.

Even with modern tools they would be impressive, that they were carved into the rockface nearly 2500 years ago is downright awe inspiring.

If you are up to it you can climb to explore them closely.

Nearby is Turkey’s most beautiful beach Olu Deniz. This long stretch of pebble beach is now a conservation area and a popular spot with tourists. It would be wise to invest in a pair of rubber slippers to use at beaches and can be worn swimming. Trust me, you need them.

Pressing eastward along the coastal highway, you are treated to superb views of the Mediterranean Sea. Don’t make this trip at night, not just because the road is winding but you will miss some of the best scenery imaginable.

Arriving at Kas you find a lovely village squeezed between the mountains and the sea. It is a vacation haven offering dozens of options from scuba diving, fishing, glass bottom boat tours, para sailing, bike riding, hiking, swimming and, of course, the always popular sitting on a chase lounge sipping a drink to watch others.

At the Hotel Koza, we checked into an air-conditioned room with a balcony, satellite TV and private bath, all for 40 million lira ($25 US). Not tomention a poolside buffet breakfast. Kas has a throng of good hotels and restaurants to suit any taste or pocketbook. A dinner of Turkish pizza, cooked in a wood fired oven, with a salad and soft drinks was about $10.

The streets are lined with small shops and friendly storekeepers. Lunching at restaurant overlooking the harbor I was able to watch parasailers launched from above the village make a 10 to 15 minute flight before landing on the beach. The cost for the flight, made in a two-person parasailer, is about $110.

There is plenty of nightlife in Kas where you can dance to a mix of Turkish pop, American blues, rock or folk music until nearly dawn. Annually at the end of June Kas hosts a national arts festival with professional dancers, musicians and art displays.

A day trips from Kas can include a glass bottom boat to visit the submerged city of Kekova or a short drive to the ruins of Myre that include rock tombs, sculptures and a massive Roman theater.

At the end of a busy day a great place to visit is the open-air café near the harbor in the city park. There are a large variety of Turkish pastries and Tea (pronounced chiy) served in a clear glass tulip-shaped container with a lumpor two of sugar on the saucer.

Drinking tea is a national pastime; if you are offered tea it is polite to take it.

You can try some Shisha, a flavored tobacco smoked from a hookah, a three-foot water pipe. The pipes are filled with milk or espresso to cool the smoke, which has various flavors, including grape, apple and plum.

The hookah is seen everywhere in Turkey and the Middle East and is now fashionable in the US. Not many years ago these pipes were always associated with illegal drug use. While Shisha is tobacco-based, it is likely less harmful than cigarettes because it is not held in the lungs but rather smoked for taste. A fresh disposable mouthpiece comes with each hookah at a restaurant.

From Kas we headed to Antalya, a modern city that circles the crescent-shaped Kaleici, the old fortress. A walk through the old narrow streets allows you to envision the city hundreds of years ago. The landmark most associated with Antalya is its red brick, fluted minaret that dates to the 13th century. From Antalya we head north through the mountains toward Isparta. The highways are wide and modern, the mountains formidable and impressive.

You can drive miles without seeing a home as most residents live in villages. Occasionally, you come upon an encampment of Gypsies in tents; they work the fields during the growing season. Most work in the fields is done by hand; the soil is so rocky that the modern farm gear we see in Illinois would not work.

Passing over the crest of a hill I spot a new Lincoln Navigator speeding toward us, it has just passed a wagon being pulled by a small horse, and filled with women farm workers in long dresses and wearing headscarves.

While not remarkable the scene is symbolic, old and new, east and west, this is Turkey.

***
If you go!

From St. Louis Delta to New York then non-stop Istanbul, or American to Chicago then Turkish non-stop (American Airlines code share) are most direct. Think about an overnight in Amsterdam. London, Paris or Frankfort if you need to make a three-flight trip.

Money. Use your ATM card, it is the best way to exchange money, alert the bank before you leave that you will be using it in Turkey. Recognize Turkish money --- www.turkishtravel.com/currency.htm

Water. Drink only bottled water, it is available everywhere.

Visa. You will need a tourist visa, you can purchase it quickly in the Istanbul airport you will need $20 in US currency. Or get it from the Turkish Consulate, 360 N. Michigan Ave., Suite 1405, Chicago 60601 telephone 1-312–263-0644.

Luggage. Pack light -- consider just one checked bag. Buy a large suitcase in Turkey, at a bargain price, and fill it with your purchases for the trip home. Each of two checked bags can weigh 70 pounds (31.8 kilos).

Carpets. If you want a Turkish carpet, know what they cost here. Shop carefully, visit several shops to compare price and quality, a good carpet should be 100 percent wool, turn it over and check the closeness of the weave. Develop an eye for what you want. Bargain with the seller. If you buy, watch as they fold and wrap it. I purchased a nice 30 by 48 inch handmade carpet for $66 from a dealer who was a friend of my Turkish host.

Mosque’s. Turkey is 99 percent Islamic, you will hear the call to pray six time a day, if you visit a Mosque, remove your shoes, do not take flash photographs, be dressed appropriately, no shorts or t-shirts, woman must cover their heads with a scarf. Be respectful.

Internet. You can find internet cafes everywhere, but the keyboards are different. If you have the letter “i” in your screen name or password you need to use the second “i” key located on the right side of the middle row of letter keys. And you need to use the ALT key in combination with the number 2 to make the at sign used in e-mail addresses.

Telephones. Phone calls from hotels are very expensive and for public phones you need a phone card sold at the PTT (Post Office).

Customs. If you visit a private home, remove your shoes when you enter. Turks of both sexes embrace and kiss on both cheeks when greeting and saying goodbye to friends. Only in the most deluxe restaurant is a 15 or twenty percent tip expected, in other places leave at least a million lira or two million as a tip. (Two million is $1.33)

For bus reservations and schedules http://www.varan.com.tr/english/default.asp or http://www.turkeytravelplanner.com/Transportation/Bus/

Travel information on Turkey http://www.tourismturkey.org/ use the “Contact us” link to request information or just surf the very comprehensive site. Hotel information www.hotelguide.com.tr/indexeng.asp




Toilets. Most public toilets (Tuvalet) charge a fee 250,000 or 500,000 lira, don’t try to pay with a 10 or 20-million note. The facilities are likely to be much different than western style commodes, and toilet tissue is not always available, so plan ahead. Large hotels and major restaurants often have fixtures that are more familiar.

Here are few simple but helpful words.
Hello-- Merhaba (MERH-HAA-BAA)
Thank you— Sagol (SAA-OWLL)
Please—Lutfen (LUTE-FENN)
Yes—Evet (EE-VET)
No—Haytr (HAA-YER)
Good bye—Gule Gule (GUU-LAY GUU-LAY)
Water—Su (SUE)