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| sunrise in the bus |
In fact, I came to visit Turkey without any plan. Before arrived in Turkey, I only booked my flight ticket and the hostel in Istanbul for the first few days. The reasons why I decided to travel around Turkey is that I met some travelers from Japan, and they recommend me the east part of Turkey very much. As a result, I changed my mind and started to take bus traveling around Turkey.
(I think that is one of the reasons I would like to travel alone because you are always free to change your mind in anytime.)
Night Bus around Turkey
Taking the bus clockwise around Turkey. It sounds easy, but easier said than done. Because Turkey is such a big country which is 22.5 times bigger than Taiwan, it took about 11 hours from one tourist city to another. It is not like in Taiwan, we can visit another city just for 2 or 3 hours by bus.
Anyway, I started my adventure from famous city, Istanbul. The first destination is Kapadokya where travelers could take hot air balloon and go hiking. Then I went to Ankara to visit my Turkish friends. We hanged out together for few days. They shared lots of stories with me. Then I went to northeast city, Trabzon, to see the black sea first time in my life. After that, I went to the south part, Mardin, Mersin, and Olympus. Finally, I am back to Istanbul again. It took me almost one month.
Taking the bus clockwise around Turkey. It sounds easy, but easier said than done. Because Turkey is such a big country which is 22.5 times bigger than Taiwan, it took about 11 hours from one tourist city to another. It is not like in Taiwan, we can visit another city just for 2 or 3 hours by bus.
Anyway, I started my adventure from famous city, Istanbul. The first destination is Kapadokya where travelers could take hot air balloon and go hiking. Then I went to Ankara to visit my Turkish friends. We hanged out together for few days. They shared lots of stories with me. Then I went to northeast city, Trabzon, to see the black sea first time in my life. After that, I went to the south part, Mardin, Mersin, and Olympus. Finally, I am back to Istanbul again. It took me almost one month.
When I was in Turkey, I slept in the night bus for many times. Watched the sunset and drank the çay from the servant in the bus. The night bus almost stopped every 3 hours in the otogar where passengers and the drivers got off the bus and tried to relax for a while. And after 10~20 minutes, the bus would leave again.
And it seems like an endless circulation. Get on the bus, wait and sleep, get off the bus, went to toilet, and get on the bus again....Util the sun rise behind the hill, and showed its light to this land again.
The night bus is definitely not a perfect place for sleeping. However, the advantage of taking bus is that it is a good way to meet the local. And you will observe how hospitality Turkish people and their lifestyle.
When I bought my first bus ticket in Turkey, I found they note my gender on the ticket. I was confused about that. But soon I understood the reason when I got on the bus. It is an interesting phenomenon. I saw female sat near female, and men sat near men. In other words, It looks like the bus company put the same gender together unless the passengers are family or couples.
And Turks are very friendly and hospitality. When I traveled to the more east part of Turkey, I always feel like became a focus on the street. No matter where I went, people looked at you. Once when I walked on a shopping street in Trabzon, the young girl suddenly ran to me and asked me in simple cute question,"Are you Korean?" I told her,"No, I am from Taiwan." I saw her smile turned to a disappointed face. At that moment, I felt a little bit regret and thought " Maybe I should pretend I am a Korean next time."
Besides, every time when I took the bus, I can feel that the passengers near me have lots of interest in talking to me. They tried to ask me some questions in body language. (If they don't speak English). And shared their food with me. I have got many kinds of nuts, chocolate,and so on. Once I was sick of acute gastroenteritis and became too weak to move and eat. The girl who sat beside me took care of me all the time. She gave me her food and brought me to the toilet. She even paid the toilet bill for me.
I had many stories like these, and met many nice friends during my trip in Turkey. For me, traveling alone isn't an easy mission. It is because you have to fight with the loneliness that existed in your mind all the time. Especially, when you are sick and weak, it is easy to give up and change mind to go back home. However, when I felt down, I would think about the good memory I had in the trip. And got the power to keep going again.
The culture about cigarette and çay
The night bus is definitely not a perfect place for sleeping. However, the advantage of taking bus is that it is a good way to meet the local. And you will observe how hospitality Turkish people and their lifestyle.
When I bought my first bus ticket in Turkey, I found they note my gender on the ticket. I was confused about that. But soon I understood the reason when I got on the bus. It is an interesting phenomenon. I saw female sat near female, and men sat near men. In other words, It looks like the bus company put the same gender together unless the passengers are family or couples.
And Turks are very friendly and hospitality. When I traveled to the more east part of Turkey, I always feel like became a focus on the street. No matter where I went, people looked at you. Once when I walked on a shopping street in Trabzon, the young girl suddenly ran to me and asked me in simple cute question,"Are you Korean?" I told her,"No, I am from Taiwan." I saw her smile turned to a disappointed face. At that moment, I felt a little bit regret and thought " Maybe I should pretend I am a Korean next time."
Besides, every time when I took the bus, I can feel that the passengers near me have lots of interest in talking to me. They tried to ask me some questions in body language. (If they don't speak English). And shared their food with me. I have got many kinds of nuts, chocolate,and so on. Once I was sick of acute gastroenteritis and became too weak to move and eat. The girl who sat beside me took care of me all the time. She gave me her food and brought me to the toilet. She even paid the toilet bill for me.
I had many stories like these, and met many nice friends during my trip in Turkey. For me, traveling alone isn't an easy mission. It is because you have to fight with the loneliness that existed in your mind all the time. Especially, when you are sick and weak, it is easy to give up and change mind to go back home. However, when I felt down, I would think about the good memory I had in the trip. And got the power to keep going again.
The culture about cigarette and çay
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| tea shop in Trabzon |
"Do you smoke?"
"Come, come. lets drink a çay."
These are the most common questions I heard when I was in Turkey. No matter in bus otogar, tradition market (bazzar), or the hostel, when the Turks men began to talk to you. The first step is to open the cigarette box and ask the first question,"Do you smoke?"
And then invited you to drink a çay together.
It seems like the very common way in their social life. And it also happens in business. When the sellers want to became more closer and friendly with the customers, they would also treat you cigarette and many çay.
My first friend I met in Turkey is a owner of grocery store in Istanbul. When I took a stroll and tried to buy some water, the men in the grocery store invited me to drink a çay. He is too hospitality that I can not refuse.
I went into his grocery store and he gave me a cigarette and one çay. It seems like I am his old friend. And then I saw he gave every customers (especially the Turks customers) one cigarette, and light it for them. Even the 10 years old boy.
"Isn't he too young to smoke?" I asked him.
"In Turkey, everyone starts smoking when they are young." he told me.
His answer reminded me of the experience. Once, I took the bus from Mardin to Mersin. When the bus stop temporarily in the otogar, the tabacco seller waited outside and tried selling to passengers who just got off the bus. He held the box with many cigarette inside. He stood there surrounded with many men who were smoking.
Behind them, I observed one little kid who was picking the rest tabacco on the ground. I was surprised because he seems so familiar with smoking even at such a young age. For a while, the tabacco seller came to forbid the boy smoking.
I waved away the smoke in front of me. Paid attention at this small grocery store again. The boss was pointing the place in the map and showed me some tourist place to visit.
After two çay, I bought some water and snacks and said good-bye to the boss. He said,"my princess, every time you came here, you will have tabacco and çay for free. " It sounds a little bit strange. However, he is my first friend I met in Turkey.
Other backpackers told me they smoke more in Turkey than in their hometown. It is because the price of tabacco is cheaper in Turkey, and many people smoke. I think I can understand this situation. Traveling in Turkey is little bit hard to avoid being addicted to smoking or çay.
It seems like the very common way in their social life. And it also happens in business. When the sellers want to became more closer and friendly with the customers, they would also treat you cigarette and many çay.
My first friend I met in Turkey is a owner of grocery store in Istanbul. When I took a stroll and tried to buy some water, the men in the grocery store invited me to drink a çay. He is too hospitality that I can not refuse.
I went into his grocery store and he gave me a cigarette and one çay. It seems like I am his old friend. And then I saw he gave every customers (especially the Turks customers) one cigarette, and light it for them. Even the 10 years old boy.
"Isn't he too young to smoke?" I asked him.
"In Turkey, everyone starts smoking when they are young." he told me.
His answer reminded me of the experience. Once, I took the bus from Mardin to Mersin. When the bus stop temporarily in the otogar, the tabacco seller waited outside and tried selling to passengers who just got off the bus. He held the box with many cigarette inside. He stood there surrounded with many men who were smoking.
Behind them, I observed one little kid who was picking the rest tabacco on the ground. I was surprised because he seems so familiar with smoking even at such a young age. For a while, the tabacco seller came to forbid the boy smoking.
I waved away the smoke in front of me. Paid attention at this small grocery store again. The boss was pointing the place in the map and showed me some tourist place to visit.
After two çay, I bought some water and snacks and said good-bye to the boss. He said,"my princess, every time you came here, you will have tabacco and çay for free. " It sounds a little bit strange. However, he is my first friend I met in Turkey.
Other backpackers told me they smoke more in Turkey than in their hometown. It is because the price of tabacco is cheaper in Turkey, and many people smoke. I think I can understand this situation. Traveling in Turkey is little bit hard to avoid being addicted to smoking or çay.
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