CULTURE SPOTLIGHT: Turkey

A culture I have only read of in books, I was unsure of what to expect when first wandering onto the streets of Kusadasi. Would we, as Americans, be welcomed or shunned? With the day feeling like 180 degrees out, I dressed in shorts and a tank top; clearly already off to an amazing start. To them, I probably seemed like a heathen. If it were up to me, I would have just worn a bathing suit. The few Turkish women that I came across were covered from head to toe, their eyes being the only exposed part of their body.

Our first visit in Kusadasi: the Roman ruins of Ephesus. It was an absolutely amazing sight, with large pillars, statues, limestone walkways and emaciated cats EVERYWHERE. It was like an old lady's paradise. Two marvelous sights of Ephesus are the Celsus Library, one of the few remaining Roman libraries left standing and The Great Theater, an amphitheater with a capacity of 24,000, which still functions as a concert venue. Being able to physically touch the ruins that I have learned of in school was an experience all on its own.
When exiting the gates of Ephesus, we came across some outdoor vendors. My dad approached one of them asking how much a Coke was. The man responded with, "20 euros," which was equivalent to about $30. We just stood there staring at each other, thinking, "Is this guy for real? There better be some powerful drugs in here that makes us forget how hot it is and keeps us hydrated for 5 years." Needless to say, we passed on his offer.

After our tour of Ephesus, my family and I ventured out to the Grand Bizarre. There were little shops lined up on each side of the road, selling leather goods, spices and "authentic fake" purses ("Gucci," "Louis Vuitton"), as opposed to bogus fakes. If you ever go to Turkey, one thing you must try are Turkish Delights. They are not hard to find, seeing as how there was a Turkish Delight store about every 20 yards; kind of like Starbucks. It is their form of a candy shop, where the variation of candy is only in flavors. So if you are the kind of person who doesn't like change...it is just the thing for you. I ended up buying six boxes, without even really knowing what it was. All I knew was that the little boy in The Chronicles of Narnia was willing to give up his siblings for it, so it had to be good. A very credible source, obviously. The first box I opened said the flavor was rosebud. They weren't lying; I took a bite and felt like I was actually biting into a rose. It was as though I were eating my grandmother's perfume. It's like the gelato of Turkey, where what you're eating literally tastes like what it's labeled as. When leaving this Turkish Delight stand, the owner approached me and handed me his business card. With the little English that he spoke, he pointed to a cell phone number and told me to call him. I stood there thinking, "Yeah, that will be the first thing I do when I get back to the states. Make a 5 minute $200 phone call to Turkey. I have trouble getting 200 mile relationships to work, let alone a whole continent." Although, I could co-own my own Turkish Delight shop...

Being in Turkey, you can't leave without first visiting a rug shop. Our tour guide took our group into one of the most well known carpet shops in port. Before sitting down for their rug demonstration they took us to watch a man weaving silk. He was sitting at a spindle with a boiling cauldron of water filled with small silk worm cocoons; from these cocoons is where the silk is retrieved. It was really interesting to hold the strand of silk; the texture was rather coarse - not what I was expecting at all. When we finally sat down for the demonstration a man came around with a tray, offering us hot apple tea. I was sitting there thinking, "You've got to be kidding me. I feel like I'm sitting in a sauna." I say to him, "No thank you, but might you have something more cool and refreshing?" He responds, "Ahh yes! Turkish coffee. Here you taste!" I'm thinking, "Yes hot coffee! Why didn't I think of that?!" After everyone was served, seven men come rushing out of the back room with carpets slung over their shoulders, which began the demonstration. Of course, even though my family went in there with no intention of purchasing a carpet, we come out of there with three. My mom was absolutely thrilled, while my dad and I look at each other thinking, "Well, this should be riveting; carrying 3 rugs through the airport, with one that weighs about 50lbs.

I found that the beautiful country of Turkey contains a great deal of history waiting to be explored and a fascinating culture to be experienced. Everyone was welcoming and kind and always greeted me with a smile. I can't wait to go back for another adventure. Perhaps I'll give that guy a call...

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