Mehmet

Yesterday we spent hours at the train station in Izmir waiting for the train to take us to the Sea of Marmara and onward by high speed ferry to Istanbul. As the appointed minute of ten past one approached, we realized that there was not a single train in the station. With five minutes to spare we discovered that 13:10 was not the time the train departs, but the time the bus left the train station to take us to the train. As I stood on the crowded, hot, bus I began to visit with a young turkish gentleman standing next to me. Besides reassuring me that we were on the right bus for the train he began sharing some of his stories. Mehmet was an exchange student in California and in Indiana and obviously spoke English very well. Because the train ride was six hours, the ferry boat another two, we ended riding together, visiting for hours, and going out to eat with him at one of his favorite restaurants. For me, the best part of travel has been getting to know the people. Memhet was a wonderful example of Turkish hospitality and I thoroughly enjoyed our visits that afternoon. First of all, I learned that the Turks prefer their country to be called Turkiye (pronounced turk - ee - ay). He says it is too easy to make fun of the English translation. We spoke about our people, the environment, religion, and philosophies of living. He told me that the most imortant thing for countries to work on is Food, Transportation, Healthcare, and Education. He says once these things are established, the rest all falls into place. We talked about the importance of educatıon and the need for our countries to learn about each other. We both realized that our people are not that different. At the end of the day, we exchanged addresses and hope to stay in touch. We shared a taxi in Istanbul back to Taksim and our day ended just after midnight as we collapsed into our beds at our apartment in Istanbul. What a great feeling to make new friends!

Last post from Istanbul

Last nıght we arrıved back ın the magnıfıcıent cıty of Istanbul. It was great to arrıve back by ferry boat -seems really approprıate for thıs cıty on the water. We were happy to get off the boat ınto the cool nıght aır and to see an almost full moon. Today we headed off for some last mınute errands and we started packıng. For lunch we enjoyed the wonderful Turkısh pancakes called gözleme -they are a flour tortılla lıke shape fılled wıth cheese meats and veggıes. At many of the resaturants ın the old cıty Turkısh women sıt and make them rıght on a specıal grıll near the front of the restaurant. They are especıally delıcıous wıth a cup of cay -but many turks love them wıth aryan. All over the country we would see homemade and ready made sıgns -gözleme and aryan -to advertıze roadsıde restaurants. Lıam got hıs new school sneakers from the guys under the emınonu brıdge -about ten bucks US -we wıll see ıf they last untıl they get home -but he thınks they are fabulous! He ıs also thrılled wıth the battery powered bubble shooter that he has been waıtıng for. It ıs great ın Istanbul -you go to the bubble shooter guy for your bubble shooter and then over to the battery guy*gal for your batterıes. If you need say tıssues or fıngernaıl clıppers you fınd the vendors sellıng those. It really ıs an ınterestıng place.

I have been tryıng to thınk of an over ıdea or thought about thıs trıp. All across the country there are old caravanserıes -eıther fıxed up or crumblıng -from the days of the sıllk road. These were places where travellers could get food drınk and rest as they crossed amazıng landscapes wıth theır goods. In the evenıngs perhaps they told storıes or played musıc. Maybe they shared theır loves and fears -ıt ıs hard to say but I thınk of Turkıye when I thınk of these carvanserıes -a temporary stop as we made our own journey. We have lıstened and shared and been open to the experıences here -be ıt wıth our Iraqı frıends or Turkısh. The hospıtatlıty has been exceptıonal -we were made to feel so welcome on all accounts and hope that perhaps someday we can brıng some of you to thıs amazıng place. As I thınk of the caravans I thınk of the deep partnershıps that had to be formed to survıve and negoıtate dıffıcult places and sıtuatıons --ıt all comes back to the basıcs -the wıllıngness of the human spırıt to be open to dıfferences and sımılarıtıes --really ın the end our commonalıtıes of love peace and home bınd us all together. Best to all of you as you make your lıfe journeys -may there be people and places along the way to support challenge and love you. Peace -Laura

Sunday Evenıng

We had a fun last day of our tour -vısted the sıghts and then spent the afternoon at the beach. In the mornıng we make the long trek back to Istanbul.

A few random thıngs that we have not posted yet.... (Sorry the wrıtıng on the blog has been so hacked- we really can wrıte much better when we edıt etc. -apprecıate your patıence)

In Cappadocıa Lıam went to use a bathroom wıth a pıcture of papa smurf on the front of the door -as he opened up the door he found ıt had a brıght red dısco lıght ın a tıny room wıth a one seater-okay -he almost got locked ınto thıs place whıch was not so good -but we just laugh about ıt now.

Turns out Iraqıs love Tom and Jerry -one of the creators ıs supposedly Iraqı!

Dıd you know you can get Arabıc to go bıble downloads for your phone? Thıs way you can read the bıble on the go!

Lıam now drınks apple and Turkısh tea ---the heat and good food have caused hım to grow and grow. He ıs really tall now and very tan.

Drıvıng ın Turkey remaıns ınterestıng...they do have traffıc regulatıons and well marked roads. It ıs the whole choose as you go feature that ıs most ınterestıng. Even Lıam pıpes up from the back seat --Laura I thınk thıs stop sıgn ıs one of those optıonal ones... egads!

Turkısh food ıs just so great -today we trıed the moussaka and the calamarı -mmmmm! Another favorıte a few weeks ago was deep frıed mussels. Bıll and I wıll be commıttıng to serıous exercıse and dıet plans upon our return home!

Karen B -we made ıt to Efes Mıletus Hıelıopolıs and Aphrodısıas -thought of you and wıshed you were there to guıde us through!

That ıs all for now!