Random Turkish Delights – Part 2
As we continue our journey through Turkey, we’re becoming more familiar with the culture, people and maybe even a little bit of the history. (Ugur, our tour guide: if you are reading this, don’t worry, that last bit was sarcasm)
Carpets – It’s no secret that Turkey is famous for its carpets and at every street corner we find shops and carpet salesmen eager to invite us in for tea and a sampling of their goods. We did fall prey to a post-bar party in a carpet shop, which initially looked innocent – beer and music in a showroom. This, of course made us prime targets for a lengthy rant about the quality and history of Turkish carpets, and a viewing of literally, hundreds of carpets. Not sure they realized that back-packing and homeless Brel was not really their target market. But the beer was good.
The Turks – The Turks are wonderful, friendly people, and our first impressions (http://blogs.bootsnall.com/Mel-and-Brendan/lessons-learned-in-our-first-3-hours-in-turkey.html) were downright wrong. While they can be aggressive in their selling approach, they are proud of their heritage and want visitors to appreciate all Turkey has to offer. And Mel also feels it’s important to mention that the men are hot. Single girls, take note.
Politics – Turkey is still a hot-bed politically, and the current Islamist government is controversial. The day after we left Istanbul, there was a terrorist attack on the U.S. Consulate there, with a probable Al Quaeda connection.
Nargile (a.k.a. Hookah or Sheesha)- Whatever you call it, the nargile is an integral part of Turkish culture. Essentially a water pipe, the nargile allows you to smoke flavoured tobacco via a long pipe, usually while sitting on beanbags on the floor.
Firsts – Turkey is responsible for a lot of firsts, not the least of which is coffee. Oh, and for all you advertising-types: the first known ad is found in Ephesus, see pic below. I guess our biz has been shady since the beginning – the ad is for a brothel.
Tags: Travel, Turkey
pichemelanie