Damascus and Beyond

Well, after more than three weeks my holiday has come to an end and i’m back at work.

My reporting has been spotty at best, due to my own lazy self and occasional problems with foreign internet capabilities. So i’ll wrap it up from the comfort and familiarity of my own computer.

When we last left our heroine she was in Goreme and had picked up sister from the bus station. We went to dinner at Mehmet’s restaurant, the Local Cafe, where the food is always fresh and tasty. We were visiting with Mehmet when a couple from New Zealand came in and sat down for dinner. Gail recognized them from the tour she had taken that day and we fell into conversation. Rebecca and Toby and already spent a few days in Istanbul and she had fallen under the spell of the carpets. I introduced them to Mehmet who had spent 30 years in the rug business and Rebecca had lots of questions and wanted a recommendation for an honest dealer in Istanbul. He told them to look up his friend Hussein and described the location of his shop, when it dawned on me that he was describing a Hussein I had met and had a date with two years ago. I had already planned to drop in on some of my old friends and thought it might be a place Gail could look for a carpet. Soon after Bekir walked up, and I was happy to see him. He said he had been looking around town for me the day before because he wanted to invite me to a barbeque they had had at his pension the night before. I was sorry to have missed him and he invited us to have breakfast at his hotel the next morning. After a bit he excused himself because he had been walking with some friends but said he would come back.

The next morning we went to the Anatolia for brekkie, which was a much nicer spread than we were used to at our place, the Melek. Fresh fruit and cheese filled borek pastries, and Bekir made me an omelet on request. Afterward he asked us what we wanted to do that day and offered to take us out and about.

He drove us all over that afternoon. First stop was in Urgup at one of the wine tasting places. Something I had always wanted to do there. It was only noon, and a bit early for wine, but we had a taste. We had a delightful afternoon and visited the small formerly Greek village of Mustafapasa. We walked down a dirt road toward some old ruins and we picked walnuts from a tree. Later Bekir hunted down the gatekeeper of an old Greek monastery which we explored, and later he treated us to lunch back in Urgup. We arranged to meet up later and returned to our hotel to freshen up and rest a bit. That evening we had dinner at the Sultan restaurant in town and once again Bekir picked up the dinner tab. We were leaving for Istanbul the next morning and it was sad to leave so soon after just getting reaquainted, but we said goodbye, again, and I sincerely hope I will return.

The next morning our airport shuttle forgot to pick us up and after a moment’s panic we got the hotel guy to drive us the 90 kilometers to Kayseri. We paid $40 for that privilege but a taxi would have cost double. Our hotel guy O, not sure if that’s the spelling, but that’s his name, was not happy, especially after Gail yelled at him the night before because he didn’t get a dead spider out of her bathroom drain. He probably hopes never to see us again.

Arrived Istanbul and glad to be back. After several visits to some hotels, and getting sticker shock at the increase in prices we ended up at the Star Hotel. A no frills place I had stayed at two years earlier, but a great location. We spent the rest of that day walking around the Sultanahmet neighborhood where I showed Gail some of the sights and made suggestions for places she should visit. Since i’ve visited most of the top tourist sights it wasn’t necessary that I see them all again especially since all the prices have gone up so we fell into a routine where she got up early and did sightseeing till noon or so and then we’d meet and do stuff together. Our five days in Istanbul went by very quickly. You think you have all this time and then before you know, it’s over.

Early on we stopped to see Hussein in his new shop which had moved across the street. I noticed right away the ring on the third finger of his left hand but when I asked him what he’d been up to for the past two years he said “oh, nothing.” I had to ask “did you get married?” He had, and had a four month old baby. Gail eventually ended up buying two carpets from him even though it turned out he was not the same Hussein that Mehmet had recommended to us.

We got together with Rebecca and Toby from New Zealand for dinner and since the restaurant was next door to another of my old carpet buddies we went there after dinner and hung out looking at more carpets. Gail hadn’t bought hers yet and found one of interest. We promised we would come back because she wanted to look more and Murat said he would bring more the next day for her to see. We inadvertently made a carpet faux pax the following day when Gail chose the two at Hussein’s. Seeing as how Murat is a nice guy and an acquaintance of mine we felt obligated to tell him and hopefully stop him in time before he made the effort of bringing more for her to see. She was nervous but we went over there anyway. He wasn’t there right away but came in soon hauling a load of carpets. He wasn’t too happy with our news but was gracious and seemed to accept the appology. When we saw Rebecca the following day she told us she had talked to him the day before as well and that he was a bit cross with us. Apparently we should have gone over there and looked at his carpets, saying nothing about the two Gail purchased. She then should have thanked him and said, “sorry, but I’m just not seeing the right thing.” It would have saved face all the way around, but instead the insensitive, but well meaning American clods caused hurt feelings. Now I know.

Found out where Ugur was working when I saw his former boss Suleiyman, and his friend Murat on the street. Gail and I were heading in the direction of the shop where he was now working and as we approached I could see, even with my bad eyes, his expression as we drew near. I wasn’t sure of the reception I would get since we hadn’t corresponded since I saw him two years ago, and because of some drama that had ensued but he seemed really happy to see me. Flirt mode alert. He walked with us to the the Egyptian Spice Market and made his friend at the caviar store give me a good price on my purchase. I saw him a couple of times and enjoyed his company.
So, all things considered it was a good time and inspite of rising prices I still love Turkey. May the fates see me back again someday sooner than later.

Love and Peace
Anita