We all left the kaymak joint, well fed, but not stuffed, just perfect! We said goodbye to our Dutch homegirl and followed Nurdan as she navigated us through the Besiktas market back to the main street. We hailed a couple of cabs en route to the grand bazaar.
Nurdan, myself and I believe Tam (or maybe it was Christine) got in the same cab, the rest followed in a different. Our savvy cab driver recognized our American accent and took the American detour towards the market. Nurdan argued with the dude, insisting that he was going the 'extended' way, but he paid no attention... I'm sorta used to, and expect to pay the 'American' tax from time to time! I figure it's a privilege of having the blue passport!
Driving in Istanbul is brilliant, More civilized than Iran and India, but some of the same rules apply. For example, the lane markers serve no purpose. Drivers often tend to drive in between the lanes.
We ended up meeting the others at the grand bazaar, and it was indeed, GRAND! They were somehow not charged the American tax, sorta ironic given that Nurdan (the only official local), was with us. ;)
The grand bazaar was quite impressive, printed words (especially my printed words) willl not do it justice. It felt like a never ending maze with shops and merchandise extending in every direction, every where you turned, there were more shops and more eager savvy merchants trying to sell you things that you don't need. The environment induces this desire to negotiate and haggle! I love it...
What I found interesting was that the grand bazaar was really only a tourist destination as opposed to a place for the locals to do shopping. This was different than the bazaars in Tehran, where you'd typically find locals.
We talked to various shop owners, negotiated on items, but we were mere green peas in this mature trade that has lived far beyond our grandparents generation. Nurdan was the envy of a few shopkeepers... a charming merchant approached her, said something poetic about a rose and her nose, and placed a bracelet on her wrist.
At one point, while the girls were haggling on some merchandise, I started to chat to a couple of shop owners. They informed me that their best customers were typically American or British. That they don't really like doing business with patrons who are accompanied by locals, maintaining that the locals think they know more than they do. I maintain that our guide/hostess did know more than they did!
We decided to take a break inside a small coffee shop in the center of the bazaar. Some ordered iced coffee drinks, others fresh squeezed orange juice, Nurdan and I went for the Turkish Coffee! It was served blistering hot, and THICK! My understanding is that you're only really supposed to drink the first half or so of the cup, cause the rest is practically solid! One sip and I was bouncing off the walls. Our hostess, Nurdan, is not only a savvy financier, but she can also read fortunes. So after I had completed enjoying the coffee, I was instructed to place the saucer on the lid of the cup and flip it over, let it rest till the remaining coffee dried and settled... The question came up as to when one would know that the coffee had dried/settled. The answer was to feel the bottom of the cup; The settling is complete if it's no longer hot! So, when the remains had settled, Nurdan attempted to read my fortune.
We completed our tour in the bazaar; Kubs left with a Purse, Christine with some hand crafted plates, and Tam scored some Fez hats.
Saturday, October 11, 2008
Kaymak
We left the house. The plan was to be out for the rest of the day, we were not planning to return until the morning. (or late night).
and it was raining – armed with umbrellas, Nurdan lead us down her road to the main street. We crossed, I think we jaywalked, but am not sure (I bring this up here for a reason, read a few more sentences to understand). I think we waited for some light, but i'm not sure... it sticks in my head because on day 3, when we were r-enavigating the same route w/o Nurdan, crossing the street seemed a lot more complicated
We hailed a couple of cabs and headed towards what I will term the 'Besiktas Market Area.' Besiktas is the suburb of Istanbul that Nurdan lives in (She also supports their soccer team). We got out of the cabs and proceeded to follow Nurdan to breakfast!
We entered a small shop with about 5 or 6 tables, a place that could perhaps handle a capacity of ~20 people. There was a black board showing the 4 or 5 different items on the menu.
Given our large group, we were split up into two tables: Nurdan, Tam, Chris and Dutch Chick in the first table; Kubs, Christine and myself in the second. We each had our own Turk!
Nurdan and Kubs took charge and started ordering. Some words made sense, e.g. panir, but the majority just buzzed bye. We all got a serving of Kaymak, beautiful rolls of bread, a combination plate of Feta Cheese, Tomatoes, cucumbers and Olives, Chai ( we all learned that Chai means tea in Turkish, Vietnaese and Farsi), and a scrampble of eggs with beef salami.
The meals are served and enjoyed family style, so we all dug in.
The kaymak was served with honey and was beautiful.
I can still recall the flavor. We ordered a second set of tomato/cucumber/feta/olive plate. Oh yea, the olives were brilliant as well, slightly bitter, and the perfect amount of salt. We got more bread, more chai and kept eating. I think we may have even ordered more Kaymak...
The proprietor of the joint (I wish we would have gotten his name), was a very pleasant old man. He was very jovial and proud. He indicated that the shop had been within his family for about 140 years. There were pictures of Ataturk (the revered founder of the Turkish Republic, whose picture is on the Lira as well as on every wall of every restaurant), the proprietors father, and perhaps grandfather and a picture of the dude in his younger years.
The gang started to take some snaps and our buddy started to join in the fun. He posed with all the ladies, quite the cassanova!
The meal was epic! As I sitl back and think about it, it was one of the most satisfying meals that I've ever enjoyed... The simplicity, quality, ambviance and most importantly, the company!
and it was raining – armed with umbrellas, Nurdan lead us down her road to the main street. We crossed, I think we jaywalked, but am not sure (I bring this up here for a reason, read a few more sentences to understand). I think we waited for some light, but i'm not sure... it sticks in my head because on day 3, when we were r-enavigating the same route w/o Nurdan, crossing the street seemed a lot more complicated
We hailed a couple of cabs and headed towards what I will term the 'Besiktas Market Area.' Besiktas is the suburb of Istanbul that Nurdan lives in (She also supports their soccer team). We got out of the cabs and proceeded to follow Nurdan to breakfast!
We entered a small shop with about 5 or 6 tables, a place that could perhaps handle a capacity of ~20 people. There was a black board showing the 4 or 5 different items on the menu. Given our large group, we were split up into two tables: Nurdan, Tam, Chris and Dutch Chick in the first table; Kubs, Christine and myself in the second. We each had our own Turk!
Nurdan and Kubs took charge and started ordering. Some words made sense, e.g. panir, but the majority just buzzed bye. We all got a serving of Kaymak, beautiful rolls of bread, a combination plate of Feta Cheese, Tomatoes, cucumbers and Olives, Chai ( we all learned that Chai means tea in Turkish, Vietnaese and Farsi), and a scrampble of eggs with beef salami.
The meals are served and enjoyed family style, so we all dug in.
The kaymak was served with honey and was beautiful.I can still recall the flavor. We ordered a second set of tomato/cucumber/feta/olive plate. Oh yea, the olives were brilliant as well, slightly bitter, and the perfect amount of salt. We got more bread, more chai and kept eating. I think we may have even ordered more Kaymak...
The proprietor of the joint (I wish we would have gotten his name), was a very pleasant old man. He was very jovial and proud. He indicated that the shop had been within his family for about 140 years. There were pictures of Ataturk (the revered founder of the Turkish Republic, whose picture is on the Lira as well as on every wall of every restaurant), the proprietors father, and perhaps grandfather and a picture of the dude in his younger years.
The gang started to take some snaps and our buddy started to join in the fun. He posed with all the ladies, quite the cassanova!
The meal was epic! As I sitl back and think about it, it was one of the most satisfying meals that I've ever enjoyed... The simplicity, quality, ambviance and most importantly, the company!
Shower - Rotation
We woke up the next morning in fine form, well rested and ready to ROCK!
Nurdan's apartments water heater system is similar to mine in Dublin. I basically have a timer that i can set to have warm water for various times in the day. There is an adhoc option as well if necessary, but it's still pretty cool, and seems more efficient.
The one difference is that Nurdan's was heated by propane and there is a service the delivers the propane tanks.
Anywhoo, there is a temperature gauge to show you the temperature of the water, my place doesn't have that. ;(
Anywhoo... Turns out that Nurdan and Serhat also have another roommate, a Dutch girl (don't remember her name) who is doing an internship in Istanbul. Serhat met her in Eindhoven (where he studied for a year).
So the shower rotation was as follows:
Dutch chick, Nurdan, Kubs, Christine, Chris, Tam, me....
As you can see, the team were not at all sensitive to the amount of time it takes for me to prepare my hair.
Nurdan's apartments water heater system is similar to mine in Dublin. I basically have a timer that i can set to have warm water for various times in the day. There is an adhoc option as well if necessary, but it's still pretty cool, and seems more efficient.
The one difference is that Nurdan's was heated by propane and there is a service the delivers the propane tanks.
Anywhoo, there is a temperature gauge to show you the temperature of the water, my place doesn't have that. ;(
Anywhoo... Turns out that Nurdan and Serhat also have another roommate, a Dutch girl (don't remember her name) who is doing an internship in Istanbul. Serhat met her in Eindhoven (where he studied for a year).
So the shower rotation was as follows:
Dutch chick, Nurdan, Kubs, Christine, Chris, Tam, me....
As you can see, the team were not at all sensitive to the amount of time it takes for me to prepare my hair.
Serhat and Nurdan
We arrive at Nurdan and Serhat's place (Kub's cousins). Serhat, walked down to greet us, poor guy had gotten out of bed, and I believe had to work the next day.
We walked inside and noticed the spiral stair case.... starting with floor 0, we had to climb 6 floors to get to Nurdan's apartment. BUT, there was an elevator, whew! The ladies boarded the elevator, I think all 3 were able to board with about 4/5th of the luggage.. they proceeded to send down the elevator again to send up Christine's suite case ;) Tam and I scaled the stairs.
Nurdan had partied the night before (con her amigos cubanos) and had worked the entire day, so she was quite exhausted. Still however, she got up and was an awesome hostess... we chatted, talked about the plans for the next day.
Tam busted out some nutri-grain bars. Kubs broke out her Trader Joe's dried bananas and pita crisps. There was chocolate and water and the party was on.
It was time for bed so we inflated Tam and Chris's mattress, hand carried all the way from Rodondo Beach by Kubs, said our good nights and attempted to crash. There was a bit of snoring due to some dudes clogged pipes, but we were too tired for it to bother...
We walked inside and noticed the spiral stair case.... starting with floor 0, we had to climb 6 floors to get to Nurdan's apartment. BUT, there was an elevator, whew! The ladies boarded the elevator, I think all 3 were able to board with about 4/5th of the luggage.. they proceeded to send down the elevator again to send up Christine's suite case ;) Tam and I scaled the stairs.
Nurdan had partied the night before (con her amigos cubanos) and had worked the entire day, so she was quite exhausted. Still however, she got up and was an awesome hostess... we chatted, talked about the plans for the next day.
Tam busted out some nutri-grain bars. Kubs broke out her Trader Joe's dried bananas and pita crisps. There was chocolate and water and the party was on.
It was time for bed so we inflated Tam and Chris's mattress, hand carried all the way from Rodondo Beach by Kubs, said our good nights and attempted to crash. There was a bit of snoring due to some dudes clogged pipes, but we were too tired for it to bother...
En route to Kub's cousins
Kubs did her magic to hail us a cab, but this was a bit complicated... Not any cab would work, we needed a cab that could support our 5 deep, and Christine's suitcase..
We started our journey to Kub's cousin's place.
During the ride, we caught up on Politics, discussed the trips: Chris had gotten sick; Christine had been commuting for hours..
At one point, looking out of the window I was convinced that I saw a dude climbing into somebody's balcony. I was convinced it was legit, cause I could swear that he turned and faced us (not sure why I thought that, we weren't the only car in the road, and he most certainly didn't hear us). Anywhoo, Nurdan later corrected me by saying that it was some sort of an advertisement for an insurance company!
The taxi drivers take 3 different kinds of currency (and perhaps more)... Dollars, Euro and TRY (new Turkish Lira).
We started our journey to Kub's cousin's place.
During the ride, we caught up on Politics, discussed the trips: Chris had gotten sick; Christine had been commuting for hours..
At one point, looking out of the window I was convinced that I saw a dude climbing into somebody's balcony. I was convinced it was legit, cause I could swear that he turned and faced us (not sure why I thought that, we weren't the only car in the road, and he most certainly didn't hear us). Anywhoo, Nurdan later corrected me by saying that it was some sort of an advertisement for an insurance company!
The taxi drivers take 3 different kinds of currency (and perhaps more)... Dollars, Euro and TRY (new Turkish Lira).
And we meet - across the pond!
The flight landed and I made my way to the crowded passenger arrival area, at the same time moving my wallet from the back pocket to the front, cause i'm paranoid!
I love the anticipation of waiting for passengers...
I spotted Kubs, Christine, Tam and then Chris. I waved, Christine noticed and pointed me out! The gang was heading towards their left, but switched directions to the right to meet me... I joined them at the end of the line, we hugged.
The first thing to notice was the huge monstrosity of a suitcase that Christine had packed. It was nearly bigger than her, I think she mentioned that she could actually fit in it.
Tam was in fine form with his smart remarks, observing that everybody in Turkey looked like me.
I love the anticipation of waiting for passengers...
I spotted Kubs, Christine, Tam and then Chris. I waved, Christine noticed and pointed me out! The gang was heading towards their left, but switched directions to the right to meet me... I joined them at the end of the line, we hugged.
The first thing to notice was the huge monstrosity of a suitcase that Christine had packed. It was nearly bigger than her, I think she mentioned that she could actually fit in it.
Tam was in fine form with his smart remarks, observing that everybody in Turkey looked like me.
IST
Landed in Turkiye, had to wait about an hour or so for Kubs, Tam, Chris, and Christine to arrive. My initial impression of Turkyie was that the locals were very much European, in their demeanor, attitude and style.
I found out later from Kubs (or Nurdan) that Turkey was the second European country to allow women to vote. Given the state and qualms of other Islamic countries in the world, that's very refreshing. Perhaps Iran, and others can take notes from their neighbor.
Settled my butt in a coffee shop, where i had a perfect view of the arrivals monitor, ordered a mocha and opened up the Richard Branson book, waiting for the gang to arrive.
Their flight was slightly delayed.
I found out later from Kubs (or Nurdan) that Turkey was the second European country to allow women to vote. Given the state and qualms of other Islamic countries in the world, that's very refreshing. Perhaps Iran, and others can take notes from their neighbor.
Settled my butt in a coffee shop, where i had a perfect view of the arrivals monitor, ordered a mocha and opened up the Richard Branson book, waiting for the gang to arrive.
Their flight was slightly delayed.
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