Day 3 – 4 : Bursa, the City of Green

As soon as I got up and could already see a couple of people exercise in the park, I had a quick wash up and was prepared to go. Following my guidebook, I first came to the hill on which the citadel was built and remains of the Sultans kept and treasured. Along the way uphill I also saw students walking to school and I stood outside the school to observe their flag raising and singing of the national anthem.

After I came to Turkey I found the Turkish people have a very strong alignment of their personal identity with that of the nation, which manifest itself every time when one tells me  why they think it is not important to acquire English as a second language. Turkey, in spite of its vicinity to both the European and Asian countries, its people have not really reached out far to experience the differences in these cultures. This is I believe largely due to the felt (to the foreigners) anachronism in the people, making them believe Turkey is still strong with solitude from the independent war they had won in the 1920s. The pride in them and the antagonism against the foreign invaders have made their way till the 21st century but fortunately, the effect is ebbing. I had also seen students from the Anatolia school (high school of special program for the more academically inclined students) who can converse in English perfectly.

The citadel is the oldest part of Bursa and also provided a strategic defense site in the past. It has been transformed into a little town inside and you can see market selling fruits and vegetables on the way.

A perfect view from the top of the hill where you can enjoy a cup of çay and spend the entire morning idling away (if you have time to spare). You can also see the stadium from here. The tombs of the Ottoman Kings are just nearby and are open for a certain time in the day only. The photo depicts the tomb of Osman Gazi and his wife and children.

Osman Gazi is the founder of Ottoman Empire which took over the then debilitated Byzantine Empire in terms of power and conquered lands and lasted as a super power for six centuries.

Day 2 : Istanbul to Bursa, by ferry

Upon waking up contained in the soft sun ray in Daril’s bed, which he kindly gave up and went to sleep with his flatmates instead, I felt so rejuvenated. It’s time for me to go, so I quietly packed my backpack and headed for the doorway. Waved good bye I set out again, in the direction of Yenikapı ferry terminal. It was a great morning as I walked the streets that was to me of certain familiarity from yesterday’s travel, and interacted with the locals by asking for directions and inquiring prices of some goods on sale. The ferry terminal was in the vicinity of Süleymanıye mosque and Istanbul University and I stopped by to admire the University which I believe in every part of the world portrays the culture of the country as a whole. Unfortunately I cannot enter as the entry applies only to students with valid pass probably due to security reasons.

The magnificent main entrance of University of Istanbul

The ferry is a popular means of long distance travel as compared to bus, though the bus can go onto the ferry itself. On the ferry there are limited entertainment but TV programs shown on large screen LCD or hanging outside the cabin to enjoy the sea breeze. A few kids came to me and tried to talk to me in Turkish and the least I can reply were “How are you” and “What is your name”. But still the enthusiasm of the kids upon seeing some Asian faces made their interest linger on me and we all smiled at one other without talking. When the ferry arrived at the terminal at Güzelyalı, the lovely children along with their families sent me the last but best regards.

From the terminal you have to take public bus that costs 6TL to the city centre (şehir merkezi). The scene outside the ferry terminal can be confusing at first but just head for the kiosk selling the ticket will be fine. Request for the purchase of the ticket then inquire which bus to take. There are always enough kind souls around to show you the way, which was true on my account I must say.

The ride lasted about 20 minutes and my destination were the Ulu Camii and the PTT (Turkish post office) opposite it. The sky was already getting dark and I tried to call my host but to no avail. There are internet cafes around or you can just try the cafe beside Ulu Camii as they provide WIFI to facilitate you searching for new hosts online. But in the end I chose to just roam around first because the reply can never be so immediate and spontaneous.

Bursa is a large city and was the first capital of the Ottoman Empire. Hence you will be able to find the tombs of the great kings, namely Osman and Orhan and also the buildings that remained from the past eras. I decided to save these exciting encounters till the next morning when I could have a clear and vast view of the city from the citadel on top of a hill. In the end I had my night in a small building in a large park called the Merinos Kütür Parkı.

Day 1 : Istanbul, the city of the East and West

First thing first, Istanbul is not the capital of Turkey but Ankara. However, it does not make any difference to the wonder of the city. It is an amalgam of religions and cultures, east and west, old and new alike, that cannot possibly fail to surprise anybody. When I touched down at the Ataturk International Airport I felt almost light-headed with slight excitement. Soon to my horror, there was no clear direction to the custom and you just simply followed other tourists. In the end, I got out of the airport and headed for the metro. Metro was easy to find and the staff there were friendly and more than willing to assist you.

I was in a state of disbelief when I was on the train, that I was actually on a foreign land all by myself with a huge bag pack that drew the eyes of every single passengers in the train. I was looking out the window and trying to capture every single frame in my head. For a backpack beginner like me, I could not stop smiling to myself. It just felt wonderful to be on a foreign land, breathe foreign air, see foreign people, feel foreign culture and enjoy being a foreigner.

I got to Aksaray within an hour and headed to Taksim square to look for my host for the day, Daril, a German Erasmus medicine student. I also got to taste my first cup of Turkish Cay that I had been seeing on every book and blog about Turkey (with more emphasis on the amount of sugar accompanying it).

A small cafe just outside my host's place

I dropped my luggage at Daril’s place and head out to the famous Istiklal Cadessi (Avenue) and the street was alive with young people and street artistes. It was rather surprising to see not so many artistes that day because I had expected to see more.

 

 

 

 

 

 

The avenue was a one way but had many narrow passages alongside leading to hotels and restaurants. At first sight it would be rather confusing because there were so many names for each sokak (street). Do remember the address of your desired destination and you can ask for direction from the police posts along the avenue.

A church located on the Istiklal Avenue

The avenue linked all the way to The Taksim Square by the tram railway.

The famous Mustafa Kemal Ataturk who was the first president/founder of the Republic of Turkey. Most of people in Turkey deemed him as a great and unprecedented figure who was indispensable in the freeing of the country from the occupation by the European powers after World War One.

Ataturk leading the Turkish in countless battles against foreign invasions.

Hitch-hiking – away from the norm

Hitch-hiking is no more than the acronym for DANGER in many people’s mind, especially so in a foreign land where the driver can easily find a discrete place and finish you off. But damn! Somehow I got this image of hitch-hiker doing that thumb up sign stuck in my head. Well, it must be an after effect for watching too many movies and drama when I was a child. Needless to say, when I realised that travelling in Turkey with bus according to my schedule is going to cost me a bomb, I could already envisage myself being one of that many hitch-hikers that left a mark in my heart. Finally this day has come, to be an action star of my own.

Rules of hitch-hiking in Turkey:

• Always go to the periphery of the town/city to get a lift. Reason being most of the cars in the city are just travelling within the city and it is almost impossible to get a ride.
• Go for lone car. Reason being if you go for a swarm of cars they are not going to stop and obstruct the traffic.
• Go for small diversion lane, ie. Petrol station, shops by the road. Reason being the cars are stationary so just approach the driver for his direction.
• Smile. You can even pretend to look tired with your bulky backpack or luggage, but still with a smile 🙂
• Long vehicles are not an option when you hitch-hike in the morning, but they will definitely stop for you if it is at night.
• Get a map so you can point your destination to the driver, likewise ask the driver for his destination.

I have done around 30 plus hitch-hiking trips in Turkey and I can say it is really easy to get a car. On average I spent 1 hour strolling out of town/city (15 minutes if you choose to take public transport) and 20 minutes to get a car. In addition, the road infrastructure in Turkey is well established between cities so it is not confusing at all. Just decide which highway to go and you will be all fine. You will see road signs showing the distance and destination quite frequently along the way so you should know where you are heading.

A fruit delivery man who gave me a ride to Kayseri! Even offered me some fruits 🙂

Packing List

Clothing (For summer)

Short sleeves T-shirts x 3
Jeans x 1
Shorts x 2
Socks x 3 (or you can choose to buy and throw in Turkey because socks are really cheap there)
Disposable undergarment x number of days of stay
Jacket x 1
Raincoat x 1
Swimming trunk x 1

Shoes

Mountain climbing shoes x 1 (for cappadocia)
Slippers/Sandals x 1 (beach)

Equipment

Water bag x 1
Sleeping bag x 1
whistle (safety awareness)
Torchlight x 1 (safety awareness)
Pocket knife x 1 (safety awareness)
Bungee cords x 2 (clothes drying)
compass x 1 (direction orientation)

Sanitary items

Toothbrush/paste x 1
Bar soap x 1
Towel x 2 (interchange between uses)

Miscellaneous

Insect repellent
Wet tissue
Ziploc (contain dirty clothes)

Personal items

Guide book + Map
Notebook/Diary
Medicine
Money (500 US dollars for me) + Credit card
Passport
Passport size photos and a photocopy of passport identification page (in case you lose your passport overseas)
Personal identification card
International license
*Emergency card

Electronics

Handphone
Camera
Chargers + **Adaptors

*Emergency card should contain the following information, the words in bracket is the Turkish translation:

Name, birth date, nationality, blood group (Kan Grubu), drug allergy (alerji), medical condition (süreğen hastalık), medications, address (adres), telephone number (telefon) (please include the country code as well), contacts of the embassy of your country in Turkey.

**Type C plug (Euro 2 pin)