A picture is worth a thousand words

*These are random pictures of my 1985 trip from India to England. (actually, to be truly accurate- from Pakistan to England- you have to read the blog entry to understand.)

Another Turkish Delight -1985

Ismir (Izmir) proved to be a glorious place. Unfortunately, we were there simply to get to Greece. We planned to take a ferry across to Greece but we found out we needed to drive up to Edirne to obtain visas. The prospect of driving all the way up to Edirne did not thrill us as we had already extended our time in the wee car beyond what we originally anticipated. After some discussion we all decided there was no other choice and back in the car we piled.

On this leg of the journey we came across Troy. There was a sign pointing towards nowhere and I strongly suggested we turn off the main road and follow the sign. Against everyone else's better judgment we followed the sign to discover a 'tourist attraction.' How disappointed we were, but as always we decided taking a picture of the event would make it worthwhile. So the three of us stood against the wee Morris and smiled cheerfully for the camera which teetered on a tripod across the road.

Camera packed, bodies lodged tightly in the car and away we went to Edirne only to discover we would need to head to Istanbul. Our spirits wavered and we started entertaining thoughts about never being able to leave Turkey. Although a lovely country, we did so want to continue on our journey. The trip to Istanbul proved pointless, as we were told we would not be able to enter Greece. So we changed our plans and headed back to Edirne to obtain a visa for Bulgaria. We interrupted two colleagues from the Bulgarian embassy who were involved in more than just handing out visas. In their haste to 'get rid of us' they granted us a visa and we went merrily on our way. We spent one last night in a paid camp site, where we were reunited with various travelers we kept seeing on the road. An elderly German couple fed us with wonderful delicacies. In the wee hours of the morning we waved a final good bye to Turkey and headed across the border to more adventure than we could ever imagine.

Turkish Delight - 1985

How can I describe the amazing journey through Turkey? Trundling along in the wee Morris Minor we would pass people who stopped their work to wave at us. Everyone had a smile for the three crazy foreigners squished in the friendly car. The road to Ankara just blends together because we were rushing to reach the capital. I do remember camping on snow. Turkish police asking us to pick up camp, we drove down the road a bit and then circled back to re-pitch the tent. Money was of the essence so we could not afford to be looking for a traveler's lodge.

Ankara proved to be a paradise of sorts. Stephen had a distant relative who lived there. They were working with Shell. We were to hook up with them and stay at their house while we worked on visas for Greece. What do I remember of their house? Hot showers, lovely beds and delicious food are just a few of things I remember. I recall their wonderful hospitality and now looking back, I am amazed by their open greeting to three scraggly travelers. Ankara held wonders I couldn't wait to explore. Museums and other great attractions beckoned me, but first we had to work on visas. All our attempts at procuring visas were dead ends. I was actually supposed to end my journey at this point, but I can't remember how I changed my mind and decided to continue all the way to London. This decision was to change my life forever.

After a couple of days in Ankara, we knew we had to move on. We drove down to Konya and planned to drive along the Mediterranean Coast through Antalya and then up to Ismir. This was one of the most spectacular parts of our journey.

Turkey-1985- day one

A cold shower which turned my skin blue. This was the first morning in Turkey. After the shower, I headed out to explore. There was a hill behind the 'hotel'; a mound might be a better way of describing it. The view from the top of the mound took my breath away. I stumbled on a scene from a fairytale....cobble stone streets....horse drawn carts full of hay and other merchandise.

The streets were lined with little shops. Do memories have smells? I swear I smell the bread from the little bakery. There was a butcher shop, a carpet shop and oh my the coffee shop! Not coffee shop as in 'starbucks'-- no, no, no, this was a shop which actually sold coffee for you to take home and make- brew or whatever. The owner offered to make me some "Please try"-- I was game. Little did I know what I was in for. Turkish coffee was something I had never tasted before. When the man handed me the tiny cup, I thought it was so cute. Oh my, how can looks be so deceiving. The cute, little cup of coffee packed a punch like I've never had before. It was powerful. Put me on a caffeine high for hours- maybe even days.

Back up on the mound, I turned to look at the magical town. I closed my eyes and took a deep breath. All I wanted to do was have the imprint of that memory forever etched in my mind. I didn't want to lose the brilliant colors, the rhythmic sounds, and the warm smells. Now 23 years later, I close my eyes and the memories flood over me. I take a deep breath and smile.