Arrıvıng ın Turkey - Trabzond & Erzerum

Arriving in Turkey - Trabzond & Erzerum

Coming from the East as I have, there is one word that comes to my mind - MORE.

O.K. it´s straight to a biggish cıty so these observations may change as I travel further in the country.

But more - more people, more activity, many more shops, more modern, more noise, more European!

When I arrived ın Istanbul from London four years ago it was the scent and sights of the East that I picked up, when I arrived ın Southern Turkey from Syria thirty five years ago it was more of an ´Azerbaijan´ experience - I felt people were unaccustomed to a foreigner in town and were almost rude. I remember a queue of people in the road outside my hotel watching me brush my teeth!! This tıme, in just three days I have been the recipient of some incredible kindnesses -asking people directıons and they practically take me to where I want to go, a man in a cafe today paying for my tea, another stranger coming past me in a cafe and saying ´Affıyet Olsun´ and so on.

I have got to be careful not to move too quickly! I only spent two days in Trabzond because it was very stıcky and I dıdn´t like staying in a hotel in the red light area- too noısy!! I am now in Erzerum and just watched a programme from Trabzond where it was showıng the kind of place I like going to (a Sufı tomb!) whıch wasn´t in my Lonely Planet book along with the wonderful scenery in the mountains if you bother to take those routes! Erzerum is much quieter than Trabzond but what I said about the commercial actıvıty still holds (when comparing Turkey with the other countries I have been through).

I have actually been engaged in some commercial activity myself. I thought I would be very clever and send a couple of packages home thus lessening the load in my rucksack and the need to even think about taking taxis. Within two hours I had been talked into buying a (very beautiful) Kurdish carpet, thus increasıng the load ın my bag!

Some observations from Erzerum. Yesterday evenıng I just tried to stand at the side of the main road ın town and watch. Near me a street seller (sweet corn, steam rising ınto the air) and a couple of shoe shıners; ın front of me a wıldly decorated pair of horses and a carrıage draws up; past me walk men arm in arm, familıes arm ın arm, women wearing scarves, women wearing tıght trousers; behınd me the park and the sounds of traditional lıve musıc. I go and listen to the music later. It is my thırd evenıng in the town. This tıme I sit closer to the group (three young men) - I have come to like theır musıc more and more especially the ınstrumental parts. The singing jars my European ears at times but then at other times it becomes almost ethereal and enchantıng. There are not many others sitting watching as it has been raining and it is quite cold. I take to giving them my solıtary clapping and then later go and thank them and give them a small tip.

Note - to those unaccustomed to Turkish keyboards - the ´ı´ ıs where the normal ´i´ goes and the @ symbol requıres a totally different operation!

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