Things I Learned in Turkey

We do not receive wisdom, we must discover it for ourselves, after a journey through the wilderness which no one else can make for us, which no one can spare us, for our wisdom is the point of view from which we come at last to regard the world. The lives that you admire, the attitudes that seem noble to you, have not been shaped by a paterfamilias or a schoolmaster, they have sprung from very different beginnings, having been influenced by evil or commonplace that prevailed round them. They represent a struggle and a victory. - Proust

I've returned from Olympos, for one more day in Istanbul before the trek to Tanzania.

It was a very relaxing time there, (save the evening that I was woken up by a domestic disturbance in the treehouse above me - "She: You don't love me. He: You never loved me!" rinse and repeat for an hour at 3am), even if it was quite rainy and cloudy. The place I stayed was an orange and pomegranate grove with great little cabanas filled with cushions that made it more that perfect to do a bunch of reading. And on the one day of no rain, I still was able to fit in a good hike into the hills that Poseidon unleashed his fury on Odysseus.

My hiking group (comprised of two Germans, three Aussies and me) cooking up a snack at the Eternal Flames of Olympos.

The were some blue skies!

Now, as I sit on a terrace in the Sultanahmet district overlooking the Bosphorus and Dolombache Palace, I decided to reflect on some of the early learnings of this adventure.

• Athens is quite a dirty city. Sort of sad for such a beautiful and historic city. I'll have to go back for the islands some day.
• Turkey is a frickin' HUGE and stunningly beautiful country.
• There's only so many overnight buses a man can take to get from here to there. It may be cheap(er), but I'm not as young as I used to be. (I flew back to Istanbul to save myself another one!)
• There is an extensive (almost a day's worth!) history of the Full English Breakfast. It's quite fascinating. Thanks, Alex.
• Put soaps that can leak in a zip-loc bag, Parker. Duh!
• Ear Plugs are a godsend.
• I should've taken more lens cleaning cloths as I've already lost two. As a man who always wears glasses, I should've known this.
• People drive like maniacs. As a nervous passenger (to which my Brother can surely attest), I'm going to need to learn to "let go - let god".
• Santa Claus is Turkish. Well, sort of. Saint Nicholas was. He was from Myra, which is close to Olympos.
• The Turks are also all over Gagnam Style. I watched a group of 16yr olds do the entire dance from beginning to end IN A RESTAURANT one night.
• There is much to be learned from other gentlemen and women "of the road" once I come out of my curmudgeonly shell.

Last, this adventure isn't a vacation and therefore running around like the crazy traveler I am can get exhausting, quickly. This is a long haul. The goal of the trip is as much, if not more, to"soak" it in, instead of simply to "see" it. And to soak it in, one must pause. Not the easiest thing for a guy like me, but a good reminder to have so early on.

Sorry for the lack of pictures. Olympos was quite stunning. However, as mentioned, it was raining and I did a lot of reading!