13 Gypsies
An Online Journal of the Life and Times of Inci & Mark
Turkiye
The Kiz Kulesi (Maiden's Tower) in the middle of the Bosphorus, Instanbul
Without saying, Turkey is our favorite place to visit, and we refer to it as our second home.
Inci was born and raised in Turkey, I came to love the country upon my first visit.
Long before I met Inci, I was intrigued by the legacy of the Ottoman Turks. As a child I listened intently as my grade school history teacher described the ferocity in which the Turk mercilessly conquered his enemies, and the Sultan, in his long flowing robes, had his choice of his Harem. I read books on Ottoman history, the Crusades, the Sultans, and a biography on the Father of the Turkish Republic, Mustafa Kemel Ataturk.
However, no amount of reading could have prepared me for the warmth, generosity, and hospitality of the Turkish people. Being with Inci, I was lucky enough to experience Turkey as a Turk would, and I wouldn't trade my experiences there for anything. After my first visit in 1999, I was hooked. We have returned every summer since (except 2003), and we plan on buying a house in Bodrum next summer. The majority of the pictures on the site are from 2001 and 2002, after we purchased the digital camera. I will probably capture some from our videos and scan some of our earlier photos later. Enjoy......
Istanbul
Wow. What can I say about the most mysterious and intriguing city in the world? Like most things Turkish, you must experience her charms first hand.
However, we do have some suggestions. Besides the obvious (Blue Mosque, Hagia Sophia, etc.), you must see:
* Drink "chay" at Pier Loti Cafe and walk down through the cemetery below it
*Ckeck out the artsy area called Ortakoy, order a "sutlu Neskahve" and play a game of "Okey"
*Take a ferry to Kadikoy, on the Asian side
*Before getting on the ferry, order a fish sandwich at the pier, the sucker was still swimming 15 min. earlier. Now that's fresh!
*Eat only Turkish food! No fastfood!
*Go to a Hamam and get cleaner than you've ever been.
*Check out the Covered Bazaar, don't get lost. Reply with the words "Ishim Olmaz" everytime a merchant approaces you. hehe
*Don't get run over by a dolmush!
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Lunch on the Bosphorus Strait, with our friends Ebru and Sukriye
Taz sut misir! Sukriye buys fresh roasted corn as the sun sets once again on Istanbul
Gypsy Town, baby!
Who is who in Gypsy Town?
"Who's not a Turk?!?"
The real McCoy's
Arzu, Sukriye, and Inci, sleepily prepare for the Istanbul morning
Eating again that evening with Sukriye, Sabahat, Ebru, Ebru's folks Eniste and Hala, and of course, Inci
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Antalya
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