first day at butterfly valley.

The bus ride was quite exhausting, many stops and a very uncomfortable seat resulting in little sleep and weird dreams. Arrived in Fethie, Jam explains me how to get to what might be my first stop along the coast. After a stop in an internet cafe, I give a try hitchhiking but as no one stops, i jump onto the first passing dolmus (dolmouch, small buses). It seems like as long as buses are running, you have little chances of getting a ride. The Bus drops me of on the famous Ölüdeniz beach. This area is full of English tourists, big beer belly (or jellow belly :), pinkish red face, shorts and sunglasses. Many invest in this region like they invest in Spain or in the French alps and buy ridiculously big and modern houses.

From there i walk on to the butterfly valley. As i dont have the guide book or a map, i miss the official lycian path and walk along the coastal road. I get a short ride from a slightly drunk, fast driving turk. The coastal view is beautiful, the place is calm, the air is warm and i feel on holiday again. The turquoise waters are calling me for a swim, the sun is still worm despite it is end of October.
I walk in the village sitting above the butterfly valley. Her the lycia markings can be clearly seen and a big billboard indicates the way down to the butterfly valley. I pass Georges pension ask for direction and am pointed to red dotted stones leading down a steep but safe path into the valley. Before engaging on the path, i have the pleasure to read the warnings, first one about prices, Accommodation is NOT free... Ohh shit i was expecting something not too pricey :) And the other sign warning about the path down, not dangerous but do not engage with kids or older people, leave your backpack... Well it turns out it is steep but very ok and parts are equipped with ropes to deescalate the steep cliff like rocks.
Once in the valley, passed the fence, i discover the messy gardens, not really what i would have expected from a hippy community as it was presented to me by micheal jackson in Sarajevo... Things are overgrown, no one has taken care of these parcels in a while. i follow th sounds of yelling men and get to the beach where i am welcomed by two huge barking dogs. Three girls sit there by the beach, a couple men are unloading stuff from a boat and pulling a zodiak out of the sea. After a rapid chat with the three Israeli girls, i figure out who is in charge and start chatting with him, starting by sending the greeting from our common friends Jam.
His name is Aple and he first tells me I should have to pay 25 lira a night including food but that because i am a friend of Jams he will charge me only 10. connexions connexions :) i shoot a couple pictures dip in my stinky feet that have not breathed for more almost 24 hours... I soon meet Ancy and Kieran from Norway and New Zeland. They have been around for a couple days, staying for free in exchange for some work. I join in when they start disassembling on off the wooden houses. Actually not the whole house, just the bottom floor. A sort of storage house closed by simple wood plates. Removing those plates and cleaning everything in there leaves a couple pillars and the top floor. This is no longer a building I am told. Because the reason we are doing this is the legal problems the people of butterfly valley are having. The Turkish government leases the ground of the butterfly valley to a group of people. Because the valley is a national park, these people have to respect some rules and are not entiteled to construct anything. But they need some sort of buildings to host the turists coming overnight, some to have a bar and restaurant for those coming by boat for the afternoon. So they build bungalow, which are all right and not considered as buildings. Same goes for the bar which is a tree house with no walls. But the kitchen was build with rocks and mortar so they teared it down to go by the law (to build an other one, that part i did not understand...).
Later, after a big and tasty dinner, we have long chats around the fire on the beach. I am tiered from the previous night and go to sleep early.

Of to the south!

The bus for Fethie is in the evening, at 8 so in the meantime, i get a map, a couple useful thing, leave the rest at Marion's and in the stress, i forget to contact any couch surfers in Antalya or Ankara. My bag is quite light and even with some added weight for food and water i should be able to carry it for kilometers.

Today is a turkish national holiday and the streets are full of people, flags, and on Istiklal, the comunist party is doing a propagenda action :) Loads of young people are standing and hold a news paper in their hands. They are standing amongst the flow of people and are trying to sell the paper. Excpt me and a couple older weird looking people, i have seen no one stop by to chat or let alone buy a print of the paper...
On the Taksim square, a scene was put up and djs are performing... loud house and techno altered with turquish sounds to satify everyone are banging and people standing under the “attack” of flashing laser and light shows... It is funny how the context influences my view of things, the light show is more or less the same than back in serbia at that small techno party in an arena but the mood seems quite different. Or maybe it does not only seem but is after all, mixed ages, mixed origin, national holiday, it cant be the same mood than a party full of drunk (and drug'd) youngsters. I rapidly ass as my bus is leaving soon.
In fact, its good i didnt take too much time because the servis bus taking me to the main bus station leaves just as i step in... at the bus station i have to wait a good half hour before the luxurious bus arrives. Looks new, all white and clean, tainted windows... And it is pretty new inside as well, big seats with seat belts (??). The seats are numbered and there is a hostess (no sexy young lady, rather a stinky, uptight young men...) to make sure you sit in the right spot. So despite an almost empty bus, i have to sit with someone. Fortunately, amongst the average age of 40, he is the only other young guy on the bus. And we start chating.
Jam (yep like pearl Jam or the glass of jam, thats his name) is a cook on big cargo ships. He is about to go home to Fetyie after 2 years away... Being cook on such a big ship consist mostly of being board and frustrated. No women, nothing to do except get drunk, play play station and watch movies. he tells me about his room and the times he shared it wit his brother, a captain. A big room with big tv, a lot of technology and comfort but no women and no where to go for weeks until they finally hit a harbor. He used to work on cruise ships, a bit more work but far better since there are always new people to talk to. On a cargo they are just some 20 crew people and not much alternative. He earned good money and now he just wants to get home an rest, just lay down without feeling any movement and take it easy, enjoy the beach, the sun, the house and family. Speaking of family, he is part of the butterfly family and tells me to great everyone when i get there.
The bs rides in turkey are something very special, you understand the point of that button that you always see above you with a hostes pictured on it. Never wondered what the hell this is for and who it calls?? Well in france or switzerland most certainly no one, especially if you sit on your school bus. But here, you can call for water anytime you want, there are a couple tea or coffee services and you even get a small piece of cake. An other notable thing is that the bus stopes sevral times, in big road houses for about 30 minuts, time to go for a piss, smoke a couple cigaretts (yep the turks love their smoke!) or get something warm to eat... In our case, it is time enough to smoke a big joint before getting back on the bus :) a funny scene those stops, the buses get washed (no wonder they look so new...) the people walk around... and the atmosphere is so mysty, foggy, dark and cold.
Back on the bus, impossible to sleep, to many thoughts from my stoned mind, too many stops, light on, people moving around... At least i finally get some space, the watchdog stopped forbidding us to sit on empty seats and i have two seats for myself. Does not help me get any sleep before 4 am... and then the sun rises...

Planning south and one more party.

The weather is not really getting better and I am no longer wanting to stay months in Istanbul, i plan and prepare my trip south. A bit of the Lycian way (a 500kms treck) and surely Capadocia and the rest will be surprises (for me). I also get a little back into work in those days... My colegue back in Lausanne needs support, Unfortunately i will not manage to help him out, at least not before mid November. So i blog in order to lighten up my bag a kilo and get this off my mind for three weeks (i wont manage and still take the eee with me). I prepare a lighter, much lighter bag and count my money... i have only the money Judith left me for the 3 weeks until Laura comes to visit and brings me my new credit card.

On tuesday night, it is the birth day of one of Marions longer time friends. We meet again at the same bar were the last party was and have a couple drinks. We meet some interesting people tonight, more than at the last couchsurfing party. Melani is a canadian girl who came back after enjoying it so much this summer and found a job as an English teacher. There is also that american girl who is in a relationship with a nice turquish dude. She loves to speak french and most of the time we acctualy do. the only guy around not speaking french being her boyfriend...
The birthday boy is over 40 and still looks so young, i hear he is a science fiction writter living of his parents money and that he still goes out with the craziest girls and grows and smokes pot on a regular basis. What storries people can tell... Anyway from what i talked to him and have seen of him on the dance floor, he seems to enjoy life and not care to much about anything (who does when you have no need to work??).

Tourist Istanbul!

In the next week, we will spend a lot of time, me and Judith, visiting, exploring, walking trough and eating in Istanbul. There are not many thing to your interest that i could say. So the next posts will be mostly pictures. Anyway most of it is none of your business!

O there was that one strange event, as we were walking up Istiklal, the main walking street of Istanbul were so much happens at night, in a glance to my right, i recognized a familiar face. And as i looked back, a little longer, i recognized Brice, the dude i met on a street in Bitola, a couple of week ago! So we joined for a chat.
i could also mention that the weather got worse and worse on the last days and that as Judith left, it was pooring down like i had rarely seen it before for non stop hours and that as a result, Marions roof was dripping...

Waiting for Judith

Here i am sitting at a cafe, drinkng tee, two tea to be precise since in my good intention of practicing turquish, i ordered iki Caj, wtich means not one (bir) but two teas... I feel ashamed but i think the waiter is as well, after trying to check, in turkish and little english if he understood well. i am sure of my skills (...), or rather unaware of my mistake and just say evet (yes).

So a minut later he brigs two tees, probably thinking someone will join me. But he soon realizes something is wrong. He comes back and tells me it will be cold. If i want an other one. I try to say no but he brings a fresh one anyway. Thats turkish politness. Not at all the picture some painted of it. Probably, once again, being a couple or a single man makes a difference. and also being unesay with the language and trying hard ads a plus. So he come back with a hot tea and looking at my camera askes if i am a photograph. I say yes with a slight shake of the head to signify a not quite :) and he sits down and starts talking a lot. I dont understand a word but hey, it is a pleasure to feel treated normaly. Must say that i am not in the most turistic part of Istanbul, at a quiet terrase.
Thats for the setting, the place i wait for Judith, wait to be notified of what comes next. And in fact i have no idea, just that she passed vienna some time ago and that she will send a message whit further instructions... What sort of game did she prepare. I have though about it quite a couple times in the last weeks. A Treasure hunt? some kind of surprise?? Or maybe she will mke m walk around just for the pleasure of following me until i notice? or guide me hint after hint to a secrete place of hers (she was in Istanbul once...) Maybe for a good dinner?
I cant wait whatever it will be! As i am still waiting and writting, a girl shows up touches my shoulder and says very nice... i am a bit surprised and my brain thinks it has something to do with Judith, but she aint here and i still have no message... And the girl is talking about the small cat... And she sits down, takes of her glasses, very sexily and asks me if i am superman... am wearing that t shirt again. She must be supergirl since she flies of as fast as she flew in...
And then i got that first message, sending me on a quest!

Never get influenced by the pessimistic ones!

I go out early today to try finding an apartment for rent or a nice hostel for a week. I have sort of decided that since Judith comes only for a week, it would be nice to stay somewhere with a minimum of privacy and a good location, close to what we will do. But what will we do?? I guess we will be looking at the touristic sights, Mosques, Bazaar etc... So i head for Sultanahmet, a place south of the golden horn, concentrating all those sights.

I decide to walk there since i have seen almost nothing of Istanbul so far except bars and clubs
First i get through a couple cheap hostels, with ridiculous double rooms where the bed covered with a kitch, used,old fashioned and probably full of flees rug takes all the space available. The shared showers are lousy. The perfect place for a backpacker :) Of course the price is low, less than 20 euro a night for two. The owners are telling me they will make a special price for me only, if i pay cash and in advance... Welcome to the east, unlike in the Balkans, here you trade, negotiate and get ripped of :) hehe. An other noticeable characteristic of those sells man (putting themselves as nice devoted hostel runners) is that they will tell you everything is full, this is the cheapest price you will get, the other part of town is packed etc... And no it is not low season yet, its full season. C’mon, there is space in almost every place i knocked at and the winter is clearly kicking in temperatures falling and the tourist place are crowded with eastern people rather than wester Europeans. Yes but it is the time of couples and groups, double beds are all booked!
Anyway, this place s a little to cheap and i will look for something else after finding three times the same price and many available rooms on the same street. Further, hostels are getting classier, more expensive of course. Price doubles but rooms include private shower and toilet, the interior is clearly better. I try to negotiate and manage to get a nice room for 35 euro. But then i find the Anzec wooden house. The owner is present and a lot more friendly. He shows me a double room with 3 beds and tells me he will give it to me for 29. And i should come up for a tea. A common aspect of Turkish hospitality i finally get a taste of after a couple days around. We drink tea on the terrace, on the roof with view on the Bosforous. He tells me there is a huge barbecue tonight, i should come over with my friends if i like! He looks like a bit of a drinker, glassy eyes and tiered face so when he tells me it will be a big party as well and that there will be Rake and beer i believe him!
So i sort of made my decision but still think a private house would be better. Of course, a place with a locked door, a kitchen, no owner around, its own bathroom and a feeling of home would be better. So i call back Aycin, the couchsurfer who posted on the flatmate group announcing a space in her apartment. Of course i can visit! it is always opened! After walking a lot more and being turned away from visiting the university (hidden behind huge walls, the green gardens with trees and statues were attractive but unaccessible) i find the house. It is on the music street, full of shops selling ll sorts of instruments. Again i see a great shot but have no camera. Two old men are sitting in their shop with a big broad smile, listening to music, shaking themselves and some sparkling ribbons.
As i find the house, i first have to walk through a shop selling all sorts of old goods and as i talk to the owner i am taken upstairs to visit. The living room is full of people and bikes, talks and lots of laughter announce a great atmosphere! But the room is tiny. As i say there will be two of us and i need a double bed i am taken downstairs. One of the couple living there is moving out. The double room is free and it is really nice but i wont get it if i stay a week only. Too expensive for a month, it is a bit of a disappointment. It would have been a lot cheaper and a lot more like a home Even though i figure it would be realy cold soon and that the place is full of flees. I still sit down for a while to chat with the remaining couple. They are from Melbourne, sipping beer and telling me they will stay in this place three more weeks at least before they get something really nice to spend the winter in. The men looks like a bit of an artist cliché, wild hair, broad smile and sparkling eyes. His friend also has sparkling eyes and is completely passionate about everything happening or said. Remembers me a lot about Micheal in Sarajevo. And we talk a bit about Sarajevo, they want to go in the Balkans next. They are very warm and nice people and will change a bit the balance of what has been said about Istanbul. They have been here only a week or two but love it already. The Turkish friendliness, the huge city and everything going with it.
After an hour or two of talk with them, i have a couple more addresses to check out and i am already changing my mind about staying is Istanbul for longer. They have a very different opinion about working in Istanbul, positively sure they will find something, actually the girl found something already. And the men could be lecturing philosophy at university next semester...
From the three places i was told about and visited, one had a room, the manager is young and friendly, the place is called Chill Out :) the living room is filled with friendly, smart looking people. Not smart in a serious way but rather in a simple and social way. I am invited to come for tea if we don't decide to stay. As i walk out this hostel where i was again told i could get an apartment for a month for 600 lira (about 300 euro), i regret i didn't look for my own flat. I probably would have found something easily for 400 or 500 lira in a nice spot. Something like a studio. Even if i stayed less then a month, it would have been worth it compared to the 400 lira we will pay for the Hostel. Because no chance i find an apartment in less than 24 hours.
So in the end i find myself walking the street and regretting that i listened to those bad opininon about Istanbul and that in stead of looking through couchsurfing, i didn't look up a privat apartment straight away. Will have to do this later now. I realize that what people have told me and the easiness of finding a shared flat with english speaking turks has brought me away from my original goal. I wanted to find a private place to rest, a place for myself, a place called home, not share a couch for a month rather than a couple days, i wanted to be able to host and invite friends over: Judith for starters of course, then Laura, Goce from Skopje, maybe other friends taking a cheap easyjet flight over here and maybe Tonin and his company for new years eve...
Plus it is getting cold so i don't really want to be moving and sleeping outside anymore and rather stay here as i planed, get a small job and wait for the Turkish and Lebanese mountains to be full of snow!
Anyway to late for this now, i will look for a flat next week if i don't change my mind again! As i am getting really tired and walk to the metro station, i meet Ada and Javier on the street! Even in Istanbul this is possible! We go for a traditional dinner, a very good thing since today i had only nuts and water... Delicious lentil soup, tasty meat rolled in Eggplant and toped with half a tomato. The spicy meal heats up my mouth and the yogurt comes in handy to chill out all these flavors. Since we all feel like sweets, we continue and taste a speciality for desert. Pudding! yes yes this aint strictly English and i must say they have at least as much varity when it comes to it. But the consistency remains strange and not so much my taste.

Saturday in Istanbul

After tow nights of party, i am tired (hey, i am no longer use to this rhythm) and today, except eating, we do nothing at Marion's place but talking about education. I can not remember how this subject started, maybe with the Balkans. Yes i think that was it, the Balkans being so divided because they had no unifying ideals. And that is what is provided by education. If it is not the first goal of education, next to intellectual stimulation. So we talk about how limited history lessons will always be, how one sided, how stupid it is to read Zola (because you dont understand) when you are 15 all this for the sake of a unified nation and a national identity. But how important it is that these things are brought to you for future use.
A passionating subject i don't feel like writing more about right now, sitting in the shade of a tree on a warm, slightly windy, November day on the south coast of Turkey.