| |
Istanbul was the only city in the world to span across Europe and Asia. I wondered which part of the continent I was in as I ate my delicious lunch of fresh cheese, eggplant salad, pide bread and baklava.
I hadn’t tried authentic Turkish food before, and I wished I had tried sooner.
The dishes were as diverse as Turkey. They were also delicate, flavorful and rich.
I even learned the lyrics of “Domates, biber, patlican”, a Turkish song about tomatoes, pepper and eggplant. My food vocabulary now included words like Piyaz, Ezogelin corba, Saksuka, koftes and kebabs.
It was a well-deserved lunch as I spent the morning visiting Hagia Sophia, Topkapi Palace and the Blue Mosque. These buildings were part of the Istanbul skyline, and each site had beautiful interiors to match their iconic exteriors. I loved the hand-painted blue tiles on the walls of the Blue Mosque; they contrasted perfectly with the red carpet.
Turkey had some amazing sites, both natural and man-made. There were the historical sites, the library of Alexandria and the tomb of King Midas. I absolutely loved Pamukkale, which were the limestone terrace pools. I soaked my feet and relax in this natural spa by the mountains.
My favorite place of all were the bazaars. The marketplaces were different from that in the Western world. They were lively, loud and full of energy. Our oversized grocery stores, which were great for convenience, lacked the individuality and heart I found in the Turkish bazaars.
I hadn’t quite grasped the concept of bargaining and bartering. I handed over whatever amount the market seller told me. It was when a lady mentioned, “No.. no... that is overpriced. They expect you to bargain!” did I realize my error.
I did not mind paying what the sellers asked. Perhaps it was more fun to negotiate a price through some good nature verbal sparring.
It was tempting to buy the Turkish carpets and rugs as they were beautifully crafted and handmade. I could have filled my luggage easily with many of the bazaar’s handcrafted items.
There was a wonderful spark of life in the markets, and even the food sellers took part in the fun.
I wanted to get ice cream. I thought it would be a simple thing to do, that I would pay and leave with an ice-cream cone. What I got, however, was a prank that rivalled my own pranks with Cassie.
The ice-cream seller added a scoop of ice cream, but he left me with only the cone in my hand. At first, it puzzled me. Then I realized he gave me two cones and took the top one away, which had the scoop of ice cream. Somehow, he tricked me several more times... leaving me with just the cone, no ice cream and tears in my eyes from laughing. I almost gave up on the sweet confectionery, when at last, with a flourish, he gave me two big scoops. The second scoop was my prize for staying in good humor while being pranked.
Never had an ice cream tasted as sweet to me or a marketplace felt as much fun.
———
In Cappadocia, I saw amazing rock formations, towering boulders, fairy chimneys, and underground cities. Here, homes, hotels and even churches were built as caves into the mountains. My hotel room was a cave room, with views overlooking the town of Ürgüp. My favorite feature of the hotel was the large swimming pool made from glass mosaic tiles.
Cappadocia was as famous for hot-air balloon rides as it was for its landscape. Tourists were everywhere in the area. I was booking a spot on a hot air balloon for the Rose Canyon, when a cute guy came smiling towards me.
“Hello there, pretty visitor! I hope you are enjoying our beautiful country.”
“Yes, I am, thank you. Turkey has been lovely...”
“I wouldn’t expect to hear anything else from such a lovely person as you.”
He was cute, even if obvious with his flirting. He had a boy next door approachability to him. When he smiled, cute dimples appeared on both cheeks.
“You give nice compliments, yet I don’t even know your name.”
“I have many names. People call me the handsome one.”
I laughed. He was relentless. “Is that your name? The handsome one?”
“No, but I hope people remember me as one. I am Sazak.”
“Nice to meet you, Sazak. When time will the balloon fly?”
He opened his mouth, most likely to make another flirty joke, but just then Sazak’s father arrived.
“Oy, Sazak! What are you doing here? I told you to go look after the other balloons. Go be a good lad!” his father said.
Sazak left a little reluctantly, but not before winking me goodbye. I saw his father sighing as soon as his son left.
“I am sorry if he bothered you, Miss. He is a good boy, good as they can be for a sixteen-year-old. He has a heart of gold and that keeps getting him in trouble. Every other week he falls in love with a pretty tourist and gets heartbroken when she leaves. I don’t know what to do about him!”
I suspected Sazak was young based on his rather clumsy but cute flirting. His dad was right, there was an innocence and naivety about him.
“Sazak is sixteen. Is he not in school?”
“He doesn’t want to study. He wants to help with the family business, but his heart gets in the way. My silly boy! He takes after me. I was the same at his age! I wish he was practical like his mother!”
I laughed. Sazak’s trouble with his dad was funny. They had a cute relationship.
I felt sorry his Dad worried about him. I thought about helping Sazak’s dad out in any way that I could.
The balloon wouldn’t be ready for a while, so I grabbed the nearest bench and looked through my phone. I noticed a young girl, around Sazak’s age, looking in my direction. I saw her look twice and when I caught sight of her looking again; she turned her face away, blushing. She reminded me of Cassie, who was shy with strangers, so I took the first step and said hello.
“Hi there! I am new around here. My name is Eleanor.”
That was all the encouragement she needed as she approached me with a radiant smile.
“Hi Eleanor! I am Gul! This is my hometown, and I have lived here all my life. I always love seeing people who come to visit.”
“Are you a friend of Sazak?”
She blushed at the question. “We know each other, but I wouldn’t say that we are friends.”
There was a hint of sadness in the way she said it. I guessed she liked Sazak.
“Do you like him?” I asked her, directly.
Her eyes went wide open. She blushed again, but she slightly nodded her head.
“Have you told him? What did he say?” I asked, wanting to know everything.
“No, I have said nothing,” she said, shocked. “But he likes pretty girls from outside our town.”
“Is that so? I don’t believe that... and you are the prettiest girl around,” I told Gul, with a wink.
She laughed and was pleased. Gul opened up to me and told me about the rich history of Cappadocia. I answered all the questions she had about my travels. It was time for the balloon ride, so I said goodbye to Gul and promised I would see her again before I left.
My mind was whirring with new information. It looked like I could help both Gul and Sazak’s dad at the same time.
Sazak returned to the balloon, ready to start his usual flirting. He couldn’t suspect what I was going to tell him or what my mind had deviously planned.
“Hi Sazak, how are you?” I asked innocently.
“I am wonderful, Miss Eleanor, now that I see you!”
Oh, Sazak! You incorrigible flirt. It was time to execute my plan.
“That is nice. Sazak, if you don’t mind, can I ask you a question? Do you have a girlfriend?”
Hearing the word girlfriend seemed to ignite fireworks in Sazak’s soul. He eagerly said, “What me? No, no girlfriend. None,” he said, smiling ear to ear.
“Oh, I thought I saw her...”
His eyes went wide open. “Who are you talking about?” he asked in shock.
“This girl I met. I think she said her name was Gul?”
“Gul?! No, no miss Eleanor, you must be mistaken. She doesn’t talk to anyone, and she doesn’t have time for a boyfriend. She is busy studying and wants to focus on her studies.”
“Is that so? Because I heard her say something different...”
Sazak’s was stammering, “Did.. did she s.. say something?”
“She said how handsome and strong you were but...”
“Handsome?! Strong?! But what?”
“Nevermind Sazak, like you said you are not her boyfriend...”
“Please miss Eleanor, what else did she say?”
“She said you were... a little unfocused on your work? She seemed sad about that.”
Sazak was quiet. I could see the wheels spinning in his mind. He stayed quiet throughout the balloon ride.
There! I hoped I did my part. Hopefully, it would be enough to help both Sazak’s dad and Gul.
It is easy enough for a sixteen year boy to fall in love.. just tell him someone he likes really likes him.
Gul was a sweetheart, and I love happy endings in a love story.
As the balloon ascended in the air, I saw countless other balloons rise. They filled the sky with a rainbow of colors. We were colorful suspended butterflies, floating over the sharp rock structures below. I waved to the other people who were tourists too, out to explore our world. They happily waved back, echoing my excitement.
I feel part of a tribe. A tribe of wandering souls.
We rose to the sky with nothing to block our views. There were no panes in front of us or around us, and there was freedom in that. The sky remained dotted with color until the sun set. Then we were lanterns floating in the night.
In the morning, the light came up over the horizon. All I could see was beautiful vistas in any direction.
The otherworldly panoramas of Cappadocia.
—————
I went to see Sazak, his dad, and Gul one last time before leaving Cappadocia.
Sazak’s dad found me first. He was happy to see me.
“Miss Eleanor! What a pleasant surprise! I thought you left already.”
“I am about to leave. I just came to say goodbye.”
“Oh, I will miss you, dear Miss Eleanor! It is a good thing you came for, I had wanted to tell you. I don’t know what you said to Sazak, but ever since that day he has changed.”
“Changed? I hope everything is alright?” I asked, concerned.
“Nothing to worry about, dear. Some changes are good. He is a changed boy.. or I should say changed man. He became so responsible and determined overnight. I feel like I am to thank you for this change? Sazak finally became how I imagined he could be! I am a proud dad!”
This sounded promising. I was glad to see Sazak’s dad happy.
He continued, “My son has even become philosophical!”
“Philosophical? How so?”
“Maybe he gets it from his Great grandad, who was a Sufi poet... only yesterday he said to me, ‘I was busy searching for the Heavens above, when all along Paradise was in front of me’.”
I was so happy to hear this revelation about Sazak! Finding Gul’s love was the inspiration he needed.
“Ah, I see... so he understood,” I said.
“What did you say to him, Miss Eleanor?”
“I didn’t say anything to him. I think he discovered sometimes we cannot see what we have, and often it is what we are searching for. He just needed to discover it on his own.”
“I don’t know what that means, but it seems to be a secret between youngsters? I am old, but seeing the change in Sazak is bringing new life into me!”
I laughed. “I hope you have a long happy life ahead, so that when I visit again, you can show me more of your beautiful country.”
“Anytime and anything for you, dear! Do visit us again!”
I thanked him and say my goodbye.
I met with Gul. Sazak was away on an errand, so I left my farewells with her. Gul thanked me for being a good friend and gave me a beautiful bracelet as a token of friendship.
The bracelet had turquoise beads, with the evil eye enameled on them. Gul hoped no evil ever comes near me. She gave me the bracelet to protect me on my journey. Her thought touched me. We hugged together before saying goodbye.
I left Cappadocia with a happy heart and a few more friends than when I first arrived here.
I learned one important thing in my journey:
No matter where I go or whomever I meet,
I see myself reflected in the eyes of those I see.