Turkish Delight

I don’t know what got over faster: the Turkish delight I brought back home or my trip to Türkiye.

But for someone who grew up watching The Chronicles of Narnia, you can imagine my excitement at finding out that this year’s team offsite would be in Türkiye. Almost as exciting as trying Turkish delight for the first time in my life.

My obsession with Turkey started when I was young and began learning about ancient civilisations and mythology. So this trip had been a long time coming.

Now, most people think of Istanbul when I say Turkey. And cats, of course. Exploring Istanbul solo had been on my wishlist for a while, so I spent the first few days wandering its neighbourhoods. Although my style of backpacking is mostly finding a peaceful little spot and reading a book, or daydreaming with my own thoughts, instead of finishing a list of tourist hotspots.

Back in June, I told Sabhyata that I’d be in Turkey this September. It had been three years since I’d last seen my long-distance best friend, and we thought we’d catch up there.

Like her usual gifting habit, she sent me a book. This time, it was The Forty Rules of Love by Elif Shafak, which turned out to be the perfect companion for backpacking through Turkey. I’d been learning more about mysticism, too.

Right book, right time, right place. A match made in Anatolia.

I landed in Istanbul in early September, wandered here and there, and took a bunch of photos of the places and the gatitos, like every tourist. But what surprised me most was the hospitality, which started before I’d even made it out of the airport.

I met Azzam and Owasis on my flight, and Azzam helped me get an Istanbulkart and figure out my way to Taksim. Once I got the hang of it, public transport became my way of exploring the city.

I visited Galata Tower and tried that viral San Sebastian cheesecake. Pretty good. But what happened next stayed with me more than the cheesecake: someone at the cafe brought me a cup of tea and said, “It’s on the house, bro. Enjoy!”

This kinda made me happy. I didn’t know then how many little moments like this were waiting for me.

The following day, I explored the Asian side. Did I tell you that Istanbul is split across both Asia and Europe? Anyways, the Asian side felt calmer, and the ferry ride over was so pretty that the journey itself felt like part of the plan.

I found a park in Moda, walked around, and discovered a 10/10 reading spot overlooking the waters. So I decided that was enough exploring for a while and stayed with my book.

Over the next few days, I wandered through Balat and Ortaköy, and found another favourite in Bebek Park. I even took a power nap there! I also met up with my manager, Ted, who pretty much has the same ADHD vibes as me.

Later that week, Sabhyata landed, and we explored the touristy side of Istanbul together: the Blue Mosque, the Grand Bazaar, and the streets in and around Sultanahmet and Fatih.

The next day, we visited Büyükada, an island in the Sea of Marmara. It took us around three hours to get there, but the uphill walk and the view made the journey worth it.

My mother still feels sad that she wasn’t able to send some neyyappams for Sabhyata. I told her I’d get her some in three years, when we meet again lol!

Savvy left that day, and I went back to solo traveller mode.

The following week was our team offsite. Work occupied most of my mornings and nights, but my addiction to playing Coup with my teammates surfaced again. Unfortunately, everyone decided to target last year’s Coup champion. Zero wins this year. Brutal.

By the end of the week, I wrapped up my time in Istanbul and headed to Izmir, on Turkey’s Aegean coast. I’d decided to skip places like Cappadocia and Antalya this time and go there instead.

I didn’t know much about what was waiting for me. Now, I’d call it my second home.

Izmir, or ancient Smyrna, was everything the history-obsessed kid in me could have asked for. Thousands of years of people had lived here before me: ancient Greeks, Romans, Byzantines, Ottomans. Smyrna even appears in the Book of Revelation, and some say Homer, who wrote the Iliad and the Odyssey, came from here.

And now here I was, walking around with my camera and a book, trying to imagine all those lives before mine.

I stayed with Onur throughout my time in Izmir. Over the week, we became good friends, and he’s now like an elder brother to me. If you’re ever in Izmir, I’d happily recommend my second home there!

On my first day, I decided to explore the neighbourhood and found myself walking towards the nearest ferry station. I found it harder to get by in English here than in Istanbul, and Google Maps wasn’t helping much with the ferry timings. I was a bit confused.

Luckily, I ran into Cansu.

She gave me an Izmir commute 101, helped me figure out the ferry system, and I ended up taking the ferry to Konak with her.

When I got there, the Aegean wasn’t the blue I’d been expecting. It was golden!

I found a place near a park, sat down, and read my book. A 10/10 day just for that view.

Over the next few days, I visited Foça, an ancient settlement that’s now a fishing town. I had some pretty good seafood there, but my main mission was to find a spot where I could escape the sun and read.

I found two spots: one near the sea and another near some stone windmills.

Totally worth the three-hour commute.

My next side quest was Selçuk, where I got to see what remains of the Temple of Artemis, one of the Seven Wonders of the Ancient World. I remember reading about it in Tell Me Why when I was young.

I guess I was a few thousand years late to see it in all its glory, but I’d finally made it.

From Selçuk, I took a bus to Ephesus and got a few photos that I’m pretty proud of as a self-proclaimed pawhtographer.

Maybe I’m romanticising this, but it felt like Izmir had saved something for my last two days.

I was planning to catch a bus to Urla from Üçkuyular when I met a granny carrying some luggage. My entire plan for the day was to take it slow and wander around without much of a plan, so I wasn’t in any hurry.

I asked her where I should wait for the bus. It turned out she was going the same way, and she waited with me.

She didn’t know English, and I didn’t know Turkish, so we talked through Google Translate. Ah, the power of technology.

I told her about my travels, and she told me about herself. Something about talking to her reminded me of how I used to talk to my grandmother.

She told me to follow her when the bus arrived and that we’d get down at Urla together. I helped carry her bag of fruits and vegetables, and off we went.

I don’t remember her name, but I have a photo with her.

Honestly, that was the best part of the day. Meeting someone who felt familiar, even though we’d only just met and might never see each other again.

I spent the rest of the day wandering around Urla before coming back to explore more of Üçkuyular.

On my final day in Izmir, I got brunch near the bazaar and walked around with my camera, as usual.

That’s how I met Cagri and his friend. I took a photo for them, and Cagri invited me to his cafe for a cup of çay.

We talked for a while. I told him about Sulaimani, and somehow we ended up talking about Muziris and its trade connections with the Mediterranean.

I yap about Muziris to everyone I meet these days.

When I offered to pay for the tea, he wouldn’t take the money. He hugged me goodbye, and I walked to a nearby mosque to spend some time with Allah.

Afterwards, I headed towards the Agora of Smyrna. I was struggling to find the entrance when two women showed me the way. Before they left, one of them said, “Welcome to Smyrna.”

It sounded like something out of an old travel story, where the locals welcome a traveller to their town.

Funny enough, it was my final day there.

The Agora was a public gathering place in ancient Smyrna. I was exploring the ruins when I ran into Camila, an artist who was also travelling through Türkiye.

We bonded over our shared political beliefs and talked about art and culture, almost taking several wrong turns while walking because we were so busy talking.

Eventually, she headed towards a museum and I towards a fortress. Before we parted, I promised her I’d write about this trip and share it with her.

So hi, hello, Camila. I hope I see you again someday!

My final pursuit of the day was the climb up to Kadifekale on Mount Pagos, where you can look out over Izmir.

On the way, I smiled at a fellow traveller from Turkey.

Fun fact from my trip: if I smiled and nodded at someone, there was a pretty good chance we’d end up having a conversation. It kept happening.

He came over and asked about my travels and where I was from. I never caught his name.

Then he gave me an apple.

That’s it. He told me he was going to give me an apple, handed it over, and left.

Honestly, I was super hungry. The last thing I’d eaten was brunch near the bazaar, and I’d forgotten to bring my water bottle that day.

How did the cosmos know I was hungry!

A cup of tea, a hug, a “Welcome to Smyrna,” a new friend, and now an apple. It felt like the people of Izmir were giving me a farewell, without any of them knowing it was my last day.

I finished the climb and watched the sun setting over the Aegean coast one last time.

I’d spent so much of this trip reading The Forty Rules of Love, finding quiet places to sit with it. I still think about the people I met there, even the ones whose names I never got.

I almost teared up when I boarded my flight. These people had been part of my life for a week, a ferry ride, a bus journey, or a few minutes. I might never see some of them again, but somehow, I was leaving with a second home.

I wonder if that granny remembers the guy who helped carry her vegetables, or if giving a stranger an apple was just a normal Wednesday for that man. They probably went home and forgot about it. Meanwhile, here I am, writing about them.

I’d like to go back someday. And next time, actually make it to Konya. Though knowing me, I might just end up in Izmir again.

Also hi to my mother who’s been forcing me to write this since I landed

~Fin