7/30
It is probably clear from my posts thus far that I have enjoyed Turkey. The parts that I saw, Istanbul and Anatolia’s Aegean coast, offered such a diverse range of sights and experiences. Here are some brief concluding notes.
The people in Turkey were friendly and welcoming. Everywhere I went, people were kind to travelers.
Though there were the shoe shine men in Istanbul that would attempt rip you off, scams weren’t everywhere.
There are so many Turkish flags everywhere. This is especially true in Istanbul.
I got lucky with the weather. It was perfect the entire time I was in Turkey. Maybe a little on the hot side, but that is the feeling of an Oregonian, so take it with a grain of salt.
The first half of time in Turkey it was during Ramazan (Ramadan). It’s hard for me say how big of an effect this had on things. Perhaps it muted the daily activities of many people, but just about everywhere still had a lot going on. Though it was noticeable how busy things got around sundown. A sudden spike in people outside. Even though Turkey is a Muslim country and Ramadan is a month of fasting, I never felt that I had to significantly adjust my activities for it. I could still eat and drink without any major issues. I tried my best to be considerate of those that were fasting, but it is not as if restaurants and shops are closed all day in observance of the fast.
Istanbul is big. There are lots of options for getting around. I preferred walking because it’s a great city for that. However, if I didn’t feel like exhausting my legs any more I had other options to get from where I was at to where I wanted to be.
The bus system in Turkey is excellent. Traveling long distances between cities is a breeze. That certainly alleviates some of the stress of traveling.
The food is great and you can eat well for cheap.
Turkey, thanks for a great time. I’ll be back.