“Who has never been burned in the sun won’t know the value of shadow.”
–Anonymous, Old Turkish Proverb
Kusadasi, Turkey is a truly beautiful place. I found the scenery stunning and the people are among the friendliest and most open that I’ve met.
Feeling a bit toured out, we opted to spend the day in the seaport itself with a side trip to the Bazaar. Everyone in the Bazaar has a story to tell and something to sell. They are equally open to hearing the stories of others and find common ground.
“Where are you from?”
“Oh I love Canada. I go to Vancouver to visit my sister. She sells our jewellery there. In the winter when tourists stop coming here, I close up shop and go to see her and bring merchandise. I love Victoria also. ”
“These earrings were made by my sister-in law and are of the top quality. Would you like something while you look at them? I will make Turkish coffee for you.”
“Ah. I have eye trouble which my daughter has inherited. She will have to have the same operation I had when she gets older. In the winter I close up here too but I come down to the workshop to make my Jewellery. That is what I love.”
Everything is about the relationship and about the bargaining. As an experiment I started telling the man selling us earrings that they were for my sister-in-law who was taking care of my son while we were travelling. He automatically knocked another twenty euros off the price and the bargaining went on from there.
As we walked on we heard a constant stream of shopkeepers attempting to entice us into their store. “Hi, you are travelling. Where are you from?
After the fiftieth repetition, I grew a bit weary of the routine and offhandedly replied
“Narnia.”
As we walked past I heard the shopkeeper speaking rapid turkish with a few of his equally puzzled friends wondering just where Narnia was and what could be said about it.
Blessings, G
Click on images to see full-sized:
Kusadasi From The Water
Kusadasi Marketplace
Little Friend Cadging a Meal
