Holiday Snaps: Empty pockets for probing hands

Interested to divest me

The interest young Turks might have in me could easily have lulled me into a false sense of security and comfort in satisfying what I thought was honest curiosity.

It was hard enough that I had to represent every ethnic stereotype they had learnt from all sorts of places, being called brother, speaking ‘hood talk and pumping fists – things I had to feign ability of and engage in with a modicum of fraternal agreement.

So, there were this group of youngsters who crowded round to take pictures, first standing then sitting but something bizarre and amusing was going on.

You gotta pick a pocket or two

All the pockets on my trousers and there were about 9 in all had either Velcro strip seals or zippers, but then I rarely walk around with valuables so, literally all of them were empty, especially the upper pockets.

In the sitting pose, the kid to my left was not making hand gestures but folded his arms as the squeeze of trying to get everyone in the frame of the picture allowed for the hand nearest to me to try picking my pocket.

Entertained no end

At which point, I know they were up to no good and everything they were doing was distraction related to relieve me of my things.

After each take, I noticed that the youngsters successively called a much younger person to sit beside me, in all there were 4 attempts to pick my empty pockets as I smiled and grins for each picture until they began to tire of me.

The interest had waned because I believe after each click of the camera for a picture they asked the perpetrator if he had gotten anything and well, he hadn’t.

I also believe they were now more curious to find out where my money was by asking if I could get them a drink, I told them I neither drank nor smoked and it would be healthy for them to desist too.

No more a novelty

On that rather monkish note, I tactfully took leave of them but saying it was bedtime for me. When they saw me later on, I was barely acknowledged and I suppose they were looking for another friendly and gullible victim.

In all, it just meant one had to be alert and aware that not every seemingly friendly act is good and wholesome, they might be up to no good.

Holiday Snaps: Powerless without knowledge

Horror without horology

Knowledge remains an important factor in the purchase of good and services – this would either be knowledge you have or your implicit confidence in the expertise of those you depend on by trust to share the knowledge.

For instance, when I visited Ephesus, there were shop signs with Genuine – Fake Watches. It made you wonder if the watches were genuine, fake, imitations, seconds, factory rejects or counterfeit.

Without good horological knowledge, regardless of what type of watch it is, there is no way to vouch for the durability, quality, movement, standard or usefulness of the watches you buy from those stalls.

Much as they glitter and shine, they will come with no guarantee, warranty or consumer protection for service, return or repair. In essence, the hedonistic folly that persuades anyone to buy those watches will read as a fool and their money being soon parted.

Numismatics mathematics

Following in the footsteps of the peddlers of suspect time-pieces were sellers of supposedly ancient coins. My knowledge of contemporary coinage is rudimentary at best, that of contemporaneous coinage is non-existent.

My thinking was, if the coins were of any significant value, they will be displayed in reputable museums as part of the cultural heritage of the places where they were discovered or in auction houses having been proven of quality and progeny earning a fortune for the owners and definitely not in the hands of fly-by-night vendors selling base-metal tat.

Maybe, I am given to too much analysis of situations that I might fail to see a bargain. Honestly, it is only wise to speculate in things where you are an authority and never in thing where you as a novice are ready a target for hoodwinking by confidence tricksters playing a bait-and-switch on you.

Lighting up space

It was a very clear night on my last night in Marmaris and I could not help but notice 2 large telescopes set up on the promenade pointing upwards to the sky to view Saturn for a price.

I will probably confuse astronomy for astrology and besides the moon and the sun, I have never given attention to the location and sighting of planets, stars, suns, constellations, galaxies and the like.

I had my doubts that these telescope owners were professors of astronomy or space exploration enthusiastic about sharing new discoveries of faraway worlds.

There was a bright orange-ish light in the sky above, visible to the naked eye, it could well have been Mars, the red planet.

I could have ventured and been inquisitive, asked difficult questions, sought unimpeachable evidence and all that, but I might have met hostile retribution for interruption what was uniquely a selling-point that traded on the curiosity of the crowd – View space in time for a fee and be thankful for the privilege. They did have custom.

Sea shells with no shelf life

Mussels, clams, oysters, sea shells – to a novice, I knew no better but there were trays of them with cut lemons available to eager customers.

The traders had no shop windows, just tables set up in the open for people to sample the delicacies of the sea.

If any of them ended up with food poisoning, it will take time-travel forensics to determine when the tray tables folded up and the purveyors of the poisons disappeared into thin air.

I was just not knowledgeable enough to dare; not this time and maybe not ever. Knowledge, they say, is power, by inference, you are powerless without knowledge.

Holiday Snaps: Another beam through the prism of Turkey

The monies of Europe

There is much more to notice and observe, the peculiarities of Turkey and its proximity to Europe catering for tourists that visit from far and wide.

The cash machines are definitely more advanced or better programmed with mainland Europeans, as most shops and restaurants trade in Turkish Lira, British Pounds or Euros, machines from well-known banks as HSBC and ING are ubiquitous as well as the home grown Garanti Bank.

I have seen certain ATMs offer up to 8 languages on their menus and dispensing Lira, Pounds or Euros with a notification of the prevailing exchange rate that you can choose to complete the transaction or abort it.

Certain other banks are not that versatile with the annoying prospect of having inserted your card, keying in your PIN and then after any almost interminable wait, nothing happens and you are offered your card back without a decent explanation as to why the transaction was not completed.

Play time, pastime

For pastime they can be found playing backgammon and there will most likely be a water pipe to hand too.

Lots of bars have game boards and water pipes serviced and ready for customers who while away time on games quaffing drinks like water.

Crossing the road where there are traffic lights and a zebra-crossing presents an unfamiliar situation where the green man is a blinking flash which many of us from mainland Europe may take to mean we are being warned to get off the road because the lights would soon change – I was at first confused.

Men being seriously male

There are times I felt a bit out of place, Marmaris is a lot family-oriented or at least it is hardly a haven for singles. The number of times I was asked about my partner, my company, my friend was innumerable.

You are expected, required, assumed to be a family man of sorts that anything to the contrary is suspect and regarded unusual.

The men are fiercely heterosexual, prone to boast and quite available to chaperone ladies from companionship roles to providing sexual satisfaction – none of the young men I met were shy, their libidos had no reserve in terms of expression as stories of conquests and experiences with comparisons coloured the air.

Suffice it to say, they had many things on their minds but in importance, that seemed to matter a lot.

Holiday Snaps: Tourism feeding on exploitation

The false joys of tourism

Whilst on holiday it is easy for to be carried away with the fun and relaxation and miss the more serious issues about the destinations that welcome us as tourists.

The by-product s of tourism, whilst it offers great benefit and profit to the locality in general and employment to the populace that might be otherwise unemployment, it rarely is the whole story.

For each night that I went out for a walk along the promenade, it was hard enough running the gauntlet of restaurateurs plying for trade amongst the competition, it ranged from mild-mannered interest to near aggression, the tourism almost none the wiser except where they get pulled by limb and the difference between persuasion and physical abuse is a matter of definition.

The myth precedes

However, some rather unhealthy stereotype or reputation appears to inform some other people about people of colour in terms of sexual prowess; people were overtly and obtusely rude about it but for another more sinister purpose.

They first appeared friendly and curious, and then on noticing I was alone, they suggested they could put more enjoyment in my holiday. They had girls from Russia, Bulgaria or Africa that I could choose to spend the night with.

They had plenty girls in their words and for the right price I could have “jigi-jigi” which I think is international parlance for sex.

Trafficked for the sex trade

Knowing the unpalatable and nasty rise in human-trafficking for sexual slavery, I could only imagine that these vendors who were inveterate pimps were part of the network of nasty criminals making a living on the suffering of vulnerable, defenceless people who probably had no means of exercising their rights and challenging for justice.

The least I could do was vehemently decline every offer and briskly walk away from the more persistent ones. I would aver that tourist resorts with marine ports like Marmaris will have ample supply of trafficked women and they offer a criminal income streams within an almost pretentious idyllic resort.

All-inclusive slavery

The other group of the exploited are as a result of the sorts of deals we have for holidays. More travel agencies are offering all-inclusive package holiday deals which very well benefit the customers who do not have to worry about the additional cost of meals and drinks.

However, speaking to the ever helpful staff at many of these hotels, they put in 10-hour days, 6 days a week. They are literally over-worked and possibly underpaid but cannot for the ready labour ditch their jobs for others with better conditions.

Upon that, they bear the brunt of disgruntled, unsatisfied and difficult to please customers who are seeking their money’s worth and more without any consideration for the fellow human-being worked to the bone to offer them a use service.

Unhelpful reviews

For instance, I read the nastiest and most horrible reviews about the hotel where I spent a week, I cannot say the food was gourmet standard but it was no way as bad as certain reviews made it out to be.

The rooms were spacious, clean and well catered, after chatting to another guest we wondered if those people visited the same hotel.

However, we should still spare a thought for those whose sweat make the whole lot we enjoy in all-inclusive holidays happen for the little they earn and the selfless service they offer.

Things will not change for them if we continually seek cheaper deals without considering the consequences and the trade-offs down the line.

Holiday Snaps: A Turkish Scrub

Try Turkey

Turkey is a country of many things and for any visit to Turkey you are expected to try a number of things like authentic Turkish delight, baklava; an overly sweet dessert, Turkish coffee, a Turkish bath, raki; an alcoholic beverage amongst many things, this list not being exhaustive by any chance.

Today, it was the Turkish bath though I was not sure of the kind of massage I would receive from the benign oil massage to the muscular type that had a naval officer of seriously manly bulk off HMS Illustrious think he had been mugged.

So, on getting to the Turkish bath, I was advised to put all my things in a locker and putting on a geometrical print towel I first made for the sauna.

Prankish silliness

After 15 minutes by the hour-glass I moved to the bath house where a number of patrons were in prankish abandon having been covered in foam and wearing silly hats has pictures taken in the silliest of poses – I could find no mirth or humour in that apart from the public setting of the place.

I was asked to lie down on a marble slap and I got scrubbed down with a sponge that exposed the fact that the medicinal qualities of a mud bath did not include any cleansing ability.

I was amazed at the kind of oily grime mixed with exfoliated dead skin that came off every part of my scrubbed being, I could barely look at the stuff but it was a relief to see that there was some benefit to the scrub.

After a wash-down, foam was applied through the technique of soaking a pillow case in soapy water, this was then aerated with a billowing shake through the air and with the open end closed the inflated pillowcase was rubbed along the body with the expelled air coming out of the body of the pillow case creating lots of foam. I refused the pleasure of being photographed in a less than decent pose.

Tools to the pedicure

My Turkish bath deal included an oil massage with optional extras, I decided on the pedicure, it was the first time my feet had received any non-medical treatment after I had cancer. I did inform the man in charge that my feet were the state they were because of cancer and he did not think that was a problem.

At first the dry skin was filed, scraped, cut, shaved and picked off, he has a filer, pliers, scissors, special shaving stick and sandpaper; my soles are full of the colour of medical condition, but the pedicurist was not fazed by any of that as he worked on both feet. My left foot was somewhat tender after he started working on it.

Garra rufa fish

Then, reclining in a deck chair a mud screen was applied to the feet and left to dry after which they were washed and then I put my feet in an aquarium of Garra rufa fish [1] (Cyprinion macrostomus) which are supposed to feed off dead skin just as bed bugs do their thing, though they were quite ticklish at first, the effect was soothing.

It appears to be a sort of health craze and now I read that there might be some health consequences for such treatment though some anecdotal evidence points to its therapeutic effects for those suffering from psoriasis.

The 20-minute nibbling lead to a foot massage and then an oil massage, it was all refreshing though not as dramatic as I expected it to be, but I can say I have been to a Turkish bath too and feel the better for it.

Sources

[1] Doctor fish - From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Holiday Snaps: Dalyan, sea turtles and mud

Notes for a blog

A moment of forgetfulness caught me yesterday as strained myself to distraction trying to remember what I wanted to write about. When I started to blog, it all came back but it signified I needed an aide memoir to help keep record my thoughts for writing later on in the day, the use of patterns and connections might not suffice anymore.

For the first time, my blog will be crafted from handwritten notes I took on my journey out to Dalyan with my writing just as illegible as chicken scrawls – Dalyan [1] is about sea turtles, ancient tombs of kings hewn in rock and mud baths in sulphur and mineral rich yuck.

I got to the boat as one of the late pickups, all sunbeds on the upper decks seem to have been taken and then I chanced on an empty one where the oven of the sun baked me to crisp.

Dangers of a crowd

I had settled in when a push chair with a toddler strapped was placed at the foot of my sunbed restricting passage to others to my inconvenience considering I was one of the taller one with feet sticking out.

The family of three generations was from somewhere in England peaking with an almost indecipherable accent and they were defined by the fact that of all the newspapers on offer they took the Sun.

The first attraction was the Phosphor cave a hollow-through of an island hill and as the captain spoke of it the boat titled noticeably to one side because everyone wanted to have a look and take pictures.

Further on at Aquarium Bay a 30-minute swim break was announced where under supervision you could jump from the middle deck of the boat into the water, those who tried funny tricks simply got a nasty water slap.

For the safe harbour of turtles

The sun was hot that I had to cover my legs with my towel and my head with my hat as I fell into snoring sleep but by noon we were invited to lunch which was fusilli pasta, onion sauce, a salad, chicken nuggets and a meaty thing best forgotten. The drinks were extra and there was brisk business within a contrived monopoly since we were not allowed to bring drinks on-board and those who did had them seized on boarding.

We reached İztuzu Beach [2] or Turtle Beach as it is known to tourists and it is the nesting ground for two kinds of sea turtle that nest in Turkey one of which is the endangered loggerhead sea turtle [3]. We had to switch to river-boats because the water was quite shallow and the other journeys through the delta of streams could not float the bigger boats.

A fleeting glimpse of a sea turtle was caught but with all the boats moving there wasn’t enough time to take a picture. The waters were of the saltier Mediterranean Sea and the deeper fresh waters on the other side, skinny dipping in the cold water; I saw the basic principles of quick sand.

The nesting season of the turtles is in May and June with some places cordoned off identifying turtle nests. Visits to these protected islands are prohibited between 8 at night and 8 in the morning when the turtles come on shore to nest.

Mud, mud and smelly mud

We returned to the river boats for the long journey through the deltas of the Dalyan Çayı River towards the mud ponds for a bit of nature treatment. The reeking smell of rotten eggs was perceived from the banks, evidence of oxides of sulphur and many other minerals.

Digging into the base of the pool for lumps of clay, we battered ourselves up with mud then allowing it to dry-out for many to appear in temporary mummy disguise.

After washing off the mud and having a hose down of cold water, we took a soak in the naturally heated sulphur pool which had a temperature of 39 Celsius.

After the final shower, we departed to view the king’s tombs from afar, they are in fact Lycian [4] rock cut tombs in antiquity dating back over 2000 years ago and then we returned to the mother-ship for the journey back to Marmaris.

We, the circus acts

With no other site to excite us, the crew contrived a raffle draw to select 6 participants in a musical chairs game, the cacophony snuffing out every attempt to gain some sleep. Obviously, I had nothing commendable to say of situations where we are surreptitiously enrolled in mock entertainment like circus animals for the pleasure of others.

At least it was at the end interesting that a Bulgarian won and they all gathered in a folk dance as the boat reached Marmaris, I could not imagine what cringing display it would have to see fellow Englishmen make a fool of themselves.

References

[1] Dalyan - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

[2] İztuzu Beach - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

[3] Loggerhead sea turtle - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

[4] Lycia - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Holiday Snaps: A beam through the prism of Turkey

A pinch of Turkey

There are quite a number of observations I have made on my trip to Turkey, this is somewhat premature but it is best written as an preface of sorts to what might be covered in more detail later either concerning this journey or another visit to Turkey.

Though I was only in Marmaris [1], the South-West of Turkey in Anatolia, I cannot say it is representative of such a big country.

However, it represents a genuine difference from other places I have been to. The rarity of people of colour in these parts means I might well end up on quite a number of Turkish social media pages having appeared in innumerable pictures with the locals that have all asked to take pictures with me.

In the energy saving realm

Beyond that, I noticed that a majority of places both inside and outside had low-power light bulbs in every kind of twisted tubular design.

I could not help but notice the number of Turks that had returned home from mainland Europe, they all seem to have been quite well travelled and not just from Germany, I saw quite a few from the UK and even the Netherlands.

Literally every café, bar or restaurant had free Wireless Internet connectivity, it should put hotels that still charge for that service on mainland Europe to shame.

I should expect that eventually every hotel will that service freely available at least in their lobbies if not in all rooms. The Radisson hotel group stands apart on mainland Europe for providing free WiFi access in the rooms and for those who hold their cards, they can expect to use the service in the lobbies without having to check-in.

The push to the West

Every picture I have seen of the revered and respected 1^st president of the Republic of Turkey, Mustafa Kemal Ataturk [2] shows a man who having seized Turkey from the grasp and dying throes of the Ottoman Empire is 72 years after his death still striving to drag his country and countrymen to the West.

The battle to make Turkey a modern, western and secular nation-state is still being fought with fervour and passion like never before; one recognises a strong identification is Islam as a religion but a great reticence to make a public expression of that faith.

The liberal and conservative appears to clash and compromise at every turn, it makes for an interesting, vibrant, friendly and tolerant country but it would always be caught in the pulling forces of Asia, the Middle-East and Europe and there is telling where it would eventually end up.

A world without Turkey will however be bereft of history, antiquity, knowledge and a people working hard for peace in a very turbulent world.

Sources

[1] Marmaris - From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

[2] Mustafa Kemal Atatürk - From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Holiday Snaps: To Ephesians Long Gone

The fame of Ephesus

Turkey has much to offer in terms of history and antiquity, the basic issue of tourism that derives from good weather hardly does justice for the diverse culture of this vast land.

I had decided I would visit Ephesus [1] or what remains of it in its ruins near Selçuk in the Izmir Province of Turkey from 220km from my coastal resort and a good 3-hour drive.

At the back of my mind, I thought about the significance of this city in New Testament times, the epistle of Paul to the Ephesians in which he prayed [2] that the “eyes of their understanding be enlightened” and then the reference to the church in the Book of Revelation as one of the 7 churches in Asia to whom Jesus Christ had a message.

Ephesus gets addressed first as the church that had forsaken its first love but all the seven sites [3] or churches of Asia; Ephesus, Smyrna, Pergamon, Thyatira, Sardis, Philadelphia and Laodicea are located in modern-day Turkey.

In Verse 24 of Chapter 19 of the Book of the Acts of Apostles the state religion from which craftsmen derived trade and fortune was threatened by the advent of Christianity, the renown of Ephesus is expressed in these words, “Not only is our little business in danger of falling apart, but the temple of our famous goddess Artemis will certainly end up a pile of rubble as her glorious reputation fades to nothing. And this is no mere local matter--the whole world worships our Artemis!” (Message Bible Version)

The temple of Artemis was one of the 7 wonders of the world in Antiquity. Artemis was the Greek goddess referred to by the Romans as Diana.

The city of Ephesus

It was against this background that my interest was kindled to see what great monuments of man had been erected in this prosperous city that was second only to Rome.

It was built on a slope and the smart thing was for us to arrive at the top end and walk through the ruins over a period of 2 hours in the sun on at times slippery marble and there was lots of marble on columns, walls, standing structures and paving – it all took careful negotiation.

Our tour-guide who saved us the tongue-twisting dilemma of pronouncing his name helped with the simple name of Sam, he was both humorous and knowledgeable.

Apart from photo opportunities with the many who were interested and curious, I met such wonderful people on the tour and besides the side shows of a pottery and other shops, a visit to the Ephesus museum made it such an eventful day.

I suppose more blogs will be written about this visit and pictures will be published soon.

Sources

[1] Ephesus - From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

[2] Epistle of Paul to the Ephesians, Chapter 1, Verse 18

[3] Seven churches of Asia - From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Holiday Snaps: The best price is resistance

Making friends

Sometimes, I find myself somewhere between genuine interest and intriguing curiosity with the prospect of being exploited the calibration on that meter scale.

Now, earlier I was at the Marmaris Castle, a topic to be covered in much detail later and there was a group of kids on an excursion who when they saw me wanted to take pictures.

At least two were forward enough to try out their basic knowledge of English and before you knew it, we had shook hands, my hand the less regal without gloves have made friendship bond with some 15 children who seemed to genuinely interested and all wanted to know my name and where I was from.

I asked for their names, made real pleasantness and asked if they were having fun, which I had to explain and then a chorus of yesses filled the air.

What you don’t want

There was no exploitation in the air though I was taken aback by the question from another kid about my age which simply revealed one of the basic questions in language you learn without making allowances for the fact that it is rude to ask adult strangers that as a second question of a conversation.

However, walking through Marmaris presents those opportunities, restaurateurs that offer food you are not hungry to eat and then they offer free drinks to draw you in for half-priced food, the bait is slung but resistance is key.

Politely, shake hands but don’t let it linger to the point that you are dragged into the lair, the touching should be sniffed at whilst maintaining a convincing smile and engaging in the idle banter.

What you don’t need

Through the bazaar, he asked if I remembered him in Vietnam to which I responded I had forgotten and then he said he was some captain and I noticed the leg he lost in ‘Nam had grown back.

They offered leather jackets and many to view but I could see enough from the street there was no need to go in and I was not in need of a leather jacket that was not in-laid with Kevlar. At half-price of whatever price, there was no deal for me and a lot for them – resistance had to be futile.

Turkish bangles are not what you dangle for bling, they are not necessarily Turkish though the handiwork of talented Turks but you have to be disinterested and without being uninterested, see the interesting without betraying interest or your end up with a gift that commands a price that you have to pay before you depart.

What cannot fly

Carpets and tapestries, cushions and blankets of legendary Turkish expertise but none fit my exacting specifications, beautiful as they all seem, they are not flying-carpets and so, I have nothing to buy and they have nothing to sell even if it going at half-price and less.

They do not persist for long and where one did persuade me to visit his restaurant to eat fish did did “My Way” the best he could offer was a drink and a haggle over the fish – I calmly told him to keep the fish, the long fish tales and bring the bill for the drink, friendly people who are not after what is in my pocket are probably the most likely to get some of what is in my pocket.

The best price is always resistance.

Holiday Snaps: It was crazy alright

Walking into the night

Night life in Marmaris is varied from the cosiness of restaurants to the bar and clubs that form the sea-facing facade of the probably 6km long promenade.

After dinner at the hotel, I made out to walk almost 4km towards the Eastern end of the marina that I had covered by bicycle earlier.

It probably took the best part of an hour or more, I do not walk as briskly as I once did and I had to take breaks on the way to ease the pain in my lower back, it was a case of will over ability, but that was what I wanted to do.

The journey was by no means easy as waiters called out to entice me into their restaurants or dens, you constantly had to stand your ground that you did not want a meal, a sip of any drinks or the conscience-tainting offer of a free drink that almost obliged you to go the extra bit to paying for nice but unwelcome hospitality.

There were many restaurateurs that recognised me as I walked by the docks and they all wanted to have a conversation about everything.

The crazy of Crazy Daisy

When I got to the end of the promenade, I turned left and the first street to the left was club land, a cacophony of sounds from at least 15 different bars and clubs with one so brazen that it lit up the sky with war-time searchlights and a green laser display of the club’s name on the mountains just about 1km away, I was on Bar Street.

Crazy Daisy was worth a look in, as one of the doormen was he-she, I could not really tell but it was quite likely no self-respecting lady will be dressed in a body-hugging leopard-skin leotard with a matching wide-brim hat that had one of the sides folded up into a something like a huge Napoleon Bonaparte hat.

I will err on the side of the person being male and his heels were mountain-topping though the burly bouncers turned away some they did let in others and eventually I made for the door.

The assurance that I would hit no one with my cane gave me a welcome entry into this cavernous place where the drinks were not going for tuppence.

Squeals of heels

Later the man in drag took the stage, by which time I was half-deaf, the loud speakers booming so load as if NATO was doing a night raid on Tripoli – clubs are just not healthy.

Being a disk jockey has nothing to do with disks or jockeying anymore, the man at the music stand had an Apple MacBook and probably a few cables that went into some amplification system and in between some synthesizing equipment to embellish the sounds.

Back to the dancer, it hard enough seeing certain ladies comment on the extraordinary daring of dancing in high heels and I have seen Rihanna, Lady Gaga and Beyonce do feats the foolhardy equivalent of tight-roping walking without a pole or a safety net.

What I saw I could not appropriately put in words, I spontaneously applauded the man as I thought the slightest mishap will lead to a series of skeletal fractures that would make the putting back together of Humpty Dumpty seem like a kindergarten finger-painting class.

I longed for bed

I saw enough and then trundled back to my hotel the pain in my back as bad as it can be for I had resolved to be a glutton for my own self-inflicted punishment.

The only disturbance along the way was a dog that started barking at me before I got to it and after I had moved on, it was still barking oblivious of the fact that I had completely ignored it – such busy-body dogs can only be a representative of their masters.

The bed received me as the pain in my back eased and I fell asleep soon afterwards.

Holiday Snaps: The length and the cycle

The name of that thing

Continuing on from where we left off the conservation, the last place where I was accosted included introductions that left me thinking there was something sinister and obscene about the name.

As I returned there this morning, I asked after the chaps I met earlier in the witching hour and the waiter laughed out loud, he was the most silent and detached one of the few I saw before but he recognised me.

It transpired that two African-Americans had fallen for a manhood confidence trick. A particular race is on average blessed to a mythical standard but that does mean that there are none of other races that could be exceptionally gifted.

You’ll always draw the short straw

Their mythical status got the better of them when a dare from this young chap that he had more of length and girth was taken up with money on the table, the African-Americans left with less of a tail between their legs as money went to the chap who could call anyone’s bluff and walk away with the money.

Whilst one has had no reason to complain, it has never been the most gentlemanly of stances to attempt the dare of drawing the shortest straw, there is nothing to prove and the entertainment value soon wears away in deflated egos.

In the spirit of Amsterdam

I crossed the street to get a few bottles of water and then hired a bicycle to ride around town just as the spirit of Amsterdam allows.

Mmy Englishness sometimes got the better of me as signs prohibiting riding in certain areas were first obayed and then when I realised the rules meant nothing or no one was enforcing them, I got on my bicycle and rode the whole length of the promenade to the East first and then to the West some 10km away to another little village.

The pedestrian path was unevenly laid with cobble-stones I felt I was on a bone-shaker cum penny-farthing with hardened tyres of metal and no shock absorption.

Tossed and lost

The freedom to ride can lure you into a confidence than ends in defeat; I thought I had the mountains on the right side when I tried to return via another route, in the end, it appeared the mountains were on all sides, my sense of bearing completely lost.

After marauding for some 30 minutes, I found a tourist office and in the process realised I was caught in my own version of the Israelites’ sojourn in Sinai.

I was nowhere on my way out of the village that I returned more or less to the end of the promenade where I first thought I could veer off on another route – lesson learnt; return by the way that lead you there.

Some 8km later, I was back at my hotel, not too spent, not worse for wear but really quite relieved, I have the bicycle until later, I had better get a decent map before I find myself marooned on an island just because the tide came in when I was trying to be geographically smart.

Holiday Snaps: Basting my Turkey

Pit-stop capital

The long journey from the airport to my hotel revealed some interesting things along the way. Maybe 60% of that journey was on smooth macadamised road, the rest appeared as if the road was under construction in parts.

In fact, there were earth-movers and caterpillars all working through the night as it they were on some 24-hour rolling shift pattern to get things sorted.

We had a pit-stop at the regional capital of Mugla which was some 80 kilometres into the journey where the use of free toilets and a quick snack was allowed; I even got a few minutes on the free wireless internet connection to learn that Ratko Mladic the most wanted Serbian fugitive from justice had been seized.

The shops willing priced their goods in Turkish Lira or Euro, the Euro is literally legal tender here and there is no fuss.

Earth-moving nights

We took off again for the last 51 kilometres to Marmaris when I noticed other notable resorts on the Mediterranean coast as Fethiye and Antalya were 131km and 306km away respectively. The nearest airport to Marmaris is Dalaman but that itself is 100km inland.

It took another 100 minutes to get to my hotel as we traversed the windy roads with a driver that drove with a carefulness that had me so grateful. In Gran Canaria, the buses sometimes get driven like sports cars, hair-raising does not begin to describe the sensation you feel.

The check-in was easy, I had the dreaded all-inclusive wrist-band slapped unto my right cuff like I was being arrested and then I made for my room.

I know you are not supposed to use a lift when there is a fire but there was another chilling warning too, earthquakes – that is a different kind of earth-moving than the English quip about.

Accost at no cost

I could not wait to get online, there is free wireless internet connectivity in the hotel lobby but I could find no power sources, I’ll check later.

After posting a few comments and blogs it was almost 2:00AM Turkish time, an hour ahead of my home time zone and I was hardly sleepy so I made out for a stroll.

One is going to be a kind of novelty it seems and it is not that I tried to be inconspicuous; still in day-cravat and a jacket but without the customary hat and not forgetting my cane I had not made 150 metres when I was accustomed and asked to visit for a free drink.

I got introduced to the restaurant/bar manager who was sat outside with the unusual setup of having the CCTV of activity within the bar beamed from a projector onto a mega-screen.

Like royalty, I had left my accommodation without my wallet and was served coffee on the house as interest waned over a while as I finished my coffee.

We are not weedy

I fielded as many questions as I could as the troika of allegiances to England of birth, Nigeria of ancestry and The Netherlands of residence jostled for prominence along with my unusual appearance – they were all friendly.

After coffee, I got up and continued my stroll to the main street which is the only major street before you hit the beach. I was not going to be beach combing at that hour so I walked up the street where I was accosted again and dragged in to sit and talk.

I immediately told them, I could spend nothing but that did not deter them, I could not help but notice a number of shops, bars and even a tour booking office was open round-the-clock, something about a city that never sleeps.

The dubious reputation of The Netherlands precedes it, they all thought we did marijuana smoke for oxygen; I could not remonstrate enough that it was the stuff for tourists and residents had lives to live.

Complementing compliments

By the time I was assessed, a pocket square, cufflinks, brogues though not shining, someone thought I was a mafia boss; shining shoes would have made me out to be a dealer, I wonder what would have happened if I had my hat on too.

My knowledge of Arabic words borne of a nominally Muslim heritage and the basic research I had done about Turkey, at least I felt the Cypriot island division was well known but it had them thinking I was a British agent; no one was listening to me about my real job.

They averred many tourists are clueless about things Turkish that my presence just made them suspicious of some covert activity – yes, covert and they send a stand-out agent to investigate and gain access by exploiting the friendliness and hospitality of the Turks – even I had to tell them, it was developing into a very readable story.

Planning to get around

I had a glass of iced-tea but declined the offer of food, not that early in the morning as one of my friends on Twitter and Facebook who dwells at the end of the world in Norwich is wont to do – elves, sprites and fairies of the deepest night – yes, it does get dark like real touchable dark here.

I will eventually try an original Turkish kebab and when ordering Turkish, I should beware of using the Greek substitute words.

When I returned to my hotel at just before 4:00AM, there were some guests checking in, what a journey they must have had, I should get a map and do some exploring after I have met with the tour representative later this morning.

One thing I should never forget is to keep the Do Not Disturb sign on the door handle, I don’t want my DNA venturing out of its legal jurisdiction, you sometimes wonder where these old man get their legendary libido from, one would have thought Viagra wore off after days of overdosing on the pills.

Holiday Snaps: Wild Turkey Wattles

Beyond the norm

This is adventure for me, going off the beaten track and east of the boundary of the Central European time zone that has been the limit of my sojourns for a long time.

I am in what is in antiquity called Asia Minor, the part of Turkey that is geographically part of Asia but geopolitically aspires to be central to Europe.

The flight to Bodrum was fine apart from the severe turbulence as we left Amsterdam and the babies that cried for the problems with cabin pressure and inner ear issues; the disturbance was moderate as I whiled away my time with a number of Times Sudoku puzzles.

This country is mountainous to the extreme, much I did see from the plane especially for someone living in the Netherlands.

Another trip

I had arrived at the Ryanair equivalent of a local airport just 135 kilometres from my destination. We disembarked, got visas and baggage reclaim was within 15 minutes and then the second leg of the journey by bus to Marmaris on the Mediterranean coast and it appears it would be a journey of almost 3 hours with a 15-minute stop-o ver.

As darkness falls, I am in a country where my name is common but means something else, at least even in the Netherlands I have received letters seeking support for a mosque in Rotterdam, assumptions like that has made other expect to see a Japanese man and be utterly surprised – I like the chameleon nature of my name, a camouflage of identity that is useful and is bereft of the baggage that sometimes dogs its origins.

There is a good deal of time left of this journey and as bus jumbles and shudders on this macadamised trail and passes for a major road, I might well rock myself off to sleep, hoping I don’t suddenly grow wattles like a wild turkey due to the vibrations.

I forgot, I’m in Turkey.

Thought Picnic: Talking to Turkeys

Therapy and travel

The hope is that absence and difference will bring perspective and focus leading to direction and purpose.

In the middle of the quagmire of circumstances with not one problem solved yet, therapy has been requested to allow for a professional review of the circumstances that accompany the onset and survival of live-changing circumstances like disease.

As it went, the conversation had the advisor agreeing that this should have been offered as a matter of course but one of the self-inflicted travails of a strong personality is that it excludes you from the scrutiny and sometimes help that should readily be to hand for those less assertive and self-assured.

There are some things one cannot continue to do alone, even though the solution will be brought about through how the interactions clear the fog and offer reason, sense and objective.

Beyond the request for therapy is a break-away to the shores of the Mediterranean in Turkey where hopefully, difference and newness will inspire a new outlook and the ability to take things on with a better aim to success.

Keep me in your thoughts and prayers, I might not get a Damascene conversion but I will settle for the enlightenment of Ephesus.

Turkey belongs outside Europe for now

Is this a democracy?

I have been watching events in Turkey lately and I think we can now conclude that it does not belong in Europe, it is best kept at the periphery of almost-European but never attaining the stature of a truly free society with European values.

Turkey is presumably a democratic country where a party with Islamic leanings holds the majority in parliament having been voted in by the people of Turkey.

The parliament exercises the right to elect a president who would in most cases be a member of the ruling party.

However, there is a fearful and uncomfortable undemocratic situation enveloping the country as certain vocal elements in the country try to derail the process in the name of keeping Turkey in its strict and suffocating secularist model.

It would make one wonder what the Turkish democracy is for and what the people of Turkey have required if the party they have voted into power cannot then exercise prerogative and privilege because some sections of society suspect the ruling party would de-secularise the country.

Protectors of democracy

Whilst the ruling party has had certain Islamist policies it has maintained if not protected the secularism of Turkey regardless of the fact that the wives of the ruling elite wear scarves.

This unholy alliance of undemocratic forces which now includes the opposition parties, the wayward army and even the judiciary have thwarted every attempt to present a viable candidate for the presidency from the ruling party such that the Prime Minister has now called for elections to be held on the 24^th of June.

Evidently, it appears the Islamic party is keen on protecting the democratic credentials of Turkey whilst the opposition is keen on protecting the secularism of Turkey regardless of the harm it does to democracy.

Between democracy and the secularist dogma, democracy should signify in the most certain terms what the people want; even if it includes ditching the secularist millstone.

The power of democracy

It would be interesting to see the result of this election especially if the Islamist party is returned to power.

The pragmatism of the Islamist party is commendable; they have also suggested that the president be popularly elected by the people of Turkey.

In fact, one can say that only the Islamic party is able to make Turkey a European entity and without them, Turkey would continue to be a proudly backward-looking country with a weighty heritage of being hamstrung to secularism when in fact it is the fear of religion that has kept them from respecting the very basic tenets of popular suffrage and democracy.

For now, Turkey belongs outside Europe, way outside Europe for the foreseeable future.

References

Turkey PM condemns court ruling

Court ruling deepens crisis in Turkey

Becoming persona non grata in Thailand

Most High Men

Now obviously this is skirting the realms of the unspeakable, untouchable and the incredible. Whilst I do have respect for monarchies and they do need to maintain an air of mystique about them, it becomes a bit much when these mere mortals who have assumed great power on earth get venerated as demi-gods and are accorded sacred virtues of holy unapproachable idols.

A typical scenario has been played out in Thailand where the much revered King Bhumibol Adulyadej Rama IX and ruler of over 60 years has been so feted.

An inebriated Swiss man resident in Thailand for over 10 years allowed his alcohol to get the better of him and went about defacing pictures commemorating the 79^th birthday of the king.

That basically is vandalism in any general crime and punishment regime for which there should be some public order sanction.

Insulting the king

This however takes an interesting twist when the statute books contain a law that pertains to insulting a king, denigrating the name of a nation and identity or creating caricatures of seemingly revered figures of tradition or religion.

So, back in Thailand, the Swiss gets 10 years imprisonment for defacing pictures of the king, one does wonder what would have happened if he had defaced the statue of the king or worse still, gotten close to the king as to shout insults at the king.

In the 21^st Century, it does not augur well for such societies to confer unassailable mystique and infallibility of any person to the point of benevolent deification.

It is shameful that one cannot criticise the king even constructively for the fear of overbearing lèse majesté laws that restrict free speech and curtail free expression thus protecting of some air of importance, dare I say, delusions of heavenly grandeur.

Taking offence unnecessarily

I do not think the critique of any person of importance, the defacement of a representation of a potentate or the refusal to genuflect to a monarch should constitute an offence, those who intend to be slighted can by their your will so be slighted but not by making an atrocious law to create an offence of the event.

One must not forget that royal influence was exerted in encouraging a military putsch that ousted a democratically elected regime that had quite a following amongst the Thai poor, the military rulers however have been cack-handed in handling the economy and made such of fuss of outlawing You-Tube for hosting material that made fun of the king.

Wasting the time of the king

In the end, the Swiss man received a royal pardon which is commendable but the situation is on the whole worsened because an inconsequential event in a Thailand backwater by a drunken foreigner went on to gain international prominence requiring the king exercise a prerogative because of a law that really should be struck off the books of any modern nation.

How this differs from the Turkish laws of insulting Turkishness or the legacy of Ataturk and the Muslim reaction to the Mohammedan cartoons with the fatwas that ensued would make interesting debate.

One suspects this is unlike other rulers who are cellophane skinned that they cannot brook any dissent and it is simply about courtiers trying to maintain the suffocating air of mystique around his majesty and by doing so heaping cause for opprobrium on the Thai people.

I guess these means I am persona non grata in Thailand.

References

Sensitive heads of state

Cellophane skinned lion hearts

Turkey still unsuitable for Europe

Consulting Turkey

There is no doubt that Turkey does have an uphill task in becoming acceptable and amenable to Europe. I could very well sympathise with the many who believe that the way Turkey straddles Europe and Asia makes it better a neutral ally than an assimilated partner in the great Europe project.

Turkey still struggles with its identity in terms of its history, its nationhood, the influence of the army and its protection of pressure-cooker secularist ideology.

In many cases, what binds the people is so artificial in the context of real-politik and nowhere is that best exemplified than in the Article 301 of the Turkish Penal Code which pared down simply makes a crime of insulting Turkishness.

This article, controversial as it is, surreptitiously stands to revolt against any objective scrutiny of Turkish history; this mainly points to the case of the alleged genocide of Armenians by the failing Ottoman Empire between 1915 and 1917, it also refuses to the recognise the need to protect the human rights of ethnic minorities like the Kurds.

Insulting Turkishness

The laudable goals of this article are listed thus:

1. A person who publicly denigrates Turkishness, the Republic or the Grand National Assembly of Turkey, shall be punishable by imprisonment of between six months and three years.

2. A person who publicly denigrates the Government of the Republic of Turkey, the judicial institutions of the State, the military or security organizations shall be punishable by imprisonment of between six months and two years.

3. In cases where denigration of Turkishness is committed by a Turkish citizen in another country the punishment shall be increased by one third.

4. Expressions of thought intended to criticize shall not constitute a crime.

You will note that the critical word of import in this article is “denigration”, which in common parlance means to blacken; somehow, one must not attack the reputation of all entities Turkish even if they have been caught in situations that make their reputation questionable or one must not deny the importance or validity of a stance even if it is an unfair revision of history to suit nationalistic purposes.

Resulting Turkey mess

The last part of this article could as well be a muzzled dog in that it cannot allow for objective analysis of a view which criticizes but is view by some as denigration.

On the basis of this poorly constructed piece of legislation, many have been charged with insulting Turkishness prominent amongst whom are the Nobel Laureate for Literature 2006 – Orhan Pamuk – charges were eventually dropped.

Hrant Dink, a writer and journalist, was convicted under this article in 2005 for writing about the Armenian Genocide and on the 19^th of January was gunned down in front of his newspaper office by a teenager who took exception to his writings or so it seems.

The outpouring of rage and grief at the procession to the funeral of Mr. Dink did give the impression that the Turks would rather dispense of a piece of legislation that makes their brand of democracy questionable if not a fallacy of a pseudo-totalitarian state propped up by the army and licensed to punish any view that does not subserviently defer to that of the government and its organs.

The Economist suggested that this article be repealed as a sign of a new democratic dawn in Turkey and a lasting legacy to Mr. Dink.

Exulting extremist Turkey

It would now appear that we have been thinking ahead of ourselves, a leaked video – something that now seems the laudable purveyor of truths people in authority would rather we did not know – showing the suspect killer of Mr. Dink (Ogun Samast) posing with the national flag and some police personnel in a “Boy, you have done us proud” situation is now public property.

This would feed into the conspiracy that the suspect was probably part of a greater plot of perpetrators out to kill Mr. Dink, though being 17 years old, is a convenient fall-guy for an offence that might Turkishly be swept under the carpet for the want of another turn of phrase.

Obviously, an inquiry has been instituted to nab the police involved in what might have let the cat out of bag – the indoctrination of people into fundamental Turkey-tude that they cannot separate the wrongness of a heinous crime of murder from the absurdity of insulting Turkishness.

Insulting our intelligence

Beyond that, they are also after whoever leaked the video, now, that really gets to me, the video is a truthful recording of events that really took place, a truth that must not be conceal from a public that might feel justice is being served only to find out that murderous crimes are being glorified.

Once again, like all those before, the man who revealed the hanging of Saddam Hussein, the people who revealed the pictures of Abu Ghraib and yesterday, the lady who revealed the pictures of orphaned babies being gagged from crying out in a hospital in Russia, these are the upholders of our civility, the real democrats, the people who make us feel our bosoms for a conscience – they need to be commended and protected from the tyranny of powers that would not prevent injustice and when that injustice is revealed, they are hounded for seeking justice that should have been there in the first place.

It is self-evident that a Turkey in this form that allowed this ideology of Turkishness to prevail to the point that people can get killed does not belong in Europe. Imagine an offence like “Insulting Englishness” or “Insulting America-ness”, it is absurd.

Though, France does not help by creating a new offence of denying the Armenian Genocide, both Turkey and France are perpetrating wrongs that require a genuine historical consensus on what really happened and accepting that as the truth regardless of citizenship.