How to know if you’re a “Culture Vulture”

So, I’d never in my life heard of this term until I met a guy named Chris from Sydney in Turkey last July. We became quite friendly, hanging out in Olympos, Pamukkale, and then Istanbul together. It was one of those situations where you could tell you wouldn’t be friends with this person in your ordinary life, but you got on well enough and were glad of the company for awhile. Plus, he looked like that guy from Bondi Vet.

 

We spent our time chatting about our travels and life in general. We enjoyed each others company visiting the springs at Pamukkale, and then we ran into one another again in Istanbul. The Olympics were on, so we spent a decent amount of time hanging out in the streetside bars and watching whatever was on. Usually it was wrestling, or one of the other three sports Turkey is apparently good at.

 

One thing that became apparent, was that Chris was not, what he termed, a ‘culture vulture.’ Having told him about my studies and general interests when I travel, apparently I was. I was mystified. Surely, although some people are more inclined to visit museums and historical sites than others, when you’re traveling, you’re open to most tourist attractions, within reason? Apparently not. And thus ensued our endless battle over Chris visiting the Hagia Sophia.

 

He didn’t want to go, because La Sagrada Familia had ruined churches in general for him. It was overpriced, overcrowded, and uncomfortable. Plus, as a sports fan, he just wasn’t, he assured me, a ‘culture vulture.’ Still, I gently harangued him almost every day, assuring him that Sophia was an essential part of understanding Istanbul, Constantinople and the Ottoman Empire. It may be crowded, I said, but it won’t be like visiting famous churches in Western Europe. Trust me. You’ve gotta see this.

 

Alas, my breath was wasted. Chris stubbornly insisted that I wouldn’t visit Wimbledon (although I totally would, if I had time) so he just wasn’t interested in the Hagia Sophia. I gave up, in a somewhat disgruntled state.

 

My point being this: I myself, as a history nerd, find many museums boring and pointless. I accept that those museums I do enjoy still may not appeal to a non history minded person. I think my opinion is a little biased because I honestly love Istanbul so much. One of the reasons I love it is because I think it makes history accessible to the average person. I’m not telling anyone to spend their entire visit theire in galleries and museums and palaces. Quite the contrary. I love nothing more than strolling along Galata bridge and watching the fisherman or the sunset. But, I simply can’t understand anyone visiting this magnificent city and not taking the chance to learn about this building which is so integral to its identity.

 

I understand everyone travels for different reasons, and in the same trip you might shift from partying in one city to shopping in another to museum going in another. That’s great. But at the heart of all your travels, is trying to understand and experiencing a different culture, right? I didn’t know that seeking out cultural experiences warranted a title.

 

A busy day around Galata

 

Just call me a culture vulture, then?

 

Happy New Year!

 

Well I spent New Years Eve in my favourite city in the world- Istanbul! Despite a fairly low key evening, I did enjoy a scrumptious dinner, plenty of wine and an amazing chocolate dessert. Oh, and the added bonus of the company of one of my best friends!

 

NYE star jump in front of the Blue Mosque

 

The vibe in Istanbul was very cool on NYE; despite not attending the famed Taksim street party (for fear of being groped- seriously!) the backpackers were in the streets in Sultanahmet and the fact that the Galata fireworks went off at 11.52 was just so Turkish it was hilarious.

 

So it’s 2013 and the big question is- what next? I can’t believe it’s a month until I’ll be heading home. I have a lot of life decisions to make, but more importantly a lot of people to catch up with!

 

I don’t want this to be over but I am looking forward to sleeping in, in MY bed, eating Vegemite toast and forcing my cat to cuddle me. Beyond that, I’ve no real idea what 2013 will hold, apart from being a bridesmaid in my sister’s wedding, and tons of gratuitous reading and movie watching as I pretend I’m figuring my life out. All I know is that travel WILL be involved in some way!

I hope everyone had a great new year and is looking forward to the year ahead.

 

x

Sweet Things

Turkey is a sweet tooth’s paradise. Aside from the obvious baklava, here are my thoughts on some of the tasty treats I’ve enjoyed throughout summer in Istanbul.

Syrup

This tasty liquid treat comes in many flavours, like lemon with cardamom, rose, ‘Sultan’s Special’ and more. Apparently a popular Turkish treat, I’ve discovered them in the temporary markets in the hippodrome set up for summer. Delicious! 7/10

Rose sherbert… too sweet though, even for me!

Haci Bekir’s Turkish Delight and boiled sweets

If Haci Bekir was still alive, I might want to marry him. That’s because, in 1777, this man invented what we know today as Turkish Delight (lokum). Not only has Mr Bekir’s legacy lived on in the form of the most luscious, flavourful turkish delight that I’ve ever tasted, but his empire has expanded to include a myriad of other sweets and cakes. My favourite of the offerings of Haci Bekir is the rose flavoured boiled sweets. In case you hadn’t noticed, I love things that taste like rose. 9/10

Haci Bekir- I love this man

Chocolate Baklava

I tried the chocolate baklava because it intrigued me. I didn’t think that such a thing could be possible. Well, it is possible, but unfortunately for me it’s not a winner. It’s just the combination of chocolate and the super sweet baklava syrup that makes it neither satisfyingly sweet nor chocolate-y. Worth a dollar to try, but I won’t be having it again. 5/10

Chocolate baklava- surprisingly, a letdown

Halka

Halka is another discovery from the summer markets. There are also a lot of guys walking around selling them at night after the fast breaks. Like a giant crispy doughnut pretzel thing, it’s simply amazing. Syrupy and moist inside, it’s difficult to control myself out of these babies. 8/10

Delicious halka

Kadayif

I have thought for ages that this was just another kind of baklava, because I first tried a version of it when I was in Jordan, in a giant tin of baklava. I’ve since learned that this sticky pistachio goodness is actually called kadayif. It’s a traditional Turkish sweet, and it rocks. 9/10

Kadayif- my favourite Turkish sweet

What about anyone else? Any thoughts on Turkish desserts?

Ayvalik: Gem of the Aegean

Ayvalik is a small seaside town that was recommended to me by a fellow traveler in Bulgaria, and I am so glad I took her advice. Sure, it’s still mildly ‘touristy’, but it seemed to me that the bulk of the tourists were Turkish. I met a few foreigners, mostly on their way through with a tour. It’s not necessarily a place a lot of independent travelers get to, I think. This is noticeable because of the poor level  of English spoken, even by the bus company employees. But it’s not hard for them to understand ‘bus, Izmir!’ and in any case, it’s nice to be in a place that’s not obviously catering specifically to westerners.

I stayed in a pension just a few streets back from the main drag, Ataturk Caddesi, which stretches along the waterfront. Luckily, I was here on a Thursday, when the whole town is transformed into a giant market. It’s supposedly the biggest on the Aegean. Ayvalik is the perfect place to while away your time exploring the old cobblestoned streets, checking out the market and the old Greek houses, or catching a ferry to nearby Alibey Island.

I spent three days there, doing exactly that, as well as lazing on the terrace of the pension and doing a lot of reading and eating. I used it as a kind of buffer between the previous month’s travels and the many activities I knew I had coming up in Turkey. Ok, so many of them do involve lying on a boat as it takes me from place to place, but still. I wasn’t use exactly how busy and touristy it was going to be down south, so I wanted to take the chance to enjoy somewhere slightly less visited.

Ayvalik is a little gem of a town, admittedly a bit more complicated to get away from than Istanbul, but the excellent bus connections in Turkey make even taking two buses in one day a relatively simple activity. Plus, you’ll find people at the Otogars always willing to help.

Some snaps from Ayvalik:

Fruit section of the Thursday market

Cherry pistachio slice from a great Ayvalik patisserie

Sunset on the waterfront

A reminder of the Greek history on Alibey Island

Wander the backstreets and you can literally walk straight into the water!

The local specialty- ‘lok’, a honey soaked sponge

‘The mosque with the clock’

Delicious Turkey: Pt 1

Welcome to the first in a series of posts on the food of Turkey! For me, Turkey is one of the greatest food destinations in the world. Centuries of Ottoman expansion and conquest have resulted in a cuisine that is hugely varied as well as hugely tasty. With an emphasis on taste over the Western obsession with ‘healthiness’, Turkish food is not afraid of a little fat, yet the freshness and variety of the produce and lack of additives mean that you’re probably ingesting things that are in fact healthier than much of what we eat at home.

Unfortunately my backpacker budget does restrain me a little bit in terms of savouring some of the really fine Turkish cuisine I know is available, but as you will see, I manage to do pretty well with street food, sweets, and the occasional restaurant.

Without further ado, here are the highlights of my first days in Istanbul this year!

Wet Burger

The ‘wet’ or islak burger is an Istanbul institution. Found at many of the fast food joints littering Taksim Square, it’s often the food of choice for late night revellers. And, no wonder. It’s greasy, garlicky, warm and juicy. Sure it’s not exactly high in nutrition, but it’s the tastiest meat patty I’ve tried in awhile. I’m pretty sure after the first bite I said aloud in wonderment, ‘it’s like eating a meat patty wrapped in garlic bread!’ Plus,  at 2.5L (lira), it’s the perfect budget snack. Only problem is, you’ll want to eat about three!

Dondurma

Dondurma, or Turkish ice cream, is renowned for it’s strange consistency as much as anything else. Kept in a metal container, the ice cream vendors can be seen mashing the entire lump of ice cream with a metal stick, and then drawing it all out and waving it around, kind of like bakers do with pizza dough in their hands. I assume it’s mostly for show, but perhaps the ice cream also needs to be ‘kneaded’ in a sense to keep it fresh. No idea, but the cold, pistachio goodness was welcomed on such a hot day!

A cone will set you back between 3 and 7 L, depending on the size. The carts can be found everywhere, and strolling downs Istiklal Caddesi, you can hear the metallic rhythm of the vendors tapping a tune on their fridges. Of course as soon as they’ve caught your attention they begin their sales pitch!

Durumzade

The almost mythical Durumzade was finally found by myself and a fellow traveler with a dodgy map, even dodgier directions, and two hours of searching.

The kebabs at Durumzade are something special because not only is the lavash (bread) fresh and crispy, but the lamb is tender and juicy and marinated with an array of spices that combines to create the most delicious wrap I’ve ever eaten. Fresh parsley, lettuce, tomato and onion combine with the tender meat, resulting in perfection. I went for the ‘double’ which I think just means lamb in the bread which is rolled over and filled with another section of lamb. I worried it was going to be a monstrous size but it was perfect, and having lunch at 2pm meant I was pretty hungry anyway. At 10L, it’s more expensive than your basic street side kebab, but it’s definitely worth it. The only question is, when I return, do I have lamb again, or try chicken or beef?

Kibbeh

One of my favourite Lebanese dishes, I had no idea this was to be found in Turkey, let alone the fact that the kibbeh vendor on Istiklal Caddesi is supposedly famous.

My friend pointed it out as we were walking, and after an hour or so of shopping we decided our Durumzade fullness had abated just enough to try one. This Turkish variety was different, and dare I say more flavourful, than what I’ve tried in Lebanese restaurants. The minced meat was combined with onion, but also some peppers and spices, resulting in a rich, slightly spicy flavour. I think these set you back around 3.5L, and worth every penny.

Tost

My final new food of Istanbul (this time!), the cheese tost is also something of a Turkish specialty. It comes in a more exciting meat and salad filled variety, which I plan on trying soon, but on this particular night I was just craving a cheese toasty. And, the Turkish tost does not disappoint. Seemingly innocuous slices of panini are filled with layered slices of cheese, and put into a sandwich press.

After awhile, a little butter is added to the bread. Finally, when the toasting process is done, this is the result.

I don’t know how, or why, but this just manages to be one of the best cheese toasties I’ve ever had- and that’s including that time I made one with haloumi. The bread is light and crunchy, and the cheese just delicious. If this is how the cheese one tastes, I can’t wait to try the deluxe version!

Thus ends the first leg of our gastronomic journey around Turkey. I hope you’re salivating by now, stay tuned for the first instalment of Turkish coastal cuisine!

return to Istanbul: pt 1

I first went to Istanbul in January 2010, and I fell in love instantly. The old Hippodrome seemed like a scene out of Narnia; the sights, sounds and colours were exotic, yet friendly. And, by the end of my stay, a delicate blanket of snow had covered everything, transforming the city into a magical fairyland.

Sufficed to say, I have been really looking forward to going back. I’m calling call post part 1 because I will be spending some quality time in Istanbul with friends at the end of this month, but I stayed there a few days between arriving from Bulgaria and heading off down the coast, and wanted to share my impressions, which initially caught me by surprise.

Not only was I excited to return to Istanbul because I loved it so much, but I was also intrigued to experience the city in summer. I’d heard mixed reviews about summertime in Turkey’s capital- which is understandable, given heat, crowds, and prices which all soar in the summer season.

Nevertheless, it was with pure excitement that I finally arrived at the Mavi Guesthouse late on the 1st of July- I say finally because the website’s ever so helpful ‘we’re a short walk away from the Sultanahmet tram stop’ proved to be less than useful.

In the few days I spent there, I grew to enjoy the hostel and especially the staff (Ali and Karolina are great, and the sole basis on which I would recommend this hostel, aside from it’s cheapness) but on the first night, let’s just say that the 24 bed dorm was less than comfortable after a long hot bus ride from Bulgaria.

Similarly, as I journeyed from Sultanahmet to Taksim the next day in search of shorts (sadly, none were obtained but luckily a ‘wet burger‘ and some dondurma saved the day somewhat), I found myself disappointed.

It wasn’t the heat, although being in the direct sun for too long was uncomfortable. But the crowds. People, everywhere, pushing into you, past you, around you- it’s been a long time since I’ve been in the Middle East. But could I remember feeling this disgruntled, this annoyed with such sites before? Perhaps it’s my memory playing tricks on me, but I remember other metropolises such as Cairo and Bangkok with pleasure, in terms of the volume of people (less so in terms of touts!)

I just couldn’t shake a general feeling of annoyance with Istanbul. My beloved Istanbul, of which I’d been dreaming ever since I left in 2010. The busyness and the atmosphere was certainly not the magical, empty, MY Istanbul I’d left behind.

So it was with a somewhat gloomy outlook that I went to bed that night, although slightly buoyed at my plans with a fellow traveler to find a kebab place recommended by Anthony Bourdain the next day. And, in brief- the next day was one of the best I’ve spent in Istanbul. Perhaps it was the company, perhaps it was doing so much walking, especially along the Golden Horn and the Bosphorus, with the wind in my hair and the sun on my face.

I walked under the bridge and didn’t even flinch at the many touts trying to lure us into the fish restaurants. I snapped endlessly from the bridge- the water, the fish boats, the divers, the fishermen. After a 2 hour search, we discovered the kebab place, which just confirmed how much better this day was. Still stuffed, we took Turkish tea and coffee at an out of the way cafe and later ate kibbeh from a street vendor.

The day ended with a long walk along the water to Sultanahmet, cat watching, people watching, and sitting on the rocks watching divers and boats go past. Bliss.

Who knows the reasons for my grumpiness on my first day back in Istanbul? Perhaps it really was a lot more crowded then than on the second day. Perhaps Turkey is just an adjustment- one which I, coming from the relatively laid back Romania and Bulgaria, was not prepared for yet, but which two years ago, coming from bustling Amman and touristy Petra, didn’t feel as much.

I’m not exactly sure of the reasons for my rapid change in attitude over the course of two days, but I am certainly grateful that I ended up leaving Istanbul reluctantly. I’m currently looking forward to my month on the coast, but also counting down the days until the 29th when I return to Istanbul and hunt down many of the recommended foods on istanbuleats.com 

I wasn’t wrong, two years ago. Istanbul is fucking amazing. Stay tuned for more Turkish adventures!

Ruminations on travel

It feels weird to think of myself as a ‘long term traveler.’ Especially because thus far I haven’t even been gone two months.  However, I’ve recently realized that that is exactly what I am, and now that all my planning and saving and waiting has become reality, I’m not sure how I feel about it.

Being in a place like India definitely makes me reflect on travel; why I want to, why I like to, and its place in my life. For years now I’ve been constantly saving, not buying new clothes and not going out because ‘I’m saving for overseas.’ And I’ve been telling people that my plans after uni are just ‘to go traveling.’

Traveling makes me happy, and as lame as it sounds, it makes me feel free. At home I’m often unhappy, due to a combination of stress, pressure, and general longing to be anywhere but there, I suppose. It’s self indulgent and extremely first world, to be sitting in comparative wealth in a place like Australia and be unhappy, but I can’t change how I feel. Plus, I always return to Australia so much more appreciative of what I have after an extended trip overseas.

Over intense discussion with fellow backpackers recently- no beer involved, I swear- I have come to the realization of what makes traveling traveling for me, rather than being a tourist. I don’t mean ‘tick off this list of things that makes me a heaps better hardcore backcpacker than you package tour pansies’- I mean, the kind of feeling you get in a place that makes you want to come back even when you’ve ‘seen the sights.’

A friend of mine recently confided that she felt she’d ‘done’ Western Europe, and wouldn’t bother with a lot of it until she had seen other things. This is fair enough, Europe is expensive and she’s very young. But I also find it a bit sad, to feel so much that a place has nothing else to offer than a collection of sights that you tick off your list. However, as we both agreed, there is something about a city like Paris (her experience) or Istanbul (mine) that makes you want to go again and again.

It’s a combination of beautiful architecture and historical sights, lovely atmosphere and smells and sounds and culture that you love even if you’re an uncultured Australian with no history to speak of.  When I’m in a place like this, I think YES- this is traveling, as Agatha Christie did it when she sailed down the Nile, when going to a place meant taking the chance that no one spoke English but it didn’t matter because that was half the point.

To me,  being a traveler is feeling as though you could become a native of the place you are in, and it’s what I do like about backpacking because currently I’m sitting in a café in Northern India watching travelers who have been here so long talk to staff like they’re best friends.

Conversely, you might hate many places, and travel teaches you to think about why you might or might not like a certain city. Not everywhere suits everyone, whether it’s the food, the climate, the pace, the history, the culture- everyone has their own taste.

But you and I might meet one a bus one day, and bond instantly because we loved/hated the same place. That’s why travel is so great. In the short time of this trip, I’ve made several new friends. And even if we don’t ever actually hang out when I’m in Europe or they’re in Australia, we were friends for that time and made each other’s travel more enjoyable.

I think that’s awesome.

This has become somewhat of a rant I fear, so should be terminated immediately! I’m half tempted not to post it because it’s kind of just me rambling on about nothing in particular. Not posting for a long time has made my thoughts something of a mess. Or maybe I just have malaria.