I survived another day on the dolmus

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  Istanbul, Turkey
Thursday, September 4, 2008

Hello,

Hannah and I are quickly becoming adept at using the mini-buses here in Istanbul. Known as a dolmus by the locals, it holds anywhere from 12 people comfortably to 25 people packed in like sardines. They careen dangerously around corners, skirt by other vehicles aggressively, and I've heard rumors of the fistfights that the drivers get into with one another. However, at the price of 1.5 lira to get downtown, it is worth the danger. Besides, if you stand up instead of sit down, it kind of feels like a high speed roller coaster; except with a much higher probability of death. This morning we were downtown and Hannah and I got on the dolmus with all our groceries for the week. We were excited because we got there just as the bus was pulling up and managed to get some seats. When I gave the driver the money and told him our destination (Emlak Konut) he looked at me quizzically as though he had never heard of the place. He pointed at the Koç sign in the window and said something in Turkish. After a minute of failed communication I asked for my three dollars back, assuming I was on the wrong dolmus. A stand off ensued while the passengers loaded up. I decided to give up on my three dollars and just get off the dolmus with Hannah. Once the bus was full (and our seats taken) the driver noticed I had gotten off and yelled Emlak Konut and waved his arms. We squeezed back in and managed to get home without losing any of our groceries. This is just one instance of times during the last week when I have looked back on a situation and thought "what the heck was that all about". I'm sure the driver was thinking "what is this guys problem". Such are the confusions when cultures and languages collide.

Today we also finished day two of our Turkish lesions. One day left. We have now had five hours and I have managed to absorb about 10 minutes of it. Turkish is very straightforward in terms of conjugation and spelling, but the pronunciation and speed is something I think will trouble me greatly. It was fun to go to the market yesterday and actually understand most of the words that were used. It was the perfect closed system of conversation in which to practice. In two days we are planning a trip to the historic section of the city. Right now I am reading the Fall of Constantinople 1453 by Stephen Runciman and some of the sections of the original wall are still standing. It will be amazing to see.

A couple of nights ago we went on a cruise of the Bosporus. It was absolutely breathtaking. We could see old castle foundations, people fishing off the pear, and the wall of the great palace. We went under both of the bridges connecting Europe and Asia. Nike was sponsoring some kind of cross-continental race and we could just make out the images of runners going across. I am not sure how the runners could make it across the bridge. We drove across it on Monday and that made me kind of tired. The bridge was lit up like a Christmas tree with patterned lights and multiple spotlights synchronized in a rhythm. We were served a three course meal complete with drinks. For dessert we had fresh fruit from the region. It was by far the best boat ride of my life.