For a while I had been contemplating where my next (and probably last trip) would be. The only area of the country that I had really not travelled to was the Mediterranean area and the center of Turkey. I wanted my last trip to do a little of both. I actually started this trip earlier than I anticipated, which caused a few (not insurmountable) logistical issues.
My aunt and uncle had some family friends in Columbia who actually had family in Turkey. They gave me their number so that I might explore the possibility of meeting with them and staying with them during my time there. When I called, indicating that I wanted to visit, Besim answered. He explained to me that if I wanted to come and visit, it would be best if I came within the next couple of days. I said ok and began to pack quickly (which was no small task because I anticipated this being a jumping off point for a minimum two week trip). To make matters worse, I discovered that my debit card had been lost (for a second time), causing me not to have an easy way to obtain more money (as most places in Turkey refused to take credit card). Rather than have my dad send me my banking card again, I developed an ingenious solution to the problem. I would link my Turkish bank account to one email address and my American account to another email address, allowing me to transfer money internationally. The bad news was that paypal takes out fees when you pay someone and so I ended up losing money in the process (but it would allow me the ability to get money, which was important).
The bus company, thankfully, took credit card (minimizing the amount of cash I should spend would be best since it was in limited supply waiting for the transaction to go through). I boarded the bus and began the journey to Çeşme. The trip would take approximately 12 hours and I would be doing the trip over night. The next morning I was told to get off at Ilica, a small town right near Çeşme, where the family I was meeting lives.
I arrived early in the morning (around 8 or 9am) and was completely exhausted from the bus ride. Besim picked me up from where the bus drops people off and took me back to their home (which was located near the very luxurious Sheridan hotel just off the beach). The family I was staying with was a Jewish family, the second one I had the opportunity to spend time with in Turkey. Jewish people in Turkey are pretty much exclusively limited to Istanbul and Izmir (and surrounding areas). This family actually had two homes: one in Izmir and one in Çeşme. They usually stay in Çeşme in the summer and in Izmir in the winter. The area of Çeşme, which is a peninsula extending out into the Aegean Sea is absolutely stunning.
I arrived at their home and was shown to my room. I put my stuff down and went to their patio which was outside. The table was set and breakfast was almost ready. I patiently waited for what promised to be a delicious breakfast. I wish I had taken pictures of the meals I got over the next couple of days here. The food was absolutely amazing and was unlike anything else I had anywhere else in Turkey. The way it was explained to me was that the food was a mixture of Jewish and Turkish food. Clearly, this was a microcosm of something I wouldn't have been able to find pretty much anywhere else. I had hoped one day that Naomi would be able to teach me to cook some of the dishes she prepared, but it didn't seem like there would be a chance.
After a delicious meal, I was extremely tired and I needed to take a nap before we did anything else. So I fell asleep at around 10ish and slept for a little while. I woke up and Besim took me down the street to have an official kumru sandwich. Many of you may remember reading about the kumru (Umut taught me how to make them as he is also from Izmir). The kumru sandwich was actually invented, not in Izmir, but in Çeşme. I went to the very place of its origin and it was so delicious. Definitely better than anything I could have made myself in the grocery store. Besim, unfortunately, had a prior commitment and needed to go to Kuşadası (the same port where I first entered Turkey on a cruise two years prior). Besim was a tour guide and would often take foreigners to the ancient city of Ephesus.
In Besim's absence, I would be shown around by his mother Naomi. The family themselves have a pretty interesting history. They immigrated from Spain after the Spanish Inquisition. Naomi can speak Spanish, French, and Turkish fluently. Unfortunately, the one language she could not speak was English, which meant this would be an interesting couple of days for me. Actually, it would turn out to be really good for me because it would force me to practice my Turkish in a way that could not be simulated anywhere else.
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