This is not Turkey

For the longest while I have been pottering along, off season travel, some travellers, few tourists and recently moving thru remote, vast, lonely eastern Turkey. Today I flew... too much distance to cover in a short time... from Trabzon on the Black Sea coast, south to Antalya, major tourist hub on the Mediterranean coast.

The buses from the airport go into busy Antalya. I wanted to go in the other direction to the town of Side (Seeday). Negotiated with the bus driver to get dropped on the highway.. great, but big disappointment when he charged me full fare as tho I was going into Antalya... I was no longer in the east where buses and people would take me short distances and refuse any kind of payment.

Finally arrived in Side and the second bus driver in an hour handed me my pack upside down! After sorting out my pack and re-adjusting the straps I started walking in the direction of the beach to my hotel. Overwhelming. This was no small town. Traffic. Tourists. Shops, shops and more shops and hotels everywhere.. all set amidst the lovely ancient ruins, but no homes, little markets, shoe shine boys, tea salons or cheap eateries. Side seemed to be one big resort town. Everyone in their holiday clothes. Girls in their little summer dresses and skimpy heels. I felt like I had just stepped outta the bush. Pepsi seemed to think so too.

I was wandering , desparately looking for a reasonable dinner. Everything was 4x+ what I was used to paying. In my wandering, I stopped at an esthetics shop, interested in the price to have my brows threaded, but I said not today, for tomorrow, that I was really looking for something to eat. Pepsi insisted I relax, take a seat, why not now? 10 lira, moustache free. Wasn't aware of my moustache, but ok. His twin sister started her work. Then Pepsie started to pull at the hairs on my cheeks and insisted it had to go. So away she went, threaded my entire face, smooth as a baby's bum said Pepsi.

Typical chatter, why am I single (Canadian men must be blind, he says... or maybe it was all my facial hair, i think), why no children. Well Pepsi is single too, we could have children.. or just do the 'training'. I looked at him and said that we didn't know each other...

20 lira (10 euro) less, I continued my search for dinner. Have accepted that tonite won't be cheap, and maybe another glass of wine will help. I am not comfortable.. I wasn't looking for a holiday.. not like this.

But the Turkish warmth I have fallen for is not completely lost here. I was offered a drink on the house, and notice that there is belly dancing tomorrow night and I am welcome... ah, but my bill shows surcharges and taxes, something I haven't seen before today. Barry Manilow, Whitney Houston, Beyonce.. I miss the Kurdish music I have been listening to.

I have a tiny room overlooking the beach, can hear the waves crashing in. 4 nights here.. off to the bank in the morning.