Archive for the ‘TrueCredit’ Category

We were close to Turkey and neither Katy nor I had ever been, so I made the effort to add another country to our list. It was easy as could be.

I went to the hotel’s front desk to ask about a tour of the island of Kos and was told none existed per se. But when she brought out the list from Harriet Travel, Bodrum was staring me in the face for 25 euros each. That included hotel pickup by bus, transportation to Kos, and the ferry to Bodrum. A cab from the hotel to Kos was 40 euros one way so we really couldn’t turn down the deal. The bus arrived promptly at 8:15 and we were the second to the last stop.

It was a decent bus with air conditioning and the trip took all of 40 minutes. While on the bus, we were given our Visa for a day at no charge. All we had to do was enter our name, country of citizenship and passport number. At passport control in Greece, they just looked it over and stamped the one-day Visa that we had to carry with us. In Turkey, our entry was just as simple.

The Maria Star made the crossing to Turkey in one hour and it was quite comfortable with food and drinks available and upper and lower decks. The skies were perfectly clear with a cool breeze blowing, but we were warned it would be very warm when we got to Turkey. I can attest to that fact. It was at least 15 degrees warmer and without the benefit of a cooling breeze.

Upon arrival, we cleared immigration in minutes. Two boats were there at the same time and they needed to process the dollars and euros hitting the port city ASAP. We arrived in a modern port adjacent to a castle from who-knows-when and a fleet of the most beautiful wooden sailboats you have ever seen. They ranged up to 25 meters and were all built in Bodrum. If there were 10 there were at least 100 of these beauties all available for hire for four hours, a complete day, or three to seven days. They were magnificent.

We took the free tour of the city (45 minutes) with the catch that they would drop us off at the Gold Center for some retail time if we wanted. We had a beautiful view of the city. We saw Black Island and the Isle of Kos in the distance from the highest peak in town, we went by the amphitheather that sat 5000 in the good old days (BC), then we were dropped off at Gold City (or whatever they called it). First-class place and absolutely no pressure whatsoever. We just walked to the exit sign and caught the shuttle to the city market.

The market was just what you would expect — full of teeshirts, blue jeans (Levis were 22 euros per pair), scarves, and other junk. I was disappointed as I was hoping for something more out of the ordinary. The only thing I found was a stall of bongs, but that was a previous lifetime ago…

We headed down the main shopping street, which offered more upscale shopping as well as the typical tourist stuff. When I saw a McDonalds and Burger King in Bodrum, I knew we weren’t at the end of the earth. Most of the signage was in English but we saw very few American tourists — Brits and other Europeans primarily. We were the only Americans on our bus.

We felt safe the entire time we were in Bodrum. People were extremely friendly. An orange and juice vendor was intrigued by my Challenge coin that I got from the US Army. When our guide explained that I got it for helping our servicemen and veterans, he ran over to give Katy and me each a free, fresh orange with a warm smile and thank you. I guess we’re on the same side now, or have been in the past. It was a touching gesture.

The most interesting moment came while we were sitting in a falafal shop eating a sandwich. The haunting, chanting sound of the call to prayer came over loudspeakers — just as we’ve heard so many times on CNN and Fox News. We knew we were not in Kansas! But we still we felt safe and secure. The people were so friendly.

I saw many people drinking a small, tan, hot drink in uniquely shaped glass containers, so I asked a vendor if we could try one. It was Turkish black tea served in the small glass on a saucer with two cubes of sugar and a very small stirring spoon. Several elderly local gentlemen cleared a space for us and asked us to join them. Although we could not converse, their hospitality was genuine and warm. The tea was tasty and strong, but it really didn’t make much sense to me in that heat. But, “when in Rome…….”

We found the Mosque as we continued down toward the harbor. It was built in 1720 and featured a minaret on top or beside it. (I think minaret is the right word.) There were numerous shoes lined up outside the Mosque. We didn’t attempt entry.

So — add another country to the list. Don’t expect to see many Americans, but since this is a tourist town most of the shopkeepers speak at least broken English. Of course, their English was sure better than my Turkish. I think that’s typical of Americans: So few of us speak another language and the rest of the world seems to know their way around ours.

But what we do have is an adventurous spirit. And by keeping our eyes open for the next great promotion, we can see the world at prices we all can afford. So far: free airlines tickets to Greece, free hotels, and a 25 Euro tour ticket to Turkey. 

The next two days are going to be all about rest by the pool and the Aegean Sea.

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