Day 1: Monday morning we left from Batumi to the border crossing at Sarpi (Thank goodness I just happened to save a $20 bill in my wallet, because I needed it for my visa). From there we made our way to Trabzon with no maps, no plan, and an incorrect phone number for the place we were staying. I only know a few words in Turkish, but with them we were able to find directions to the place we were staying. Cut to us completely exhausted and sweaty from climbing endless hills, ordering Turkish pizza (lahmacun), and passing out before 10pm. We were woken up early by the call to prayer which sounds five times a day from every mosque in the city --- B-E-A-utiful.
Day 2: Still map-less, we decided to explore the city on foot. We asked passers-by what direction the center was in, and each one told us to take a mini-bus (dolmush) but we hoofed it instead. It was about 4 kilometers away, but at the time it was fun! The city is practically made of hills, so we got lots of exercise as well as some awesome views of the city. We met a shopkeeper who spoke Russian and invited us to sit for tea --- This is when I noticed that there are men carrying tea-trays all over the city, going to and from shops and restaurants delivering cups of Turkish tea. From the market we got directions to the Hagia Sophia (not the big one in Istanbul, but the baby one modeled after the big one in Istanbul) and walked all the way there as well (What’s another few kilometers?). We made it home before it started to rain too much, and I got an impromptu percussion lesson from our host… I’m not very good at it (Surprise!)
Day 3: Field trips. We reserved this day to explore some sites outside of the city of Trabzon. First we hit Sumela, which is a beautiful ancient monastery tucked into the side of a mountain. We got a ride most of the way up, but then hiked back down ourselves (my legs are still refusing to forgive me for that one). We also found a nice waterfall, so we followed that up as far as it was climbable and had a nice sit. We met a Turkish couple touring the Black Sea coast, and they offered to take us with them to Uzungol, a natural lake in a mountain valley. Let me tell you, there’s nothing like a good lake. Water, shore, rocks, all that jazz. It’s the best place in Turkey, everyone should go (wink, wink) …Actually, we spent about ten minutes there, laughed a lot, skipped some rocks, and then decided to head back. We had a nice car ride, though, joking about how exciting Uzungol is.
Day 4: Tired from the day before, we slept in and decided to take it easy. After a brunch of Turkish kebap and ayran (a salty yogurt drink) we made it to the view-point of Trabzon called Boztepe. We drank tea from Samover, which is a giant silver hot-water heater with a place to put a small pot of very concentrated tea. We drank tea and enjoyed the view, did some more walking through the city and the market, and sat on the beach. P.S. I saw a Dolphin in the wild for the first time in my life, I’m pretty sure I screamed. It was awesome. That night we had what our host calls R&B: Raki Balik. Raki is the Turkish national drink: Anise flavored alcohol that turns white when you mix it with water. Balik means fish, which we got fresh from the sea-side fish market and then grilled over hot coals on the balcony. Throw in some Turkish music, that drum that I can’t play, and a few more Turks and you get a pretty good party. We sang a LOT --- Turkish people love singing as much as I love listening to them sing.
Day 5: Although we planned on leaving early, we were pretty beat and slept in again. I made American breakfast (eggs, toast, hashbrowns and ketchup) and we sat around for a while before heading back to Batumi. A successful trip, some new stamps in my passport, and minimal sunburn.
…AND my travel-buddy and I didn’t even strangle each other.
Back in Georgia now, Happy Orthodox Easter!Love,
Sarah
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