Post from Michelle:
Riding on long bus rides can be hot, uncomfortable, and cramped but I find these rides offer a glimpse into local life I otherwise might not see. The steady rumble of a bus usually has a way of coaxing me into a drooling, sleepy stupor, but I was successful in fighting off sleep during the 5 hour journey and was rewarded with sights from the Turkish countryside and small towns. I have found the Turkish cities quite modern, abounding in ATMs, cell phones, and fast food restaurants. The countryside offers the opposite view - a timelessness of people making a living off the land, small town communities, and a simpler life.
The bus wound its way along fields rich in shimmering gold wheat rotated with rows of green vegetables. The effect was a giant natural quilt blanketing the land until it reached a mountain's edge. The shades of greens and yellows against the blue sky and the softness of the grass as the wind swept through it gave me the same sense of awe I get when gazing at a blazing sunset.
When we entered towns along the way, I soaked in the people and their way of life. An old woman sat on a donkey, her long white head covering flapping in the wind. A camel, piled high in Turkish rugs, looked like a small wool mountain strolling down the street. Old men, wearing dark hats, vests, and serious expressions, sat in small groups in the shade. School children in blue and white uniforms stopped at a community fountain and drank from a plastic cup attached to the fountain by a string. We passed many elderly couples getting around by horse and cart and farmers selling produce on the side of the road.
People continued to board and get off the bus as they reached their destinations. By late afternoon we were the only passengers left. The remaining part of the journey was through a rocky mountain pass with windy roads. I watched in fascination and disgusted amusement as the bus driver spent the entire final hour picking his nose with an intensity and concentration usually associated with brain surgery. Half his index finger would be lost in one nostril, swirled around, and then he would switch sides. After the first 20 minutes I was positive there could be no possible way anything could be left to pick. But his digging continued for another 40 minutes! A couple times I was alarmed he might drive off the road, as his attention was not on his driving.
I was relieved when we finally reached our destination, Fethiye, a seaside town with a large marina and nearby beaches.
The bus wound its way along fields rich in shimmering gold wheat rotated with rows of green vegetables. The effect was a giant natural quilt blanketing the land until it reached a mountain's edge. The shades of greens and yellows against the blue sky and the softness of the grass as the wind swept through it gave me the same sense of awe I get when gazing at a blazing sunset.
When we entered towns along the way, I soaked in the people and their way of life. An old woman sat on a donkey, her long white head covering flapping in the wind. A camel, piled high in Turkish rugs, looked like a small wool mountain strolling down the street. Old men, wearing dark hats, vests, and serious expressions, sat in small groups in the shade. School children in blue and white uniforms stopped at a community fountain and drank from a plastic cup attached to the fountain by a string. We passed many elderly couples getting around by horse and cart and farmers selling produce on the side of the road.
People continued to board and get off the bus as they reached their destinations. By late afternoon we were the only passengers left. The remaining part of the journey was through a rocky mountain pass with windy roads. I watched in fascination and disgusted amusement as the bus driver spent the entire final hour picking his nose with an intensity and concentration usually associated with brain surgery. Half his index finger would be lost in one nostril, swirled around, and then he would switch sides. After the first 20 minutes I was positive there could be no possible way anything could be left to pick. But his digging continued for another 40 minutes! A couple times I was alarmed he might drive off the road, as his attention was not on his driving.
I was relieved when we finally reached our destination, Fethiye, a seaside town with a large marina and nearby beaches.