Turkiye is famous for its cotton towels. Some places sell these for 30 or more dollars or British pounds. Some are small and made for wrapping around the waist. Others are for using as blankets, beach towels, tablecloths, etc. I found a place where the small ones cost 100 Turkish Lira ($2.39) and the large ones cost 300 TL ($7.17). Should I have bargained?
200 Lira per tablecloth/beach towel/throw.100 for these small ones.
The owners name is Serkan (There was someone else who worked there too but he seemed a bit giggly at the notion of a foreigner in the shop). Serkan spoke no English but was friendly and helpful. The store is located in old Adana city. It is not on Google maps. It is across the street from a shop called, “Demir organizasyon adana” which sells wedding stuff.
Serkan in front of the store.
I inadvertently bought quite a few things. I do not know if they take credit cards. I paid cash.
There seem to be three types of melons here including watermelon. The other two look like honeydew or cantaloupe. That’s what they taste like too.
But the melons are enormous. Maybe because Adana sits in a fertile agricultural area. The melon season is September. Then the plums start arriving. And nectarines hard and crisp.
The Seyhan river flows through Adana and after it was dammed, a lake was created. Now, that lake is surrounded by residences, restaurants, and boating clubs. One of these is the kayak club of Adana.
We went for a sunset kayak. The place is a bit hard to find but once you know, it’s easy. The outing cost 300 Lira per person. This included the instructions, rental, lifejacket loan, and shepherding by the staff. It was late by the time we all got there, so our time was cut short. I recommend going earlier. There were changing rooms, bathrooms, and water available (for purchase).
That said, it was pleasant to see the sun set and listen to the music thumping across the water from the restaurants.
The club house.
In the middle of the lake is a small island called Love Island. I don’t know why and we were told not to go ashore.
The two young men who helped us spoke no English but we communicated via Google translate, sort of. They helped us get in the kayaks of which there were a few singles, a few doubles, and a few old school slim ones — or as they said, “you will fall” ones… our most experienced kayakers took those. They did not tip over.
Getting into the kayaks was interesting as they two young men (one was 16 and the other 18) helped people get in by stepping in sideways from the dock… then sitting down into the wet bottomed boat… I guess that the bank of the shore was too sludgy to get in from there.
The first thing one has to get used to is the ‘c’ is a ‘j’ as in “Can” is “Jan” or “Jon” — or as in Jif. Then, there are those tails on some of the letters. That makes is an es sound.
The C sound make this product, “Jif”
Speaking of es sounds, the word for water is “su” but it’s a fast su and not “sooo” — that is broth or “suyu”… I think that’s what I was told. The soup in the photo below is a chicken soup, or “çorba” (say “shor-ba”) with spicy oil and lemon.
Rice and chicken soup with spicy oil.
Much of the food here involves lemon/lime so you can add a fresh zest to every bite. Another thing about the limes and lemons here is that they are a mix of the two but not as sour.
When I told people I was moving to Adana, Turkiye, everyone told me that it’s hot in Adana. It was a 109 F (43 C) the other day. That is “sicak” in Turkish. Because the “c” in Turkish is a “je” sound like in “John” saying “it’s hot” sounds like “Say Jacques” (no es sound like in Jacques Pepin). So now I’ve learned that Turkish phrase.
My Turkish colleagues tell me that Adana is so hot that sometimes the locals will shoot at the sun… and in 2023 (when it was even hotter), some shopkeepers celebrated the inventor of the air conditioner. See the YouTube video here. Luckily, there is lots of air conditioning. But it makes exploring the city something that has to be done really early in the morning, or later in the year.
Chasing watermelons.
It is melon season so it is easy to keep up one’s electrolytes. Here they like to eat watermelon with white cheese, “beyaz peynir” (like feta but they don’t call it that here).
I had planned not to go outside for four months during the hot season, but with my linen scarf and sun hat, I actually do venture out. From air conditioning to air conditioning. After all, I lived in Dhaka, Rome, and Washington, DC, three other cities that get very hot. The difference is that Dhaka is hot for about ten months and it is humid.
Adana’s hot months are June-September. I arrived in the middle of the hellishly hot weather. It can only get cooler, right?
You might wonder how, in a big place like Washington, DC, if it’s possible to shop local. Washington is a touristy place, just like Rome or Istanbul. While the shopping is not on the level of Istanbul’s market, there is shopping to be found here.
Made in DC is a local chain selling items about Washington, DC, or by artists from the greater metropolitan area of Washington, DC.
Made in ALX (made in Alexandria) is a local shop in Alexandria, Virginia. They feature items by local artists from the greater metropolitan DC area.
Shop DC, located in Adams Morgan in DC, is sort of the same type of shop, but they do not exclusively carry locally made items.
Eastern Market is the farmers market on Capital Hill and features items by local artisans. There is a food hall and market as well.
Farmers markets abound in the DC area and many feature art by local artists. There is probably a farmers market for every day of the week, but most are on the weekends.
In America, many people donate to charities. One assumes that the used clothes go to poor people somewhere. Or that the profits go somewhere to poor people.
One shop is just open about it. You can donate at the front door and then walk in and shop. They called themselves Unique — which is a clever name.
But, it’s not that cheap. However one feels about it.
What is clear is how grossly over materialistic we have become.
Tikal is a World Heritage Site. It was used for a Star Wars movie. It is majestic. But HOT. Here are my pros and cons of visiting Tikal.
This was used in a Star Wars movie (think ending of the movie).
The pros:
It is only a 90 minute drive from Isla de Flores. But 30 of those minutes are at the main gate while those that didn’t buy their tickets online go to the ticket office (my advice is get a coffee at the stand where the driver is getting his cup of joe).
On the way, you can see the alligator island.See monkey do.
The tourist museum and vendors are all at the entrance of the archeological park.
No one dresses up like a Maya.
There are lots of birds (peacock like birds and others).
There are howler monkeys that will spook you making you think some monster is coming to rip out your lungs…
You can still climb some of the original structures.
It’s fairly unvisited.
The main plaza.
There are bathrooms in the park. But you won’t need them as you will sweat out all the liquid in your body (or at least whatever is not blood).
Another pyramid.
The park is clean.
The guides are good. You must hire a guide (around 500-600 quetzal) for a sunrise or sunset tour, separate from your extra ticket.
More.
The cons:
Other ruins.
Too much walking on boring dirt roads wide enough for trucks. In fact, a dump truck takes stragglers out of the park at 3 pm every day. The walk in is over two kilometers (over a mile) to the rest station/toilets at the base of the main plaza (for the love of all that is right, put in a transport system! I’ll pay for it!)
The Jungle Lodge has cobble stones (why break our already shattered feet?) and costs $375 per night.
The Ceiba tree.
A sunrise tour from Isla de Flores starts at 2 am. I still recommend doing it so that you are not walking in the heat.
This is a huge site.
The sunset tour ends up with that two kilometer death march in the pitch dark.
Walking in the dark down stairs and over tree roots…
The mosquitoes leave puncture wounds that last for weeks.
A storage hole.
I can’t decide if the ticket price is a pro or a con. Things were in general more expensive than I thought they should be. But, maybe it’s a way to keep the place intact.
Another thing that may be a pro and a con — it’s not so easy to get to Tikal. An eight hour bus ride or a one hour flight from Guatemala City. Then the smaller bus. Then the walk in to the jungle. I guess it’s pro if you like excursions. It’s a con if you would like a pleasant air conditioned minivan.
To wipe some of the salt rime off your face.
I’m sorry Tikal, but I’m not coming back. You are just too hot, hot, hot for me.
Tamarind juice, water, and hibiscus (flor de jamaica) juice to replenish the five liters I lost in sweat.
When you mention Guatemala, people tell you to visit La Antigua Guatemala (old Guatemala) or Antigua. It was the capital from 1543 through 1773. For a while it was the capital of much of the region including Guatemala, Belize, El Salvador, Honduras, Nicaragua, Costa Rica, and Chiapas in Mexico. Antigua was moved several times due to uprisings and volcanic activity, and finally in 1773, it was abandoned as the capital city.
It is a 90-minute drive from Guatemala City. I recommend staying for at least two nights in Antigua (maybe like what this blog article recommends). We didn’t.
The advice was to take an Uber. Around 290 Quetzal each way (at the time of travel that was equal to $38). We were about to do that when the hotel owner recommended her driver for just another 100 quetzal. We figured that we might be better with someone we “knew” so we did. The driver came to get us on time. She spoke no English despite having studied English correspondence… I suspect that her English was okay but as we spoke Spanish with her, she made no effort in English. So, we set off. In rush hour. 90 minutes later, we arrived at the base of a hill and our driver recommended that we go up and view Antigua from the overlook.
View of the chapel with a view of the city.
The overlook is an outdoor chapel with lots of benches along the sloping hill and walkways down to a large cross. The view of Antigua with the mountainous background is a lovely place to sit and reflect. I was more into the people-watching.
When we got down to the town of Antigua, we saw construction on a large bus station and parking lot on the outskirts of the city. Our driver/guide told us that it was for Semana Santa (holy week/Easter week). We remarked that they should do it permanently and make the town pedestrian. After some cavity loosening driving around the town, I asked why were were driving around. It turned out that our driver was looking for parking. She did not know of any public parking places.
The streets are cobblestone which makes them difficult to walk on.
That was followed on by another surprise. We thought we had merely hired a driver. It turned out that we had hired a guide. As she was a guide, she tried to get us to go to the museum and the church in the center of town. We were not interested in either. Then we separated so my friend could take photos and I could sit and people watch. Now the guide didn’t know who to stay with so she ended up with my friend most of the day.
Although we were in Antigua during the cool season, the weather was still hot. Not hot like in the jungle, but still up around 89 F (31 C) in the sun. I don’t like it.
One of the cute things about Antigua is that the ice cream ‘trucks’ are miniature vehicles. The most popular ice cream seemed to be a sunset flame array of oranges and yellows. Our guide offered to treat us to ice cream but then it turned out that she forgot her cash in the car. It turned out that we were not interested in ice cream so it all worked out.
Ice cream truck at the Central Park.
While I was people watching, while sitting on a bench in the main plaza, moving to the half shaded end of a bench, I could hear the two senior gentlemen next to me talking about how they were set up with their wives in America. I didn’t listen in so I can’t tell you more than that.
Also while people watching, I saw a devilishly handsome young man, tall and bronzed, with long lush hair in a man-bun, stretching himself in the sun. He was accompanied by an equally attractive female. They had that look like straight out of a casting call — international travelers making their way around the world, last stop Thailand.
Speaking of height, I felt a bit of a giant in Guatemala as the locals are not so tall. People like to photograph the ones who wear native dress. (Did you see the lady wearing a blouse to match the flag?).
Local ladies enjoying ice cream.
In Antigua, the classic photo is of the arch, the Arco de Santa Catalina, which is was built in the 17th century as a bridge allowing the nuns to pass from the convent to the school without anyone on the street seeing them. Today, it is a highly touristy spot and it is hard to get a photo alone with the arch.
Vendors taking a break under the famous arch.
There is a large outdoor market behind La Merced church. I didn’t make it there. Maybe next time.
We got good advice. Go to the Central Market lower level to buy souvenirs at reasonable prices. Then go to Antigua and see how much money we saved. (Guatemala City is called “Guate” by the locals).
Central Market entrance.
As you may know, I love central markets. I love markets. This is my jam (as they say). I love going early before the crowds. We breakfasted at 7 am. The market was a quick Uber ride from our hotel and we were there by 8 am just as the vendors were opening up shop.
One of the tourist goods hallways.
First we looked at the various shops and did a full circuit of the lower level before returning to the ones that we liked. The vendors will friendly but not too pushy. Many of them wished for us to be their first customer of the day as it would give them good luck.
Guatemala is famous for their coffee.
I was feeling a bit dry in the throat so we had a coffee in the “comedor” which made me happy as that was the part of the market I really wanted to see (I’m much less of a shopper these days).
The market’s main dining hall.
Then we went back downstairs and haggled (they offered the deals due to it being so early in the day) before purchasing bags, shirts, and other textiles (I purchased nothing).
A typical stall at the food level.
We had no time to explore the food level of the market. Maybe next time.
