A hidden town

In a desperate need to leave the mammoth city of Istanbul, population 12.5 million, we began our research for domestic destination possibilities. Turkey, known for nine impressive world-heritage sites listed at UNESCO, has much to offer both in nature and culture. This meant that if we do not select carefully then we will end up reuniting with tour groups. We chose Amasra, a small town on the coast of Black Sea, Trabzon, another town on the coast further east, and Cappadocia, a world heritage site known for its unique landscape and historical culture. We allowed ourselves to spend about seven to ten days total on this mini-adventure.

As soon as decided, we went to the terminal, selected a bus company out of hundreds of rivals, that would take us overnight to the first destination. We went back with our recovered backpacks in the evening, an hour and a half earlier to locate the departure station and the vehicle. Apparently buses are commonly used by locals for long-distance traveling, and vehicles are often well equipped and appear brand new. When a bus pulls into a terminal, a boy with a brush and a bucket would run up to clean it. Inside, an attendant will serve drinks and snack while on the road. Seats may not be the most comfortable for a sleeping purpose, but the service is exquisite.

 

 

 

We arrived Amasra at 7:00, a town just waking up to the late sunrise peeking above cliffs that surrounds the secluded coast. This is exactly what we wanted. Sahe and I looked at each other, and went on looking for a place to eat. After a delight Turkish coffee and çai, we then went to the ticket office to find out about our next bus. The destination was able to be reached by single transfer, but since we were not sure how long we would stay in Amasra, we left with no reservation and started looking for our home for the night. This was easy, as owners with available rooms are walking around the town looking for visitors. We met an elder lady and a daughter, who kept saying, "she-vuyu, she-vuyu". Sure, a sea view would be nice. Her soft and kind smile was all that took to convince us. We walked uphill, then onto steps, then finally stairs to reach the room, and the place was magnificent. Apparently, the furnished apartment owned by her sister is now empty and was used for accommodation during the summer. With a kitchen, a living room, and a sun-room with a great view, we couldn't believe that the price was almost the same as what we paid for in Istanbul for our 30-bed dormitory.

 

 

The town is built around a fort-like walls built during the Roman and Byzantine Empire periods, and houses appear to be stacked on top of one another. We got ourselves lost trying to find the way to the highest point going through narrow paths, and we finally found a light house at the peak. Black Sea extended out until it disappeared in the horizon, and down below, a small beach was now occupied with local people swimming and tanning. We decided to join them. The time moved as slowly as the calm breeze, and we enjoyed the productive day of doing nothing. As much as we wanted to spend our rest of our stay in Turkey, we decided to plan to leave the next day.

 

 

 

We continued to stay relaxed in the morning, and went to book a bus ticket at noon, only to learn that there is only one seat left on the bus to Trabzon. Oops. We got too comfortable. With a help from locals, we visited other bus companies but we would have to waste a day by traveling non-direct. So we changed our plan and decided to leave in the evening to Ankara, and then take the 1:30 bus to Goreme in Cappadocia instead.

 

We walked to the terminal in the evening, to find our one-day landlord there. She called us over to give me the adaptor for my cell phone. She wanted to give it back to us so she was carrying it in her purse all day to find us. If we had kept the original plan to leave early we would have been long gone, so it was a relief to know at least one positive thing came out of our procrastination.