So I was in Turkey

So I spent the last week having a nice relaxing holiday in Alanya. A quite cheap, I must say, even though we were in particular turist attraction. However, there were some funny differences in cultures so I decided to write a thread about it. These were the ones that caught my attention. If there is someone from Turkey, I'd like to hear more about it. :)

Traffic. These guys are like crazy. People riding with motorcycles with their whole family. Two children in the front, man drives and mother sits in the back. Quess what, nobody has helmets. Neither did anyone else. I saw maybe 2 helmets in my whole time there. And about 4 accidents where people were keeping a towel in their bloody head. Speed limits in the center are something between 80-100 km/h (50-62 mph) and red lights don't mean a thing. We rented a car for a day and I when we asked about driving rules the dealer just replied "No no my friend, no rules, the fastest go, the fastest go first" Apparently, it is common just to honk when you are intending to go through cross section with full speed. Police didn't pay much attention until there was an accident. Also, I had to be quite careful not be run over in sidewalks, because apparently it is fine to drive there too.

A funny thing also, most of the taxis and busses had reinforced back side and most of them had awful bumps in them. Anyway, crossing a street was kind of suicidal at some times.

Bartering. Like many countries in the south and east these guys have nearly perfected trading. The guide told us that in Islamic law stealing is strictly punished but cheating and scamming tourists is perfectly fine. But really, these guys are smooth. They were very persuasive and charismatic most of the times and and like in most eastern cultures you could haggle most of the prize off, even in restourants. But for example, there was a local market there that accepted euros ( most of them didn't naturally since Turkey has its own liras) The exhange rate was something about 2.5 at the time and the owner tried in the front of my nose to change it on 1.7 rate :P luckily I was paying attention.

Anyhow, I can believe how hard competition might be when that city had 100,000 inhabitants and the amount tripled in tourist season. When you have a restourant after every 10 meters I think you have to persuade people. Funniest thing is that the locals realize immedieatly what country you are if they hear you speaking and start yelling things, like in my case in Finnish. And they speak bits of all the common tourist languages there fairly well.

While we were there it was the time of ramadan, so most of the people fasted. When I thought about it, the first call to prayer is at sunrise ( basically five at night) and the sun set at 20.00. When the sun was setting the locals gathered to wait in the restaurant so that when it was down the horizon they could start eating. Now, my wonder was that where the hell they get that energy to be friendly to everyone. I get pretty grumpy if I don't eat in 5 hours or so.

This thread has no particular aim, I just thought to tell a bit of my vacation and hear if anyone else has been there or lives there. Interesting trip, it was.

That sounds like quite a cultureshock!

The crazy traffic you describe sounds exactly like the traffic in India on the show (Ice Road Truckers) Deadliest Roads. I loved watching that show... it would actually activate my fear of heights watching them drive those rickety wooden trucks along the edge of the abyss on those high mountain roads! But when they were on level ground in the cities of India the drivers were just as crazy and suicidal as you describe. It's actually nerve-wracking just watching as the truckers got pissed off - and all the constant honking of horns was maddening!! I can only imagine actually being immersed in it... I think I'd need some aspirin.

Yes, actually we went to the mountains and it seems the tv show is accurate. We were somewhere 1000-2000 m height in thin and curvy mountain roads and trucks just drive like their house is on fire. Those 90 degree curves got me a bit worried time to time. But the view was worth it, maybe I can upload some pictures after my friend drags her camera here.

But believe me, now back home, when I cross the road it seems the cars are moving in slow motion :P