Pilgrimage from Hereke to Izmit 09/06/08

Once again I feel no need to get up at 6am when my alarm goes off. I'm just too comfy :)

By the time I get going it's 8:30 and I'm feeling great! A sleep in was just what I needed.

Stopping for breakfast at a service station, the two woman behind the counter take it upon themselves to ensure that I'll be rolling, not walking, out the door. I start with a plate of cheese, tomato and cucumber with bread, then get a bowl of beans and rice, then tea, then fruit, then dessert! Awesome...and then they don't even let me pay!

The walk towards Izmit takes me through an abundance of factories and industry but I can still see the Marmara sea which keeps it pleasant. Watching it get narrower and narrower I know Izmit is not too far away.

It always amazes me how much joy I can bring to myself, and to others, with the act of a simple wave or nod. It is wonderful to see someone's face light up after such a simple gesture. It leaves me with a feeling of joy and contentment. I love it!

A teenager jumps out in front of me firing questions at a fierce rate. I don't understand much of what he is saying but get the idea that he is inviting me in for tea, I smile and nod. He runs inside and returns with a stool. Suddenly I have about 15 people in a circle around me all talking at once and kids rummaging through my stuff. It's the type of situation where I just have to take a deep breath and hope everything is returned when I go to leave.

The teenagers are the only people I have a hope of understanding as they are all only about a foot away from my face...

I have my sunglasses staring at me asking if I want tea...
The face under my hat asking if I want coffee...
The kid with my camera, while trying to take my photo, asking where I am from...
And the teenager attempting to figure out my video camera asking if I want some fruit...
All while the group of adults at the back just watch and stare with big grins... :)

Luckily, someone decides to move the party inside and I get some respite. The shop we are in is a hairdressers and I must look like I haven't showered for a week because 30 seconds after entering I find myself head down in their sink getting shampooed :)

A kilometer down the road I get one of those moments where you feel you are glimpsing the future. There in front of me is an entire service station dedicated to pumping water!

Arriving in Izmit around 7pm I decide to get a hotel. Standing at the reception of the first place I come across I have to laugh as the two workers argue over how much to charge me. I can hear the younger guy thinks it should be 40YTL while the older guy is saying 50YTL! They agree on 45YTL and write the price for me on a napkin.

Laughing and shaking my head "No, no, no , no, no"

"OK, how much?"

I smile at the old guy and write down 5YTL. The young guy thinks this is great and cracks up but I can tell the hotel must be pretty cheap because the old guy thinks I'm serious. He wasn't impressed...

"OK, OK..." I write down 20YTL "Finish"

They both look at each other... "25!"

"Done!" And they have free wireless, bargain :)

After catching up on everything on the net I decide it must be time to go find a bar. Downing a few of beers watching Holland wallup Italy puts me in a great mood. I still enjoy watching Italy play but after cheating Australia out of the '06 World cup it now gives me incredible pleasure seeing them lose :)

At the next bar I get talking to Ahmed, a uni student and professional guitar player who was born in Germany but has lived here since he was one. After five minutes he looks around the bar...

"Do you want to go find some girls? This place looks like a gay bar."

I laugh. He is right, there are about 50 guys in the bar to three girls...

"Sounds good to me..."

He explains that there used to be heaps of nightclubs in Izmit but over the last year they were all shut down by the new government. He has heard one that has just opened so we go for a look. Asking at the restaurant next door to where it is meant to be we are disappointed to hear that this club also suffered the same fate, oh well...

So, nothing else to do in Turkey at 1am other than go eat a sheep's guts sandwich :) So we do...