Intersection Sales

Yesterday we drove from Akbük to Istanbul.  It took 9.5 hours with a stop for a quick lunch at a fast food place called Yörsan in Susurluk.  Turkish fast food is different from American fast food.  I think it's much healthier and there are more choices.  Kubi and I had iskender döner which is grilled lamb slices over pieces of pide bread (Turkey's version of pizza dough) with a tomato sauce and yogurt on the side.  We can't get it at home and I crave it and order it when I can when we are here.  Other choices were different grilled meats and vegetables, toasted cheese sandwiches with a locally-made cheese, soups, etc.   Kubi and I drank cola, but everyone else drank ayran which is a salty yogurt and water drink.  It's very popular here and is much healthier than soda.

We took the ferry from Yalova to Istanbul, a 45-minute ride.  While we were waiting for the ferry, all of the intersection pazar people came running.  They went car to car attempting to sell bags of hazelnuts, cucumbers, roses, and olives.  The most interesting to me was the man who came to my window with a bag of lottery tickets for sale.

After arriving in Istanbul, it is a 30-minute drive to Nuray's house.  I was so happy that Nev's nephew Çağlar was driving.  He used to be a rally racecar driver.  At one point a bus cut us off and we ended up stopped on the other side of the road facing oncoming traffic, waiting for a chance to get back into our own lane.  Watching the oncoming traffic racing right toward us certainly made my heart beat faster.  Not so with Çağlar.  He calmly waited until he could quickly swerve back into our lane.  What was even more amazing was the motorcycle which zigzagged from lane to lane around us and the bus.  One miscalculation, especially since he wasn't wearing a helmet, and he would be toast.  Another nephew Engin was surprised at my reaction to the drive.  "This is normal for Istanbul," he says.