New Years Eve warranted some extra sleep New Years day, which I took. I was surprised to find that I was the first one to awaken. Nonetheless, I continued with the routine ofplucking fresh fruit from nearby trees and snacking. The day was bright, but it helped to wake me up. A short while later, Robin emerged from the cottage and fixed some tea. The entire day was a day of relaxation. Later in the afternoon, we had champagne to celebrate the holiday. Although I had originally planned to leave that day, things just didn't happen that way. In the evening, we made a fire because the temperature would drop fast after sunset. We agreed that the following few hours were very hygge-ish. (Hygge being a term I picked up while in Denmark last spring, which is sort of hard to describe, but there is a word for it in Dutch as well so for us definitions were not necessary). But hygge means cosy and relaxing, and that is what it was.

The next day was bright and not cold. We went into Manavgat to a place for making telephone calls. I called some friends of mine in that part of Turkey to make plans for the next few days. I would catch a bus for Antalya later in the afternoon. We had lentil soup at a favorite café of Misa and Robin's. Then we found an internet cafe. I had some things to do from there and it was where I last saw Misa and Robin. So this is where I will write about my overall impressions of seeing them.

I was so excited to see Misa again. The last time I saw her was in August, when I took her to the airport for her flight to Holland. I was also very excited to meet Robin. We had Skyped on a few occasions but it is different to see someone in person. I must say that those three days that I was there were really quite perfect. It is a tough thing to repeat but I'm sure we will get together again sometime in Turkey. I have uploaded all of the pictures from my time with Misa and Robin and I will send the link to you by request.

Yılbaşı

Each New Years Eve for the past 3 years has been unimaginably great. Two years ago, my dear friend, Ro, came from Brazil and we spent New Years together at a classy party. Last year, I found myself in İzmir, Turkey with no plans and no friends in the area but ended up making some friends and going to a concert next to the sea. This New Years Eve was also very excellent.

The day started out with Robin cooking some incredible food. Actually, he did that everyday so it is hard to remember specifically what he made but I know it was good. We let the day pass playing scrabble and drinking some beer on the sunlit porch. Though the weather was colder, it was still nice for winter.

Our plans for the evening were to go into Manavgat to a dinner of Onur's trekkng club. At around 8pm we climbed into the car and rode there. The villages and the city all looked cleaner and in some ways more spectacular. We arrived at the place which had been decorated for the new year. There were instruments set up in one corner for the live music which was for later. Rumor had it that there would alos be male belly dancers (which is how it originally was in the days of old). The place was pretty full at that point, so we sat down at a table with a few other people. Robin and Misa were sitting to my left and a couple of Turkish guys were at my right. The waiter brought us drinks and appetizers.

I introduced myself to the guys at my right. They were Levent and Murat. Levent didn't speak English and Murat only knew a little but the Turkish I know is most useful at the introductory conversations stage, so everything was fine. Dinner arrived and more drinks arrived and eventually the musicians arrived, too. There was much dancing and merriment. I looked over to see that Misa and Robin were enjoying the evening, talking away with Onur and making positive remarks about the quality of the food and music. At around 2am, we decided to go, but Levent and Murat asked me if I would remain behind with them to go to a club somwhere else. I agreed and said goodbye to Misa and Robin for the evening.

Being the most fit to drive, I got behind the wheel of Murat's late-model sedan. Actually I was feeling quite alert and capable. The atmosphere was delightful. Empty streetlamp-lit winding roads toward the edge of the city with Turkish dance music playing through the radio and excited voices beside me and behind me telling jokes giving directions. It was at that moment that I was most thankful for setting my car's navigation system to Turkish.

We came to a place on the east side of the city where all the cars were. It was a nice looking club that was guarded by a police checkpoints and security guards at the door. Pulling up to the officer, I rolled down the window. From the back seat, Levent said something to the officer to which the officer laughed and waved. They knew each other. Levent is from the area of course, but he is also a soldier. I guess they know people. Without asking us anything such as to see my license or whatever, the officer waved us on. We parked the car, and as we walked to the club's entrance Murat thanked me for driving. I smiled and told him it was my pleasure, as I stored the keys in my pocket. When we came to the entrance to the club, Levent said something to the guards who laughed, shook his hand, and ushered us in.

There was something especially comforting about being in a small city in the south of Turkey in an excellent club with some new friends, out of reach of anybody. The music was great, the Efes I drank was like the others, and the atmosphere there was perfect. Some of the folks there were from the trekking club gathering from earlier. I danced some more with them. Later I relaxed in a comfortable chair and watched the others dance.

I was certainly the only foreigner there. I was lucky to have ever been invited or to get in to the place. I cannot really describe how comfortable it felt to be there, in that place, in that moment. After seeing my beloved Misa, Sir Robin, meeting some friends, and experiencing the start of a new year in this remote part of Turkey, it gave me a feeling of wanting to keep it all for myself and not share the memory with others. But here I am writing about it.

I drove back to Seki and said goodbye to Levent and Murat. We exchanged contact info and parted. I woke Robin with a knock on the door. When inside, I again wished Misa and Robin a happy new year and to me they wished the same. We took turns commenting on the evening. I was so glad that Misa and Robin got to experience a Turkish evening like that and that I got to be there was well. And of course I was glad to have continued the streak of amazing New Years Eves.

I found them well

When the plane landed in Antalya I could see both from the air and the ground that this was a kind of paradisaical city in the summertime, though crammed with tourists. I cringed at the thought of lots of British people and others wandering the streets, splurging on goods and services, and maintaining a level of detachment from the real life in Turkey while enjoying some pre-packaged entertainment. My opinion of tourists in Turkey is a bit low, if you hadn't got that already. And I am not talking about the tourists who speak the Turkish or at least try, or the tourists who get to know the Turkish people there, express interest in the culture, and are polite and respectful. A tourist like Misa or Robin. A tourist like me :) So that is how I see myself apart from all the weirdos. Oh yeah, and I love it here no matter what the time of year. The point of all this is just to say that tourism is a big part of the economy and the society in Antalya and the region and ought not be ignored. Needless to say, I was glad to be there when I was there (when the tourist levels were at a minimum).

I took a bus to the small city of Manavgat to the east of Antalya. Following Misa's written instructions, I took a minibus to the road where she was staying. I got out and checked my watch. I had missed the bus I needed to take from there by about 5 minutes. The next one would not come for an hour. I started walking. It was about 12:30 in the afternoon and the day was warming up. I walked and walked. EventuallyI took off my coat. There was a light breeze coming across the farmlands. The roadside was decorated with fruit trees and farm equipment. There was the familiar sight of chickens roaming freely, clucking about. After walking about 2 miles and not yet reaching the cottages where Misa stayed, I began to wonder how much further I had to walk. I saw a man preparing his truck for some deliveries. I told him in Turkish that I was going to Seki Cottages and asked if he knew where they were. He pointed up the road and said go about 4 kilometers. If it had been 2 kilometers I might have considered walking it, but some quick mental math revealed to me that the bus I could have waited an hour for would pass me before I got to the place. So I asked to borrow a phone and called the owner of the cottages, Onur. I had Onur's number all along and I knew that she was expecting my call to give me a lift up to the place. I had originally thought that instead of asking to borrow someone's phone I would just man-up and walk all the way there. I had packed very lightly and anyway the weather was gorgeous.

Onur came and drove me along what I realized would not have been an enjoyable way to walk- up the side of a small mountain. She stopped the car and I asked so Misa and Robin are here? I had been so hung up on just getting there, that I had not quite convinced myself that Misa and Robin were actually there. Yes, she said with a big smile. I had barely climbed out of the car when Misa emerged from the cottage. I can hardly describe the moment. I can just say that it was sunny and warm, and Misa had on her face the biggest smile and we hugged for a short while. Then I saw Robin standing on the porch. I thanked Onur and said goodbye to her and joined Misa and Robin on the porch.

Misa asked about the trip Julian, Bonnie, and I took to visit relatives on the east coast of the United States. I told her all about it. Then I eagerly asked about their experiences thus far in Turkey. Well apparently they had forgotten their Turkish phrase book in Amsterdam and struggled a little bit to get around, but overall had found the country warm and friendly.

I was at their place for 3 days. Throughout that time the morning routine was pretty consistent. I would wake up at about 9:00 each day and walk outside. From the orange tree nearby I would pick one or two oranges. Robin would wake up at about the same time as me and fix some tea. After which he would prepare a breakfast and pick some oranges for making orange juice. Misa would get up about 30 minutes to an hour later. During the day we would either go for a walk or relax on the porch for a long while either playing scrabble or just talking. The nights varied a bit and New Years Eve was especially adventurous and exciting. I will write about that in the next post.

It was certainly exciting for me to see Misa and Robin and to visit a new part of Turkey. Seeing Misa and meeting Robin was one of the main goals of my trip to Turkey and it was very successful. I was so glad to spend time with them and also I was sad when they left. However, I realize that I am lucky to have gotten to see them this holiday season.

I put some of my favorite pictures from those days here. You may click on them to see a bigger version. At a later time, I will make an album of these pictures and others for you to see.

Yes

Yes I found Misa. Yes it was awesome. Yes I will write about it soon.

Happy New Year everyone!

-Jeremy