The Asım Account: A Timeless Farewell to Amasya

Our second and last day in Amasya was a day of recovery more than anything else. I had been going many days without much sleep and all the while running around and exploring random Turkish cities. It's nice to be on the road, but the road beats you up in a way. As the previous post attests, a day can be packed with enough to exhaust a person. We slept in and lounged indoors during the hottest part of the day. The only exception was when the three of us went across the street to the bus station to buy our ticket to Trabzon. We had only one other plan for the day: a meeting at a local hamam with the Germans.

We arrived at the Kumacık Hamamı an hour or so before our German friends, but it was all the better. We were sat outside at table with teas in our hands, relishing the shade of grave vines and enjoying the ability to sit and talk, with hours ahead of us. Our bus wasn't to leave until the late evening. I'm a little embarrassed to admit this, but of all my previous adventures in Turkey, including living in İstanbul for more than a year, I had never been inside a hamam. Sure, I had been in the lobby of one in Trabzon two years before (quite by mistake), and I had been inside an ancient and unused one in a palace museum. But that hardly counts and I knew it.

When the Germans arrived, we shared conversation and then entered the hamam. The interior featured a large "center stone" as it's called and several smaller rooms which served various purposes. One had a massage table, another was designated for shaving, and another was a sauna. Our favorite room was probably the one which featured a small yet deep pool of cool clear water. The artificially hot and humid conditions inside the main room caused us to relax, sweat and also crave that other room with the heavenly pool. A quick dip usually did the trick and we repeated the cycle. Each of us opted to get a massage and scrub. The scrubbing was rough at times, especially on my sunburned shoulders and scalp from the adventures of the day before. However, in the end it was a good feeling.

We were two men and three women, but the hamam was "mixed", which allowed us to be together. Furthermore, it was Ramadan, which is the least busy season of the year for the hamam we learned. The logic apparently is that some of the devout fear that breathing humid air counts as drinking water, and swimming might cause one to accidentally drink. Perhaps for some, it is just easier to pass the day without seeing water. Whatever the case, we had the place all to ourselves, and we passed fıve hours there. It seemed like more time, it seemed like less. I knew that day had gone to night, but other than that, time was a blur. Even sounds inside the hamam were loud, echo-ey and disorienting. Sweating, swimming, cleansing, the massages (not just the professional one but the ones we gave each other) and the temperature changes caused my mind to forget about everything outside the building. The building! The hamam itself was built in the 15th century. Being in it was to be in a timeless place, enchanted.

We recovered from our recovery, wrapped in towels in our ready rooms. When we left the hamam, we were wishing we had more time to hang out with Chris and Katerina, but we didn't. We walked quickly toward the apartment. I was hungry and the girls were very hungry. While ultimately refreshing, the experience in the hamam was totally draining as well. We didn't have time to stop and eat somewhere if we hoped to catch the bus. Keeping my companions fed was supposed to me one of my main priorities. I looked across the river as we walked and spotted a place serving food. I told the girls I'd meet them at the apartment and ran with great pace toward the footbridge. I found out later that the girls got picked up by Yusuf who saw them while driving down the main street and gave them a ride to the apartment. I ran into the food place and between gasps of air, explained my situation (need hearty food to go, have little time) to a guy who looked like he was in charge. That guy quickly introduced me to the boss of the place who took me into the kitchen in the back. As I told him what I wanted, he called out the orders to the men working there in the kitchen, telling them it was a priority and to get cooking right away. The boss then invited me to his table and ordered me a tea as we waited for the food. In addition to running the restaurant, he also had ties to an export business in Amasya. He handed me his card while encouraging me to consider going into international business, since it is rare to find native speakers of English who also have a command of Turkish. Oh, to stay here, to actually live in Amasya! What an idea. My mind started to wander.

The food was ready and packed up nicely. I thanked the boss and his friends for their company and support. They smiled and said they looked forward to seeing me in Amasya again one day. I ran back to the apartment at full speed. I arrived with a couple minutes to spare to grab my things. We got to the bus station only to be told that the bus was late. Yusuf was there as well. The girls had told him our plans. While we were eating, the bus arrived. Yusuf said a few words to one of the guys from the bus company. A few minutes passed and Ashley asked, don't we need to get on the bus? I looked at her. As I formed the words to my response, I thought about what her reaction would be. It amazed me how little each additional bit of hospitality or good fortune phased me at that point, in the light of all that had happened since the trip began.

      -Yes, but don't worry, I said. They're holding the bus until we finish our meal.
      -What? They'll do that? I thought and she said.
      -Apparently so. I thought and said.

We're the stars of this show. The hamam is all for us. Our food is prepared for us quickly by a direct order from the boss of a large and busy eatery. Two girls don't have to walk 15 minutes alone at night. No, in one day we had already met enough people in this city to ensure that that wouldn't have to happen. Now a bus with 30 or 40 on board was waiting at our behest.

And we didn't wait long. We said goodbye to Ezgi and Ömer and thanked them for everything. They were an integral part of an undeniably wonderful time in a city for which I only have good things to say.