Day 8 Cappadocia to Eskişehir
We’d planned an early start to head up to the lookout to get some photos of the balloons at sunrise, but the weather had turned, and all flights were cancelled. We were very lucky to get on one at this time of year, it seems.
The journey to our next stop was the longest drive at 470km, but Turkish toll roads are a thing of beauty, with virtually no traffic and a 140 kph speed limit. There isn’t much scenery to take in as the land is mostly flat agricultural plains stretching as far as the eye can see.
We rolled into the city in mid-afternoon to negotiate a maze of tiny one-way alleys and had to park in a multi-story car park near the hotel. There are lots of cars in Türkiye, and very few places to put them all in the city, but the hotel staff shifted their tea-drinking spot so we could park out front.
We had a short walk over to the river, which looked more like a Bangkok khlong, and through the shopping district, which seemed much cheaper and more authentic than the tourist traps.
We ate local that evening, where the staff used a phone to translate and cooked us a superb Etli Guvec, which is a traditional Turkish meat casserole. Again, it was a bit of a challenge finding a shop that sold beer, but we managed and retired for the evening.
Day 9 Eskişehir
This bright but chilly morning, we walked through the sprawling market area, which had all manner of stalls and stores selling everything from olives, dates, figs, fish, sweets, spices, nuts, coffee, fake clothes, shoes, bags, and, of course, trinkets and jewelry. Not being an overly tourist place, prices here were much lower for everything; we were finally in the real Türkiye.
Our destination was the Odunpazari area, which was a labyrinth of cobbled streets lined with brightly coloured traditional Ottoman houses, and the mandatory tourist trinket stores and cafes. Being early meant we were the only ones there and the tourists had yet to descend, which was good for photography. We grabbed a Turkish coffee made the traditional way and found a place selling the local specialty, a cheese-filled pastry snack called Çibörek.
Our stroll took us back through the sprawling shopping and market district, which was largely populated by pensioners sitting around drinking tea (Çay) and smoking. Everybody smokes in Türkiye.
We returned to our local restaurant that evening before heading down to the riverfront to check out the Eskişehir nightlife, which involved sitting in cafes and restaurants, drinking more tea and smoking. We also loaded up on supplies such as tea, coffee, and confectionery in a local store, which was much cheaper than the tourist traps and much cheaper than in Thailand.
Day 10 Eskişehir to Tuzla
We had decided to take a more scenic mountain route on our last leg of this Turkish odyssey to avoid a very expensive toll bridge and see more of the countryside. However, a heavy fog had descended, so we avoided the single-lane roads and stayed on the highway, taking the long route via Izmit through Gebze.
The drive was easy, and we were at the Petra Port Hotel by 13.00. As we’ve found the entire journey, every side road was crammed with hundreds of cars and SUVs, bugger knows where all the owners were, there seem to be more cars than people in Türkiye. The only thing that outnumbered the cars were the cats, which appeared to be revered here.
We took a leisurely stroll down the waterfront and along to the Viaport Marina, where the millionaires keep their yachts, and some of the biggest seagulls I’ve ever seen congregated. The swanky brand-name shopping mall didn’t impress, so we grabbed a sunset dinner on the way back to pack for the journey to the next country tomorrow.
Final thoughts
Türkiye is a fascinating place with a lot of unique places to see, but most of them are in one big tourist trap. The prices in these popular areas were extremely high (coming from Asia), and most people were chasing the tourist buck. Many places simply didn’t display prices, and this is largely due to the over 30% annual inflation rate in the country, constantly pushing prices skywards. I have no idea how the locals survive, but they certainly weren’t paying what we were.
Costs aside, we had an unforgettable time exploring the eclectic streets and bazaars (though not the Grand Bazaar) of Istanbul, learning about Atatürk in Ankara, being blown away by the volcanic vistas around Cappadocia, and discovering a taste of the real Türkiye in Eskişehir … but it was time to move on.
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Next: Tbilisi
