Day 3, Wednesday February 3rd 2021 – Are we in the right place at wrong time?

 We took a walk in the surrounding areas and to the sea side. Many of the cafes and restaurants look like really nice places to stop and enjoy time and some refreshments, but sadly they are closed due the Corona. Still some were selling take away and also some street vendors provided services and stuff from snacks to drinks. It really feels like a cool place to be but as all the bars and restaurants are closed it might also be a wrong time to be here. 

This was the first time we ran into people trying to sell you shit. Based on my experience from some holiday beach resort in Turkey long time ago I was afraid of the sales people. I really did not find it nice and was hoping we would not experience the same here and for now it seems it really is not like that here. This time it was just an old lady selling flowers. This lady left us alone quite easily, but for a couple close by I could see how she kept pushing the flowers to their hands no matter how they resisted. As I followed this show while drinking my coffee she finally gave in and continued to the next “customers”. I don’t really know what to think of these sales people. For sure they are poor and need the money, but on the same time I am here trying to enjoy my time. Luckily here the sales people of all the small shops etc don’t behave like in the tourist resort. They don’t try to pull you in, but instead you can walk around pretty freely. Even the narrow alleys full of small businesses are ok and the atmosphere is relaxed and nice.

We sat for a while and drank a coffee, which I really needed.

Mask usage here is mandatory and has been so since the beginning of end times, meaning almost a year now. For the first time now the mask has started to really annoy me. Back in Finland and Germany I did not use a mask that much, only for short visits to a local shop or in trains and busses, but here it is mandatory as soon as you leave your home. Seems also everybody is following the rules really well. I don’t know if there is high penalty or are people just already so used to it. Well anyways, I am now pretty annoyed by the masks.

As mentioned the coffee was nice. I had no coffee for few days and I was feeling it. Before returning home we visited a small market nearby and got coffee filters so me & my addiction are now in control. Everyone else seem to be drinking tea at our place. The tea is made with a pot I have not seen before. Lower large part is for hot water and on top you have strong tea mix. These are then both poured to a mug creating tea just the way you like it to be. More you have the stuff from the top part, the stronger the tea is.

Pretty neat tea pot

One of my main goals here is to eat lot of new interesting food. We had noticed a kebab place nearby our home where they all the time had long lines. As a rule of thumb this is a good sign and promise of good food so we tried it out. My experience so far has been that you actually get best kebab from Germany. The kebab in Turkey seems to be in it’s ”raw” form, with really simple ingredients and not so much spices or any sauce. This proved to be true again as we both though this was a disappointment. The modified and upgraded international version sold by the Turks in Germany is still the best version for us. We actually did not even want to finish our food. Luckily later Boushra took us to the Falafel place, the same place we already ate from when we arrived to Istanbul the first day. This small place is super cool and the employees really friendly. It is a Palestinian Falafel and I have to say best I have ever eaten, even though I have to admit I have not too much experience on the topic. Btw first I was asked where I am from and got reply “oh I hear you have a very good education system there in Finland”. So my Finnish friends, just to let you know we are not fully forgotten by the world, and some people even know some positive facts about our far away land. As mentioned the food was great and we will for sure return there again. I have to remember to start taking photos of the food. Later at home we heard the banging from the street again. It seems things are still in motion and it would be nice to hear what is actually going on with the demonstrations. We met Özgür's girlfriend and did get a short discussion about the topic, but I would like to know more. The students are still arrested, and we don’t know for how long. It really is a bit worrying. Pedro packed his stuff and got ready for his crazy adventure. We talked about his plans and finally wished all the best to him and went to sleep. Have to say he is a brave person, a flight will take him in the morning closer to the border and he will then hitchhike for the last few hundred km.