Box of memories from Anatolia

Sometimes we feel more than comfortable and secure being in our country, but sometimes a journey in an newly discovered country can open your eyes and make you realize cultures can go beyond you have ever imagined or seen in movies. It happened to me during my 7 days-journey in Turkey, Batman last summer. Why Batman? Well, I can say I didn’t choose this destination, but it has chosen me. I was selected to attend a seminar in Batman and seeing the acceptance invitation and the destination mentioned, I hurried up to my laptop to check on Google map where is it localized, as I am not as good in geography as I try to. I cannot even describe my surprise seeing that it is not quite a touristic locale, as I always thought about Turkey, considering my last vacation in Alanya. The surprise was followed by the spirit of adventure and packing, which is one very pleasant moment during a journey, but for me it was a fastidious task to choose clothes that will protect me from the sun, not make me sweat and in the same time being suitable for the region’s customs. And that is not as easy as it sounds. Finally, I arrived in Batman, a newly constructed city, in majority populated by a youth generation. First impression: incredibly hot, that kind of hot that makes you don’t want to get up in the morning and perturbs your sleep in the night. But overcoming the harsh climate, the places that impressed me a lot were Hasankeyf, of course, and Mardin. Historical parts are always unforgettable if you know how to appreciate their “sensation”. Besides the euphoria of that new culture being part of, I have to admit Turkish men are very seductive and attractive. If an European woman would walk down a street in Mardin, she will be covered with all the possible attention, and I do not know if that is really a bad thing. Discovering the region of Anatolia was very challenging, but I would go for it again for a longer period, to feel the real vibes of the muslin culture, to try the traditional cuisine and be contact with local people as this is the only way to penetrate in a region’s mode of life. There are still 7 things I took back home from the south-east of Anatolia, things that still remain in my memory box: an inwrought scarf, incredible hot days, ceramic magnets that cover my fridge, a golden dessert spoon that completed my collection, the taste of the typical Turkish nargile, a broken heart and a full gallery of photographs. Just in this moment I already miss Turkey.