After 26 hours of traveling, I arrived safely in Istanbul and am now typing this entry at the house of my host Gökhan. Below is a picture of Gökhan and his two friends in front of the Bosphorus River, which separates European Istanbul from Asian Istanbul.
So far, Gökhan has been a very gracious host. Earlier, he took me for my first Turkish kebab. I understand now why some Turks eat them almost on a daily basis.
Since this is a journey in benevolence, I wanted to get his thoughts on the subject. Gökhan agrees with my basic proposition that the world ıs good, sayıng he believes goodness is "in the nature of all humankind," but he thinks that "fear often masks it."
Almost four years ago, Gökhan began hosting guests on CouchSurfıng. At the tıme, he thought people were pretty different in the world, but he said this experience has taught him that "people are completely the same, just the language is different."
Gökhan has hosted 30 people and never had a bad experience. Just as hosting someone takes a leap of faith, so does staying in the house of a stranger, but if the experience wıth Gökhan is any indication of things to come, I will be well taken care of in Turkey. Thank you, Gökhan.
Today, I also benefitted from the kindness of some Turkish strangers on the streets of Istanbul. I was pretty wiped out when I arrived after so much traveling, so I got a little mixed up with the public transportation. Two people went out of their way and actually missed their respective buses, so they could help me find mind, twıce! One man walked four blocks out of his way. This is yet another example of travel magic.
In the past, I was surprısed by such occurrences. Now, I have come to expect it.
I do not have much else to report. It is about bed time. Tomorrow, I plan on doing some sightseeing. I will try to update the blog as much as possible, but I must admit it is taking me a little time to get used to some of the differences with the Turkish characters on the keyboard.
Thanks for reading my blog, and please check back often. Hopefully, I will have gotten better with the computer.
Good luck. I know that you will be treated well. Why wouldn't you be?
ReplyDeleteMark, this is so exciting! I can almost taste those yummy kebabs! I hope you enjoy your sightseeing. I imagine it is probably as hot there as it is here. I think I agree with your host that many people probably want to reach out to strangers but are afraid -- in today's world that is understandable, but it taks brave people like you and your host to help us all remember that there is still much kindness out there! Keep having fun!
ReplyDeleteWow! I never tasted kebabs that lıke that before, and they were served wıth yogurt, whıch was also delicious.
ReplyDeleteThank you for your comment.
Are you learning any Turkish?
ReplyDeleteI have learned a few basic phrases, which people really seem to appreciate. In my travels, I have found that even three or four phrases shows that the traveler is making an effort. Believe me, that goes a long way.
ReplyDeleteOften, friends have asked me how I can travel to countries where I do not speak the language. I always tell them that you find a way to communicate. That is another example of travel magic.