Another entry from the sky. This time I’m flying back to Frankfurt from Ankara, Turkey. We arrived day before yesterday – what day would that have been? Wednesday, I guess. Now it’s Friday. I should know this because I read the review of West Side Story in the New York Times on my computer this morning. (I still want to see it!)
I had been to Ankara once before, when I was the mentor director for the One-Act Play Festival for the US Army a couple of years ago. Clay Bridges (he looks just like you’d expect from his name – tall, handsome, square-jaw) was my host and the commander of the base here. Now, he’s retired, but he still lives in Ankara, working for an American company that does business with the Army (natch!), while one of his daughters attends college here. He picked us up at the Airport and we drove to our hotel – The King Hotel, which is located just around the corner from the American Embassy.
We went to a local Turkish restaurant for dinner. For once I don’t have to ask, “Does this have pork in it?” because they don’t eat pork in this country for the most part. It’s actually hard to find (as opposed to Germany, where it is ubiquitous – you know, all those wursts.) I had a chicken dish with rice that was very good, and an excellent bowl of lentil soup. You see that quite a bit here. Lots of peppers, lentils, eggplant and many fresh vegetables. The last time I was here was during the Festival of Ramadan, so the people fast during the day. It was quiet. This time I saw the City in full regalia. It’s a bustling place, with probably the worst drivers I’ve seen outside of Southeast Asia. Pedestrians beware!
The City has over 5 million people and is the capital of Turkey. As you may expect Ataturk is very big here. Statues, a Citadel, museums, the Main Street, etc. all celebrate the great liberator. We got to drive through the main areas the next morning as we traveled to the “old” section, where we had an appointment to look at rugs. Not me, you see, but my colleagues, wanted to at least look. I was looking forward to revisiting that old section of the City, which is picturesque, with rug and copper and jewelry stores and spice market – all just below the Citadel, which is one of Ankara’s main attractions.
The owner of the shop came out to greet us as we descended from our taxi. He offered us Apple Tea, which is surprisingly delicious. I was in one room looking at scarves while my colleagues studied the “carpets” on display (and many more that they willingly unfurled for them to peruse.) After a while I went outside to look around the area. But, it was so cold and windy (though clear and sunny, for a change) that I didn’t stay out long.
When I came back, my eyes fell on a beautiful kilim rug that Annette had considered and rejected. I couldn’t stop from staring at it and finally got the courage to ask the price. A big price. But, of course, it is all handmade and very detailed – an excellent piece, I was told. I had already selected some scarves and figured that would be my contribution to the store’s daily take. But the more I thought about it, the more I wanted that rug. It wasn’t even a question of looking at others; it was the only one that appealed to me. Suffice it to say that after some negotiation, where the price came down quite a bit, I walked out with a new rug and some scarves! (Please note that Jim, Eva and Annette also each bought rugs and scarves as well.) I guess we made his week. Aside from the money, I was a bit worried about whether Frank would like it…and where we would put it.
We walked out to go up to the spice market. They wanted saffron; I was happy with some of the sweetest golden raisins I’ve ever tasted. We looked for a place to have lunch. I spotted this building that looked intriguing. Looking inside, I couldn’t see the restaurant, which was up several steps, but I had a good feeling about the place. The others agreed and we climbed up to the foyer; then climbed even higher to the dining room, which was so much nicer than we expected. In addition to the requisite carpets, there was a wood-burning stove to heat the room, which had no less than 9 doors leading to it (see photo above.) From up there, you got a beautiful view of Ankara below. The menu had only a few choices, so we tried almost everything on offer. I had the lamb skewers, which arrived without skewers, but with potatoes. Very tender and tasty.
Time to rest at the hotel before we went to see our production that evening of Seussical, The Musical at the Turkish American Centre. There is no theatre on a base here, so they use the theatre here and cast a lot of Turkish youngsters in the production. If you’ve never seen it (I hadn’t), Seussical tells the story of Horton, the Elephant who is determined to save a group of tiny people living on a speck of dust on some clover. He hears them calling (they are called Whos), but nobody else does. Around this frame, are interwoven many of the Dr. Seuss characters and stories, including the Cat in the Hat, who serves as narrator. Music is by Ahrens and Flaherty (Ragtime and Once on This Island). There were loads of people on the stage, seeming to have a wonderful time. The house was packed as well.
After the show, Clay and his wife Laurence, the show’s director, Vern and some of the other artists went to dinner with us at the Indian restaurant, Spice. It’s easy to see why this is a favorite. The wine flowed. Appetizers appeared and many dishes which ranged from mild to “I’ll never feel my lips or tongue again.” Our hosts were so wonderful to us. It was a festive meal. A great way to end our time in Ankara. The next morning (today) we were up and out to the airport early.
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