SAMSUN

SAMSUN

Oct 5

Our plans got a little interrupted by the rental car.  After driving for a while the left rear tire started making a loud squeal, but if you put on the brakes it would stop. I figured "rental car rules are in effect" so drive until it quits. That was not Vicki's thinking on the subject while driving through the mountains. So I called the rental car company in Istanbul and they made arrangements for us to take it to OTOTOG. "It is easy to find. It is 10 km outside of Samsun on the Tarbzon highway."  Are you kidding me! Where does this 10 km start?  Do you realize I do not speak a word of Turkish. Do you know that 500,000 people live here !. This ain't no village that things are easy to find. "Is it the Ford dealer I asked several times.  "It is the place that repairs our cars" is the answer I got every time.  Ok, off we go.

We take the bypass around the 500,000 people and start on our way out of town.  I stop at a gas station and show him my note "oto tog". Sure he indicates, just another 3 km down the road.  Off we go dodging trucks and buses to get back on the highway.  This is a very busy road.  4 km down the road I pull into the Shell station and the attendant indicates it is just 2 km down the road.  Back out we go. It is a six lane highway and we are driving slow looking for OtoTog and cars, trucks and buses are whizzing by. 2 km down the road Vicki spots "Oto Koc" the Ford dealer. Istanbul could have just said the Ford dealer and made our life a lot easier.  The big mystery is how the hell those two gas station attendants figured out where we were going from "oto tog". Koc, with a special c, is pronounced "coach" and that was what they were saying.

So we wheeled in the Ford service area.  I was concerned about having to wait forever but Istanbul had guaranteed that that would not be the case.  The service people directed us right into the garage and began wrapping the seat and steering wheel in plastic and rounding up a mechanic. This was going to be great.

Something got lost in the translation as no one spoke english. Not even hello. So, I called Istanbul and told them what the problem was,passed the phone to the "suit", who would hen tell it to the mechanic. The mechanic got in behind the wheel, the "suit" in the back and me in the front and off we roared down the highway. Speeding up, slowing down and slamming on the brakes.  The "it happens after the car has been driven a long way" just went out the translation window. No squeal...nothing. Back at the garage the mechanic pulled the hubcap, shone a flashlight on the wheel, and pronounced it good.  All righty then.  My worries about losing time did not materialize, but neither did my confidence in the "repair". I thought they would at least pull the wheel and look at the brake.

They took the plastic off, the "suit" shock my hand, and away we went.

That task completed we were off for what I call "just make a left". You just head down the highway and when it feels right you make a left turn.  That would work today as somewhere out to the left is the Black Sea.

The first turn was left but also a U turn. We had passed a very large local market and we were headed for it.

It is a very large market.

 ?????

 Biggest cabbage I have ever seen.

 Not sure Scoot or Big Red would put up with this.

 We thought these were squash, but he cut us a sample and it is the sweetest mellon I have ever had.

 Best kabab of the trip.

 Took this picture and it turned into a big fun event with everyone wanting their picture taken and Turkish going back and forth. It was not captured on ...can I still say "film"?

 Tea?  

 The fish man

 This guy's honey......

... comes with it's own bees

They ask us to take their picture, then stand as stiff as a board.

 

 He wanted us to be sure and get the banner with his picture on it.

 Spicy tomato paste

I wanted to leave with this but it was not for sale.

Took a few turns to get out of the town and headed into the country. Vicki noted that it seems as though all the women do the work and the men sit in town, drink tea and play cards and backgammon all day.

We saw various crops drying in the sun so we stopped to see what they were. These two gentlemen came out to visit.  As I looked around, everyone else up and down the road stopped what they were doing and stared at us. The men indicated it was rice, but we were not sure what the brown things were, so the off duty policeman took Vicki back and cracked a few hazel nuts for her to eat.

 Vicki trying the drying hazel nut.

I usually ask permission if I am taking someone's photo in certain situations. These guys, like 99% of the people had agreed, but they told me to take "George's" picture. He just sits on the fence surrounding the water connections most of the day. I asked and he, ever so softly, nodded yes.  I shot a couple of shots and then showed them to him.

 After he sees his picture, a big grin

We wander around for hours, stopping, investigating, and gesturing.

 This is a very pink boat. 

Road,we don't need no stinkin' road.

They were not looking at us but sunning themselves.

We found a lone fisherman on the beach.  He and I had a great conversation and, as usual, I ain't got a clue.

 Beach front villa for sale.... 

... comes with boat

Back in town and rested up, we headed out for The Kismet for dinner.  This was a nice little resturaunt on the beach. First thing they did was find a waiter who spoke english. The first thing he did was bring us a bottle of Raki, sort of like ouzo. I licorice flavored strong alcohol drink made from the scrappings from the bottom of the wine barrel that you water down. Then he brought the mezze's. These are cold side dishes that you pick and choose off a tray. We selected a few and then he brought the fish on a platter for us to select what we wanted and I ordered a plate of fried sardines for us. The waiter kindly suggested that a half order would be fine. He was right. Through all of this we never saw a menu or a price list.  It was just one of those nights that was just fun and cost did not matter. We laughed and hooted  all through dinner about what this was going to set us back. That laughter may have been created by the second bottle of Raki. Vicki came up with a great new expression, "We might as well spend before Wall Street gets it !"

 mezzes

 Little fishies

So the bill came..........It was $40 and I got a free pen!