I Didn’t Choose Turkey. I Chose a Person. — Part 1: Istanbul & Çeşme

So I finally decided to go to Turkey, not because it's a popular destination. Not because it's IG famous. Not because some fake-ass YouTuber recommended it to me.

I went because I had a friend I grew up with back home whose parents are Turkish and who now lives there. He’s been bugging me for 4 or 5 years to come visit.

Turkey was never on my radar.

I knew nothing about Turkish culture, the Ottomans, the beaches, the food.

NOTHING.

I didn't even know much about its relationship with Islam, secularism, or its own history.

The reason was simple:

I wasn't choosing a country.

I was choosing a person.

I’ll Learn It When I Get There

I rarely research places before I go.

Not because I don’t care about them, but because I don’t want my first experience of a place to be through someone else’s words.

I don’t need to know every historical fact, every traditional dish, or every custom before I arrive.

I’d rather learn those things through being there, talking to people, seeing how they live, and experiencing the place myself.

A lot of the time, I don’t even choose countries because I have some deep interest in them.

Sometimes it’s because the flight is cheap.

Sometimes it’s because I’m already nearby.

Sometimes it’s because I have a friend there.

In this case, it was because I had a friend there.

Spinning the Globe and Following the Music

When the internet was still pretty new, before smartphones and social media changed how people discovered places, I was a professional dancer and I would literally spin a globe, close my eyes, put my finger on it, and wherever it landed, I’d go.

I did some research in terms of what the dance scene was like.

I knew that if the country had a dance scene, I could easily adapt to any country I visited.

I spent years traveling like that.

One of my best experiences was when I was in Paris.

My boy and I hated it.

We got scammed the first place we went to. People were rude. It was smelly and dirty.

We had a train to catch and we went to the wrong station.

Missed our trip to Portugal.

My friend flipped out and decided to return to London.

He begged me to come back with him, but I said no.

I booked a train to Barcelona, and my friend gave me some money and we parted ways.

I stored my belongings in a locker at the train station and realized I had almost no money left except for what my friend gave me and some change.

So I hopped on the subway and randomly got off at some station.

I wanted to find a park to sleep in, or a safe place to sleep on the street, and figure out how to contact my sister to see if she could send me some money.

I still had 2 weeks left of my trip.

Anyway, I hopped out of the subway, and as I was walking up the steps, I heard some familiar music.

It was funk music.

Like 70s funk.

Maybe "Rock Creek Park."

I was like:

"I know this music."

I followed the music and saw some French dudes stretching, and I knew immediately what they were doing.

They were going to perform in the street.

I knew this well.

Same dance, different city.

One little French dude threw some garbage away and I was nearby, and I told him I was a dancer.

He told me I could join them.

I declined because I wasn’t in the mood.

I wanted to talk to them afterward.

When they finished, I told them who I was and my story.

The oldest dude had a cell phone.

And this was when cell phones were rare.

He let me use the phone to call my sister.

That was mad respect!

She got me a hotel and wired me 1000 USD to fund the rest of my 2-week trip.

Not only did I use his cell phone to make an international call, but he also had a car and drove me to my hotel.

I told them I was going to Spain the next day, but I would make it a point to return and get down with these guys.

When I returned to Paris, they introduced me to the community.

We hit clubs for free, battled, and danced.

I met rappers, different street dancers, and even went to the studio and did a rap song.

Some of the best memories of my life.

Some of these guys later came to the Bay Area to perform, and we met up.

That experience stuck with me.

It reinforced something I already believed about travel:

The best moments are usually not the ones you plan.

They are the moments when you are forced to adapt, interact, and follow whatever opportunity appears.

Fuck Beijing

My trip to Turkey started with chaos before I even left China.

I flew China Southern from Chongqing to Beijing, and the flight left late for reasons unknown to me. I told the staff at the desk that I only had a three-hour layover, and they assured me it would be okay.

I have to say, the China Southern staff were on point. They were professional, helpful, and clearly trying to solve the problem.

During the flight, a flight attendant came to me and told me we would also be arriving late. They were going to move me to the front of the plane, have someone waiting for me, and if I missed my connection, they would make accommodations.

I appreciated the help, but I was still pissed off.

I was supposed to arrive in Istanbul in the morning, and I wanted to start exploring immediately.

When we landed, someone was waiting for me and another passenger. We rushed through the airport, but Beijing is massive, and security is known for sweating people (making things harder than they need to be).

Then came security.

They went through everything!

My camera, lenses, filters, and the camera I bought for my friend.

Nothing was damaged, but they handled everything roughly, and I was getting stressed because time was running out.

Then I realized I didn't have my passport.

I ran back, but nobody seemed to know anything.

A foreign passenger told me he saw security take it.

Eventually, the airport employee helping me found someone who had my passport.

I thanked him, ran to the gate, and was the last person on the plane.

Sitting there, exhausted, I remember thinking:

"Fuck Beijing."

The First Time Turkey Felt Easy

The good news was I got a little sleep, and jet lag doesn’t tend to stop me.

I arrived in Istanbul and things went smoothly.

China is so complicated to me that when I arrive in another country, I’m always thankful because everything just feels smooth and easy.

Or maybe it just feels that way because I now live in China.

I began smiling and greeting Turkish people. Small talk where I could.

I was getting a feel for the place, and it seemed quite a few people spoke some English.

I asked security where the bus was and got directions — exit 9, down two floors, and you’ll see Havaş, the bus company that takes people to various destinations.

I went to the window, showed the guy my address, and he told me to go to number 18.

I went to 18 and saw these two young women chilling, so I approached them and asked some questions to confirm.

They spoke hella good English, but they were actually not natives of Istanbul.

I asked the driver when he appeared, and he confirmed I was at the right place.

I hopped on the bus, checked in my bag, and we were off.

Finding My Corner of Istanbul

My home base for the first 5 days and nights was Cihangir, Beyoğlu.

I still can’t pronounce it properly, but I couldn’t have asked for a tighter home base.

Most of my time was spent wandering the streets and just absorbing the area.

I would read at different cafes. Some were nice, with great views, while others were grimy, covered in graffiti, and exactly the type of places I naturally feel.

I spent time hanging out at the steps on Sesame Street.

Yes, literally Sesame Street.

That’s the English translation of the street name.

The funny thing is, one day I noticed Bert and Ernie on the wall and thought it was random as hell.

Why are Sesame Street characters here?

My friend explained that the street translates to Sesame Street, so someone leaned into the joke and added Bert and Ernie.

It’s those little random things you only discover when you’re actually walking around, paying attention, and asking questions.

I drank beers there, kicked it with locals, and had conversations about things I won’t share publicly.

I photographed cats, graffiti, and architecture.

I window-shopped, bought snacks from corner stores, and talked to people whenever I could, especially if they spoke English.

One of the random highlights was finding a shop owned by an OG named Tekken.

The pronunciation sounded like the game, which is why I remember his name.

His shop was dope!

He had swords, genie lamps, cool-ass old-school Roman or Greek helmets, shields, and all kinds of awesome stuff.

If I was rich, I would buy a bunch of his shit.

It felt like walking into a real-life fantasy shop.

I wandered the streets during the day and at night because I wanted to see how the vibe shifted.

During the day, the neighborhood was alive, but nighttime was when it really started cracking.

They had cool bars with good hip-hop and electronic music.

Not the type of stuff I had gotten used to hearing in Asia.

Asia basically destroyed my clubbing career.

As a dancer, I used to club three or four times a week for years.

Nightlife was part of my life.

Then I moved to Asia, and the music and vibe just weren’t for me, so I stopped going out.

I went out a couple times in Istanbul, and while the more popular spots weren’t really my thing, the ones in this neighborhood were dope.

No dress code.

No bullshit.

Good music.

Good vibes.

I couldn’t have asked for a better home base than this area.

Day 1 — No Plan. Just Walk.

Back to Day 1, once my friend was ready, we headed down the hill from Cihangir toward the water.

We crossed the main road where the tram runs and wandered into Karaköy.

Karaköy had tons of restaurants, cafés, bakeries, some graff, and people, especially at night. We wandered around for a while before continuing toward the ferry.

Before we got there, we walked through Galataport.

My friend told me a lot of Chinese tourists had started coming to Turkey over the years and thought Chinese investors might have had something to do with the development.

I don't know if that's true, but the place immediately reminded me of China.

Everything was modern.

Upscale shops.

Super clean.

Outdoor mall vibe.

Rich-looking.

I window-shopped anyway, but honestly...

It was kind of boring to me.

Nice? Sure.

But it could have been almost anywhere.

It didn't have much personality.

After that, we hopped on the ferry.

I didn't even realize we were leaving Europe.

I had no idea one side of Istanbul was Europe and the other was Asia.

To me, we were just taking a boat across the water.

We got off in Üsküdar and walked over to Mihrimah Sultan Mosque.

After that...

We just wandered.

No plan.

No destination.

Just walking.

We stayed mostly around the waterfront, but eventually we hopped on the subway, got off somewhere random, and kept exploring.

Honestly, I don't even remember exactly where we were.

There weren't any major highlights or famous landmarks.

We were just watching people live their lives.

Kids jumping into the Bosphorus and swimming.

People taking pictures.

Families hanging out.

People going about their day.

One interaction I do remember was meeting a young Palestinian woman near the mosque.

She spoke several languages and told us she wanted to go to school and do something involving languages.

When I told her I lived in China, she smiled and said visiting China was one of her dreams.

Later we came across a Muslim woman handing out cups of water.

I assumed it cost money, but she just handed us some and explained that it was free.

That's just something people do.

Even my friend was surprised.

He looked at me and said:

"I'm seeing things I've never seen before and experiencing things I've never experienced before."

I laughed and told him:

"That's because we're just wandering the streets and going with the flow. We don't have some big goal today. We're paying attention, reading signs, talking to people, and taking advantage of whatever situations come up."

That's exactly why I travel the way I do.

Day 2 — The Famous Stuff Wasn’t the Point

Day 2 started with me going to Taksim Square.

For a second, I thought I was in Mexico.

The path I took was the same path I took when I left the bus station, but today I was focused.

No suitcase.

No backpack.

No trying to figure out where the hell I was going.

I started noticing things.

I saw all the meat hanging on the vertical metal things, rotating around, just like they do with al pastor in Mexico.

These places were closed this early, but I would come back here several more times.

There is a mosque at Taksim Square, so I went to explore.

It was early, not many people were out, and it was the perfect time to shoot lights and shadows.

I stumbled upon an open door.

This might not be the best way to travel, but sometimes I just walk into places, even if I’m not sure I’m allowed.

If someone tells me I’m not supposed to be there, I pull the dumb foreigner card, apologize, and leave.

But if nobody says anything, then cool, I explore.

This door led into a courtyard where two Turkish men were talking.

They didn’t seem to have any issue with me being there.

It was a Christian church.

I’m not Christian or Muslim, but I like holy places.

There is something about them.

The history, the architecture, the atmosphere.

This was no different.

After chasing lights and shadows and wandering different areas around my friend's neighborhood, I stumbled onto İstiklal Avenue.

This is basically Istanbul's famous walking street.

It’s wide, with shops and restaurants on both sides, and the old red tram running through the middle.

Lots of people, though not at this time of morning.

It was interesting, but it started feeling too polished for me.

It was a place designed for people to visit.

After a block or so, I ducked into one of the side streets and disappeared.

That is where things get interesting.

It was always fascinating to me seeing different shops, different art, and different pieces of the city that most people walk right past.

For those who see graffiti as all the same thing and just vandalism — which in many cases it is, I won’t deny that — it’s kind of sad because you miss the deeper stuff.

I started noticing new pieces, seeing the same names running, and beginning to figure out who bombs the area the most, who has the most ups.

Seeing more cats, interesting decorations, ruined buildings, new buildings — all the same, but different to a trained eye.

My friend got up earlier today, and today we would take the tram to Sultanahmet Meydanı.

When we arrived, I knew this was going to be a tourist day.

The tourists were out.

We saw some obelisks that looked like they came from Egypt, which was tight.

We visited the Blue Mosque, Hagia Sophia, Sultanahmet Park, and Mehmet Akif Ersoy Park.

Sultanahmet Park didn’t have much shade, and I brought the heat with me when I arrived in Istanbul because the weather had started getting hot.

Mehmet Akif Ersoy Park had much more shade.

We wanted to go to the palace, but it was closed.

The Blue Mosque was tight.

I told my friend I had seen tighter mosques in Egypt.

I’m not sure if that pissed him off, but he started explaining the historical importance of the mosque and why it was special.

I wasn’t there to argue history or how old something was.

I just said I had seen mosques in Egypt that impressed me more.

The Hagia Sophia was expensive.

Over $50.

I’m sorry, but I wasn’t impressed.

Maybe I did it wrong.

Maybe I wasn’t the right audience for it.

But after hearing so much about it, I expected something that would blow me away.

Instead, I felt like I wasted my money.

You go in, you start at the top, and you get a view of the area below.

They did have some pimpy-ass mosaics.

I’m sure they were historically significant and tight as hell.

But overall, it was underwhelming.

I’ve seen things for free that were much more interesting.

I’m glad nobody reads my blogs because I’m sure I’d get hated on.

But I also thought Giza was trash too.

What can I say?

Anyway, I finally got to the end, walked into another area, and pretty quickly security came up to me and told me I couldn’t enter.

Muslims only.

I didn’t protest.

I apologized and asked:

“So that’s it? The exit is right there. There’s nothing else to see?”

The security guard was basically like:

“Yup.”

So I left.

I’m sure my friend was happy because he didn’t really want to go inside anyway.

He was waiting outside in the heat, and once again, I was only there for maybe 30 minutes.

I felt robbed.

Day 3 — Crossing Continents, Random Conversations, and Istanbul at Night

Day 3, 4, and 5 became a blur, and honestly, I think I forgot some of the exact order.

At this point, I wasn’t really documenting everything.

I was just experiencing the place.

Back to Asia 

We went back to the Asian side via ferry and hit an area with interesting decorations and colorful homes.

I forgot the name, but we spent some time wandering, talking, and me learning more about Turkey.

We finished off at a rooftop restaurant with some pretty good pasta.

Eventually, we headed back toward the coast to catch the ferry back to Europe.

While walking, I started talking about all the yachts.

I ain’t gonna lie.

Turkey looked hella rich to me.

Now, I don’t actually know if Turkey is considered a rich country.

I’m not an economist.

I’m just telling you what it looked like to me.

I had never seen so many yachts before.

Everywhere I looked, there were boats.

So I’m walking around looking at Turkish people thinking:

"Damn, these people got money."

They looked far richer than me, but honestly, that’s not hard to accomplish.

😂

So here I am talking about yachts and how I wish I had one, and some woman nearby asked me if I knew how much they cost.

I laughed and told her this was pure wishful thinking.

I had no idea, and I would probably never be able to afford one.

Turns out this woman was a journalist who had recently been released from confinement in a Middle Eastern country.

I don’t want to go into all the details, but she had an intense story.

She told us she had been beaten and tortured and was still recovering from her injuries.

She was asking us about hospitals in Turkey.

My friend explained the healthcare system, and we exchanged Instagram accounts.

I obviously can’t confirm everything about her story, but the pictures looked pretty convincing.

I actually told her I would be interested in photographing her story if she ever wanted.

(Quick break from writing — I messaged her. Okay, back.)

Hearing some of her stories while we walked together for about 45 minutes was crazy.

Whether every detail was exactly as she described, she had clearly been through some serious shit.

Day 3 — Sesame Street Steps and Istanbul Nightlife

When we returned to Europe, we walked through the Sesame Street steps area and met one of my friend's boys and another dude in the early evening.

They were doing something we used to do back home when we were young.

Just posted up on the steps, drinking.

If it was Frisco, it would have been posted on the steps next to the Russian projects, or some random cut where people are blazing and drinking.

That appealed to me because I haven’t posted like that in years.

To do it again in another country brought back memories.

We had some good conversations, and I learned some interesting things about Turkey that I never expected to learn.

Unfortunately, most of those conversations are not for you.

But if you’re thinking what I’m thinking, then yeah, that's what's up!

The new friend we met had a connect to a club and got us on the guest list.

That night we went back to Karaköy to try another place for fish wraps.

Karaköy is way more cracking at night.

Not exactly my style, but it was still dope because the area was cracking!

We took a long bus ride to the club.

I already knew I probably wouldn’t like it.

There was a dress code.

We got there, and honestly, the music was better than I expected, but it still wasn’t my thing.

We stayed maybe an hour.

I was ready to leave after 20 minutes.

My boy said I was being a hater, but I spent years going to clubs all over the world.

I know what I like and what I don’t like.

He couldn’t argue that it kinda sucked.

The bus ride back was worse.

We walked all day, we were tired, then had this long crowded bus ride home followed by another 15-minute walk.

Day 4 — Turkish Breakfast and Becoming Part of the Neighborhood

The next morning, we were wandering around looking for breakfast and stumbled upon one of my friend's homegirls eating.

It wasn’t the place my boy wanted to eat at, but we joined her.

This is where I had the Turkish breakfast with bread, sauces, hummus, cheeses, and all kinds of other stuff.

At this point, I was already destroying my gluten-free diet.

I was still trying not to eat too much gluten, but I was consuming it daily.

Even the beer from the night before.

She was cool, spoke good English, and we had a long breakfast.

It actually reminded me of eating hot pot.

See, I don’t really like food because I can’t eat much, so I don’t usually enjoy sitting around for hours eating and talking.

But this was actually pretty cool.

Later, we went back to the same fish wrap place for dinner.

The funny thing was, the cook took me into the kitchen and had me make fish wraps for some tourists.

I was like:

"Are you serious?"

I looked at the tourists like:

"Are you sure you want this?"

They went with it.

So I put on gloves and started making their fish wraps.

It was awesome.

These things happen to me when I travel.

It’s not because I’m cool...

(although I am).

😂

It’s because of how I interact with people.

I talk to people, I’m curious, and I’m open to random situations.

I’m still hoping one day someone with a fat-ass yacht says:

"Yo, get on this boat!"

Although, technically, that has happened before.

That night we wandered around my boy’s neighborhood.

And I was thinking:

"Why the hell didn’t we just party here?"

His neighborhood was way more alive.

We found a spot with a live DJ, pretty dope electronic music, people hanging out, no dress code, no bullshit.

Not incredible, but it was something I hadn’t experienced in years because I’ve been in Asia so long.

Places like this are hella rare in Asia and usually underground.

It felt good.

Day 5 — Last Day in Istanbul

This was a chill day.

My boy had work to do, so I wandered around by myself.

At this point, I was starting to learn the neighborhood. I was using GPS less and less because I was recognizing landmarks and figuring out how to navigate like a local.

I had my book with me, so I spent time reading.

Later, I joined him at a cafe about a 15-minute walk away with a nice view and continued reading.

When he finished, we took a ferry up the Bosphorus to Rumeli Fortress.

I don’t remember the name at first, but this was the castle.

It was pretty big, but parts of it were under construction or closed.

Inside, it was mostly empty — stone walls, open areas, and a few levels.

You could get some good views if you climbed up, but you couldn’t really explore everything.

After about 30 minutes, even with photos and videos, I was done.

We ate at a restaurant, took a bus back home, and that was basically the end of my first Istanbul chapter.

The next day, I was off to Izmir, with a car waiting to drive me to Çeşme.

I would be solo from this point forward.

Day 6 — Leaving Istanbul and Heading to Çeşme

An Unexpected Upgrade

I was flying Turkish Airlines.

I don’t like drama. I’ve had enough drama when I was younger.

When I sat down in my seat, the steward asked if I was traveling alone.

I said yes.

He told me a woman wanted to sit with her child and asked if I was okay switching seats.

I was like:

"Fine."

He told me to grab my things and escorted me to business class.

I was hella happy.

I love business class.

I’ve only flown business class once before, and it was a similar situation.

Something happened, they moved me, and I got upgraded.

The only downside is this only happens on short flights.

How I would love to be on a 12-hour flight in business class.

Minions doing my bidding whenever I want.

People being super nice.

Business class is nice!

I usually just go with the flow when I travel.

I’m not trying to argue with people unless it’s absolutely necessary, or I’ve pulled an all-nighter and I’m already in a bad mood.

Renting a Car and Doing Things My Way

The rental was pretty straightforward.

I planned this in advance.

See, I sometimes plan things out.

😂

Despite my boy wanting me to go farther south to Bodrum — which he said was way better and explained why — I stuck with my plan.

The problem with that thinking is that’s his experience.

I had never been to Turkey.

I had nothing to compare anything to.

And honestly, I felt like he was thinking more about what was popular.

I don’t care about what’s popular.

I don’t care what’s trending.

I don’t follow sheep.

I do my own thing.

Why do I want to go somewhere because it’s Instagram famous?

That already tells me it might not be my type of place, no matter how cool it actually is.

I’ve been to tons of IG-famous places, and many of them sucked to me because the atmosphere was weak.

I kept my plan.

Besides, I wanted to visit the Greek islands of Chios and Samos.

They were more convenient from Izmir, so I stuck with it.

Would Bodrum have been better?

Maybe.

Maybe not.

My trips aren’t defined by checking boxes and doing what everyone else says is the best.

Back Behind the Wheel

Anyway, I got my car and headed out.

I live in China now, so I don’t drive.

I also can’t afford a car, so even if I had a Chinese license, I wouldn’t be buying one.

I was a little rusty for the first few minutes, but natural instincts took over.

The roads were smooth once I got onto the highway.

The only annoying part was getting out of the city, but it wasn’t too bad.

Çeşme was about an hour from the airport.

I got lucky.

My hotel was literally about a 15-minute walk from Çeşme Castle, the pier, and the walking street.

See, I don’t choose hotels based on the perfect location.

I choose based on price.

Since I was renting a car, I needed free parking or parking nearby.

I always filter for 8+ ratings, then choose the cheapest option after that.

Is this the best way to pick a hotel?

Probably not.

But I can’t afford whatever I want.

And somehow, it always works out.

This place had a nice view of the wharf area, which was a nice bonus.

Alaçatı — Beautiful, But Not My Style

It was still early, so I decided to drive to Alaçatı.

My friend had actually done more research on the places I was visiting than I had, especially the Greek islands I was going to because he didn’t know much about them.

He showed me some windmills.

I was like:

"I’ll peep it."

I got confused because I thought those windmills were in Chios.

Turns out they were in Alaçatı.

I don’t like paying for parking.

I don’t like paying for anything.

😂

I found a nice spot to park for free, and it was only about a 10-minute walk to the windmills.

Walking there was fine.

Then I started seeing the tourists.

And I’m thinking:

"I didn’t think these windmills were that big of a deal."

They’re fucking windmills.

I was expecting to shoot some photos in a relatively quiet area.

Nope.

Shops.

Ice cream.

Tourists.

People everywhere.

Then I walked up the steps to the windmills.

More tourists.

I kind of lost my excitement for photography and started filming instead.

I probably should have been more intentional with my video because I don’t set up compositions the same way with video as I do with photography.

With photography, I’m much more focused.

With video, I like capturing the feeling.

When there are a bunch of muppets around, I lose interest.

I take some videos, maybe a couple photos, and bounce.

Finding the Real Alaçatı

Now, Alaçatı seemed like a place I would not like.

It looked rich as hell.

Which continued my idea that everyone in Turkey was rich.

Tons of restaurants, tourists, and cafes.

I know how that sounds.

But honestly, it wasn’t bad.

There were old buildings, beautiful vegetation, narrow streets, interesting light and shadows, and tons of colors.

It was actually mesmerizing.

It was also hot.

I found an ice cream place and got some blue ice cream.

I forgot what flavor it was.

Something like caramel mixed with something else, but it looked like Smurf doo-doo.

It was good though.

I talked to the ice cream man and said:

"I’m digging this spot, but not the people. Any recommendations?"

He gave me some recommendations, but I’m terrible with names, especially foreign ones.

The solution was simple:

Get away from the main strip.

That’s what I did.

I started going into the narrow alleys, and suddenly I was taking photos like crazy.

This place was surreal and beautiful.

Even though it wasn’t really my style.

I clown cafes and people sitting at cafes.

I’m gluten-free (well, not really on this trip), so I don’t care much about restaurants.

And I don’t like crowds or popular places.

But sometimes a place surprises you.

Beyond the Tourist Area

I texted my boy and told him I was disappointed with the windmills.

He told me:

"Those windmills are in Chios."

I was like:

"Ohhhhh."

Well, they got them in Alaçatı too.

There was still hope.

So I continued wandering.

I met a group of Turkish guys.

I think one was trying to clown me, but his English wasn’t good enough and I wasn’t completely sure.

I waved it off.

His friend was respectful, so we chopped it up for a bit.

Then I continued exploring.

Eventually, I left the old town and crossed the street because I always like seeing what’s beyond the famous areas.

I ended up in a rich-ass neighborhood.

Beautiful houses.

Quiet streets.

Rich-ass Turks.

I wandered around for a while before returning to the old town.

Dinner, Lemonade, and Çeşme Castle

I was hungry.

I probably should have gotten Turkish food.

But I found a burger place that was empty, tucked away in an alley, and nobody was around.

Perfect.

I ordered a burger and some lemonade.

By the way, Turkey has tons of lemonade, and I love lemonade.

After finishing, I kept wandering the old town, taking photos, and messaging my sister and parents telling them they would love it here.

Eventually, it was time to leave.

As I was exiting, some kid asked me for money.

I had some change.

I hate coins, so I gave him probably around 25 cents.

He looked at me sideways.

I was like:

"Y’all rich out here. Why are you asking me for money? Look where you live."

I don’t think he understood me.

But he annoyed me because I didn’t have to give him anything.

Heading back to the hotel was easy.

Back streets.

No bullshit.

There was a Carrefour Mini next door, so I bought some supplies, dropped everything off in my small room, and walked down to the wharf area.

Çeşme Castle — Learning History By Accident

First stop:

Çeşme Castle.

I didn’t even know there was a castle.

I had no plans except wandering.

This was a nice surprise.

A small castle sitting right on the coast.

I didn’t realize how hardcore the Turks and Ottomans were.

I knew they were badass from social studies classes, but culturally and historically, I never really cared much about Turkey.

My boy’s parents are Turkish.

He was born and raised in the USA, but he’s also a citizen of Turkey.

I understand why he is interested in Turkey.

For me, I just never had that connection.

Nonetheless, it was interesting learning about Çeşme and this battle they had with Russia and lost.

From what I remember reading, it was a huge deal because they hadn’t experienced a defeat like that in a very long time.

Turkey was definitely a force.

And this is why I don’t read or research places I travel unless I’m really interested in them.

I will forget.

When I read that information while standing there, it actually meant something because I was experiencing the place.

A month later, all I remember is Çeşme had a naval battle with Russia in 1770.

They lost.

They hadn’t lost in over 100 years.

And they learned from that loss.

That’s about all I remember now.

I travel to places for different reasons.

A friend.

An animal.

A waterfall.

A city.

Rarely is it because I want to learn a country's entire history.

I wanted to go to Egypt because of its history, but I don’t know everything about Egypt.

I just wanted to see the ruins.

I don’t know all the gods and all that shit.

Walking Çeşme at Sunset

Anyways, all in all, Çeşme Castle was a nice little find.

I then proceeded down the waterfront.

Restaurants.

Boat tours.

People.

Some guy wanted me to take a picture of him.

I think he was selling boat tours, but I think he realized pretty quickly he wasn’t going to sell me one, and he was right.

He asked about my camera and photography and if I did this for a living.

I said I wish.

I continued on, took some sunset pictures, then walked to the small walking strip, which had shops, restaurants, and people.

I took more photos and then bounced back to the hotel.

I don’t really go out late anymore unless I’m particularly interested in shooting something at night, or there is something interesting that can only be seen at night.

I prefer to get up early and make moves in daylight when no one is around.

Day 7 — Karaburun Peninsula: The Place I Wasn’t Looking For

No Plan, Just Drive

Today I would drive and wander the Karaburun Peninsula.

It was about a 30-minute drive to the base of it.

I didn’t really have a plan here.

I figured I would just stop whenever I felt like it.

Pin locations, and if something looked interesting, maybe Google Maps it.

Or I’d just take random roads and see where they went.

That’s usually when I find the best stuff.

Ildır — Finding Ruins By Accident

My first stop was Ildır.

I didn’t really choose it for any specific reason.

I just stopped because it was coastal, there was parking, and it was empty.

I wanted to walk along the water and take pictures.

I ended up driving up the hill where the village continued.

There was parking this early, but nobody was awake yet.

I wandered through the village and ended up finding this dope-ass ruin.

I just got off the main strip.

Even though the main strip was empty.

A place is more than just the main strip.

Usually, that’s the lamest part, or at least it doesn’t show the true nature of a place.

I kept going up, past houses and people starting their day, and followed the road until I was basically outside the village.

Then I saw a sign.

It was clearly some ruins shit.

I don’t remember all the names, but there was something about Athena and some other names.

I know Athena, so I figured this was probably worth checking out.

This turned into a mission.

At first, it seemed pretty normal.

Then I found the theater.

A legit ancient ruined theater.

Nobody was there.

I was like:

"YESSSS!!! MORE!!!"

I continued past the theater and found remains of buildings and other ruins.

I probably spent over an hour there.

I was thinking:

"Damn, do people actually come here?"

Was it a hidden gem?

I don’t know.

Either way, it was empty, and I was happy I found it.

Breakfast With A Local

When I finished, I wanted breakfast.

I found this spot overlooking the ocean, and this kid took my order.

He spoke some English.

He wanted me to try the Turkish breakfast.

I told him I was gluten-free.

He kinda shook his head.

"Ahh shit."

At least he knew.

Even with that negative head shake, there were still some options.

We started talking because I was one of the only people there, and that’s what I do.

We talked about food, the area, and then I told him about the ruins.

Turns out they weren’t some hidden gem.

He said they were actually pretty popular, but most people go there during sunset because the views are amazing.

He told me I should go.

I nodded.

But I knew I probably wouldn’t.

Would I have loved seeing it at sunset?

Of course.

But finding it randomly, being alone, and imagining I discovered something was better.

If I learned about it from him, went there at sunset, and it was crowded, it would lose that magical feeling of discovery.

The point of travel is getting into unexpected situations and locations.

At least for me.

The kid was cool.

Friendly and knowledgeable.

Getting Lost Along The Coast

I continued on.

The road took me inland and eventually toward the east side of the peninsula.

There was a spot with a spring where people would stop, wash their feet, hands, or face, and take a break.

I just drove through this time.

Maybe later.

I made some quick stops at beaches once I hit the coast, but there were people.

Not really my thing.

At this point, I was tripping because I wanted to swim.

I had everything except a safe place for my keys and phone.

I had no waterproof bag.

The Hitchhiker Who Changed My Route

I stopped in Mordoğan hoping I could find a waterproof bag.

It seemed like a big enough town.

But it was a waste of time.

English levels were low, and even with translations, I couldn’t find a store.

I was surprised because this area is all beaches, but eventually I gave up.

Then some dude was hitchhiking.

I was alone.

I had space.

Fuck it.

I’ll pick him up.

He got in, thanked me, thinking I was Turkish.

I was like:

"Sorry, I don’t understand."

It was all good.

We didn’t go far, but I tried explaining that I was wandering and would probably stop often to explore.

After 5–10 minutes, he told me where to drop him off.

Using basically hand signals, he told me:

Drive straight.

Turn right.

I listened.

And I ended up at this small community.

Beach.

Cafes.

People hanging out.

It was nice.

I decided to stop, have a drink, and take some pictures and videos.

A Random Conversation By The Sea

The cafe had a child who wanted to practice his English.

I say child because I call teenagers and people in their 20s "kids."

This kid was actually around 10.

We talked about fish because there was a big poster showing fish found in the sea.

I asked him his favorites.

I pointed out some fish we used to catch when I was a kid in Mexico because they were on the poster.

Nice little conversation.

A drink right next to the ocean.

Small waves.

Clear water.

I was loving it.

Not usually my type of travel, but I was feeling it.

Finding The Beach I Wanted

Not too far away, I came upon a gem.

It wasn’t completely empty, but it wasn’t crowded.

There was a little off-road-ish driving.

Basically, it was a road, but not paved.

A little funky.

Then I found this beach.

Oh man.

It was beautiful.

It seemed local.

I don’t think this was a tourist spot.

Just local families.

Clear water.

Rocks.

Plants.

Small waves.

Beautiful atmosphere.

I wanted to post up and swim.

But I’m from the USA.

I just don’t trust leaving my shit sitting there.

I took pictures and videos, then just sat for a while.

Karaburun Town — Beautiful Location, Wrong Beach

Then I went to Karaburun town.

This was almost at the northern tip of the peninsula.

It was pretty big, and I liked the look of the town.

Coastal, hills, beautiful location.

It was appealing to me.

The narrow roads made driving annoying though.

I found a beach, but it sucked.

It had hotels, music, restaurants, and crowds.

The beach itself was small.

Why would anyone want to go here?

I wonder sometimes how people think.

I just don’t understand why people choose crowded, kinda shitty spots.

Anyways, I still appreciated the beauty of where this town was located, but I didn’t stay too long.

A Seafood Dinner That Reminded Me Of Mexico

I finally drove almost to the northern tip.

I stopped somewhere and ate some seafood.

Relaxed.

Enjoyed the moment.

This was kind of funny because it reminded me of Mexico.

The restaurant was right on the coast.

When I arrived, it seemed like a mother and daughter were just talking.

Other than that, the place was empty.

I asked if they were open.

The daughter — probably late 20s or 30s, definitely not a child — started yelling a name.

I assumed she was calling her dad.

I was right.

He came down after several minutes, and I ordered my food.

I just like this.

It’s relaxed.

As an American, you rarely see this.

In most US restaurants, everything is professional and structured.

In other countries, this kind of thing isn’t uncommon.

And I like it.

I ate my food, talked with the dad for a bit, and then it was time to head back to the hotel.

I didn’t get back too late because I wanted to wake up early.

Day 8 — Ilıca Beach: The Beach Everyone Loved Except Me

The next day I would go to Ilıca Beach.

This was recommended by one of the dudes we were drinking with on the steps on Sesame Street back in Istanbul.

I was like:

"Aight, I’ll peep it."

I went.

Got there early.

Parking was easy.

It was only about a 5-minute walk to the beach.

I almost immediately knew that, despite all the positive things he said about this beach, I probably wouldn’t like it.

It was cracking.

I won’t lie.

Maybe with a group and at a different time, I would have been more down.

But the walk to the beach was flooded with stores, restaurants, and lots of alcohol.

I knew immediately this wasn’t what I was looking for.

When I got to the beach, I was definitely correct.

It was already crowded with people and families.

The one positive was that it was sandy.

One thing I don’t like about this region is that many beaches are pebble and rock beaches.

I like sand.

I walked around for a bit, filmed, and headed back to my car.

This wasn’t what I wanted.

The waves were also choppy, and it was windy.

I knew what I wanted.

I wanted to go back to that local beach I found the day before.

Going Back To The Beach I Found

I mashed over there, stopping at the spring on the way to wash my hands.

I traveled over an hour to get back to this beach.

I knew the day before I would come here again.

I had a plan for my keys and everything.

I would make it work.

I arrived.

There were some cars there, but not like the day before.

Choppy.

Windy.

Nobody in the water.

The calm, crystal-clear look from the day before was gone.

I was devastated.

Not pissed off.

Just sad.

I drove all the way here, only to have to leave.

And I had no plan.

The "Worst" Plan: Sitting At A Café

I figured I would just submit and do the lamest thing I could think of for my last day in Çeşme.

Go to Alaçatı.

Find a café.

Drink a smoothie.

Read.

Nothing is wrong with reading.

I love reading.

But going to a café to read is gay.

I can read for free.

The Long Way Around Karaburun

Distraught, I headed back.

I stopped where there was this mural of Karaburun.

I liked it, but there was also a shit ton of trash.

I thought:

"If I make a video of my trip, I could use this."

Of course, it might give a negative impression of Karaburun because it’s street art with trash around it.

But I don’t really give a shit.

The negative of this place was it smelled bad.

Then the wind picked up and caused a dust storm.

Not literally.

But dust everywhere.

I was taking photos, and eventually thought:

"Fuck this."

I got in my car and hella flies got inside.

It took me a while to get rid of them all.

Don’t regret it.

Wouldn’t do it again.

Pulling A G Move

Then I thought I’d pull a G move.

I never drove the west coast of this peninsula.

I never did a loop.

I also didn’t have a ton of gas.

But why not just drive up the west coast?

I did.

The road was much worse.

Cracks.

Dips.

Much more remote.

There were villages, but nothing like the east side.

The Long Way Around Karaburun

I came to a place on the road with a red light.

You know how sometimes they are doing road work and you have to stop because it’s one-way traffic?

I stopped at the light for a few minutes, unsure what to do.

Thankfully, another car came behind me and honked, so I said:

"Fuck it, I’ll drive."

No issues.

Nothing was happening.

No reason to stop.

I eventually came to a large pond, which was actually pretty cool because I hadn’t seen anything like it on this peninsula.

I wanted to stop, but couldn’t find a suitable place, so I continued.

Soon after, there was an overlook with an incredible view.

There was an abandoned, ruined little building, and what caught my attention first was the graff.

That always catches my attention first.

There was also a couple who had the right idea.

Chairs out.

Relaxing.

Just watching the view.

I got out and looked around.

Below was a town, and beyond that was the sea.

It was a fairly high point, so you could see a lot.

I always smile at people when I make eye contact.

The man sitting in the chair started talking to me.

He thought I was Turkish.

It’s pretty common.

I’m a Mark Carreon race.

For those who know, you know what I’m talking about.

So it wasn’t really surprising that people thought I was Turkish, Greek, or dozens of other backgrounds.

I won’t be mistaken for Asian or African, though sometimes people get mixed up.

Everything else seems to be possible.

He was trying to talk to me, but I spoke English, then Spanish, and he only knew Turkish.

We laughed, smiled, and eventually went our separate ways.

Finding One Last Beach

I decided to keep driving.

I checked Google Maps and realized I had almost completed a loop around the peninsula.

I decided not to finish it.

This side was remote, I was low on gas, and I still had about an hour drive back.

I went to the village below, and to my surprise, the water wasn’t choppy like every other beach.

It was almost empty.

This was my chance.

I could finally take a dip and relax.

I wasn’t worried about leaving my things there.

The only problem was it was a pebble beach.

I always bring my mask because I don’t really like going into the ocean unless I can look for fish.

There weren’t really any places for fish to hide.

No rocks.

Nothing.

The water was clear, which was great because of the heat, but it wasn’t something I could spend all day doing.

I worked on my tan, dipped in for about 30 minutes, dried off, and decided to cut.

The "Worst" Plan: Reading At A Café

It was slightly after noon.

I guess I would be gay and read at a café.

Nothing is wrong with reading. I love reading.

But going to a café just to read is gay.

I can read for free.

😂

I drove back to my hotel, showered, grabbed my book, and drove back to Alaçatı.

I found a café, ordered a mango smoothie, and read.

I don’t drink coffee. I’ve only had it once.

So cafés aren’t really my thing.

I don’t do mochas, grandes, or whatever other bullshit names they have.

It’s hot.

I want a mango smoothie.

And I want to read.

The Çeşme That Exists Outside The Walking Street

I explored Alaçatı one last time.

Today it was crowded.

Or maybe I just found the crowded strip.

Either way, I saw a completely different side than before.

I needed to get away from it.

So I did.

Eventually, I left and went back to Çeşme and walked the walking street.

Then I thought:

"Why am I walking the walking street?"

Why not walk the alleys next to it?

So I did.

Immediately, it got quiet.

Empty streets.

Cat photos.

Light and shadows.

A few people.

And if I walked just one more block, I would be back around shops and crowds.

I just explored the area around the walking street.

I saw old Turkish women sitting outside talking.

Clothes hanging.

People walking somewhere.

Random decorations.

Normal life.

I was learning the rhythm and flavor of the area.

You get nothing from a walking street.

But I did go back to the walking street to get dinner.

It was my last evening in Çeşme.

Tomorrow, I would take the ferry to Chios.