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The
hippy first arrived in Turkey 30 years ago by VW camper. Tired and emotional after his Honda was stolen in Athens his mood was
not elevated by the sight of a city, Istanbul, that seemed to be populated
mostly by grubby soldiers walking hand-in-hand, police swinging batons
and other long-hairs on their way to India. It was not a pretty sight.
The prevailing mood was suspicion and distrust, tourist-oriented facilities
were few and information scarce.
The baton-swinging coppers caught the hippy up a lampost one night in
Sultanahmet, recharging the moonlighter frisbee for a game in the dark
park. But instead of giving him a thrashing they insisted on learning
how to frisbee.
The next night, however, the frisbee-loving policemen caught two men
peering into the camper as the hippies were bedding down and gave them
such a beating against the side of the van that its bodywork never recovered.
Turkey today is not the same place, not at all.
The country as a whole and Istanbul in particular is lively, cheerful,
full of friendly faces and cold beer, with lots to see and a well-developed
tourist infrastructure.
The only downside is the busloads of package tourists disgorging in
front of every worthwhile sight. In larger areas such as Istanbul and
Cappadocia this doesn't matter so much, there is space to breathe, but
places like Ephesus and Pamukkale are hard to appreciate with shuffling
herds endlessly circling key Turkey photos hotspots.
If you go as an individual, try very early or late [which are the best
time to take pictures anyway], or consider giving these worn attractions
a miss and spending more time in the best Turkish places - Istanbul,
Cappadocia, Bodrum, Kas, or further afield if you have a lot of time
- there are plenty more ancient sites and interesting places that are
not yet on the package itinerary.
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