Saroz
Located in the far western section of Turkey, Saroz is a tiny coastal village on a bay of the Aegean Sea. This region of Turkey is famous for the World War I battlefield of Gallipoli. Mihran's parents purchased a house there last year and spend their summers weekends away from Istanbul traffic. I felt like I needed to decompress after the three hour drive from the city. The difference between the two worlds is extreme. The Vatican donated a sizable amount for a new highway to be built from Istanbul to Greece and construction of the new four lane road was completed in two years. On the way to Saroz, Mihran's mother asked me if I would like to drive in Turkey. I proclaimed an unequivocal "No!" and popped another phenergan. Drivers find openings in the traffic and accelerate until something causes them to put on the brakes. I floated along on the Vatican highway until the Marmara Sea appeared on my left. It was entrancing.
Mihran says this photo will make his parents cry, but I think it's
because he's finally being nice to his brother. Sinan is the polar
opposite of Mihran. He's sweet and accommodating and complex.
This afternoon we drove to a nearby fishing village and played with our
cameras. Along the way we saw mountains of freshly mowed hay
and straw. We calculated shipping to South Carolina.
The view from Mihran's parent's house. The tides move a half foot
at most from morning to night so the buildings seem to meet the sea.
No sharks. No hurricanes. The backdrop for the beginning of
western civilization certainly has its advantages.
And this would be a camel.
I searched long and hard and found this guy in a zoo behind a gas
station. Nothing makes Mihran crazier than all those people who
ask about the camels in Turkey (thank you Phillip Morris). A
Dulgeroglu mentioned something about Mihran being bitten by a camel when
he was little. We need to look into this story.