Who knew?
I hadn’t heard of Bodrum until thumbing through a hotel brochure a few months ago, and there it was. Bill had actually heard of it but knew very little.
Ancient history, coastal town, Aegean Sea, out of the Schengen zone, a short 50 minute flight from Istanbul, diverse natural beauty. What’s not to like? We decided to come for 8 days.
Apparently, Bodrum is known as a “hidden” place for European celebrities and affluent Turks from Istanbul who, according to our guide, Orhan, want to get away and “let their hair down”. In Istanbul, eyebrows lifted when we told them where we were going.
After first meeting Orhan, he quickly began to talk about Bodrum from a personal perspective. Apparently, it had always been his goal to move away from his provincial village, and ultimately reside here.
He felt that he needed to see new places and meet people he would otherwise not have an opportunity to engage with. Orhan felt fortunate to now live and work in Bodrum, and seemed genuinely pleased to meet us.
He lamented that too many young people in Turkey fail to leave their comfort zones and the financial support of their parents. Often due to economic realities, they choose instead to remain immersed in the oftentimes close-mindedness of their elders and short-sighted cultural traditions of the past.
Consequently, he explained, many become suspicious of the unknown, gullible, and develop false opinions about people and places never actually experienced. He suggested they didn’t even understand the Arabic language used to pray. Failed to comprehend the words in the book they use to guide their everyday lives.
Orhan went on to say that without even realizing it, prejudices not only come to limit perspective and your ability to engage with others; they can ultimately become dangerous weapons. It was happening to him.
I appreciated his openness, and listened to his thoughtful soliloquy – rendered without prompting, a sort of spillage or bursting. I also found myself looking around the car for cameras and voice recorders – like the ones we encountered in Istanbul. Needless to say, none were found in Bodrum. This seemed to be a
safe space.
With the large number of white summer villas, fabulous hotels, restaurants listed or stared by Michelin, and enormous yachts; Bodrum reminds me of Mykonos and Santorini. [But you’re really not supposed to say that out loud. There still remains a volatile tension/rivalry between the two nations.]
Bodrum has a reputation of being a refuge for modern, “left-leaning” creatives. It all started when the writer known as “The Fisherman of Halicarnassus” was exiled here from Istanbul because of criticizing the government. He invited his friends – painters, poets, intellectuals and the-like to join him on this once quiet “hideaway”, and “the rest is history”.
Bodrum (like the neighboring G – – – K islands) is reportedly “packed” with visitors during high season. But at this time of year, except for locals and domestic travelers; passenger ships have not yet arrived, flights are less frequent, many restaurants are closed, and pleasure boats are docked for their annual repair. Consequently, we seem to be among a very small number of tourists (third, behind those from Russia and China).
Even though it’s been cooler than expected, we thoroughly enjoyed being the “only ones” in open-air temples and sacred ancient spaces found in neighboring villages. We were surprised to discover monuments dedicated to Zeus, Athena and Apollo – dating back to the 6th C. They took our breath away, and caused us to think deeply about the passage of time, resilience and culture. The inevitability of change.
Communing with the Knights of St. John, Alexander the Great and St. Paul was made easy by having lush country landscapes and historic castles to ourselves. Discovery and exploration were without noise, lines or selfie sticks. Water and air are “Agean Blue”, pristine.
Each day, Bodrum continued to surprise us. In the “Underwater Museum”, for example, we saw artifacts dating back to Byzantium, that were rescued from ship wrecks in waters around the peninsula. We were interested to learn that these early deep-water dives were led by George Bass – an archeologist from Fort Worth Texas!
Willingly intoxicated by rural hospitality, Bill and I have enjoyed farm-fresh feasts of local delicacies in rural restaurants surrounded by early spring flowers under the canopy of trees – hundreds of years old.
We ultimately acquiesced and did something we said we wouldn’t under any circumstances be encouraged or coerced to do on this trip.
Although we have no more floor space, we just couldn’t resist. The folks in this rural village were just so nice. “Just have a look. No pressure. You don’t have to buy. And there’s always room in your heart for memories.” Hard to argue with that. Ours will be of welcome, abundance and gratitude.
That’s Orhan on the far left, sitting next to the owner of the farm – restaurant – rug emporium, in his converted barn – showroom – office; grateful for what he was given; making the most of what he has.
I asked Orhan what he thought was the solution to the prejudice and close-minded ideas he spoke so passionately about. What would he advise young Turks to do? “Travel!” He said.
If it wasn’t so expensive, and almost impossible to secure US visas now (even for summer holidays), Orhan would travel to America. He has already been denied entry, and lost his application fees for a visa to visit family in San Diego. He is still recovering from the complex, expensive and intimidating process.
In the meantime, he tries not to be bitter for being shut out, and invites everyone to “Come to Bodrum!”’