Introduction to Semester 2012B

With no new countries discovered in nearly a year, I definitely need some new territory for my "Big Summer Trip" of 2012 . But where? I’m still not in the mood for a big, challenging trip to sub-Saharan Africa… So I figure I could explore some of the easily accessible countries in Europe that I’m still missing, like Maldova and Ukraine… I’m not all that excited about spending 45 days trudging through one dreary, unpronounceable Ukranian city after another—but it seems like the most logical thing to do.

Then Youssef, one of my travel companions of 2012A mentions that he’d like to join me for a couple of weeks… but he’d have to get a bunch of visas… So I take yet another look at the map.

And then I see them. The three countries that have been beckoning me for several years now: Georgia, Armenia and Azerbaijan. Three unique and fascinating countries tucked away and sort of forgotten by the world. Three different alphabets. Three former Soviet Republics that seem about as un-Soviet as you can get. A mysterious region that looks like a piece of Europe that got lost in Asia somehow .

And lush, mountainous landscapes all along the Turkish Black Sea coast to get there. Yep… this is definitely the kind of "Big Trip" I need right now: something new to discover… but (hopefully) without any of the crazy stuff that I want through in my last Big Trip in Egypt…

So I head out, determined to squeeze every drop out of this possibly once in a lifetime experience in the Caucuses.

Post-visit Istanbul: A 150 km Wide City
August 20, 2012, Day 114
Day Total: 16 hrs, 29.5 kms

The Quest to Reach the Edge of Istanbul

One of the rules of a Superhike is that it has to include at least 2 towns. This has never been a difficulty since, if you walk for 100 kilometers somewhere, you’re almost certainly going to come across at least 2 towns on the way.

Unless you’re in Istanbul.

Back in 2006 I thought that by crossing the Bosphorus to Kadikoy I had discovered another city, but I decided to double check later on the web . I was surprised to find out that not only is Kadikoy still technically part of Istanbul, so is every town for 75 kilometers in either direction! And now that I’m into this whole Superhike thing—and Istanbul is a city that really must be Superhiked, this is going to be a bit of a challenge.

Actually, on the Asian side, it’s only about 50 kms to the edge of the city—not too bad. But the problem is that almost all the "cool" stuff of Istanbul is on the European side, and it wouldn’t be right to do a Superhike of Istanbul that doesn’t include any of these sites.



I check about the possibility of walking across the Bosphorus on the bridge… but no, that’s only possible one day a year: during the annual marathon. It used to be possible, but apparently was made illegal to walk the bridge since this became a popular spot for attempting suicide.

So it looks like, if I want to Superhike Istanbul properly, I’m going to walk a full hundred kilometres on the European side just to get to the edge of the city!

Don’t know that I’m going to do it on this trip—or even if I’ll do it at all . But I guess I could put in a day’s hike and see how it feels. I don’t know that I can put up with trudging for 4 days along a busy highway past random high rise apartment developments with no real "soul" of sense of urban cohesion. Let’s just do 1 day and decide after that.

Starting the Hike

I arrive in Sabiha airport on the Asian side at 2 am, find a quiet spot to sleep for a few hours before catching the early morning bus to the Bosphorus. Once again, I'm taking this same ferry across the straits, with the minarets of the blue mosque beckoning.

I suppose I could skip the downtown area, since I've already walked through here so many times.... but I figure, what's the hurry. Down a back alley, there's a little eatery serving up a delicious omelette. So I ask for "omelette" but all they serve me is a bland egg. Later I learn the correct word is "menemen" which will now be my favorite Turkish breakfast .

Next I look for an alley I can follow that I haven't walked on before. I'm back in the wholesale district where I started my Istanbul adventure back in 2010. Suddenly I find a whole row of little travel agencies.

"You go to Georgia!" two blond guys with sunglasses that look like Russian mobsters tell me in a no nonsense tone. Yep, there are buses that go directly from Istanbul to Georgia on a a butt numbing 2 day trip. When I hesitate he gets more insistent.

No... I mean yes--I'm going to Georgia... but not on a non-stop bus! I thank them for the invitation and continue on. Next to it are agencies with buses and package service to Azerbaijan. I'm getting more excited about this adventure.

Next I head down to walk along the shore for a while where I come across a couple families hanging out in the back of their cargo vans. They must be Turkish Roma (Gypsies), as Turks (even poor Turks) dress very respectably and these folks look pretty scruffy ...

There's a cool little castle jutting out into the sea and then... there it is, once again, the magnificent Wall of Istanbul, with a flag blowing on its final tower. Never get tired of seeing this amazing wall.

Outside I follow a street into a cozy neighborhood that has a "town center" feel. This is Zeytinburnu, which definitely feels like another city, but I'm sticking to the rules and counting all of this as Istanbul.

Back on the shore, I soon reach what looks like a whole new city with it's own town center, a long pedestrian shopping street, with its own personality and feel. This is Bakirkoy and I can't resist exploring it for a bit. I had expected this to be a hike past endless sprawl of soulless high rise apartment complexes, but no, each of these neighborhoods have a lot of character too them.

In my next neighborhood it seems like I'm going to hit a dead end at the Ataturk airport, but decide to continue and see how far I can go . I reach a shady little park with little ponds and bridges. Here seems like a good place to pause and play some music.

There are a couple of boys loitering nearby. Suddenly a gang of boys come up to them and for no apparent reason just start to beat them up, punching them as these boys crouch down and just take the blows. It's a surreal scene. No yelling and screaming, no outburst of emotion as I'm used to seeing in fights in other places. Just cold, swift attack... then they leave, just like that.

Why? Are they rival gangs? taking revenge for something? I don't know. It's the first time I've seen violence here in Turkey (unlike, say, Morocco where confrontations on the street are very common). It is interesting to see how calculating and unemotional the scuffle is...

I loop back, looking for a way across the highway. Finally I find a pedestrian crossing that takes me to a very crowded plaza/commercial center of Atakoy--which feels like the center of a big city, all by itself ... once again, deserves a full exploring. Here I come a across a cemetery with a lot of people coming in and out. At the entrance a couple of guys approach me with shovels and water offering their services.

It seems this is a special day when people come and clean up the graves of their departed family members, clearing the weeds, planting flowers. I decide to to walk around to soak in the experience.

I'm used to seeing the two extremes: in Catholic societies people seem to be obsessed with the graves of their loved ones, constantly bringing flowers and praying for them. In Morocco, on the other hand, cemeteries seem to be forgotten places people rarely go back to. I guess Turkey is right in the middle: not obsessed with the graves of their loved ones, but not forgetting them either.

Let's continue on.

To continue west is a bit of a problem, as there's a sort of no man's land pedestrian unfriendly freeway area that blocks my way, but I finally finally find my way through cutting though some fields . On the other side I reach another large neighborhood of Kucukcekmece. Here I kind of lose my bearings and end up going north instead of west until I reach an enormous lagoon, and have to head south once again to get around it. This neighborhood has more of a lively working class feel with a lot of people out and about in the streets. I'm tempted to follow the steep streets the lead down to the sore of the lagoon, but it looks like they just dead end and I'll just have to climb up the hill again.

Finally I reach a large pleasant plaza with is the heart of Kucukcekmese, where people from all walks of life come and relax with their children.


Here I must make a decision: Here is my last chance to hop on a suburban train straight back to Istanbul where I'm going to stay the night. If I continue on further, return transportation will get more complicated. I decide to head on back . I haven't made much progress in reaching the edge of Istanbul, but I have explored 4 neighborhoods which are really all cities in their own right... I'd say it's been a good day. I've seen a whole new dimension of Istanbul that very few tourist see.... in fact I've probably seen more of the city than most people who LIVE here have seen!

Back in Istanbul I cross the straits once again, where I'm going to stay at David's pad for the night (David is an English teacher who I met while crossing Laos back in 2008. While waiting for him, a group of foreign (probably American) young people are doing a mime act it in front of the ferry station witha small crowd of people gathered around. The acting is so poor that I can only assume one thing: church group... and this mime is supposed to be something about the Christian faith--a message that I really don't think is getting across.

Anyways... as long as they're not offending anyone.. . no harm in it I suppose...

I head over to David's place which is a top floor apartment. On the balcony we climb up onto the roof where we can watch the sun set over the Hagia Sofia across the Bosphorus... then head out for some supper and meet up with a couple of his friends.

"I enjoy the life here." He tells me, "but it's hard to form really deep friendships with people here."