Image provided by: University of Oregon Libraries; Eugene, OR
About The nugget. (Sisters, Or.) 1994-current | View Entire Issue (Nov. 13, 2019)
8 Wednesday, November 13, 2019 The Nugget Newspaper, Sisters, Oregon Commentary... Lost in Istanbul By Chris Morin Columnist The occasional sound of car tires ambling across the one-lane cobbled street dur- ing the night reverberates up densely packed three- and four-story walls of old stone buildings, but this noise fails to rouse us. We9re deep within a substantial jet-lag slumber. High-pitched citywide bull- horns suddenly trumpeting an old man9s pleading sing-song voice, imploring the faithful to come pray at the nearby mosque at 6 a.m. absolutely rousts us. Two floors above our room, upon the glass-walled terrace, a cafeteria breakfast will soon await. Along with standard Western fare 4 egg omelet, fried potato wedges, and white bread, we9ll find Turkish morning cuisine 4 simit, kasseri, sucuk, borek, and meze. A thick carrot-dill yogurt sauce on a bagel-like sesame seed twist becomes the a.m. favorite. Sitting at one of the solid wood tables and wak- ing up with Turkish coffee, we9ll look east across the Bosphorus, the narrow strait that separates the Sea of Marmara from the Black Sea, and gaze into the urban hill- sides of Eastern Istanbul. That portion of the city is the ter- minus of the Asian continent, on its western flank. Where we sit in Western Istanbul, it9s the boundary for Eastern Europe. Turning 180 degrees, we9ll be visually stunned looking upward into the towering minarets, the expansive dome of the Blue Mosque just 200 yards away, one of the most ornately decorated and sump- tuously gorgeous religious sites on Earth. Just a day and a half ago, we walked out the front door of our home near Sisters. Now we9re planning the first day9s self-designed tour 4 The Mosque of Suleiman the Magnificent, the Muslim world9s equivalent to Alexander the Great but viewed as the great scourge of the 1500s by southern European Christianity; the 800-year-old Grand Bazaar with its 3,852 shops; the Spice Market, lying at the foot of the Golden Horn-spanning Galata Bridge. Istanbul is where the Orient Express concludes or starts, depending on one9s perspective. For nearly 2,500 years, this city either wel- comed or unsuccessfully fought to resist multitudes of humanity from through- out the Eastern Hemisphere 4Vikings made up a por- tion of the Imperial Guard, the Sultan9s Harem Eunuchs typically came from Africa, and Mongol hordes mixed with the whole shebang dur- ing 13th-century campaigns in this region. Known first as Byzantium, later as Constantinople and now by its present name, Istanbul became the melting pot of the world a full millen- nium before Europeans first settled New York City. At 15 million people, it continues to be a destination for the masses. While this sort of travel vacation might sound terribly exotic, expensive, and fear- less, in fact it represents only the first of those qualities. Arriving in early November, during the shoulder season, the cost of a round-trip ticket from the Redmond Airport to Istanbul9s new Ataturk Airport cost $750, without any travel deal. The boutique, family hotel with daily homemade brunch- sized breakfast included is less expensive than a budget motel in Oregon. Exceptional five-star, fresh-fish restau- rants price out at less than a sit-down chain in the U.S. Offer expires Nov. 15, 2019 The Blue Mosque dominates the ancient Istanbul skyline. Some family and friends were fairly aghast when we told them about this portion of our six-week trip, given the political atmosphere that has transpired over the past few months. While reserva- tions were made last winter, the idea of not going wasn9t even entertained. Granted, we didn9t come in waving the American flag, nor were we seeking to engage in discussions involv- ing political drama, despite being encouraged to do so by a couple of the taxi drivers. The immediate border with Syria, a place that should be avoided, offers little for trav- elers anyway. Turkey certainly does have political, cultural, and war- time issues, but the Turkish people will be the ones to address them, not us. In the meantime, the local citizenry welcomes Western visitors 4 provided we don9t find a need to stick our noses into the sec- tarian strife. Now a few days into our trip, what we have found in Istanbul is a repeat of previ- ous travels over the past 15 years. The perspectives, pol- icy-making, and official posi- tions taken by the upper crust of power within a nation 4 government leaders, business tycoons, the highest-ranking of military brass, a few nota- ble clergy4makes up the bulk of what all media por- trays a nation9s attitude to be. It ain9t necessarily true, nor does it have much to do with the matters that the majority of a society are concerned about. We9ve found the peoples of Zimbabwe, India, Nicaragua, Morocco, Vietnam, along with those in the cities of Helsinki, London, and Madrid to be absorbed by the day-to- day demands and small joys in life, same as what occurs in our United States. Most peo- ple in this world are endeav- oring to make their lives as good as they might be, given the circumstances in which they find themselves. As a whole, people we9ve met everywhere have been kind, curious, and helpful. It9s incredibly reassuring, consid- ering that we9re led to believe otherwise. So we9ve traveled across the globe to Turkey, to Istanbul, because it has been one of the great cities of the world since the beginning of <great cities of the world.= We9ve once again suspended our egos and judgments because our understanding of what existence is or can be just never quite fits how another culture has come to understand it. I9d like to think that my American forebears and the ancestors of people every- where, in part, endeavored, fought, and sacrificed to the extent that they did so one day there could be this oppor- tunity 4 to sit down beside others around the world with- out sensing a need to fear or dominate each other. Bread could be broken, tales of See ISTANBUL on page 14 You’re Invited To Our Pati ent Appreciati on Community Event! Red Tag Savings! Annual savings up to $2,400 on select units PHOTO COURTESY CHRIS MORIN Thurs., Nov. 21, 4:30-7 p.m. Exclusive limited-time offer on select apartments! Unit #106 Unit #128 Single Occupancy Studio Single Occupancy 2 BR Now $1,999 Now $3,374 *Subject to availability. Offer valid on select units only; fl oor plans may vary. See management for complete details. SCHEDULE YOUR VISIT TODAY! CALL 541-318-0450. COME MEET ALL OF OUR PROVIDERS 392 E. Main Ave., Sisters ©2018 HARVEST MANAGEMENT SUB LLC & HOLIDAY AL HOLDINGS LP 19034 dōTERRA ® On Guard ® Products Taste Dr. Sarah’s favorite trail snacks from Patagonia Provisions. Dr. Kim Hapke, local naturopathic doctor and formulator of Metabolic Maintenance Formerly Bigfoot Wellness products, will be available for Bring your questions about product education and samples. Chiropractic, Acupuncture, and Massage age e and the magnifi cent combo of all 3! ! 1460 NE 27th St., Bend • StoneLodgeRetirement.com RAFFLE CHAIR MASSAGES In the Red Brick Building www.blackbuttechiropractic.com Mon.-Sat., Some Evening Appts. Available 541-389-9183 | SCHEDULE ONLINE