The Turks have a word for it-“Inshallah”

 

What’s Turkish for “Fill yer Boots”

Just been on holiday in Turkey, and they have certain philosophy based around the notion of “Inshallah” or “if God wills it”, which accounts for why Turkish car drivers will overtake you on a blind mountain bend with double unbroken white lines. If God wills it then there will be a head on crash, if not he didn’t. Although I do like a great deal of what the Turkish people do I can’t quite get me headaorund that one yet.

So last week we decided to hire  jeep and have a drive to a nearby lake called Koyeceguz and then onto the Lycian Rock Tombs. We spent a very pleaseant hour trying to persuade the local fish population to impale themselves on one of my hooks, to no avail. We then set off to the rock tombs, stopping off for a glassof Turkish tea at a small local cafe in a village. After about another 20 minutes driving I realised we were running out of petrol and sometimes petrol stations are few and far between  in the country parts of Turkey. We had just reached the mudbaths so I asked a local Taxi Driver in my less than perfect Turkish if there was an “estatiyion Benzene nerede?” but it turned out that the nearest one was 10 km back at the lake.

So we had to start the drive back up and down the mountains (turning the engine off on the way down the to save petrol which was a bit hairy) all the way trying to work out what to do if we ran out.

At the base of the mountains are small villages and marshlands with tall reed beds. We’ve been told that the John Huston film “The African Queen” was filmed around there, with Turkey doubling as East Africa.

At about the half way point on a marsh lined road, we spotted something moving in the middle of the road, when we got closer we realised it was a puppy!

Being British animal lovers we stopped and picked up the pup, and started to work out what we could do!

It is a Turkish cultural phenomenon in that they will abandon dogs on the side of the road, leaving the poor creature to “Inshallah”, whatever fate god decides for it, death by speeding careless Turkish Motorist, starvation or even rescue by “soft” English tourists.

Although a bit skinny the dog didnt seem ill or mistreated, but it was not near any farmhouses or a village. Still scratching our heads and not wanting to “dogknap” someones pet dog, we spotted a local approaching on a pushbike, I flagged him down and sort of tried to tell him what was happening, he just shrugged his shoulders and rode off.

So we decided to drive on and try and find someone to leave the dog with. About a Km further on we found a garden centre and a lady doctor who spoke english, and she advised us to take it home!!!

 We finally got petrol and reached Icmeler, all the way running through people we could palm the dog off onto.

We stopped off at Ibo’s the Barber to see if he might be interested, but the big plan “B” was getting in touch with Carran Lewis the Welsh/Turkish estate agent who we met two years ago. She works closely with the local Marmaris Dog shelter. After getting her number off the internet and also the number of MHKD (the marmaris equivalent to Freshfields), we tried calling her, but the phone wasnt answering, and when I phoned MHKD and asked for “Deniz”, a confused Turkish woman told me he was “dead”.

It was now getting late,so we decided to make a forray back into Marmaris to try and find the Dog Shelter which is near the Otogar…….well we get there and find the shelter, just as the manager is closing for the day. Between his crap English and my crappier Turkish we managed to make ourselves understood (and no we dont speak slowly and loudly so Jonny Turk can be made to understand me).

Unlike Feshfields, the MHKD is a massive compound (a la Dog Whisperer) with hundreds of dogs let loose to bark, fight and shag at will. It was a bit sad but better than what was there before. I wanted to take all of them home. ( I took some video and will out it on Youtube soon). One of the bigger dogs had suffered a horrible fate of having his ears cut off!!!, another less attractive Turkish custom.

The puppy was put inside in a kennel with food and water. We left a donation, and as we left a Turkish couple turned up and were interested in a pup,but the dog had to be checked by the vet next day. I will try and get more info on the fate of the pup.

So thanks to “Inshallah”-i.e. me not putting enough petrol in the car and having to turn back, us knowing about the shelter and having the wherewithall to find the shelter, hopefully the puppy will live and long and happy life in Maramaris.

Inshallah Kopek!

You know what I can hardly fucking wait-Stunned or Stunning

You may or may not know that Bellway will be the preferred developer if the Edge Lane CPO goes through.

What are we in for then to replace the Victorian Villas and dreary terraced homes (so dreary in fact I’ve just had to pay £95K for one further down Edge Lane).

Let’s us think, a stunning piece of modern architecture, which will make us instantly forget what was there before or maybe a piece of cheap and nasty Design/Build (regen speak for “we are trying to ring every last bit of profit from this development that we won;t even employ a cheap architect), well wander to the south end to the posh sound ing “Hunts Cross Village”, and let us peruse the lovely Bellway buildings “thrown up” there.

STUNNING OR STUNNED-GOD SAVE US FROM THESE PHILLISTINES

Starlight Cafe-Turkish delights

Me and my better half Sheila Fazackerley are off to one of our favourite places, Icmeler in Turkey. A nice little town next to the Blackpoolesque Marmaris (actually Maramaris isnt that bad, especially around the Castle and Marina area).

If you have never been to Turkey dont be put off by any negative stories in the media, yes it is 90% Muslim country, but since the foundation of the Turkish Republic under Kemal Ataturk in the 1920’s it is in fact a secular country (unlike Britain!).

Of course the fact that it is still 30 degrees C and the water temperature will be in the high 20’s and the food is brilliant and the people are friendly and it’s relatively cheap, these factors all help to make the palce very attractive.

Things we will do: Eat a plank steak (don’t ask), snorkelling over a sunken ancient city, practicising my Turkish (Cok Guzel, Biras, Merhaba), eat a leg of lamb, drink turkish coffee, drink turkish tea, haggling over  a bargain, smoking a water pipe, stopping the Dolmush  to get off (Musyat bir yerda Litfen!), and most importantly of all going to Ibo’s for a Turkish Shave……you better believe. Although I have practicising my Turkish on Baris at the Starlight Cafe and the staff at the UK fried chicken on Kensington….unfortunately I have to go to Turkey for the rest.

]