Ask and ye shall receive

Step One: State Your Demands
It's been an interesting six days. Friday morning I woke up a little irritated. It was the start of another work week and I wanted to go to Bafa Gölü (Lake Bafa) on Wednesday. I didn't really want to go alone--not because I can't travel on my own, but because it gets boring sometimes.

I don't know if I believe in god, and I don't really pray, but I do have a habit of asking good ol' Mr. Universe to pull a favor for me now and then. Friday morning I wrote Him a message (this is absurd but I'm not kidding):

"Ok Universe. Is it so much to ask for to send me my long-awaited traveling companion?!?! I'm trying not to get desperate but I'm running out of time."

Can you tell I was peeved?! Anyway. I tacked it on my wall and went to work. My day passed without incident and as I descended the five floors of stairs at work, it occurred to me that I wouldn't be meeting anyone. How could I?

I walked the few blocks from work to my bus stop. As I passed a corner, two blond guys were speaking English with a Turkish girl. I did a double take but they didn't notice. I kept walking, put off by the daunting task of breaking up the energy of a triangle. But I remembered my cranky note and stopped, kept looking back. The guys stayed on the corner and sat down to drink a beer at a pub.

"Don't be an idiot J, just go home."

I've never been so divided as I walked away from people. I've walked by other yobancıs in Izmir, and regretted it after. "What's the worst that can happen?" I told myself as I stopped and started walking back. "Maybe you feel awkward for all of two minutes, in which case you abort mission."

Step Two: Cowgirl Up
Long story short, I approached these total strangers and ended up befriending them. They're European and in Izmir indefinitely, working on a company project. It turns out there aren't just two, but three of them. And their English is virtually perfect.

Finally I dared to ask: "So what are your Wednesdays and Thursdays like?" Might I snag a traveling companion?

Unfortunately, no. They're working constantly, except when they drink at night (hmm... sounds kind of like English teachers...). But we hung out a bunch over the next few days and for the first time since arriving (some 268 days) I felt like I had friends.

But I also decided that I was going to Bafa alone--because otherwise I would just sit at home...

Step Three: Recognize that gifts come in installments... like a treasure hunt
Gift 1: One of my students works for a bus company that runs all over the place. On Sunday, I asked her about how to get to Bafa Gölü. I just wanted information about departure times and locations, etc. She insisted on getting a free ticket for me, picking it up after class, and delivering it to me at work. Thanks!!!

Gift 2: So this morning I woke up agonizingly early to find the random city bus that takes an hour plus to wind through Izmir to the bus garage on the outskirts of town. It was probably going to take a long time, and it occurred to me at 8:45 when I pulled the door of my flat shut, that I might already be running late if my bus left at 10:00...

The elevator was being called up to the seventh floor, and if I hadn't been so tired and lazy, I would have walked down the stairs. Instead I waited for the elevator and opened the door to see my neighbor. We exchanged pleasantries and I asked him about where I could find the city bus to the bus garage. I showed him my ticket and he knew to look for information about the free service bus that runs from the city center to the bus garage. My neighbor took me under his wing and ushered me along, giving me directions to find my way quickly and painlessly to the bus garage. Once again, thank you!!!

Once on the bus leaving Izmir, I settled down to enjoy the ride and the opportunity to sleep some more. I woke up as we were passing Bafa Gölü, a beautiful, huge (10 kilometers by 1 kilometer) lake that used to be part of the sea but became closed as silt deposits filled in the mouth. It was gorgeous to drive by, but I couldn't see any villages, and when the bus finally stopped for me in Bafa, I did NOT want to get off the bus. I just had a strange feeling that was like, "This is not the thing to do."

So despite my embarrassment, I told the bus steward that I wouldn't be getting off and I wanted to continue. I finally ended up in one of those middle-of-nowhere freaking boring, characterless towns where the only thing to do is wait at the bus garage for the next bus home.

I texted my colleague about alternative destinations and debated just going back to Izmir. I finally bullied myself into going and finding Apollo's Temple in Didim--I had, after all, come this far and it would be lame to waste the entire day.

I went to Apollo's Temple and chatted with some tourists but didn't meet anyone interesting. As I was leaving the site, I saw a young Turkish couple having their picture taken by their adorable 7-year old son. I offered to take their photo, which they were happy for. I said it was my pleasure and headed up the stairs to find out from the museum guy how to get back to Izmir. I was talking with him when the couple wandered up the stairs and overheard my belabored conversation.

Gift 3: The husband and wife intervened. Oh! They were going back to Izmir and did I want a ride and no, really, it's no problem so come on, just follow them to their car and they really don't mind shoving the cooler of food, or the bag of toys to the side, making a spot for me by the car seat.

We headed back to Söke, but on the way, I asked them if they knew about Prieme, which my colleague had told me about. No, they didn't, but when we saw a sign for it, they veered left and bumped along back roads until we found ourselves at an unkempt pile of ruins. We clambered around for a good hour, then got back in the car, and continued till we found Prieme proper, a DIFFERENT pile of ruins on the top of a giant hill. Afterward we were exhausted and starving so we went to--of all places... anything to make the yobancı happy--McDonald's. To be loyal to Turkish food, I ordered the double köfte burger. I felt strange eating McDonald's food, which is so conspicuously expensive here (the experience warrants its own essay, for which I don't have the energy now).

After dinner, we drove back to Söke to take the son to a playground that was basically on crack. You HAVE to look at the pictures, but it was Disney meets Smurfs meets Gulliver's Travels meets traditional Turkish folk story characters like Kel Oğlan (literally "bald boy"). Oh sorry. And Santa Clause. And a mosque rising in the background. What what what?!?! This is a strange, mixed world we live in.

After that, finally, finally, FINALLY I was dropped off at my door. I'd say I got my traveling companions... Albeit in a strange, unexpected form.

The morals of the story are:
Don't stay at home.
Talk to strangers.
Always bring your camera and your dictionary.

Afterword...
In honor of Mr. Universe, I would like offer these sacrificial victims, who I saw earlier today. Their pants say it all. They need Mr. Universe's help... and they deserve to be in the Really. Bad. Tourists. album.