Barbara Floria Orcutt
The phrase--sweepıng down the plaıns of Anatolıa--may not resonate wıth you. But ıt's one that's often used to by wrıters descrıbıng the advance of Alexander the Great and the Macedonıans, the Persıans, the Romans, the Moghuls and every other army that passed through what ıs now Turkey on a mıssıon to conquer the world.
Yesterday on a vısıt to Hıerapolıs--a holy cıty ınhabıted by the Romans ın the fırst and second century AD--the ghosts of horseman and theır charıots could be felt below the cıtadel and the defensıve walls of what was once a cıty of more than 100,000 people.
Continue Reading October 8th, 2009
I had a lengthy conversatıon wıth an Iranıan gentleman who spoke Englısh a few days ago. He lıved ın Tehran and was ın Turkey on a classıcal musıc tour and was clearly well educated. When I told hım I was Amerıcan the subject quıckly turned to polıtıcs.
From hıs perspectıve: The recent Iranıan electıon was clearly fraudulent but those who contınue to protest are doıng so at theır perıl and to no avaıl. He personally beleıves Amnıhıjad ıs dangerous and a fool, but he has too much control of the country for anyone else to depose hım.
Continue Reading October 5th, 2009
It may have been the Turkısh techno musıc and the beer, but after a whıle some of the men started to joın our sıde of the boat and trıed to communıcate. Turkısh ıs very dıffıcult - and none of them spoke Englısh. One older man had been a guest worker ın Berlın so we muddled through a bıt of conversatıon ın German.After a whıle we started takıng pıctures and they ındıcated they wanted copıes so we exchanged e-maıl addresses.
Continue Reading October 2nd, 2009
She told me that when Saddam was in power there were kidnappings and torture, but these events were isolated and somewhat predictable, because they were focused on those who politically opposed the ruling party, so most people lead fairly "normal" lives. Now she says the random violence is so pernicious and deadly that most Iraqis are afraid to go to the market or anywhere outside their homes.
Continue Reading October 1st, 2009
Last night I went to a performance of the whirling dervishes in a waiting room at the main train station where the Orient Express used to come and go. It began with five musicians playing mournful tunes on a round-backed guitar, two flutes, a hand drum and cymbals. After 15 minutes or so the dervishes entered wearing tall felt hats and floor-length black capes over their long white skirts. They took off the capes and bowed to a priest before beginning to twirl--with their heads cocked to one side and their arms out--one palm facing heaven, the other facing the earth. Members of this Muslim sect find union with God, Love, through their spinning......
Continue Reading September 29th, 2009
Turkey is the first 3rd world country I've been to with no street dogs. There are street cats, however, hundreds of them, and the locals feed and play with them.
This morning I visited the spice market, an immense L-shaped covered bazaar crammed with small shops that sell much more than spices. To wit: blue and white glazed Turkish tiles, cheese by the gram, dozens of kinds of shiny olives, saffron from Iran, coarse apple tea, sardines, sticky pistachio candies, evil-eye charms, perfume vials, and yes, mounds of scarlet, deep green and mustard-hued spices.
Continue Reading September 28th, 2009
Living in white America as I do, it's good to be reminded of the incredible diversity of people living in this world. Walking through the streets of Istanbul today I encountered an astonishing array of world citizens--in addition to Europeans from every country,there were Russians and slavs,Chinese and Indians, and Muslim women wearing a wide range of clothing--young Turkish girls in jean and t-shirts, others like flocks of birds wearing flowing floor-length black robes and head scarves that revealed only their eyes, many older women wearing shapeless long black raincoats and scarves that covered their hair and framed their faces, and still others who wore scarves that covered their heads and were pulled down under their chins to form a "V." All were accompanied by a males in Western clothes--mostly jeans--who walked ahead of them.
Continue Reading September 25th, 2009
The And Hotel is dark and suitably 3rd World, but I can see the minarettes of the Hagia Sophia from my window.
After 15 hours of flight time and 10 hours of layovers I arrived Ataturk International Airport around 2 hours ago. After paying $20 for a 30-day visa, I excited the terminal in search of the ride I had arranged on the Internet.After scanning the hand-written signs held desulterally aloft by drivers and tour guides several times, I determined my guy was absent. Two other drivers offered me a ride to town for 20 euros, but I had been quoted 10, so I said I'd wait. A few more minutes passed before a third driver approached and asked if I had a contact number he could call for me. I thanked him as he dialed the mobile number of the driver, who answered and said he was running late. Fifteen minutes later I found him at the information counter when I answered a page for Miss Barbara.
The traffic in Istanbul is as fast and tightly packed as Asia, but the drivers appear to obey the rules. On the way to the Sultanahmet district we passed defensive walls from the middle ages, broken and incorporated into low-rise hotels and homes. As my driver turned sharply in to the old (c. 500 AD) part of the city I got my first glimpse of the enormous dome and soaring minarettes of the Hagia Sophia, which will be my first stop tomorrow morning.
Barbara
September 24th, 2009
Barbara,
your letter just came in as a pleasant surprise. Hope u and your family r all doing well. I just cant express in words how much i liked it. I recieved your letter just two days b4, and i cant just count how many times i have gone through it. U look really attractive in the photograph which u had sent along with the letter. Going through ur letter, made me think as if my sisters and i r still in front of u in Delhi, talking 2 each other as long lasting friends. Hey anyways any chanches of ur coming 2 India.
Continue Reading October 29th, 2007
Lest you think I'm getting depressed, the tears of my response are more a sense of wonder and reverence, a feeling of being in the presence of the Divine -- even amidst the squalor. The contrasts of India are such that it's at once the poorest of countries but one that is filled with people who literally shine with their presence. I think my tears have to do with humility and a yearning to understand and be more like these folks who have so little, but are so rich in Spirit.
And yes, the interactions were so heartfelt and powerful.
Continue Reading September 15th, 2007
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