Oct. 8, 2014 Trabzon. Hustle and Hospitality.

"Hi, where you going?  You speak English?"

I was approached by two men upon my entry to the bus station this afternoon around 4:30 PM, after walking around Trabzon for 4 hours.

I realized that they were short stopping me and were attempting to sell me an inflated price bus ticket, so I replied with a serous, straight face  "To my pansiyon."  It was the truth.  I was taking the short cut from where the van dropped me off over to my pansiyon (hotel) about 300 yards away.

He was taken aback.  He made a quizzical face and said "Ohh."  

Game over.   

But I still felt like playing.

So I said,  "But tomorrow I am going to Sinop."  Instantly, the game was back on.  

"We get you ticket.  Go with my friend to ticket counter. He get ticket to Sinop for you."  I asked how much the price would be for a ticket to Sinop.

He opened up his wallet, pulled out a bunch of bills, then counted bills in a dramatic fashion until he had a wad of lira in his hand, then he counted out 55 lira in English to me.

I said "The bus ticket to Siinop should only be 30 lira."  

As soon as his eyes got big, I turned quickly and walked away towards my hotel.  After walking 15 feet I smiled and thought of a quote from J. R. R. Tolkien:

"Not all those who wander are lost." 

Wandering around town today I thought about yesterday's blog and just had to take a picture and put in today's blog.  

Not women in full black burkas, but you should get the point if you look closely and read yesterday's blog.

In town, I passed two men sitting in a stall and making brooms by hand.

I watched intently.  Their hand dexterity was amazing.  From my years in Occupational Safety and Health, my first thought was "carpal tunnel syndrome."  

Two men were also sitting and watching and I gestured if it was OK to take a picture.  One said "One picture, one Euro."  He was thinking I was European, maybe a German.

"I have no Euros!" I replied.  "And that is expensive for just one picture."  After a short banter I was graciously invited to sit down. He insisted that I talk and have tea with him.

He was 28, single and both his father and grandfather had run the operation making brooms.  They cost 10 lira.  Tea was delivered and I offered to pay for it, but he was insistent that I was his guest.  We talked about all the pretty women in Trabzon and life as single men.

He asked if I had children, if I was traveling alone, where I was from, where in Turkey I have been, how long in Trabzon, where I was going next.  

These are the moments when I say "This is why I travel."