Oct. 11, 2014. Sinop. In a Police Car, At the Police Station, Inside a Turkish Prison.

OFirst, a little background and history.  Please read this in its entirety.  DO NOT just look at the pictures.

Copied From Wiki:

Sinop Fortress Prison, (Turkish: Sinop Kale Cezaevi) was a state prison situated in the inside of the Sinop Fortress in Sinop, Turkey.   As one of the oldest prisons of Turkey, it was established in 1887 within the inner fortress of the centuries-old fortification located on the northwestern part of Cape Sinop. The prison was closed down in 1997 and the inmates were transferred to a modern prison newly constructed for their detention.

The Sinop Fortress in Sinop is located direct at the coast of Black Sea on the northwest part of Cape Sinop.

The Sinop Fortress was constructed initially in the 7th century BC when the city was re-founded as a Greek colony from the city of Miletus. It was extended and repaired several times in its history by Persians, Kingdom of Pontus, Romans and Byzantines. 

The fortress took its main form during the reign of Pontus King Mithradates Eupator in 72 BC.

The oldest document that shows the fortress was used as dungeon dates back to 1568.  The walls of the fortress are 18 m high and 3 m wide. 

There are eleven watchtowers of 22 meters in height, five of them added during the construction of the inner fortress.

Designed in U-shape, a stone masonry prison building with 28 halls on two floors was erected in 1887 in the inside of the southern inner fortress.  The inner fortress holding the prison facilities covers an area of 10,247 m2.

The prison was considered as a high-security penitentiary with no escape possibility due to its position within a fortress. The top of the walls of the inner fortress served to the patrolling prison guard as walkway.   The living conditions at the prison, where it was difficult even to light a match, were very harsh due to the moisture caused by the location of the prison very close to the sea.

The prison was abandoned on December 6, 1997 after the inmates were transferred to a newly built prison.

The prison facilities were handed over to the Culture and Tourism Ministry on August 2, 1999.  The fortress prison is currently open to the public for sightseeing purposes. Originated from the increasingly presentation of the prison in the recent popular culture, there is a growing interest in visiting the site. The historical penitentiary hosts hundreds of thousands tourists yearly.

The prison hosted also many intellectuals, who were charged for political reasons.

Now, as Paul Harvey would say.......The rest of the story.......

Last night, the Antik Otel Reception Manager, Seyit Sen, spent 30 minutes assisting me with booking a bus to Ankara tomorrow.  He speaks English very well.

Luckily, we did the booking when we did.   Seyit contacted the bus line I rode in on from Trabzon - Ulusoy Bus Line - and they had only 2 busses to Ankara.   One was arriving too late for me connect to my flight to Kathmandu.  So I had one choice with Ulusoy.  There was only one seat left on the bus and I excitedly said, "Yes, yes, reserve it!!"

Today, after breakfast with Yasaar Durucu, I updated the blog, transferred photos, etc.  Then I set out to pick up my ticket at Ulusoy down by the harbor in Sinop.  I jumped on a bus and then walked the rest of the way into town.  Just happened by the ship shop I  went  in yesterday and asked the owner for directions.  He drew me a great map and tried to explain the directions, but alll I needed was his map.

At Usuloy I met with the first real difficulty in communication in my trip, when I desperately needed to communicate.  The young girl spoke no English and was not interested in helping me.  I tried to explain that I had a reservation in my name tomorrow, 10/12  at 10:30 PM.  She just repeatedly shook her head "No".

Tried finding someone to help and found a lady at the store next door that spoke some English.  Even with her help, all I heard was "no, no, no, Metro, Metro".

Set out to find The Metro Bus office but ended up walking in circles for 30 minutes.   Friendly people tried to help, but their directions were......faulty.

I was getting a bit frantic.  I MUST get to Ankara, 8 hours buy bus, within 48 hours or I will miss my flight to Kathmandu.  A flight will cost hundreds of dollars - if I can even get one........

I walked over to the Tourist kiosk, 3 blocks away, down by the harbor and the tea gardens.  They were closed.  Across the street was a Police Station, so I went in. "Speak English?".   One young Officer spoke a very small amount of English.  "Metro bus, Metro Bus" I said.  I showed maps, and kept asking "Where Metro Bus?"

Finally, one of the officers said "We go Metro bus".  And just like that, I was off in the backseat of a Sinop Police car with three friendly Sinop Police Officers.  At Metro we were able to book a bus at the same time, for 55 lira, not without some communication difficulty, departing Sinop at 10:30 PM tomorrow night, arriving Ankara at 6 AM, 9 hours before my flight to Kathmandu.

The Officers asked if I had otell.  I said "Antik Otel".

They asked  "You go riide to Antik Otel?"  I thought for an instant and said "Yes, we go Antik Otel" and just like that, all 4 of us were off again in the Police car.  I thought, " How cool is this?  A free taxi ride in a Police car in Sinop, Turkey.  I will just take the bus from the hotel and head back to the prison for another walkabout.  This will make a great story and will be a fitting prelude for my visit to the Sinop Prison Fortress in the afternoon".

And it was a pleasure to write about it and relive the day in today's blog.   Hope you enjoyed it too.

On Walkabout and loving it.

Oct. 11, 2014. Breakfast with Yasar Durucu

I had the most enjoyable conversation this morning over breakfast.  II had met Yasar Durucu yesterday as I was attempting to change rooms - to a room with a view - but we did not introduce ourselves.   

The reception attendant did not speak English and Yasar heard me attempting to converse and he offered to translate. He graciously helped me convey my desire to change hotel rooms to a room with a view. 

This morning I was down at the beach taking pictures of the sunrise and thought I would go into the restaurant to have a cup of coffee.  While getting my coffee, I recognized Yasar and said "Good Morning".  I asked if he would mind if I joined him for breakfast and he said "Please do."  After trading pleasantries - where are you from,  are you traveling alone, do you have any children, where are you going next, where have you been - our conversation switched. 

On the 50" flat screen TV in the restaurant, aTurkish CNN was reporting on all the violence in southern Turkey on the border with Syria.  We talked about the war against Syria,  Asaad, ISIS, beheadings and the war war in Iraq following 9/11. 

Speaking of ISIS, he said, "They are not Muslims.  In our faith if you kill someone like that you will not go to Muslim heaven.  They are not Muslim."

He talked about war all around Turkey - to the north in the Crimea/Ukraine vs Russia, Syria to the south, Iraq to the SE and beyond Bulgaria to the west in Bosnia.

He said "War everywhere around Turkey.  They are all trying to drag Turkey into their wars.  We do not want to fight. We are friendly people."

I said,  "There has always been war.  There was war here in Synop 4000 years ago.  Look at the Castle and fortifications here in Synop.  It is what humans do, have done and will do forever."

I asked him what he thought it would be like in Syria and Iraq in 60 years, when his 2 children (boys 2 months and 18 months old) are my age.  He said "There will be another big war....World War III.  

I left it at that.

The conversation then changed to Palestine and Israel and the ongoing conflict there that I said, "That  will never end."  He described the growth of land controlled by Israel since 1948 -  the Golan Heights, The West Bank, Gaza.  Russian Jews immigrating to Israel and Israeli support for immigrants to increase their population.

I asked "Are there Jewish people in Turkey?"  He replied " Yes, yes, many.  Turkey has all religions - Muslim, Christian, Jew, Buddhist - all religions."

We talked about Istanbul, his hometown. He talked about travel south from Istanbul along the western coast of Turkey along the Aegean.    We also talked about travel along the Mediterranean and how it differs from travel along the northern Black Sea coast.  "More tourists."  

I said, " That is why I am here."

It was the most interesting conversation I have had since I have been in Turkey.  We talked for almost an hour.

He gave me his business card and email and nvited me to come and visit him in Istanbul.

On Walkabout.

Oct. 10, 2014. Walking About Sinop

October 10, 2014. 

Left Antik Otel and started walking this morning.  After walking 1/4 mile a bus honked at me and then stopped.  I hopped on the bus not knowing where it was going but thought "I am at the base of a peninsula and the bus is either going to the end of the peninsula or inland.  How can I possibly get lost?"

 I rode the bus for about 2 miles until I saw the remains of the old city wall and castle fortifications, dating back to 2000 BC. 

The castle walls are still intact although they are crumbling. I walked around the castle walls and then down to the beach and took dozens of photographs. 

I then took off walking to the north along the narrow city streets and stopped at a window that was the shop of a knife maker. I went inside and was greeted in fluent English by the shop owner. We talked knives and about Sinop and the US Army base a mile north, at the top of the peninsula headland (the northernmost point in Turkey, the closest point in Turkey to Crimea and the Ukraine, due north across the Black Sea.  Doubtlessly, it was a military listening post.) that had 1500 personnel and closed in 1992. 

We spoke for 30 minutes. I met his son who he  is teaching how to make knives. The knife making business was his father's and his grandfather's. He was about 70.  He invited me to have tea and we stood and talked for 45 minutes. He was fluent in English and explained much about the city to me. I left the knife store and continued walking about. 

I then went to the archaeological Museum and spent 45 minutes looking at all of the displays. 

Sinop receives few tourists - sometimes from cruise ships that talk in the harbor, but by and large it is not a tourist town. You do not see T-shirt shops, stores selling bumper stickers that say I Heart Sinop, baseball hats and other tourist kitsch. 

Stopped a model boat builder shop and talked with the shopkeeper - he spoke little English, but he offere me tea.  

The weather was absolutely perfect, sunny with a strong breeze and about 70°F. The castle walls of old Sinop wind throughout the end of the peninsula. While walking around I saw some steps leading up to the top of the castle wall. I wound my way through some gardens and a through aclosed outdoor restaurant and found the base of the stairs and climbed up to the top of the fortress wall.

At the top of the castle walls there was a magnificent view to the north and to the south along the peninsula. 

At the top, there was a small restaurant that serves tea, beer and other drinks. I stopped and had a beer atop the wall and enjoyed the view across the Black Sea. 

I think I have taken over 1500 pictures so far. At this rTe I will take about 10,000 on my 101 day journey.  Taking pictures today is so much different than 20 years ago. Everybody has cell phones and everybody is taking pictures  - ttaking selfies - and constantly staring into their phones so taking pictures is not an uncomfortable thing to do.

Walked back to the Antik Otel - it took over an hour but it was a glorious afternoon for a walk.

Went to my new room - a room with a view, you are wondering?

Had a beer then took a swim in the saltwater pool.  No one was there but me.

Had an excellent grilled sea bass dinner overlooking the Black Sea and called a good day.  

On Walkabout,

Byron

Oct. 10, 2014. Sinop #1

The Black Sea has three harbors - July, August and Sinop.  So goes an ancient Mariner saying.

I walked around Sinop for 5 hours yesterday, Oct. 10, 2014.

Copied from Men's Journal website, with my photos and comments in (.......):

Sinop, Turkey

The best views from Sinop, Turkey's loveliest Black Sea resort town, are toward the south and the mainland, thanks to the city's peninsular perch. 

In the mornings, boats bob in the picturesque harbor near to where fishmongers call out to potential customers.

(The Tea Gardens are on the right side of the harbor)

It's a telling wake-up for this medieval city, which has always relied on the sea. An important trading port that's served the likes of the ancient Hittites through to the Ottomans, Sinop has become a fishing hub and an ideal jumping-off point for travelers seeking a summer-holiday alternative to the country's popular (and heavily touristed) Aegean and Mediterranean coasts.

The coastline of the Black Sea, or Karadeniz in Turkish, may have cooler water temperatures and cloudier skies, but the region's charm (like Maine's or Scotland's) lies in its craggy beauty, long history, and low-key, off-the-beaten-path vibe. Sinop's idyllic setting may outshine its ancient architecture – the city's been fortified for 4,000 years – but a walk along the crumbling city walls offers a panorama of both. 

Sinop's compact waterfront, lined with tea gardens, seafood restaurants, small hotels, and the requisite statue of Mustafa Kemal Atatürk, founder of modern Turkey, invites aimless strolling and menu perusing. 

What else is there to do? You might visit the old fortress prison, poke around some 13th-century mosques, peruse the charming model-ship souvenir stores – or just make like a Turk and park yourself along the water with a cup of tea.

(Ismet Ulgen, Model Boat Builder, who invited me to share tea with him)

(Cengiz Ozekes, Master Knife Craftsman, who also invited me to tea and who spoke fluent English)

From Sinop, a great road trip along the Black Sea coast beckons to the east, through bustling Samsun and the charming hamlets of Ünye, Ordu, and Giresun to the port city of Trabzon.

Oct 10, 2014. Sinop Photos

Tired tonight.  Walked about 4 or 5 miles today.  Now10:55 PM, just had some grilled sea bass for dinner, so just some pics tonight.  Will blog today's travel in the AM.  

But I did change rooms at Antik Otel and the wind has picked up considerably.  Surf is crashing loudly 50 feet below my balcony.....down by the unbrellas of yesterday's photo post.  Sunrise should be spectacular.

Oct. 9, 2014. Bus to Sinop

I walked 250 yards from the Trabzon pensiyon I stayed in the last 4 nights over to the bus station and booked the 9:30 departure bus for Sinop, a 9 hour bus ride.  It was a memorable sightseeing trip along the Turkish Black Sea Coast.  For about 5 hours the bus was within 50 yards of the Black Sea.

Asked for and received a window seat on the north, seaside side of the bus for the 300 mile trip.  The bus was modern - with TV screens in the seatbacks, movies, USB port, headphones and a plugin, A/C, reading light....just like an airplane seat. 

I just sat and listened to music all day on my earbuds.

Upon arrival at the Sinop bus station at 6:45 PM it was dark.  Not the first time I have arrived in an unvisited city, in the dark, with no room reservation.  Probably not the last.

Grabbed my bag and backpack and walked to the reservation window for the bus line I rode in on.  

You must start somewhere, I thought.  

There was a young Turk at the window, Orcun Gebitijrk.

"Speak English?"  

He replied in the affirmative, and the familiar dance steps that I love began. 

He spoke only a little English, but I still complimented him.  He was extremely helpful and at times used a Turkish/English translator app on his phone.  

I said, "I need pensiyon or otel."  I gestured "See water - and held my folded hands to the side of my head."  (Not sure if that sentence deserves quotation marks, but it helps me explain my actions.  Maybe sis Donna can correct my grammar).

To make what could easily be a longer story short, he searched Booking.com on his cell phone, then made a call.  They wanted 250 lira, more than I knew I should pay for what I wanted.  The next place he called was full.  I wrote "75 -125 lira" on a piece of paper.   He then made another phone call.  

""Yes, yes."  I then gave him my On Walkabout card with my name on it.  He spelled my name to the man on the other end of the call, and just like that I was booked.

He gave me his email address.

I next asked quizzically "Taxi?"

He walked me out to the taxi stand, gave the driver the name of the hotel and said to me "20 lira taxi to otel."

30 minutes after getting off the bus, I was safely in my hotel room, at the "Antik Otel" listening to the Black Sea rolling ashore just 75 feet from my bedroom window.

For 90 lira.

Turks are such great hosts.  Helpful.  Friendly.  Accepting.  Gracious.  Allies.  Members of NATO.  

I could easily return.  

This is why I Walkabout.

One of those umbrellas has my name on it tomorrow afternoon.

Oct. 9, 2014 In Sinop

A long day. 309 miles in a bus.

From the bus window.  Sinop is at the point on the horizon in the center of the pic.

Will edit this entry and write some, but right now, at 7:44 PM, I need to eat, cleanup, do some walking about and stretching.  The bus ride was like a flight across the Atlantic.  Same cramped seats, same screen in the headrest in the seat in front of you, etc.

I was only able to exit the bus at two stops today, for about 5 minutes each time.  

But, I am now shoreside on the Black Sea in the northernmost point in Turkey.  I can hear the sea crashing just 75 feet outside my hotel window.