8 km out of Trabzon

Small towns are so lovely!

As today was my day off, I decided to leave Trabzon for a bit, so John and I hopped in one of the lovely dolmushes for the small town of Akchaabat. This was my first dolmush ride without somebody who knows where we're going, and it cost less than a dollar! Driving along the Black Sea was most spectacular; a storm had passed through the day before leaving the horizon crisp against the light blue sky. As we drove along, I noticed that we had driven all the way through Akchaabat! I also noticed that at this time all the other passengers were gone except us. Our driver asked us again where we were going. When I told him, he realized that we aren't from the area, made a U-turn and let us out just inside the town.



Since my guide books haven't arrived yet, this was sort of blind journey. The only thing I knew about this place was that the meatballs are the best in the area, so John and I started wandering around. We walked up the street away from the sea and found a nice shopping area. The streets were and not very busy with people and cars, a refreshing change from narrow, crowded Trabzon. Eventually we happened upon a small little place that sold fresh butter and honey. I decided that I would buy some butter, and got the attention of the shopkeeper. He was an older gentleman with a more-salt-than-pepper beard and thick glasses. He caught on right away that I'm not Turkish and asked me something that I couldn't understand. As I furrowed my brow trying to pick out words I knew, he asked, "Deutsch? Sprechen Sie Deutsch?" Giving an affirmative reply, he and his three friends grabbed their bellies and laughed, glad that we found a way to understand each other. I pointed to the yellow stuff in the window, and asked him what is was, just wanting to double-check that it was indeed butter. They said something in Turkish, but it wasn't the word I was expecting, so they tried another word, inek, and made milking motions. (I thought that meant 'donkey', but I just looked it up and it means 'cow', the same word they use to call someone a 'geek'.) I then told him I'd buy some. Waving me into the shop, he asked me how much I wanted. Not knowing my way around grams just yet, I said a little would be fine. He put his knife up to the chunk, "Bu kadar?" Sure, that's good. After he wrapped and weighed it (just over 100g) he said, "Para yok," (no money) and refused to accept what I wanted to give him. I've found there is no aruging with the Turks, so I asked him what there was to see in Akchaabat. He told us to go to Fatih Park, which we saw on the way in. With that bit of advice, we exchanged good-byes in three languages and went on our way.



Fatih Park was huge! Small palm trees shared the space with three fountains, a really fancy meatball restaurant, a smaller meatball joint, and a beautiful view of the sea. From one pier were several men with long fishing poles and one repairing a net. The breeze was a bit cool, but not chilly. Combined with the lapping of the water on the rocks, the tension melted from my shoulders and lungs. Aaaaahhh...

Since I had heard so much about these Akchaabat meatballs, I really wanted to try them. Why are they so well-known? Apparently they melt in your mouth because all the tough bits of meat are taken out and mixed with the soft lard. So John and I found a nice place to go, received a warm welcome, and took our seats.

Guess what? They have garlic in them! What a bummer, girl. John ordered them and I had something that looked like beef rib steak or something. I'm not really sure, cuz I've been a vegetarian all these years. John said that meatballs were fresh tasting, so I'll tell you they were good. He ate them all plus some of mine. I still find it hard to eat red meat, mostly because of the fat and bone bits (or whatever those crunchy things were). Overall it was pretty cool. In the back of the dining room was a fridge in which you could see the meat and other things being stored. Behind the fridge was the kitchen where you could hear them pounding the meat and chopping things. We saw them cut the meat from the carcass in the fridge for my dinner, bring it over to the oven in the front by the door, and cook it up. I felt so connected to my food, I tell ya. Yum yum!

Then we headed back to Fatih Park, where the dolmush drivers would collect to go back to Trabzon. I wasn't sure which dolmush to get into, but I didn't have to wonder for long. As soon as my foot hit the curb, I heard this guy shout out, "Trabzon!" Yay!

The sun was beginning to set and by the time we got to Trabzon proper it was dark. This meant that Ramazan (Ramadan) had officially started. Everything was busy. There was a traffic jam on the way out towards Akchaabat, lots more people were out than usual making the normally open spaces congested. John and I stopped at the grocery store and had a good time trying to get out without bumping into anyone and their shopping cart.

Everyone has warned us that tomorrow around 4 am we will be awoken by beating drums, which signal to everyone that it's time to eat. Don't know anything about Ramadan? Here's a short synopsis of what it's about from http://www.holidays.net/ramadan/story.htm:

The Fast of Ramadan

Ramadan is the ninth month of the Muslim
calendar. The Month of Ramadan is also when
it is believed the Holy Quran "was sent down
from heaven, a guidance unto men, a declaration of
direction, and a means of Salvation". It is
during this month that Muslims fast. It is called
the Fast of Ramadan and lasts the entire month.
Ramadan is a time when Muslims concentrate on their
faith and spend less time on the concerns of
their everyday lives. It is a time of worship
and contemplation.

During the Fast of Ramadan strict restraints
are placed on the daily lives of Muslims. They
are not allowed to eat or drink during the daylight
hours. Smoking and sexual relations are also
forbidden during fasting. At the end of the day the
fast is broken with prayer and a meal called the iftar.
In the evening following the iftar it is customary
for Muslims to go out visiting family and friends.
The fast is resumed the next morning.

According to the Holy Quran:

One may eat and drink at any time during the night
"until you can plainly distinguish a white thread
from a black thread by the daylight: then keep the
fast until night"

The good that is acquired through the fast can be
destroyed by five things -

-the telling of a lie
-slander
-denouncing someone behind his back
-a false oath
-greed or covetousness

These are considered offensive at all times, but are
most offensive during the Fast of Ramadan. During
Ramadan, it is common for Muslims to go to the
Masjid (Mosque) and spend several hours praying and
studying the Quran. In addition to the five daily
prayers, during Ramadan Muslims recite a special
prayer called the Taraweeh prayer (Night Prayer).
The length of this prayer is usually 2-3 times as long
as the daily prayers. Some Muslims spend the entire
night in prayer. On the evening of the 27th day of the
month, Muslims celebrate the Laylat-al-Qadr (the Night
of Power). It is believed that on this night Muhammad
first received the revelation of the Holy Quran. And
according to the Quran, this is when God determines
the course of the world for the following year.

When the fast ends (the first day of the month of Shawwal)
it is celebrated for three days in a holiday called Id-al-Fitr
(the Feast of Fast Breaking). Gifts are exchanged. Friends
and family gather to pray in congregation and for large meals.
In some cities fairs are held to celebrate the end of the
Fast of Ramadan.

Basically, from my understanding, it is a time of cleansing for the body and mind for all Muslims. It is a time to remember what it is like to be hungry, a reminder to help those less fortunate throughout the year; a time to cleanse not only the body, but also the mind, of desire. Certain people are not reqired to participate, namely children, pregnant women, and the weak.

That's my understanding of it right now. I'm sure I'll gain more insights as the month progresses.

After all that excitement, I'm exhausted. Bedtime now.