Glorious Turkey! - Part 1

We just returned from an eleven day holiday to Turkey. No trip to Turkey is complete without book-end taxi trips. The driving in Turkey is like nowhere else I have ever been. On the US embassy website they list the following advice for driving in Turkey:

You should drive defensively at all times and take every precaution while driving in Turkey. Drivers in Turkey routinely ignore traffic regulations, including driving through red lights and stop signs, and turning left from the far right lane; these driving practices cause frequent traffic accidents. Expect the unexpected.

After arriving at the airport and handing our taxi driver, not only the address, but instructions in Turkish from our friend, Armando, we headed off very quickly onto the highway. Charles was in the front. Theo was on my lap in the back. Addie and Jack were both in carseats (thankfully!).

Despite these good directions, it didn't take long to realize that our taxi driver had no idea where he was going. How did we know - just some clues: (1) he was driving about 30 mph yelling to the taxi driver in the car next to us (2) he kept looking down at the directions and shaking his head (3) he kept trying to fix his GPS/sat nav, and (4) he pulled over to the side of the road. I don't know a lick of Turkish, but I knew he was clueless.

Charles tried in English to communicate with no luck. I told Charles to offer him the phone to call Armando. Charles then held his mobile phone up and said 'friend, Turkish?' The driver got excited, 'Turkish, Turkish' he yelled. Charles dialled the number and connect our driver with Armando. After a few minutes of Turkish yelling we were on our way again. Charles asked the driver if all was okay. The driver made some movement of his head, which we took to mean yes.

Not only were we on our way, but we were on our way fast! We were going very fast with almost no space between us and the car in front of us. No exaggeration, we went through the toll booth which was listed at 30 kph at 80 kph. Literally, I closed my eyes, squeezed Theo tight and prayed that the taxi driver had good width perception. He must be decent because we made it.

After this incident, Jack even let out a nervous laughter. Let me remind you, he is five and not the most perceptive with driving conditions. But even he knew this was 'not normal' - at least in England.

I have never been more happy to see Armando. When we pulled up and he came bounding of the door to help us with our luggage I was quite relieved. I was also relieved when he checked the meter, ensured the meter was accurate, and helped pay the driver.

This is only the beginning I warn you. There are many more stories from Turkey awaiting you. Check back soon!