V E S S E L in vain: Bodrum, Turkey

Oh, the fun we'll have tonight*. A post on Turkey a day before Thanksgiving -- the innumerable puns! As much as I love a good 'ole word play, I didn't notice the stars aligning when I was deciding which city to write about last week. And somehow I also failed to notice the stars for this year's alignment of Thanksgivukkah. Latkes instead of mashed potatoes? How I wish I was dating a nice Jewish boy right about now. But forget wishes, this holiday is about thanks. So with that: thanks to the heavens which orchestrated our detour; thanks to the ill-fated events leading up to our detour; and above all, thanks to my friend who continually feeds my curiosity with crazy detours in numerous ways.

See, we were supposed to spend two weeks in Greece. After a week, we found ourselves headed towards Bodrum, Turkey.

My day here is a hazy memory because I was so stunned by the sheer chance of it all. I had faintly fantasized about travelling to Turkey from Greece during my flight -- at an altitude known to warp one's faculties**. So when we actually docked in the harbour, I was dumbstruck. The little I do remember about Bodrum are the small details which define Turkish culture as a whole: fresh juices, nationalism, and cleanliness. Yes folks, those immaculate ~~pillows~~ seats are not from a tour bus, but from Turkey's public transportation system. And the minute we left Bodrum a dude with a bow-tie doled out hand-sanitizer before our refreshments were served -- I was stoopid happy.