The Adventure Begins
The excitement of travel is directly proportional to how much you're willing to embrace the unexpected. With this in mind, Su Ji and I decided to try hitchhiking, having heard positive stories about the friendliness of Turkish drivers.
First Attempt: Istanbul to Antalya
Our initial plan was ambitious - to reach Antalya, a popular tourist city 12 hours south of Istanbul by bus. Armed with a sign reading "ANTALYA," we found a road leading to the highway and started our journey with hopeful smiles.
A Change of Plans
After 15 minutes, an older lady advised us that Antalya was too far and it was too late in the day to catch a ride. She suggested we try for Adapazari instead, about 160km from Istanbul. Taking her advice, we quickly rewrote our sign and caught our first ride within minutes.
Meeting Our First Driver
Our first driver was a successful businessman who had started his company 16 years ago and was now one of Turkey's largest distributors of digital printers. He shared some interesting insights:
- "I'm happy with my life now"
- "You're pretty lucky - I haven't driven this way in 2 years, but my grandma is sick"
- He advised us to skip Antalya, suggesting instead: "First go to Bursa, then Izmir, Çeşme. That's where the locals go"
Second Ride: Meeting Ayman
In Alikahya Fatih, we caught another ride with Ayman, a friendly Kuwaiti man heading to Bursa. He shared fascinating perspectives:
- He was looking to buy and renovate property in Bursa
- "Bursa is getting very popular - it's one of the coldest cities in Turkey"
- He spoke Arabic and described Kuwait's climate: "It's about 40°C there now"
- He was considering moving to Turkey to pursue his passion for calligraphy
Arriving in Bursa
Thanks to our kind drivers, we reached Bursa safely. Finding accommodation was surprisingly easy - after some bargaining, we settled into Petek Hotel for 50 Turkish lira per night.
The city immediately charmed us with its:
- Calmer atmosphere compared to Istanbul
- Abundant fruit vendors on every corner
- Warm and welcoming Turkish people
Meeting "The Teacher"
A few days into our stay, we met Ahmet, who introduced himself as a teacher. He showed us around town and revealed some interesting places:
- Local shops and hidden gems
- A famous baklava shop
- A unique puppet shop
- The Sultan's house
- Traditional tea houses
The Darker Side
However, our experience with Ahmet took an uncomfortable turn:
- He spent hours discussing inappropriate topics
- He made unwelcome advances toward Su Ji
- He made baseless assumptions about my personal life
- Despite his claims of having a Korean girlfriend and understanding "real love," he appeared to be a lonely man
Exploring Cumalikizik
One of the highlights of our stay was visiting the old village of Cumalikizik, just 10km from Bursa. Accessible by bus number 22, it's the perfect place to spend a Sunday afternoon.
Lessons Learned
This experience taught me several valuable lessons:
- Trust your instincts - I had reservations about Ahmet but ignored them
- People aren't always what they seem
- The kindness of strangers can make a journey special
- Sometimes the best experiences come from unexpected detours
The journey to Bursa, with all its twists and turns, reminded me that travel is as much about the people you meet as the places you see.