We have arrived in Nigde, Turkey after an over night stop over in Antakya. It has been 2 full days of travelling, heated arguments with officials at border crossings and long bus journeys but we are finally here! After travelling for 7 hours on a public bus, most people would just hit the wall!
We hit the local farmers market in search of more photographic opportunities and a challenge. Sarah, our Intrepid Leader, has asked we try and get the smallest fruit & vegetable for free at the market, and a photo of the guy who is happy to give it to us! I love a good challenge, and set off for the markets with my friends, excited to explore another city.
Nigde is off the beaten path. Except for Intrepid Travellers, this town sees very few foreigners. It is certainly not on the well beaten tourist trail, hence we are a bit of a novelty here and exploring the markets a whole heap of fun.
After the markets we’ve travelled through in Egypt, Syria and Jordan, it is strange to be in a market where no one speaks English!! So, how do we try and explain we are after free stuff to fulfil a challenge?? Sign language of course. 
I spot some olives, and walk up to the guy to ask if I can get one for free. The guy appears delighted to see me and tries to give me a handful. “I just need one”, I explain. He gestures madly, points to his mouth, indicating one would usually eat an olive. He can’t seem to understand that all I want is a photo of him giving me an olive. We get there in the end and we are both happy.
Then, Yvonne spots the corn and says, “Hey Nil, what you need is some free corn”. She’s right. The corn is by far much smaller than an olive. I pick up one piece of corn and the guy is now convinced I am crazy. “I want a photo of you and me and this free bit of corn”, I say smiling. He doesn’t understand a word I say but walks away and returns with a huge bag of free pop corn. I can’t believe this! I am usually quite good at bargaining and occasionally getting free stuff thrown in thanks to my Sri Lankan roots but this is just delightful. If I lived in Turkey, I could eat for free everyday! I must be doing something right here. Keep smiling…
We take more photos and walk away. By now, the rest of the group have wandered away, and Yvonne and I are left alone in the market. We are both in heaven. We love farmers markets and keep wandering, chatting to the locals, taking photos and being warmly welcomed by everyone. The guy in the banana shop wants his photo taken and gives us a banana each. I don’t even like bananas but I eat it anyway. It is so fresh and yummy, just like all the fruits and vegies here. We are a little bummed we can’t just go shopping and take home some fresh produce that we can cook up for dinner. We get more free stuff. From scoops of raisins to mandarins, these farmers are just dying to give away their stuff. I am sure we’ve nailed this challenge hands down :)!
Everyone we meet appears to be incredibly happy to see us, and unlike in the rest of the Middle East, wants their photo taken and even give us an address where we are meant to mail photos back! While the women wear head dresses, they are colourful and appear (in general) to be far less conservative than the many of the women we have met previously in other cities.
Our next invitation is by the carpet guy. He knows we have no intention of buying a carpet but he invites us to take a seat and treats us to cups of Turkish tea. His entire family gathers around for photos and we feel like celebrities!
We are like the kid in the candy store when we end up at the Turkish delight shop. I think I’ve mentioned the Middle Eastern sweets but Turkey out shines them all. Given our skills at this taste testing business,we indicate in our finest sign language that we must try before we buy! A few Turkish delights later, we leave having both acquired a bagful of goodies :)
After our evening briefing, Sarah invites us for a cheap and cheerful local dinner. The bread or pide and salad are complimentary and we feast on Turkish pizza. Yummy. I am already having fun in Turkey and it is fast becoming my favourite country in this region. The thing is..I’ve been feeling guilty because I haven’t been able to get used to Turkish coffee and have on occasion asked for some milk to dilute it! (Considered sacrilege in these parts). Anyway…I’ve stopped feeling guilty after I discovered what Mark Twain had to say about it! If you’ve tried Turkish coffee you might understand what he meant…
"Of all the unchristian beverages that ever passed my lips, Turkish coffee is the worst. The cup is small, it is smeared with grounds; the coffee is black, thick, unsavoury of smell, and execrable in taste. The bottom of the cup has a muddy sediment in it half an inch deep. This goes down your throat, and portions of it lodge by the way, and produce a tickling aggravation that keeps you barking and coughing for an hour."
Mark Twain, 'The Innocents Abroad'
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