by John E Heard
PureTravel Writing Competition 2023
Life is full of twists and turns. Despite my best efforts to relocate to the UK, I received a surprise invitation to interview for a job in Istanbul. The second surprise was that the vacant position was located on the Asian side of the city, an area not very well known to tourists or travelers.
Istanbul is divided by the 19-mile long Bosphorus waterway. The western side of the city is on the edge of Europe and the eastern side is where Asia begins.
To get from one side to the other, there are innumerable local ferries that crisscross the waterway, darting between freighters and oil tankers. This crossing can be a ‘hold your breath’ moment because the Bosphorus is one of the busiest shipping lanes in the world. It is not unusual for a ferry captain to swerve and change course, knowing full well that his smaller craft cannot overtake a fully loaded container ship.
The morning I crossed the Bosphorus was a brilliant spring day. The early fog had burnt off and the pink Judas trees dotting the hills were in full bloom.
The sleek, white ferry nosed out into the heavy maritime traffic. The simit vendors jumped on board at the last moment, selling fresh, warm, sesame bread to the morning commuters as another vendor precariously balanced a tray of hot tea, or çay on his head.
Out on the water, my senses were overwhelmed with the screeching seagulls, the shouting hawkers and the sounds of ship engines groaning against the current as the tankers moved north to the Black Sea. The sun dazzled off the turquoise waters. The wakes of multiple ships slapped into one another causing frothy waves to rise and disappear quickly.
Stepping off the ferry in Üsküdar, on the Asian side, I looked back at the historical sites in Europe: the Dolmabahçe Palace, home to the Ottoman sultans, and some of the great mosques of the city: Süleymaniye, Fatih and Hagia Sophia. The sights were stunning.
I had found my way to Asia. For a brief, fairy-tale moment I remembered my history lessons in school. I pictured myself walking in the steps of Marco Polo and Kubla Khan as they stepped forward onto the great Silk Road to the East.
My interview took the whole day, with an exhausting schedule of meetings and interviews with Brits, Turks, Europeans and a few Americans.
Later, several members of the ‘search committee’ took me to dinner at an unassuming but very busy waterside “lokanta”, next to the ferry stop.
My hosts ordered a bottle of raki, a strong, licorice-tasting drink, known locally as ‘Lion’s Milk’ for the courage it supposedly mustered. Due to its strength, raki was sipped very slowly, accompanied by water.
The waiter promptly served a platter of meze, the traditional Turkish start to dinner. The appetizers were significant but since we were in no rush, a second, simple plate of kebabs on rice would follow.
The meze plate was considerable: dips of yogurt, red peppers and a delicious walnut spread. A few minutes later, the waiter brought out more food: fresh olives, grilled calamari, cheese and pita bread. And, we still had the plate of kebabs ahead of us.
Although I did not know the outcome of my interview, my hosts proposed a few toasts suggesting that I might be back in Istanbul in a few months. Şerefe! Cheers!
At midnight, I caught the last ferry back to Europe and my hotel, ending a twelve-hour day. As I left the Asian shore behind, the ferry bobbed up and down in the wake of a fast-moving southbound oil tanker. Calmly, the pilot straightened out his craft and pointed his boat into the landing dock. Up and down the Bosphorus, lights were twinkling on both shores, as a crescent moon rose in the East.
Photo by Engin Yapici on Unsplash
