Date: Mon, 31 Mar 2003 13:10:36 +0100 From: MeatballTurbo <carl.robsonnopsamcing-czechs.com> Subject: Re: 1985 2 door turbo aero silver
In article <BAA92E0D.50A0%pjghnopsamyonder.co.uk>, pjghnopsamyonder.co.uk says... > Big place, eh? I'd like to visit some day (after Sweden, NZ, India, Turkey > and Iceland). > Paul. I've been to Turkey twice as a tourist. very cheap on western terms. poor in so many ways, yet advanced in many others. A lot of Water heating is don't using solar power, and the water is stored in tanks on the roof getting more heat from the panels to keep it warm. Roads out of town are little more than dirt tracks (away from the main highways), cars tend to be very old Renaults, Tofas (licensed Renault and Fiat designs), Fiats, Skodas, and hundreds of old US muscle cars. Wages tend to be between 4 and 6 GBP per week for unskilled (bar/kitchen/waiter) staff, but Petrol worked out roughly the same as over in the UK per litre. for that reason LPG is widely used by Turks, and most of the gas stations are Turkish chains rather than multinationals like Shell, Texaco etc. Cyber cafes are very popular because very few people have telephones at home, yet almost everyone has a cell phone/mobile phone. Cell phone reception in archiolegy site at the ruined city of Ephasus (in a mountain valley) using Turkcell was better than in the centre of Manchester, on Vodafone (was buying a house at home, while on holiday so may have been called about any hitches back home). If you like cheap but good looking clothing and watches, Turkey is a counterfeit paradise. They have every brand of clothes or watches exactly like the real thing, of the same or better quality for peanuts. If you are prepared to go real, real cheap, the watches work as well as the real thing, but the plating isn't as solid, and they are plated instead of solid. they just don't have any copyright laws so can make and fake what they like. I'm sitting here wearing a Diesel shirt, Catapillar Jeans, and Calvin Klein socks, with a Breitling Chronometer on my Wrist, and the whole lot probably cost less than 70GBP. The Breitling fake is a year old now. The Tag Hauer copy I have is 3 years old, and still working properly. I have 4 year old jeans that are wearing better than the genuine Lee and Wranglers that I have. There isn't any way under the sun I could have a wardrobe full of genuine Ben Sherman, Gucci, Versace, Levi, Diesel, Calvin Klein (pick a designer brand), but the turkish copies are such good quality made, and can't be bought without a fake designer tag, so you might as well buy what you want. they even get the Styling right. Versace, Armani, and CK are all closer more sculpted fit than the Caterpiller, Diesel, Levi etc. On the plus side, I bought some Oakley minute glasses while I was there (genuine) from an Oakley authorised dealer. If I wanted Oakley prescription lenses I had to send prescription to the states, just like I would in the UK, but if I was willing to accept optician lenses they could copy my prescription and make them there and then. The cost me about £120 GBP with optician sunglass lenses. I couldn't buy them with plain Sunglass lenses in the UK for that money. People are poor, but are hard working, and friendly. In towns people will hassle you for their bar or restaurant, or boat trip, or shoe shine, but they don't get aggressive while they do it. They have a sort of Flexible islam, just the UK has flexible christianity. There is also a large Christian and Jewish population in Turkey, yet they don't feel the need to go to war with each other anymore. There is no state religion, the government is happy to use the Synagogue, or the Church, as much as the Mosque to spread it's word and plan. The Mosque is there, and you a Muslim, but if you don't go everytime, or stop work to pray every time. Allah isn't going to step on you from above. Likewise the muslim rule on no drinking. They don't do it in public or in bars, they don't go to mosque wrecked, but they will have a quiet drink at home with friends, and not to excess. For a country that makes Efes beers, and Raki, that makes a sensible compomise. Visit once, with an open mind, and an empty suitcase for souveneers. You will go back at least once more. -- Carl Robson The poster formally known as Skodapilot. http://www.bouncing-czechs.com
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