So I flew to back to Istanbul and checked into a reasonably expensive hotel. I had thought I might enjoy the luxury but to be honest it was a waste of money. By this stage I had come to realise that the difference in comfort is really not that great and certainly hardly ever worth the usually enormous difference in price.
I returned to Istanbul on the weekend of the 1990 Census. It was quite eerie. Everyone was required to be at home. The streets were empty and most of the shops were shut. On the other hand the atmosphere seemed to be in keeping with the fact that this was the end of my travels in Turkey.
I had been to Turkey for two short holidays before this trip. Those two trips gave me the taste for independent travel and Turkey had to be the starting point for my big trip.
Obviously I can't say what things may be like now. I dare say a great many things will have improved. That might be a good thing. On the other hand it would be a shame if the robust Mercedes buses were all replaced with buses that closed you off from the real world outside. Turkey wasn't a hard country to travel in but the skills (and that is perhaps too pompous an expression) you need can be learned there. You get a feeling for what you need to put up with.
The people in Turkey were always genuinely hospitable (except for the ones Rudiger and I met in Khata). The food everywhere was affordable and delicious. The hotels I stayed in weren't special but all you need is a place that is reasonably secure to leave your stuff and reasonably clean to lay your head.
Turkey is above all very rich in ancient history and culture. I was sorry to go and one day I'd like to go back.
