In March my fantastic parents finally made the long journey to check out my adopted country and see for themselves what is so great about Turkey. They know I love it here, but I think they were a bit uncertain as to why. Now, after two and a half weeks of full on Turkish adventure, they can much better understand. We had a wonderful time, and packed in quite a few experiences. From the moment they arrived in Adana, they were shown that inevitable Turkish hospitality, fed well, and though they got some relaxing in, were generally overwhelmed with the beauty and diverseness of their surroundings. Oh, and I think they liked seeing me, too.

My father, ever fascinated with the history of everything, particularly people and language, kept us on our toes figuring out which cities used to be called what, which people inhabited which places at what times, and why certain words are now what they are. My mother, amused by the tiniest details, was constantly delighted, discovering heart-shaped rocks on the path, reveling at the markets, both traditional style and the everyday supermarket chains, gathering shells on the seashore, and analyzing flowering shrubs she had not encountered before. They both picked up a handful of Turkish words and learned—by trial and error—when to use them. They were dined, driven, led, and guided, and I tried to make sure they had a relaxing yet engaging vacation. I don’t think there was ever a dull moment.

A quick synopsis of their trip, in somewhat relative order, includes:

feasting on meter-long Adana kebab and a table full of meze,

sipping Lion’s Milk, or Turkish rakı,

coffee at Özsüt,

tea on the Mediterranean in Iskenderun (formerly Alexandria near Issos and later Alexandretta),

an adventurous drive through Hatay,

an afternoon spent wandering through the Antakya bazaar,

a tour of mosques and churches in Antakya (formerly Antioch),

observing ancient mosaics found in the region,

an after-hours tour of the Catholic Church,

a personal invitation to attend service at the St. Paul Orthodox Church,

dinner in Antakya in a highly recommended restaurant with a good view and instructions to the wait staff to treat us like family (and to send free künefe),

fortunes revealed in Turkish coffee grinds,

a very authentic hamam (Turkish bathhouse) experience in the old town of Tarsus,

sipping a cup of kaynar, a piping hot cinnamon-walnut beverage, in the old caravansari in Tarsus,

a walking tour of Tarsus,

a preview of the newly-opened structure where Daniel (you know, from the Lion’s Den) is buried and apparently lived,

a delightful dinner prepared by Eda’s Aunt Öznür, complete with içli köfte, yaprak sarma, patlican dolması, and hummus, and breakfast the next day, complete with lady bug toasts,

a glimpse of Pompeiopolis, the Roman ruins near the beach in Mersin,

coffee and tea on the beach in Mersin,

an evening in citrus-filled gardens of Eda’s uncle,

a delightful dinner of kuşbasşı and everything else in Eda’s uncle Mahir’s home,

a train ride back to Adana,

class visits at Adana Science and Technology University,

a party thrown just for them at the university, complete with homemade Turkish food students brought,

as well as private dance lessons,

meeting my university students as well as some of the children I’ve been teaching,

cooking lessons for yaprak sarma (stuffed grape leaves, sometimes referred to as ‘dolma’ in the US),

driving and walking tours of Adana,

homemade lahmahcun and other delights in Müco’s home,

an exclusive interview with university staff,

meeting with the university president,

the fanciest cappuccino Dad had ever seen at Mado,

intestine tasting, in soup form,

a classic breakfast in the mountains near Pozantı,

complete with an appearance by the chef himself, Mr. Mustache (his ‘stache had recently been trimmed, for some reason),

a stop at Müco’s summer home in the mountains,

as well as at Şekerpinar, where the water runs cold and a German bridge carries fast-running locomotives through the serene mountainside,

a road trip north through Niğde,

treks through valleys and caves in Cappadocia,

tours of boutique cave hotels in the region (including Cappadocia Cave Resort and Spa and The Museum Hotel),

traditional kebab served out of a clay jar,

Cappadocian wine tastings,

a hike up the Uçhisar Castle,

a flight from Kayseri to Izmir, then two nights in Izmir, the Pearl of the Aegean (also ancient Smyrna),

a tour throughout Ephesus and to St. Mary’s home,

a perfect dinner with my boss and friend Efe, who spent time in Oklahoma last summer, and his family, which included tastes of much of the best Turkish cuisine,

banana milk at Kazım Büfe,

visits to various types of grocery stores, shops, homes,

tea here, coffee there, more tea somewhere else.

And of course this doesn’t cover it all!

Extra special thanks goes to all the people who made this such an unforgettable experience for my parents, particularly our expert chauffeur, tour guide, historian, as well my adopted Turkish brother, Mücahit; my most hospitable, fun and charismatic adopted Turkish sister Eda; my interested, informative, helpful boss and friend Efe; and all my fantastic students at Adana BTÜ, as well as my colleagues. Her şey için çok teşekkür ederiz!

After all this, we took off for Istanbul to finish off the last days of their trip, but that will come in another post, inşallah. As you can see, good times were had by all. Now I awaiting their NEXT journey to Turkey, as are all their new friends and “family.” Hepimiz seni bekleyen! (We are waiting on you (to return)!)