Bursa - Oct 3

---

We travelled by taxi to the ferry terminals where we caught a ferry across the Bospherous to Yalova, in order to catch a local bus to Bursa. The buses in Turkey are very impressive. We were warned however, that noise was not appreciated as Turkish people did not like to disturb others. We endeavoured to be polite. We were even served water, coffee and a biscuit by the attentive conductor.

Bursa was not far and after settling in, we headed out to lunch to enjoy the traditional iskender kebab - delicious.

We met again late afternoon for a guided walk around the city. We visited some mosques with the green/blue tilework that originated from this area and then walked to a highpoint to view the surrounds of Bursa from above just on dusk. From there we headed to a cafe where local musicians shared their talents with us just for the love of their music. To be polite we paid a small sum just for the apple tea they served us.

Our guide then took us to dinner at his home where we were able to see an apartment showing how local people lived. During dinner a vendor called out from below, and a bucket was lowered to complete the transaction - we were about to sample a local milky drink.

After dinner we went to visit a local Dervish Lodge. A notable speaker was there, so it was very crowded and we had to squeeze into the space available. A member of the lodge had given us a quick talk about what to expect, and explained the meanings of the dervish whirling. It was surprisingly moving, and quite mesmerising watching the dancing below.

---

Photos

Whirling Dervish
A bit blurry, but as it was a religious service I didn't want to interrupt with photo taking.

Inside Mosque
Note the blue tiles