The Turkish Barbershop Experience

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More lovely Mediterranean sun again today. Finally, just before we are due to go back to Stalybridge with Kath and Albert, the weather improves!

We decided that we couldn't laze around all day again today so we caught the bus into Bodrum this morning. We wanted to have a bit better look at the bayside shops and maybe even purchase a new wallet for Bernie for his birthday and a few souvenirs. Kath recommended that we should negotiate the price down to around half what they first quoted.

Bernie has been talking all week about getting his hair done by a Turkish barber. He figures that the way he wears his hair even if it's a disaster, it will grow out in a week! As we walked down from the bus station to the harbour, we stopped in at a barber's shop. No luck though because the barber was out for a few minutes according to his friend who was minding the shop. Ah well, there are plenty of barbers. Rather than wait five minutes for a barber who may or may not be back we decided we would continue on our way.

We ventured into a few leather shops and Bernie looked at their wallets, but had trouble finding anything that he liked. Fortunately, with it being early on a Sunday morning we found most of the shop owners still to sleepy to drive a hard sale. We escaped from quite a few shops without being hassled.

Eventually though we struck a shop keeper who really didn't want to take no for an answer. He was really, really keen to make his first sale of the day. Fortunately Bernie had found a wallet that he liked in this shop. Maybe he didn't really need two new leather belts as well???!

Bernie also wanted a Turkey T-Shirt, but a souvenir T-Shirt was much harder to find than you might think. Most of the clothing on offer is fake designer labelled stuff. Lacoste polo shirts abound along with Hermes, Tommy Hilfiger, Shark and so on. Eventually in one shop Bernie said that all he really wanted was a Turkey T-shirt. The guy looked at him funny and then went to the back corner of the shop and dug out a Turkey T-shirt literally from the very bottom of a pile of T-shirts!!! Not much demand for souvenir T-shirts then. Of course we left the shop with a fake Tommy Hilfiger polo shirt too.

Next we went into a souvenir shop looking for a pack of playing cards and maybe a bookmark or two. After a couple of minutes in the shop we heard a procession coming along the street. There were drums and bells and a Turkish pipe that sounded vaguely like a bagpipe (no idea what the instrument is called, but it sounds distinctly Middle Eastern) ... and a camel with furniture on its back!! Bernie asked the shop owner what the procession was for and she pointed to her ring finger. Ah, a wedding procession we surmised.

After taking a few more photos of the castle from the bayside, we started heading back towards the bus station. Bernie spotted another barber's shop and asked how much for a trim. Once again the barber was out, but he was quickly rustled up from across the street. Without a price being quoted he commenced work. Bernie asked for the No. 2 all over, but the barber quickly decided that that was too long and unilaterally decided on a No. 1 haircut!! Bernie won't need his hair cut again until we get home.

The barber really gave Bernie the works. The No. 1 buzz-cut was followed by an eyebrow trim, nose hair trim and beard and mustache trim. Then he neatened up Bernie's sideburns and the edges of his goethe with the cut-throat razor. And if the cut-throat razor wasn't exciting enough, the barber then lit a ball of cotton wool on the end of a stick and singed the hair in Bernie's ears!!! OMG! In the meantime, the barber had sent his young assistant (son, apprentice?) across the street to bring me a cup of apple çay to drink while I waited.

Just when I thought the barber must be done he proceeded to shampoo Bernie's hair (scalp?), towel it dry, put an astringent on his face and some other product on his hair, before massaging his face and head. He finished the whole treatment off with a blow-dry, yes a blow-dry. Is there really any point blow-drying hair that has been cut to within a millimeter of the scalp?? All of this for TL 50.00.

So ... not a cheap haircut BUT, Bernie did get so much more than just a haircut!! In fact, the barber insisted on giving me a Bodrum souvenir thermometer to take with us. Hmmn, I think that might get re-gifted to someone who will truly appreciate a really kitsch souvenir.

Back at the resort we decided on Turkish pancakes again for lunch - really enjoying the Turkish pancakes - and then lounged under an umbrella by the pool reading. We actually swam again (we only used the pool twice in two weeks) before letting ourselves get a little bit more late afternoon sun.

Dinner tonight at the Greek Tavern - Ela Ela - the last of the a la carte restaurants for our last night at the Voyage Torba. And what fun it was clapping along to 'Zorba's Song' and 'Hava Nagila' amongst other rousing traditional and popular tunes. We couldn't be coaxed up to dance though and I resisted the staff's encouragement to dance on the tables!!! We weren't sure what to expect from the live entertainment Buzuki Nikos, but he and his backing band were great. Obviously he played the buzuki. His backing band consisted of a guitarist, keyboardist and a guy on electric drums. For the second set they were joined by a female vocalist who gave us a powerful rendition of 'I Will Survive' in Greek ... or was it Turkish? Not English anyway! Oh, and the food was pretty good too. The slow cooked lamb shank for main course was delicious.

After pre-dinner Cinzano and lemonades (Kath and I) and beers (Albert and Bernie) and far too much red and white wine with our meal, we headed to the Panorama Bar to keep our blood alcohol topped up with Baileys and beers while we played cards. All week we have heard women asking for Sex on the Beach - the cocktail, not literally! - so Kath and I decided we should try some. Probably not the best idea on top of everything else??!

Fortunately, the consumption of an excessive amount of alcohol did not impair my ability to win Jo. Maybe it is all down to luck and not skill?? Blobs was conceded to me after nine hands with Albert vowing that he will not play cards with us again before we leave for Chicago next Sunday. I think he really means it too.

Just after midnight Kath and Albert headed off to bed leaving us chatting with the Liverpudlians Barbara and David while drinking cokes and çais to sober up a bit before going to bed at 3.15am!

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Comments

[Janet]

party animals
sounds like you have decided to grow old disgracefully as you approach the half century Tracey! And having lots of fun in the process. Great to keep up to date with your travel tales, we look forward to the instalments and checking out your beautiful photos. love Janet