Besides drivers taking risks to pass, the drive was a scenic one mostly along the Marmara Sea after you passed Tekirdağ. Spartan campsites were scattered along the beach where you could camp out in a tent.Approaching the towns of Silivri and Kumburgaz, you began to see endless numbers of apartment blocks. We were surprised by all these. Later a Turk explained to us that Turks purchase an apartment and share the expense and days together there. Though not as common as it used to be, you have probably met some Turks who talk about their second home -- their “yazlık.” This was the place where they would spend their lazy summer days and create fond family memories.
A primary reason for purchasing the second home was to have a get away to go to for your holidays. In those days, it was not easy to get permission to travel abroad nor did most people have the money to do so.
Camping was another alternative, particularly for those who wanted to spend a few days by the seaside but could not afford to purchase a second home. I noticed on my trip that many French and Italians also visited Turkey and seemed to enjoy camping out, too. The nicer camp sites around İstanbul were dotted along the seaside road from Küçükçekmece to Florya, Ataköy and Bakırköy.
It’s hard to believe that in my very early days in Turkey we would go swimming in the sea at Florya and at Sariyer. Of course, there are many elderly people who swam at Fenerbahçe and Maltepe as a child and still today take an occasional dip. Until the late 1970s, this particular coastline had served as a retreat from the inner city since Byzantine and Ottoman times. You can see some beautiful summer residences out toward Pendik, where the wealthy own villas.
Although many families and friends still enjoy the seafront, a leisurely stroll along the sea and sitting sipping tea and soaking up the view, few swim in the Marmara or the Bosporus anymore.
The strait connecting the Marmara Sea and the Black Sea is rich in many ways. Dolphins and dozens and dozens of other marine species migrate down its corridor, and battles have taken place and civilizations have existed on its shores for centuries. Millions of commuters cross this body of water constantly and cargo ships, heavy tankers and luxury cruise ships pass through the Bosporus daily.
Due to the increased number of tankers, major oil spills have occurred. After a number of these spills from accidents, by the mid-1980s, the local municipality announced it was a health hazard to swim in the Marmara Sea or the Bosporus. Though the news of polluted waters came as a blow for many who had spent their holidays by the seaside, fortunately times had changed for the better in many ways. Travel abroad had become easier and affordable seaside hotel resorts were being built around the country. The trend to camp out or stay at the summer home was on the decline.
There’s nothing like spending time by the sea or a lake. It has been my custom to regularly retire on the shores of wherever it may be -- the Gulf of Mexico, Lake Michigan, the seas around Turkey or the Bosporus. Passing these leisurely days with a friend or two in all types of weather has been both refreshing and a great source of pleasant memories.
The next best set of memories I have are those when I was a young girl. My family used to go camping at Brady Mountain on Lake Ouachita in the heart of the Hot Springs National Park. My three brothers had their packs full of small frying pans, spoons, canned goods, canteens of water, even a hatchet and box of matches, and, of course, a sheet of plastic just in case it rained. They caught fish and cooked them over an open fire! The marvel of camping when I was a child and in Turkey was its simplicity.
“A general rule of thumb: If you return home smelling clean, if your clothing is fresh and pressed, your hair washed and combed, you haven’t been camping.” Philip Gulley
Note: Charlotte McPherson is the author of “Culture Smart: Turkey, 2005.” Please keep your questions and observations coming: I want to ensure this column is a help to you, Today’s Zaman’s readers. Email: c.mcpherson@todayszaman.com
