Turkey and it’s amazing people, have really conveyed their generous spirits and welcoming hospitality to me. Recently I had another experience, slightly similar to the one with Huria which I shared in previous posts.
I arrived at a very small village and started looking for a place to pitch my tent for the night. The village seemed empty, no one was walking about, in fact it seemed like a ghost town. I managed to see the smoke coming out of a chimney. It was very cold.
Suddenly I saw a women in her backyard, so I ran to ask her if it is safe to camp in this place. (That’s my icebreaker when meeting someone)
She told me I could camp in her backyard; then while I was putting up my tent she brought me a fantastic dinner. I thanked her so much and I went to my tent. It was freezing cold – around 5 degrees Celsius. Later on she brought me dessert, along with a nice warm cup of tea, as well as a blanket. She told me to expect it to get a lot colder as night progressed.
The next day I woke up and started packing my tent. I thought everyone was sleeping, but then she showed up with a huge breakfast – better than any restaurant. I was speechless. How come she treats me, a complete stranger, like her son? She doesn’t know me from a bar of soap! The only thing she knew about me was my name.
After I had a full tummy I finished packing my stuff and then before I said goodbye she brought me a sandwich and some biscuits and she told me “ you will need these on the road”. At that moment, tears were welling in my eyes, I felt like I’m just visiting my aunt. I felt at home.
A women , from a completely different language, culture and background from me, made me feel so welcome with her heartfelt gesture of kindness. Thank you Turkey ❤️