BLOG: The smallest room can be the biggest challenge

An "a la Turca" toilet

Reading this website you might expect a deep analysis of politics, or perhaps a serious look at the interest rates. Well not today.... 

Today we are taking a look at a simple challenge but one that almost every foreigner in the country has to deal with. One that involves that smallest room in the house and creates one of the biggest challenges to overcome for foreigners. 

2010. It was perhaps the very first time I ventured from the Turkish coast to Anatolia. Destination Ankara, to celebrate Xmas with my future father and mother in law. Me and my girlfriend at the time took a bus from Antalya, one of those luxury coaches. A great opportunity to see some of the country plus the buses weren't that bad either. Yes, now I could very well start boring you with a comparison of coach travel in Europe and Turkey, but I simple won't start yapping on about how great Turkish buses are. 

OK, well the buses are fantastic and indeed very luxurious. However at the first stop, I encountered a challenge of a magnitude I had yet seen before. During a visit to the restroom, I found the shock of many foreigners... Yes, a hole in the ground and a smell that will haunt me for years to come, and I silently cursed myself for having three cups of coffee on the bus. 

I will spare everyone the details, but let's just say keeping balance wasn't my strong suit nor was I good at calmly calling my girlfriend on her mobile to convince the driver to grab my suitcase from the bottom of the bus for a spare pair of jeans. 

After about six hours of being mocked by my girlfriend and having to see the big smirk on the bus drivers face in the rear view mirror, we  finally arrived in the capital. It rained, so as a Dutch guy I felt right at home. 

We...

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