I've been trying to write more substantively about a short trip, but until I do I wish to tell everyone about why your next destination should, nay must be Turkey. This, from the Russia junkie.

It's huge, it's deep, it's tasty, it's open. Istanbul is an immediate assault in a way that comes up to the senses and says come on, there's more, there's more, and when you say 'that's enough', retreats kindly and understandingly until the next round. If I could have stayed longer, as much of my curiosity had been revealed would have been answered, if only I asked.

Everyone on the boards has experienced kindnesses on the way. Each culture has its own entrances. The Turkish one is humor, and communality. I traveled with an acute advantage: three adorable children, who brought out the most caring and gracious in everyone we met. Other than that, the usual exchange (I know no Turkish) was a desire to knowingly convey as much as possible with a signal, a bright laugh and a symbolic sign that said that it's okay.

This would make Turkey a fine destination all by itself. Unfortunately, there's all that natural beauty, spectacular Roman and Greek ruins, and fine cuisine to sample. And Turkey is so damned BIG, there's tons more to see. Traveling with children on a short timeline, we only scratched the surface. The youths assume that what we viewed was the living end, proof that when you travel across you cannot experience it all, you have to pace yourself within the limits of you and your ken. You can always go back again.

As a Russophile, I'm originally interested in Turkey's Ottoman heritage, but now see the depth of the environment and understand why men plunge deeper. I take at face value the sentiment I often heard from Turks: 'It's so good to frequently perceive Americans here'. Apparently after 9/11 a lot of tourism has dried up. At home, people were aghast that I would go to a Muslim nation for fun, let to alone jeopardize my children into the bargain.

I'm astonished that Americans consider that Turkey would somehow represent an emphasized hellhole that you'd be insane to visit. It's beautiful, welcoming, and a great tourist value to boot. I'll be back.

BnA, takes a note: this is the area for independent travel. Don't take the tour, don't think that you'll come up short if you don't have local smarts. They want you to visit. Aside from the passion for business, the Turks just know they've got a good thing and welcome all those who see it the same way. More details on this trip soon, but in the meantime if you're not traveling here you're missing out in a big way.


A life well lived must willingly take some potential uncertainty.