ankara: where the coffee's strong and the hills are steeper

so ankara. not istanbul, not the tourist magnet, but the actual capital. and honestly? i kinda loved that about it. fewer selfie sticks, more real life. i rolled in on a slow train, backpack smelling like last night's hostel, and immediately got lost trying to find my guesthouse in ulus. classic me.

anyway, the weather here? someone told me it's about 5°c right now, feels like 2°c, and the humidity's hanging around 67%. so yeah, layer up if you're coming. i just checked and it's brisk out there, hope you like that kind of thing.

ulus is the old part of town, all narrow streets and crumbling walls that whisper stories if you listen close enough. i spent an afternoon just wandering, getting sidetracked by a tiny bakery selling still-warm simit. the owner didn't speak english, but he mimed "eat, eat!" until i did. best unsolicited advice i got all week.

if you get bored, istanbul and cappadocia are just a short drive away, but honestly, ankara deserves more than a stopover. the Museum of Anatolian Civilizations is unreal-like stepping into a time machine made of pottery shards and lion statues. someone warned me the entrance fee's gone up, but it's still worth every lira.

and the food? oh man. i had this lentil soup at a no-name lokanta near the citadel that i still dream about. someone said it was the best in the city, and now i'm spreading that drunk advice too. for kebabs, *Ankara Tava* is the local legend-just don't ask for extra spice unless you want to sweat through your shirt.

one night, i ended up at a tiny jazz bar in kavaklıdere, the kind of place where the bartender knows everyone's name and the music's just loud enough to drown out your own thoughts. i met a guy who claimed he used to drum for a famous turkish rock band. probably bs, but he bought me a drink, so i let him talk.

anyway, ankara's not flashy, but it's got soul. and hills. so many hills. wear comfy shoes or your calves will hate you.

if you're planning a trip, check out Lonely Planet's Ankara guide or browse TripAdvisor for local eats. and maybe bring a scarf. trust me.