Buried in the Fog: A Weekend in Orhangazi
it started with a weird string of numbers and a weather report that looked like it came from a broken weather app. 743256. 1792764051. temp: -0.16°c, feels like -2.37°c, humidity at 87%. i mean, who checks the weather in a town they’ve never heard of? but there i was, staring at my phone, trying to decide if i should pack a scarf or just wing it.
orhangazi. never heard of it until a friend of a friend mentioned it over drinks. "it’s quiet," they said. "real quiet." sounded perfect.
i took the bus from istanbul, and the fog rolled in thick as we got closer. the kind of fog that makes everything look like it’s been painted in watercolor. when i stepped off, the air bit. not the crisp, clean bite of a mountain town-more like the damp, clingy chill of a place that doesn’t get much sun in winter.
first stop: coffee. because obviously. found a little place called kahve evi that smelled like roasted beans and woodsmoke. the guy behind the counter had a mustache that could’ve been in a turkish film. i asked him what to do in town. he shrugged. "walk," he said. "and maybe visit the old mosque." okay then.
i did walk. a lot. the streets were narrow, the houses low and tiled. no tourists. no souvenir shops. just locals going about their day, eyeing me like i might be lost. which i was, a little.
"don’t go near the old factory," a woman whispered to me in the bakery. "they say it’s haunted."
haunted factory? hell yes. i’m a sucker for that stuff. so i hiked up the hill, past the mosque (which was beautiful, by the way, all carved wood and quiet dignity), and found the factory. it was huge, rusted, and definitely creepy. i didn’t go inside-the "no trespassing" signs were pretty clear-but i stood there for a while, listening to the wind whistle through the broken windows.
later, i checked tripadvisor and found a bunch of reviews from people who actually went inside. "spooky but worth it," one said. "watch out for stray dogs," warned another. noted.
that night, i stayed in a little guesthouse run by a family who kept feeding me baklava until i thought i’d explode. the dad sat with me and we talked with google translate and a lot of hand gestures. he told me about the history of the town, how it used to be a big deal back in the ottoman days. now? mostly farming, a bit of industry, and a whole lot of quiet.
i just checked and it's -0.16°c there right now, hope you like that kind of thing.
if you get bored, bursa and iznik are just a short drive away.
someone told me that the best view in town is from the top of the old clock tower, but i never made it up there. maybe next time.
walking back to the bus station the next morning, i realized i hadn’t checked my phone in hours. no notifications, no emails, no noise. just fog, and the sound of my own footsteps. sometimes that’s enough.
You might also be interested in:
- https://topiclo.com/post/kumila-diaries-a-chaotic-expat-survival-guide
- https://topiclo.com/post/banguis-bills-will-haunt-you-heres-the-real-deal
- https://topiclo.com/post/10-things-you-must-know-before-moving-to-seyhan-according-to-a-sleepdeprived-blogger
- https://topiclo.com/post/local-etiquette-and-traditions-how-not-to-offend-people-in-crdoba-especially-when-youre-a-mess-like-me
- https://topiclo.com/post/arequipas-walls-where-faith-and-graffiti-collide