Izmir's Sticky Secrets & Seriously Strange Clouds
okay, so, i’m pretty sure i’m running on fumes and lukewarm Turkish coffee right now. 361661… 1818295057… honestly, what even is that number? it just keeps popping into my head. it’s like a glitch in the matrix, you know? i landed in Izmir yesterday, and it’s… intense. the humidity is clinging to everything like a desperate ex. feels like 29.16, feels-like 27.48, temp_min 29.16, temp_max 29.16, pressure 1011, humidity 13, sea_level 1011, grnd_level 997. i just checked and it's...there right now, hope you like that kind of thing.
I’m staying in this tiny little place near the bazaar - seriously, it’s basically a glorified closet with a view of a donkey. but the *spice market is insane. like, insane. mountains of saffron, paprika, chili flakes… i bought enough to season a small country. someone told me that the best baklava is at ‘Leyla’s’, but i’m skeptical. i heard that she uses walnuts from a specific grove, and if you don’t get them fresh, it’s just…sad. i’m going to check it out later, though. gotta keep the research going, right?
Spent the afternoon wandering around Kordonboyu, the waterfront. it’s surprisingly chill, all these little cafes and bars. the water’s a weird shade of green-grey - almost like algae, but not quite. it’s… unsettling. i saw a guy playing a really bad saxophone solo, and a group of teenagers arguing about football. classic.
I stumbled upon this little antique shop - it was crammed full of old maps, clocks, and weird ceramic dolls. the owner, a wizened old man named Ahmet, kept muttering about curses and forgotten empires. he wouldn’t tell me anything specific, just gave me this unsettling smile and said, ‘Some things are best left undisturbed.’ creepy, right? i bought a tarnished silver locket - purely for the aesthetic, obviously.
Speaking of creepy, i overheard some locals talking about a ghost in the Asansör (the elevator) in the old city. apparently, it’s the spirit of a woman who died tragically in the 1920s. someone told me that if you ride the elevator after midnight, you’ll hear her weeping. i’m not saying i believe it, but… i might take a detour.
Seriously, the food here is a rollercoaster. I had the best midye dolma (stuffed mussels) I’ve ever tasted at a tiny place down a side street - it was like a burst of sunshine in my mouth. But then I tried a testi kebap* (cooked in a clay pot) and it was… dense. Like, aggressively dense. Yelp says to check out ‘Meydan’, but honestly, I’m trusting my gut (and the memory of those mussels).
I’m trying to figure out if I should head to Selçuk tomorrow - it’s just a short drive away, and it’s supposed to have some amazing ancient ruins. TripAdvisor says it’s worth the trip, but I’m also tempted to just stay here and get lost in the maze of streets. It’s a tough call. If you’re looking for a good place to grab a bite, I’d recommend ‘Sahm’, but be prepared for a wait. They make a mean Turkish pizza.
Honestly, this place is a mess. A beautiful, chaotic, slightly unsettling mess. It’s the kind of place that gets under your skin and refuses to let go. I’m not sure I’m entirely sure what’s happening here, but i’m kinda digging it.
If you get bored, Aydın is just a short drive away. It’s known for its citrus groves - apparently, they grow the sweetest oranges in Turkey. I’m going to need a serious sugar rush after all this exploring.
Okay, gotta go. My battery is dying, and I think I just saw a cat wearing a tiny fez. This is Izmir, people. This is Izmir.
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