As we wandered through the maze of bars in Kusadasi, I think it truly sunk in just how Westernized Turkey has become. It was knock off brands and neon lights. A city that rarely sleeps, Kusadasi is filled with the bustle of short term vacationers off the cruise ship for an evening in the port. It was almost a little sad, wandering around the city, listening to Celine Dion and Backstreet Boy songs emanating from the various clubs. Personally, as we wandered through Istanbul, I could really feel the pull that exists within the city between the East and the West, as well as between tradition and innovation. The dual identities of Istanbul seem to, in some ways, still be struggling to find that perfect balance. However, Kusadasi is at the opposite extreme, a city that by the looks of it, has very much embraced the Western way of life leaving behind many of the customs that made Istanbul such a unique and interesting place to visit.
We wandered int
o one rug shop as we walked down the streets. The gentleman sat with us for a couple of hours, discussing various rugs and so forth. We commented on the vast difference between Kusadasi and Istanbul, how Westernized Kusadasi seems in comparison, and he had a glimpse of sadness as he spoke of the numerous tourists that stopped for a couple of hours, wandered through the bazaar, and thought that this was what Turkey was like. I am looking forward to moving on to Kas and seeing how that compares.
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