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calsimsek · Joined: 15 Jul 2004 Posts: 775 Location: Ist Turkey

I thought that since a few of us have been talking about the old days, we could share our stories. Also lets see if its gotten better or worse. I set the 90's as a start, however I know a few people ( Old Bob for one ) who have been here longer.
So bring out the tall tales. Lets see how much the city has changed.

molly farquharson · Joined: 16 Jun 2004 Posts: 839 Location: istanbul

remember when rent was 40 milyon?

FGT · Joined: 14 Sep 2003 Posts: 762 Location: Turkey

Ten years ago in Izmir my rent was 9 million!

ghost · Joined: 30 Jan 2003 Posts: 1693 Location: Saudi Arabia

Ghost first visited Turkey for a flying 2 week visit in 1996 (after touring Jordan and Egypt) and in those days, you could get a decent hotel room in most cities in Turkey for about 1 million Turkish Lira or less....

The exchange rate at the time was about $1U.S = 76.000.....if the memory is correct.

One recalls staying in some guesthouses for about 300.000 Lira in places like Safranbolu and Zonguldak.

It was dirt cheap then, and as an independent traveller you could live on about $10 a day or less.....

Ghost then returned for a vacation in 1998 for two weeks, and it was still very cheap.

In 2003 he came back for "round three" and this time it was to teach English and learn Turkish. Prices had gone up, but ghost found he could live pretty well in Turkey on about $20 U.S. a day, including private accommodation and three meals a day......

Turkey is still the best deal in Europe for budget travellers, now that countries like Spain and Portugal have become very expensive with the introduction of the Euro economy. Countries like Albania, etc....are also probably dirt cheap, but one does not think the infrastructure is in place yet....for budget travellers...

Ghost went to Barcelona in January 2004.....and to his horror had to spend around $50-$75 U.S. a day...at the bare minimum staying in hostels and eating out.....it was much too expensive to stay as a budget traveller...which compelled ghost to hop on a plane to Thailand and tour some of the South East Asian countries for the next two months.....(Thailand, Cambodia, Vietnam, Laos and Sri Lanka). Everything in South East Asia was dirt cheap....and ghost stayed in a luxury hotel in Phitsanlouk (Thailand) for under $10 a day with room service and meals only costing $1-$1.50 a shot......

Sri Lanka was more expensive than Thailand, Cambodia, Vietnam and Laos, but not by much. In the first four countries, ghost averaged about $10-$15 a day for everything (accommodation and food) in Sri Lanka, his daily budget went to about $18-$20 a day.....and the food not as good.

In Turkey there are substantial regional differences in prices. With Istanbul, being the most expensive (by far) and cities in the east far cheaper. In places like Mersin, Mardin, Batman, Diyabarkir...etc...your cost would be about half the total compared with Istanbul. Not too many foreigners choose the last named cities....and that is fine, for those who prefer not to have too many yabanciler around....also the people tend to be extraordinarily friendly in those more remote parts of the country.

When ghost stayed in Erzurum.....he was always given free teas and hospitality....the reception from the folks there was heart warming...and useful for that city (Erzurum) has a rather chilly climate, due to the altitude (1700m above sea level).

Ghost also found the black sea coast to have great deals - on condition that you went there "out of season"....because during the short summer season...prices and hotel prices would shoot up in the black sea resorts.

Out of season, prices in the black sea towns were really cheap.....but you have to contend with a very damp climate in those parts...which can lead to the "blues" in the long run....

yaramaz · Posted: Wed Mar 23, 2005 6:48 am Post subject:

Quoth ghost

vre · Joined: 17 Mar 2004 Posts: 371

The Black Sea in winter is also a major factor in the increase in crime rate. Didn't you know?

31 · Joined: 21 Jan 2005 Posts: 1797

DMB

You must have a few anecdotes from when you were a DOS at English Fast. Go tell us one.

31 · Joined: 21 Jan 2005 Posts: 1797

31 · Joined: 21 Jan 2005 Posts: 1797

calsimsek · Joined: 15 Jul 2004 Posts: 775 Location: Ist Turkey

Thanks Entrailicus,

I forgot about the old American dolmuses. When the new ones can I I said I would never ride them. Yet the truth is that the new dolmuses are faster quiter and lot simpler to get in and out of. As for cost I can recall a time when trip over from Euro to Asian side cost less than 10,000 T.L