Travel from Istanbul to Çanakkale by bus.
I will travel from Istanbul to Çanakkale, which is in northwestern Turkey, using a large bus company called METRO.
This is the town closest to the ruins of Troy.
Even though this is the starting station, the bus arrived 30 minutes late, and the departure was delayed by a total of 50 minutes. There is no sense of urgency. There were no announcements. When I asked the staff, they seemed uninterested and responded with something like, "I don't know." What is this? This is worse than India. When I went back to the ticket counter, they seemed uninterested and just gestured, "Over there, over there. It will leave from there." Even though the departure time has already passed, they glanced at the clock but didn't seem to care much.
When the bus finally arrived, everyone got on, but for some reason, someone else was sitting in my seat. When I checked my ticket, it was for a different bus. Even local people seem to make mistakes about which bus to take.
There was a tour conductor on the bus, and they offered drinks and snacks. But what I really want is for the bus to depart on time.
The driver was driving recklessly, and the bus was running on what appeared to be the shoulder of the road. That's strange. I think even if they weren't late, these people would drive recklessly, so I don't think they are driving to make up for the delay, but maybe they have some intention of making up for the delay? In the end, we arrived 1 hour late. Even a large company that covers the entire country has this level of laxity.
The prices are becoming comparable to those of developed countries, but people's awareness is not changing. I think this laxity will probably remain the same for a long time.
Perhaps they were only concerned about the time for the last leg of the journey, which requires taking a ferry because there are no roads.
This is where I'm staying, it's called Anzac House Youth Hostel.
A dorm bed costs 32.7 euros (100.6 liras, approximately 4500 yen) for 3 nights, which is about 1500 yen per night.
The dorm is a terrible environment with only one outlet for a room with 16 beds. I wouldn't recommend it.
It doesn't even have a power strip.
Luckily, it was empty, so I was able to occupy the outlet. But it would be terrible if it was crowded.
There's no air conditioning in the room, so it might be uncomfortable if it's too hot or cold.
Luckily, I didn't need the air conditioning during my stay.
After arriving, I walked around, but like Istanbul, it seems that tourists are charged double the price by people near tourist attractions. It's a tourist country that misunderstands things. Istanbul is one thing, but even in a small town like this, it's the same, so it'll probably be the same in other parts of Turkey.
The prices have already risen, and they are approaching Japanese prices, but being charged double is still expensive. I don't really buy things, so it's fine, but it's a problem when it comes to food. Turkey is surprisingly expensive. Maybe Japan is too cheap. A kebab sandwich similar to a Subway sandwich costs about 250 yen for chicken and 500 yen for beef. It's not worth the price, and it's just bread with kebab in it. That's why, if you go a little away from the center, the prices suddenly drop to half. However, ice cream is expensive everywhere, with a reasonable price of 200-300 yen, and a regular cup of ice cream costs about 400 yen. Maybe Turkish ice cream has a premium because it's sticky, but the pricing of ice cream is confusing.
Of course, tourist price areas are narrow even in this small town.
In the past, low prices were tolerated even if things were a little sloppy, but now that they're charging high prices for sloppy service and mediocre quality, the popularity of tourism in Turkey may decline.
In fact, my overall impression of Turkey is currently "neutral." It's neither good nor bad. Well, I guess that's about it. I wouldn't particularly recommend it.
It seems that there are a lot of scams because it's a country that has been visited for a long time for sightseeing.
The ruins are surprisingly small. The exterior looks amazing, but the interior is often disappointing.
Overall, my satisfaction with Turkey is low. Well, most of the good things about Turkey in the past were probably due to the low prices, so my satisfaction would be like this when the prices go up.
By the way, I saw a Japanese woman being persistently followed by a Turkish man nearby. That's typical of Turkish people. The Japanese woman looked annoyed.
■Entrepreneurship (Startups)
From the perspective of a place to start a business, the combination of high prices and lax attitudes makes it unlikely that entrepreneurship/startups would be successful in Turkey.
If you look at the people, you can see the potential for excellent talent, but in Turkey, you don't see the awareness of the elite class in society. Is it that society is moving based on past inertia?
Even if the people are lax, it might be possible if the labor costs are low.
Maybe labor costs are lower in rural areas.
It's unlikely that you can entrust anything to lax people, but it might be possible to have them work under supervision as cheap labor. However, there are many countries in Asia that are similar to Turkey, and Asia has higher awareness and lower costs, so it's still unlikely that entrepreneurship/startups would be successful in Turkey.
Still, there are all kinds of countries in the world.
It's completely different from countries like Israel that were created by their own awareness.
When you look at Israel, you feel the potential of awareness. Willpower makes things happen. In Israel, I felt the willpower not only from the elite class but also from ordinary citizens.
When you look at Turkey, you feel that it's possible to stagnate no matter how much time passes if there is no awareness.
The scams in Turkey are not done with awareness, but they are done because it's taken for granted. They are people who are not worth getting angry at. They are people who are being carried along by inertia.
The rest in Turkey may not be worth the name of rest, and may lose something important. As you come into contact with the atmosphere of Turkey, your awareness fades away.
Or, maybe it's necessary to have periods of exposure to such things.
Women probably like this kind of laxness. It's a country like a cat.
Every morning, men and women seem to greet each other with "meow."
Time somehow passes. The start and end times are also loose.
There are all kinds of countries in the world, so it's okay if there are countries like this.
■Barber
A haircut at a barber usually costs 20 TL, which is about 1000 yen, so I got a haircut and was charged 40 TL, which is about 2000 yen. There was no shaving. I was careless thinking it would be the same everywhere, but I didn't expect a barber to charge a double foreigner price as a matter of course. I was careless because it was a small town. Even though it's a small town, it's in an area with tourist prices because it's near the port. Oh no. I messed up.
In normal countries, tourist prices double for souvenirs and food, but services essential to daily life like barbershops are usually not subject to tourist prices. However, Turkey is truly different, and even these services have tourist prices. I am amazed by the Turkish people's tendency to overcharge. I was careless, but I realized that not asking the price at first was a fatal mistake.
Turkey might be a country where you need to be as careful as you are in India. I feel like there are people who smile and try to overcharge you without you realizing it, just like in South India. As I mentioned above, it seems like they think overcharging is normal, so it's not worth getting angry at. However, if you don't get angry, they won't understand, so you end up getting angry at someone who doesn't deserve it, which is a tiring and pointless experience. I don't think Turkey is a place where you can stay for a long time. Turkish people give me the same feeling as "nails in a barrel" (a situation where you are constantly being bothered). Even if you protest a little, they will just ignore you with a "What's wrong?" Since I failed by not asking the price at first, and it's just a waste of energy to argue with them, I'm not really protesting seriously.
This is the town closest to the ruins of Troy.
Even though this is the starting station, the bus arrived 30 minutes late, and the departure was delayed by a total of 50 minutes. There is no sense of urgency. There were no announcements. When I asked the staff, they seemed uninterested and responded with something like, "I don't know." What is this? This is worse than India. When I went back to the ticket counter, they seemed uninterested and just gestured, "Over there, over there. It will leave from there." Even though the departure time has already passed, they glanced at the clock but didn't seem to care much.
When the bus finally arrived, everyone got on, but for some reason, someone else was sitting in my seat. When I checked my ticket, it was for a different bus. Even local people seem to make mistakes about which bus to take.
There was a tour conductor on the bus, and they offered drinks and snacks. But what I really want is for the bus to depart on time.
The driver was driving recklessly, and the bus was running on what appeared to be the shoulder of the road. That's strange. I think even if they weren't late, these people would drive recklessly, so I don't think they are driving to make up for the delay, but maybe they have some intention of making up for the delay? In the end, we arrived 1 hour late. Even a large company that covers the entire country has this level of laxity.
The prices are becoming comparable to those of developed countries, but people's awareness is not changing. I think this laxity will probably remain the same for a long time.
Perhaps they were only concerned about the time for the last leg of the journey, which requires taking a ferry because there are no roads.
This is where I'm staying, it's called Anzac House Youth Hostel.
A dorm bed costs 32.7 euros (100.6 liras, approximately 4500 yen) for 3 nights, which is about 1500 yen per night.
The dorm is a terrible environment with only one outlet for a room with 16 beds. I wouldn't recommend it.
It doesn't even have a power strip.
Luckily, it was empty, so I was able to occupy the outlet. But it would be terrible if it was crowded.
There's no air conditioning in the room, so it might be uncomfortable if it's too hot or cold.
Luckily, I didn't need the air conditioning during my stay.
After arriving, I walked around, but like Istanbul, it seems that tourists are charged double the price by people near tourist attractions. It's a tourist country that misunderstands things. Istanbul is one thing, but even in a small town like this, it's the same, so it'll probably be the same in other parts of Turkey.
The prices have already risen, and they are approaching Japanese prices, but being charged double is still expensive. I don't really buy things, so it's fine, but it's a problem when it comes to food. Turkey is surprisingly expensive. Maybe Japan is too cheap. A kebab sandwich similar to a Subway sandwich costs about 250 yen for chicken and 500 yen for beef. It's not worth the price, and it's just bread with kebab in it. That's why, if you go a little away from the center, the prices suddenly drop to half. However, ice cream is expensive everywhere, with a reasonable price of 200-300 yen, and a regular cup of ice cream costs about 400 yen. Maybe Turkish ice cream has a premium because it's sticky, but the pricing of ice cream is confusing.
Of course, tourist price areas are narrow even in this small town.
In the past, low prices were tolerated even if things were a little sloppy, but now that they're charging high prices for sloppy service and mediocre quality, the popularity of tourism in Turkey may decline.
In fact, my overall impression of Turkey is currently "neutral." It's neither good nor bad. Well, I guess that's about it. I wouldn't particularly recommend it.
It seems that there are a lot of scams because it's a country that has been visited for a long time for sightseeing.
The ruins are surprisingly small. The exterior looks amazing, but the interior is often disappointing.
Overall, my satisfaction with Turkey is low. Well, most of the good things about Turkey in the past were probably due to the low prices, so my satisfaction would be like this when the prices go up.
By the way, I saw a Japanese woman being persistently followed by a Turkish man nearby. That's typical of Turkish people. The Japanese woman looked annoyed.
■Entrepreneurship (Startups)
From the perspective of a place to start a business, the combination of high prices and lax attitudes makes it unlikely that entrepreneurship/startups would be successful in Turkey.
If you look at the people, you can see the potential for excellent talent, but in Turkey, you don't see the awareness of the elite class in society. Is it that society is moving based on past inertia?
Even if the people are lax, it might be possible if the labor costs are low.
Maybe labor costs are lower in rural areas.
It's unlikely that you can entrust anything to lax people, but it might be possible to have them work under supervision as cheap labor. However, there are many countries in Asia that are similar to Turkey, and Asia has higher awareness and lower costs, so it's still unlikely that entrepreneurship/startups would be successful in Turkey.
Still, there are all kinds of countries in the world.
It's completely different from countries like Israel that were created by their own awareness.
When you look at Israel, you feel the potential of awareness. Willpower makes things happen. In Israel, I felt the willpower not only from the elite class but also from ordinary citizens.
When you look at Turkey, you feel that it's possible to stagnate no matter how much time passes if there is no awareness.
The scams in Turkey are not done with awareness, but they are done because it's taken for granted. They are people who are not worth getting angry at. They are people who are being carried along by inertia.
The rest in Turkey may not be worth the name of rest, and may lose something important. As you come into contact with the atmosphere of Turkey, your awareness fades away.
Or, maybe it's necessary to have periods of exposure to such things.
Women probably like this kind of laxness. It's a country like a cat.
Every morning, men and women seem to greet each other with "meow."
Time somehow passes. The start and end times are also loose.
There are all kinds of countries in the world, so it's okay if there are countries like this.
■Barber
A haircut at a barber usually costs 20 TL, which is about 1000 yen, so I got a haircut and was charged 40 TL, which is about 2000 yen. There was no shaving. I was careless thinking it would be the same everywhere, but I didn't expect a barber to charge a double foreigner price as a matter of course. I was careless because it was a small town. Even though it's a small town, it's in an area with tourist prices because it's near the port. Oh no. I messed up.
In normal countries, tourist prices double for souvenirs and food, but services essential to daily life like barbershops are usually not subject to tourist prices. However, Turkey is truly different, and even these services have tourist prices. I am amazed by the Turkish people's tendency to overcharge. I was careless, but I realized that not asking the price at first was a fatal mistake.
Turkey might be a country where you need to be as careful as you are in India. I feel like there are people who smile and try to overcharge you without you realizing it, just like in South India. As I mentioned above, it seems like they think overcharging is normal, so it's not worth getting angry at. However, if you don't get angry, they won't understand, so you end up getting angry at someone who doesn't deserve it, which is a tiring and pointless experience. I don't think Turkey is a place where you can stay for a long time. Turkish people give me the same feeling as "nails in a barrel" (a situation where you are constantly being bothered). Even if you protest a little, they will just ignore you with a "What's wrong?" Since I failed by not asking the price at first, and it's just a waste of energy to argue with them, I'm not really protesting seriously.
Troy ruins.
Today, I will visit the ruins of Troy.
The travel company affiliated with the hotel offers a Troy ruins tour for 96 liras (including entrance fee), but since the entrance fee is originally 20 liras and the shuttle bus is not that expensive, I decided to go there on my own instead of taking the tour.
I walked for about 20 minutes to the shuttle bus stop located under a bridge on the outskirts of town.
On the way, I also had breakfast.
I didn't really know the departure time, and I thought it would be like "the time is roughly decided, but the bus leaves after it's full," but it seems that the bus actually left on time, just a little before I arrived. Surprisingly, it left on time today.
So, I had to wait for the next bus for about 45 minutes. It seems there is only one bus per hour.
It takes about 1 hour to reach the ruins of Troy.
■Museum pass for all of Turkey (15 days, 105 lira)
When I tried to enter, there was a museum pass that could be used for 15 days throughout Turkey for 105 lira. And it includes Istanbul. What is this? Almost all the places I entered with the museum pass I bought specifically for Istanbul were included, and it's cheaper. I wish I had bought this one from the beginning. It may not be sold in Istanbul.
The staff was processing the sale for me, but there was some trouble with an error.
It seems that this pass is new, and I am the first customer at this ticket counter to buy this pass.
Is that so? It's a new product.
Even if you visit 5 places, you can make up for the cost, and it's a convenient pass that can be used for 15 days.
When I searched for "Troy travelogue," there were many disappointing reviews that said "it's small." However, it's surprisingly large, and the cobblestones are layered, so I enjoyed it more than I expected. It's not bad. People who are disappointed may be comparing it to movies or documentaries. I think the preservation condition is good for a ruin that is over 2500 years old.
There are explanations and illustrations in some places.
The flat land visible from the ruins of Troy was apparently a sea until a few thousand years ago. A few thousand years is not that long ago. Therefore, it is not a fantasy that the ice in Antarctica melts or something causes sea level rise.
According to the conceptual drawing, it seems to be like this.
There is an explanation that describes how multiple layers of cobblestone are overlapping.
It is assumed that there was a magnificent building above this slope, and the reproduced illustration is splendid.
This seems to have been a water intake point.
According to the illustration, it seems to have been a magnificent fortress.
And the time for the shuttle bus (one bus per hour) arrived, so I returned to Çanakkale.
The travel company affiliated with the hotel offers a Troy ruins tour for 96 liras (including entrance fee), but since the entrance fee is originally 20 liras and the shuttle bus is not that expensive, I decided to go there on my own instead of taking the tour.
I walked for about 20 minutes to the shuttle bus stop located under a bridge on the outskirts of town.
On the way, I also had breakfast.
I didn't really know the departure time, and I thought it would be like "the time is roughly decided, but the bus leaves after it's full," but it seems that the bus actually left on time, just a little before I arrived. Surprisingly, it left on time today.
So, I had to wait for the next bus for about 45 minutes. It seems there is only one bus per hour.
It takes about 1 hour to reach the ruins of Troy.■Museum pass for all of Turkey (15 days, 105 lira)
When I tried to enter, there was a museum pass that could be used for 15 days throughout Turkey for 105 lira. And it includes Istanbul. What is this? Almost all the places I entered with the museum pass I bought specifically for Istanbul were included, and it's cheaper. I wish I had bought this one from the beginning. It may not be sold in Istanbul.
The staff was processing the sale for me, but there was some trouble with an error.
It seems that this pass is new, and I am the first customer at this ticket counter to buy this pass.
Is that so? It's a new product.
Even if you visit 5 places, you can make up for the cost, and it's a convenient pass that can be used for 15 days.
When I searched for "Troy travelogue," there were many disappointing reviews that said "it's small." However, it's surprisingly large, and the cobblestones are layered, so I enjoyed it more than I expected. It's not bad. People who are disappointed may be comparing it to movies or documentaries. I think the preservation condition is good for a ruin that is over 2500 years old.
There are explanations and illustrations in some places.
The flat land visible from the ruins of Troy was apparently a sea until a few thousand years ago. A few thousand years is not that long ago. Therefore, it is not a fantasy that the ice in Antarctica melts or something causes sea level rise.
According to the conceptual drawing, it seems to be like this.
There is an explanation that describes how multiple layers of cobblestone are overlapping.
It is assumed that there was a magnificent building above this slope, and the reproduced illustration is splendid.
This seems to have been a water intake point.
According to the illustration, it seems to have been a magnificent fortress.
And the time for the shuttle bus (one bus per hour) arrived, so I returned to Çanakkale.Canakkale Archaeological Museum
On the way back from the ruins of Troy, I was dropped off in front of the Archaeological Museum in town, and I visited the museum.
This museum is also included in the museum pass.
This museum is also included in the museum pass.
Canakkale Military Marine Museum
I visited the Canakkale Military Marine Museum, which is near the harbor.
You can enter the park for free, but there is an entrance fee of 6.5 liras (approximately 295 yen) to enter the fortress.
It was surprisingly small, and for some reason, the exhibits on the upper floor were closed, which was a bit disappointing.
And then we leave the park.
You can enter the park for free, but there is an entrance fee of 6.5 liras (approximately 295 yen) to enter the fortress.
It was surprisingly small, and for some reason, the exhibits on the upper floor were closed, which was a bit disappointing.
And then we leave the park.
