13 September, Samsun
Gold Hotel 70TL (breakfast included)

While I spent the day practising the Turkish two-step in our pretty hotel room, Charl got the laundry done and tried to find a new charger for our electric toothbrushes, our brand new one having called it quits after just four months. It seems no-one in the city of Samsun uses an electric toothbrush! Charl visited around ten shops, toothbrush and charger in hand, but all he got was an emphatic “Yok” (No). What an opportunity for someone... In his search he stumbled upon a market in Samsun’s backstreets, mostly farm produce on offer. He also took the time to visit Samsun’s Mustafa Kemal Atatϋrk statue. Every town has its Atatϋrk statue; every government building and most private enterprises and hotels sport a photograph or golden relief of Atatϋrk; his face is etched on every bank note; his signature appears as bumper stickers and on T-shirts. An interesting man whose legacy is still very real today.