I think discovery is perhaps the worst thing that can happen to any place of natural beauty. U.S. National Parks do a pretty good job holding back the masses and their RVs, but not good enough. Left by itself, the hotel industry would build natural wonder right out of existence!
You know, it’s one thing for tourism to hit a Western, European culture–it’s like meeting like. But Turkey is just “different” enough, culturally, that the Turks get the power of outside money rolling in but don’t exactly know how to appeal to it. As I watch all the tourist buses in our lovely hamlet, day after day, and I then look at all the lovely Turks in our lovely hamlet trying to connect with those tourists but not quite knowing how, it’s all I can do not to march up and attempt to communicate to the Turks through gestures that I would be glad to write them signs in English, teach them a few key phrases (like NOT to call all the women, abruptly, “LADY,” which they equate with “Madam” but which has a vastly more abrasive effect on the lady in question than they intend) related to commerce, and teach them three charming phrases that could evolve into tourist “schtick.” In short, I want the lovely Turks to take the lovely tourists’ money. I could help.
O! The long shadows of the mountains around the fairy chimneys…amazing.
p.s. Can you pick me up a rug while you’re there? *snicker*
I think discovery is perhaps the worst thing that can happen to any place of natural beauty. U.S. National Parks do a pretty good job holding back the masses and their RVs, but not good enough. Left by itself, the hotel industry would build natural wonder right out of existence!
i sincerely hope measures can be taken to preserve the treasure that is the history of cappadocia and yet make it appropriately accessible.
You know, it’s one thing for tourism to hit a Western, European culture–it’s like meeting like. But Turkey is just “different” enough, culturally, that the Turks get the power of outside money rolling in but don’t exactly know how to appeal to it. As I watch all the tourist buses in our lovely hamlet, day after day, and I then look at all the lovely Turks in our lovely hamlet trying to connect with those tourists but not quite knowing how, it’s all I can do not to march up and attempt to communicate to the Turks through gestures that I would be glad to write them signs in English, teach them a few key phrases (like NOT to call all the women, abruptly, “LADY,” which they equate with “Madam” but which has a vastly more abrasive effect on the lady in question than they intend) related to commerce, and teach them three charming phrases that could evolve into tourist “schtick.” In short, I want the lovely Turks to take the lovely tourists’ money. I could help.