Candace Rose Rardon: In Search of Belonging on Turkey’s Büyükada Island

14 Aug Candace Rose Rardon: In Search of Belonging on Turkey’s Büyükada Island

Posted at 16:27h in Tales & Reflections by Don George 0 Comments

Editor’s note: Candace Rose Rardon is an American writer, photographer and artist who sketches as she travels. These sketches, combined with the stories behind them, poignantly portray those moments of encounter and illumination that become the stepping stones of adventure, inner and outer. We are extremely pleased to present her on-the-road sketches-and-stories here.

Candace Rose Rardon Sketch of Buyukada Island, Turkey

It begins as many of my journeys do: with a search on Google Maps.

I type in the name of my current location – Istanbul – and begin scanning its coastline for islands to explore. From Bali to Japan to Malaysia, Google has often helped my islomane’s soul feel at home in the world, and in Turkey, it doesn’t let me down.

There, just off the southern shores of Kadıköy, I spot nine tiny dots of land known as the Princes’ Islands.

On the ferry from Istanbul, which carries us five miles into the Sea of Marmara, I read about the centuries-old Byzantine monastery still sitting atop a peak on the largest island in the group, Büyükada. But what intrigues me more is that apart from municipal vehicles, cars aren’t permitted on the island – only bicycles and horse-drawn carriages.

The avenues of Büyükada are thus quiet and leafy, sheltered beneath the branches of purple bougainvillea and plane trees. As much as I loved the energy of Istanbul and its ever-shifting soundtrack of clinking teaspoons, crying seagulls, and calls to prayer, I find myself falling even faster for the island’s otherworldly calm.

I’m about to keep going on my rented bicycle when rain begins to fall. I spot a kahve, or teahouse, to my left and duck inside. I soon realize I’m not the only one with the idea. All around me sit local boat captains, dressed in dark jackets and knitted caps, passing the time playing cards and a Turkish version of Rummikub called okey. They smoke and sip tea from tulip-shaped glasses and watch out of the corner of their eyes as I begin to sketch the scene outside.

I befriend one of them, Mehmet, who treats me to a cup of tea and ensures the name of his vessel – the Olympiat – makes it into the picture. And as I sit here next to him in the smoky teahouse, sketching the boats bobbing in the harbor and listening to the men shuffle cards and okey tiles, I marvel for a moment that but for an internet search, I wouldn’t have discovered this world.

The island would exist whether or not I happened to visit, but just for a day, I get to belong on Büyükada.

The following two tabs change content below.
Don George
My Twitter profileMy Facebook profile

Don George

Don George is the Adventure Collection’s Web Editor in Chief. A highly respected and pioneering travel journalist for more than three decades, Don is the author of "The Way of Wanderlust: The Best Travel Writing of Don George," and of "Lonely Planet's Guide to Travel Writing." Don is currently Editor at Large for National Geographic Traveler and Special Features Editor for BBC Travel. He has also been Global Travel Editor for Lonely Planet Publications, Travel Editor at the San Francisco Examiner & Chronicle, and founder and editor of Salon.com’s travel site, Wanderlust. In addition to authoring two books, Don has edited ten literary travel anthologies, including “The Kindness of Strangers,” “An Innocent Abroad," and "Better Than Fiction." He has won numerous awards for his writing and editing, and he speaks, teaches, and consults at campuses, conferences, and corporations around the world.
Tags:
, ,
No Comments

Post A Comment