Adana was intended to be little more than a travel node, a stop on the way, but it turned out to be so much more.
When I travel, I seek out realtiy, and the vision that I strive for is a real glimpse at everyday life and Adana fits the bill perfectly. I came here because it is a travel hub, but the city holds a working class appeal that is the antithesis of my recent high value tourist destinations.
The TV in my hotel even has a porn channel, much to my surprise. Of course, I prefer the thought provoking and sophisticated programming offered by BBC news.
Walking the streets here makes me feel like I am in some Turkish version of Cleveland or Winnipeg, and I like it.
This is the perfect place for me right now. A working class enclave where a man can have a smoke in a bar as he downs a cheap pint while watching the locals gamble on televised horse racing.
The next day I find a place that makes a good cappucino. The young ladies that serve me are so unspeakably charming and decent that I briefly wiggle my nose and blink my eyes in hopes that I could conjure the self that I was twenty years ago, but no such luck. They don't speak English, and I don't speak Turkish, and our attempt to communicate without language does nothing to defray my smitten and aging ego. (more on this on my return trip)
The sheer lack of pretentiousness here is enough to make me book my discount room for an extra night. My point is that sometimes the best glimpse into real life is more readily available in the destinations less traveled to and though the guidebooks may not highlight Adana, I like the fact that this place is for real.
http://www.goyestoeverything.com