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*Read PART I first for context PART II 27th April, Izmir to Kars Izmir, morning  Went for a run, wafts of bread and orange blossom on air. Saw piles of cut lemons in bowls and wondered what they were for. Bought a bottle of tahini. Walked along the pier and did a few voice notes. What on earth was last night?! Saw Pirate and had a nice chat. Drank coffee with some men in a kahvehane (coffee house). They smoked inside and constantly fuelled their çay cups with sugar cubes from coloured plastic pots. There were carpets on the tables, a portrait of Mustafa Kemal, and a light sellotaped to the ceiling's fan. They didn't let me pay for the coffee.  Late morning  Checked out and met the Frenchies again for çay before bus to Ankara. Three cups in plastic red saucers, two sugar cubes each. Victor measures the price of goods in cups of tea. Cook from last night walked past, shook our hands, and again scraped his middle finger down my palm. Asked Frenchies what they thought it mean...

This entry is written in note form to firstly condense style, secondly to give more freedom, and thirdly was inspired by a chapter in my book. N.B. *no details made up or exaggerated in party scene *çay (pronounced 'chai', means tea in Turkish) Part I 26th April, London to Izmir Stansted Airport   Fined £100 for not having a railcard, even though I did. Why can't these ticket men understand that life isn't black and white and defined by tick boxes? Smooth check-in and security check. Bought myself a hot pink lipstick, 'it's non-smack' the lady told me. Proven to be a lie as was swiftly removed when I ate my sardines in the toilet. Sardines are my 'go-to' snack when travelling, in fact, my 20kg suitcase was mostly made up of these handy tins. Pros: transportable; very healthy; a good hangover cure (seem to always be hungover in airports); filling. Cons: attract strange looks so mostly one must eat in public toilets; the oil gets everywhere; is embar...