A few things I learned in Turkey

We're home and all, but I am still in the vacation bubble, and have no immediate intentions of leave it. So here is my recap of what you should know about Turkey should you ever get the chance to go:

• Turkish coffee is best drunk after it has been left to sit and settle a few minutes, lest you get hairy teeth. (You'll still get hairy teeth, but at least you won't be chewing your coffee.) And I suggest you get at least 2 sugars in it. (Then you can really enjoy your next several hours in hyperdrive.)
• But people in Turkey actually drink a black tea or apple tea - pronounced like we would say chai.
• Don't drink the water - it isn't safe for tourists. Buy and drink the bottled water. It's cheap ( .50 Lira) and you can find it everywhere, even the hotel minibars.
• The Turkish Lira is used in Turkey. But if you find yourself short, Euro and Dollar are exchanged quite readily.
• But there isn't any reason to carry a lot of cash on you. There are ATMs absolutely everywhere, even in the country, and everyone except a few small bazaar shops takes credit cards. Just be sure to make sure your bank knows you're there to not be shut down when you're using it regularly or to buy a Turkish carpet.
• Don't exchange money in the hotel. You get a crappy rate, and chances are there is an exchange house on the block. But see the points above to avoid needing any of that.
• Almost every meal comes with cucumbers and tomatoes and a side of fresh feta. You'll occassionally find butter if the place caters to tourists. But if it is a truly Turkish place, there is no butter for the bread. Eat the bread anyway. It's fresh and delicious.
• People in Turkey are very open people. They hug, they double kiss regardless of gender, they talk openly to you, and they like to rub blonde heads.
• They also love their children. A lot.
• But they love children in their home field soccer jerseys most of all. If you happen to have the fortune of having a child with you, dress him in a local soccer jersey. People will come out from their shops and workplaces to hug him and high five him and teach them the local soccer songs.
• While most people in Turkey are Muslim, as their country's flag demonstrates, they are quite quick to tell you that they are a secular country. Many will even openly espouse to not being religious at all. This, and that they can openly say it, seems to be a source of pride for many.
• When driving or walking by something that looks rather old, it is. Usually really old.
• When you travel to Western Europe and see Notre Dame celebrating it's impending 850th birthday, feel free to laugh at how it is just a baby that is 850 years younger than the Hagia Sophia. After all, the Roman Empire was the third Empire here.
• Most hotels have windows that open for fresh air, and many have balconies.
• The first prayer time (Fajr) happens well before sunrise (actual time varies depending on the time of year). If you want to sleep through it, be sure to keep those windows closed, because you will be staying close to a mosque. Mosques in Turkey are as close as a bar is to you in Milwaukee. They're everywhere.
• However, if you want to capture the prayer time call from the muzzein, the one prior to sunrise is the quietest time in the city without much background noise to muck things up.
• In Istanbul, almost everyone speaks some form of English, and they are happy to do so.
• Despite this, it is greatly appreciated for you to say 'sag ol' (Which actually sounded similar to the name "Saul" to me when said out loud) when someone goes out of his way to do something unexpected or nice for you.
• It's also very appreciated to greet everyone you meet with a Good Morning, which is gunaydin (gew-nahy-DUHN)
• A mosque that allows visitors will most likely provide you with a shawl to cover your bare arms (not just tank tops, but even short sleeves) or skirts that are knee-length. Of course, knowing that those in Turkey don't wear junky clothes to begin with helps.
• You will need to take off your shoes inside the mosque, so it is smart to pack some socks in your bag if you are wearing shoes without socks.
• Wireless is available in the hotels, but you need to ask for the password from the front desk. And each password is usually good for one device only.  So multiple devices means you need multiple passwords. However, even in really nice hotels the actual speed of the wireless is highly variable.
• Sometimes you have to pay for bathrooms (Usually 1 Lira for women, 50 cents - 1 Lira for men), but usually they're free, clean, sensor-equipped, well-stocked with toilet paper and paper towel, and marked by a "WC".
• Most areas of Turkey are exceptionally clean, and you can watch the washing of shops start early in the morning.
• Garbage cans are located throughout the streets, and are usually easy to find.
• However, there may only be one itty bitty trash can in the bathroom in your hotel room, and nowhere else in the room. Keep a bag from your day's purchases if you want to keep all your trash together.
• Turkish ice cream is totally a tourist thing, but well worth a stop if you see a stand. In Istanbul, there are several in the airport, and one by the Blue Mosque. Waiting in line is optional if you have enough Lira on you. There is also another ice cream shop south of the Grand Bazaar left of the bridge.
• Seeing Istanbul requires a lot of walking. It is flatter than the rest of Turkey, but you still need decent shoes.
• The Grand Bazaar is an amazing place and shouldn't be missed. Know that it is much higher priced and overall has lesser quality goods than the much smaller but fully stocked Spice Market, about a 20 minute walk away. For lots of purchases and good deals, go to the Spice Market. For the overall experience, go to the Grand Bazaar.
• Kebabs are readily available and tasty. If the menu just says 'meat kebabs', ask what they are, because they could be either beef or lamb, depending on what's available.
• You cannot miss tasting the baklava from the local bakeries. Or the local honey inside the honecomb. Local shops are fresh and delicious, and almost always spotless, so quite safe.
• Take advantage of a hotel's Turkish bath. Just be sure to leave your modesty at the door. After 10 minutes of lying on that warm marble slab with bowlfuls of water being poured over you, you won't care about anything, let alone modesty.
• Just be ready for the line of people waiting for their tip at the end of the bath.
• Tipping in Turkey is minimal - 5-10%. Although Americans who overtip has become something some people in tourist areas have come to expect of other Americans. So it is a bit of a vicious cycle.
• You can find alcohol in almost all restaurants. It's a secular country. Efes beer seems to be the most popular, although MGD is readily available. As is wine.
• You can find fresh squeezed juice stands all over. Take advantage of one. I highly recommend pomegranate.
• When in a restaurant, you need to ask for the check or they won't bring it to you.
• Tipping cannot be done with a credit card, so have small change on you to leave for the service.
• Turkish carpets are beautiful. And not cheap. So be careful that you get it from a place that is a real handmade place, and not a machine made carpet ripoff in the bazaar.
• When in a bazaar or walking by a restaurant, people will come out of their shops to try to coax you in. But you only need one "No, thank you," and they'll leave you alone.
• Have a local explain the sites to you if possible, because you will often hear a very different explanation of things than your guidebook will tell you. It's a facinating comparison.
• Be on the lookout for crosses and columns in the "narthex" of old mosques. Chances are, they were churches before they ever became mosques, and it can be a facinating treasure hunt to find the remnants.
• Everything runs on time. Do not be late.
• Tour guides get a cut of everything you spend in a shop they take you to. Don't be offended or pressured by this, it's just how the tourism industry is arranged. If you want to buy, do so. If not, that's your choice, too. Just know when you're haggling that you may not get a lot of haggling help from your guide because he'd be haggling down his commission.
• Overall, outside of a few notorious carpet salesmen, Turkish people are quite honest and trustworthy. Enjoy this. And enjoy Turkey.