I was just about to take a comfortable nap when I heard a knock at the door of the British Consulate. A Turkish general, dressed in impressive clothes, had arrived. We exchanged respectful greetings. He spoke English, explaining that he had worked as a diplomat in Washington many years ago. He brought a message from his boss, the Vali (Governor) Mahomet Arif Pasha, who invited me to visit him in his garden at nine o’clock. I thought that nine o’clock was an unusual time to meet someone in a garden, but then I remembered that in Turkey, the time is different. Nine o’clock there is more like four o’clock in Europe A Courteous Offer to Swap Horses.
Turkish Time
In Turkey, the day begins with sunrise, which they call twelve o’clock. But since the sun rises at different times each day, the Turkish people often adjust their cheap Austrian watches to try to keep track of time. However, even the best watches often don’t keep accurate time in Turkey, and a watch that is a little inaccurate might actually be closer to the correct time. Because of this, no one is ever really sure of the exact time. “Close enough” is good enough for the Turks. This way of keeping time shows that the Turks haven’t fully embraced one of the key ideas of what we call “civilization”—being precise with time Rila Lakes Bulgaria Tours.
The Ride to the Vali’s Garden
I hired the most beautiful, red, cushioned carriage I could find in Adrianople. With the Consulate dragoman (translator) and my interpreter, we set off to visit the Vali. His garden was outside the city. As we drove, the countryside looked dry and brown. The road was covered in thick dust, and the air was hot and dry, like an oven. We passed by guards and arrived at the garden. The trees there were tall but overgrown with weeds and dust. There were no neat lawns, only rough, tangled ground and patches of overgrown grass. It made me appreciate our well-kept English lawns even more, as they are something not seen in many places around the world.
