Youssouf in Turkey: Gold and Diamonds
A month ago I was in Kusadasi, in Turkey.
I was walking through Liman street with Humphrey - my plush frog friend - towards the Karavanserai. I noticed a great place for a photo. On the trunk of a taxi, parked in front of the Karavanserai. Almost all taxi's in Turkey are Turkish Fiats. This one was a shiny Chevy.
The owner of the Chevy was sitting a few metres to the right. He asked is we liked his car. Of course we did. And to be polite - he did not ask a tip for taking a picture of his car - we accepted his offer to have a look in the shop window of his jewellery store.
In Turkey you have gold shops and jewellery stores. Gold shops sell good quality golden and silver jewelry by the kilo. The jewellery stores are a bit more exclusive. With diamonds, rubies, emeralds and exclusive, intensive labour pieces of jewelry. This was a jewellery. The store was named Ok Jewellery. I would have liked to make a link to their website, but the domain on their business card (www.okjewellery.com) has not been registered yet... (Update October 20 2004: I found their website! OK Jewellery)
"Is there anything you like?" asked the man. And - of course - Humphrey boldly asked if he had any frogs. Sure he had. In the shopping window. The lady in the shop, Julia, tried to pick up the piece. She reached, but it was too far a way. So the taximan gave it a try, slightly doing a 'make-over' of the shopping window. You understand, that after all this trouble we had to go inside to have a look at the frog.
Humphrey sat on the counter. Staring at the frog. A broche. Made out of massive gold, with an expensive green ennamel coating. Covered with diamonds and rubies for eyes. Detailed craftmanship was needed to make it (look at the feet). Luckily it was not completely Humphrey's taste. Otherwise it would have costed us 1500 euro, about 1850 US$. That way we would have spent all of our candy allowance all at once.
I wanted to be on a picture with some piece of expensive jewelry as well. Unfortunately they did not have a sheep - those silly people! But they did have a traditional Turkish Man. Detailed worked out in gold (massive!), with a shipload of diamonds on his sword, turban and belt. Here and there a small ruby or emerald to complete it. Its face is as big as my eye, but it still had all the details. You could even take off his tiny little golden slippers! Great craftmanship, but nothing for my tea table. And for the price you can buy well over one of those frogs Humphrey was holding.
Luckily Humphrey stopped me when I wanted to ask for 18 golden rings with diamonds to put on my horns. It would have been too embarrassing having those friendly people running around to fetch me jewelry and not buying any... But I still think it would have made a great picture!
