Izmir

Living Off the Grid

Though volunteering near Izmir, we only spent a few days in the city itself. We spent an entire month living off a piece of land that a resilient Turkish couple, Boris and Senam, had carved out for themselves in the mountains. Since they’re near our age, and since we were the only volunteers staying with them, we had quite a bonding experience with them. This couple lives almost completely off the grid, and the fact that we didn’t connect to the Internet the entire time we were there made it even more of a bonding experience. They made their own house from trees they cut down on their property and clay that they made by mixing animal feces and dirt. We actually were able to help make a mud wall as they added a storage space onto their current home.

They have created living spaces outdoors. Of the various outdoor living spaces our hosts built, one featured a hammock made out of cloth and rope, a rug on the ground and a wooden table. This shady spot was perfect for relaxing during the heat of the day as we drank Turkish Tea and played Go. Go is a Chinese strategy game with which our hosts were obsessed. They frequently participated in Go competitions and were ranked nationally. While we were there, they taught us the art of Go. They are friends with other nationally ranked Go players. One week a bunch of their Go friends came over and camped by the river. Go games took place during the daytime, and we made campfires and music during the evenings.

The plot of land we lived on with Boris and Senam is by a river and waterfall. The nature around their house was stunning and we frequently went on adventures up the river. Also, wild horses were roaming the land. One day I was lucky enough to catch seven horses galloping and prancing around. I was able to watch them for a few minutes before they noticed me and disappeared.

At Boris and Senam’s, we did everything outside. The stove and oven needed wood to fuel it and we cooked everything over a fire. Senam was a master at this and could even cook perfect bread this way. This meant that we spent lots of our working hours sawing wood. Not only did we need enough for daily cooking, but also to build up a reserve so they could keep warm during the winter. Derek was given the job of digging the foundation hole for an earthbag home they wanted to build. I was given the task of collecting wild berries, which we used to make wine and jam. We also collected pears, grapes, and figs and either ate them fresh or preserved them in jars. We were given a lesson on how to make wine and even tried to make watermelon wine, though unfortunately it turned more into vinegar.

Boris and Senam had a community of like-minded individuals living near them. One of their neighbors who we went to visit were a couple living in a similar way. They also had volunteers, whom we quickly befriended. One night we even enjoyed a big campfire with these neighbors and their volunteers with a lot of guitar playing and dancing.

I’ve made a rubric in which I rank my Workaway experiences from 1 to 10 in a variety of different categories such as: work being done, host energy, the environment, food quality, etc. Although I said in my last article that my Workaway experience with Ali was my favorite one, this adventure with Boris and Senam ranked the highest. Out of the 14 Workaways I’ve done so far, Boris and Senam are easily still in the lead when I consider all these metrics. Our experience with them was truly eye opening and memorable!

 

Izmir

After our Workaway experience we spent a few days in Izmir with a friend, Gamze, who we met while volunteering for Boris and Senam. Gamze took us on a beach day at Foça, one of the highlights of which was enjoying delicious ice cream. While we were in Izmir, Gamze showed us the main sites such as the clocktower, a cute coffee shop and a place with a great view of the city. That night we drank beers on the lawn near the coast, which many people around us were doing as well. Apparently, that was the best place to watch the sunset! It was a great way to round off a peaceful month in nature. After that we took the Pamukkale bus back to Istanbul and from there we left Turkey.