The Lazy Nomad in Istanbul

Runaway in Taksim

Uff... I’m sorry guys, I presented myself some time ago, but I didn’t have the chance to write something until now... I have been living some intense adventures, no internet, nor computer... Anyway, If you forgot me, it’s The Lazy Nomad! And I’m here to share one big adventure that occurred to me last year in Taksim, Istanbul.

It was a warm summer evening at Constantinople... I was at my place’s terrace, enjoying the last minutes of the misty orange twilight, while listening to Taksim Trio and drinking the evanescent black tea.

The sun fell asleep, but instantly the moon invited me to go out. And I did accept, I never refuse a moon’s offer... I might have done a couple of things before stepping into the Istanbul´s busy streets. When I finally went out, it was already a very decent hour, but I was full of energy, I could handle all night long...

The previous night I went to a tea shop near Taksim, and I didn’t paid for my tea. I had no cash and the owner told me that I could pay another day. So then, I decided to start the night by paying my debt.

I was there, I paid my debt, I threw a big Teşekkürler and I walked away. But at that exact moment a smiley old man shouts: “Hey, do you want another tea? I pay you”. I didn’t have any other plans, I never do, so I decided “Why not?”.

I found myself sat outside with this old man, the owner and two other Turkish. The old one, was the only able to speak English, so during the chat he was also translating to the others what I was saying and vice-versa. Nice guys, I thought, there we were, listening to turkish popular music, smoking rolling tobacco and being caressed by the night´s breeze.

The tea shop was almost closing and the old guy invited me to continue the night. He wanted to go to some club, a club full of Russian and Ukrainian girls, he said. I wondered what kind of club It was, a strip club? something dodgy? just an ordinary club? I had no idea, but in my head I just thought it was an old man trying to have some fun with a foreign guy, I never thought I was about to be scammed, so I accepted.

We walked for about 20 minutes around the Taksim square. And during the walk, the old man intervened me to explain the Turkish System. By his words, it consisted of giving the WhatsApp to one of these girls in the club, and even if nothing happened that night, I could write her any other day.

By that time, I had a stronger idea about the club I was getting into... Anyway, it was late, I was just in front of it. Down some stairs, there were these big neon letters, saying “Playground girls”.

The old man greets the security guard, like he knows him, he says something in turkish about me and the guard lets us in. We are inside, he was right, in the stage, thirteen or maybe more blond girls, all staring at us with their big blue eyes... They were all dressed, it was no strip club, they were randomly dancing so they weren’t professionals either, and they were young, maybe around 19, 20 years old.

At that moment, I couldn’t classify the place, I knew it was odd, there were thick obscure vibes inside and we were the only clients... The barman comes and invite us to stay in a semi-round table, he instantly puts a lot of food on it and asks us what do we want to drink, it was already to late to leave...

I asked for a simple beer and the old man asked for a martini. We started smoking, and in front of us we had all these women dancing randomly and staring us like we were a treasure chest, that they weren’t still allowed to open.

Two of them came to our table to join us, and we started talking. One was speaking to the old man and the other was speaking to me. The barman comes again and asks what do they want to drink. Two more spiritual drinks for the ladies... we keep on chatting, and the conversation was really, really not interesting... I decided to know what were they doing there? Why did they come to Istanbul? Where did they come from? From all these questions, only the later was answered, the others were fast avoided. They were indeed from Russia... Until now, no lie from the old man...

Drinks keep on coming and I was still on my first beer, I started to feel dizzy, and it couldn’t be the alcohol, because I didn’t drink before and half of a beer shouldn’t make any effect. “I’m I drugged?” I thought... By that time I already knew I was in some sort of scam, and now I needed to leave...

I told the old man “Hey, I think I’m leaving, I’m not feeling so good”,* “Tchill out”* he said, “Turkish system”. Yes, he just made the confirmation, it was time for me to pay and leave...

I asked the barman to pay, and before doing so, he brings more drinks and more food, everybody in the table is pushing me to continue, but I’m slowly tumbling, and I just want to pay as fast as I can. From one side of the table I see these blue eyes sucking my soul and from the other I can hear “Turkish System, Turkish System...”, I’m getting nuts and the bill arrives!

Three thousand turkish liras, something like 458 euros or 510 dollars... I’ve turned myself bluer than the girl’s eyes! After a petrified period of time, I gave them my credit card. They told me that was not possible to pay with it, and I should go to an ATM and withdraw the amount.

I went outside with the old man and the barman. When we arrived to the ATM I quietly told the barman that I wasn’t going to pay that amount because I didn’t have that money with me, also that it was clearly a scam. He said “You have to pay at least a minimum of 2000 liras”. I continued saying that I hadn’t that money. He started shouting and said that we must go and “speak with the boss” if I don’t want to pay.

It was easy for me... as soon as we leave the ATM, both the barman and the old man get in front of me... I found leak, I escaped, and there was no leaving soul in Taksim square capable of catching me.

I arrived to my place sweating... I sat in the terrace... Put some Taksim Trio playing... Picked up a cigarette... And I slowly the adrenaline started decreasing... The moon looks at me, and with a sneaky smile she says, “Turkish System”....

(For the ones who want to know more about the aim of the blog, you can always click here)