The Day I Rode With The Gypsies

Entering Trabzon, we made a stop in the mountains to see a little village where groups of gypsies feed and entertain visitors. Our driver let us off at the top of the hillside and we enjoyed a relaxing walk down to the village. I had hung back, taking pictures and talking to some of the children, when it began to mist. I put away my camera and started on down the hill, seeing the rest of my group moving quickly to where the bus had stopped. The rain came down harder. Then harder still. I walked faster. Then I began to run. Then I saw the last person get on the bus. I ran faster. Then the bus pulled away. And drove off. I could NOT believe they would leave me...ME, of all people. I'm the one that talks all the time. Surely they'd miss me and the bus would stop.

So, ten minutes later, and soaking wet, I'm still walking down the hill, in the rain, when a little car pulls up next to me. The driver was short and stout, bald, and had a huge cigar in his mouth. He rolled down his window and told me to get in the back (I didn't understand him, of course, but he was pointing to the backseat). I thought about the safety issue- for about a second- and opened the door. Only after I began to enter the car did I realize the entire backseat and floorboard were covered by several hundred apples. I had to push mounds of them away to get in and had no place for my feet. But it wasn't raining in the car...I could deal with the apples. This man and I had a conversation all the way down the mountain, neither of us understanding but a few words the other was saying, and when I saw my bus ahead I pointed and thanked him for his kindness. He let me off in front of my bus and said goodbye. MY people were staring at me, then back at the bus, then at me again. They hadn't even noticed I was missing. From that point on, everytime we got on a bus or plane, Mr. Sari asked if everyone was there, including Lori.

The gypsies cooked lunch for us and spread it out on the rock wall next to the bus, we ate these enormous meat sandwiches in the rain...It was a great lunch!!!