Sightseeing is great but this is what travel is really about

His raffish outfit caught our eye as he placed his wares outside his shop. A floral shirt worn under a rust coloured vest. Paisley scarf tied loosely around the neck. Purple pants. Stylish suede loafers. Eyes that twinkled behind his glasses. Bohemian chic executed perfectly.

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And we caught Zeki's eye as we admired the items on display. He shuffled over, established we were Australians, and immediately offered to make us what he boasted was the best Turkish coffee to be had in Istanbul.

So began an hourlong interaction far more memorable than the sightseeing walk around the nearby Blue Mosque and the Hagia Sophia, on this day cloaked in scaffolding.

Your intrepid reporter finding the true meaning of travel. Picture by John Hanscombe

Zeki led me to a tiny space at the back of the shop, spooned coffee into a long handled pot and placed it on a gas cooker until it foamed. He then poured it carefully into three tiny cups. We sat down to hear his family's story. They'd moved to Turkiye from Bulgaria in the 1840s, at first farming then going into business. Zeki has had his little souvenir shop for three decades.

He wanted to hear our stories too. When I told him I was a journalist, he beamed, telling us how much he admired Kiwi correspondent Peter Arnett's work, especially his reporting from Baghdad during the first Gulf war. The conversation ranged over world affairs, philosophy, art and shopping. Go to the Gypsy market, he urged, much cheaper than the Grand Bazaar, where they charge tourist prices.

Other foreigners wandered in. A South African in a hijab, who Zeki spoke to in Arabic. A young Russian woman, who revealed she was from "Leningrad", the name St Petersburg dropped long before she was born. Here, at the crossroads of the world, we strangers were all smiling, brought together by Zeki's infectious charm.

This, to me, is what travel is about. People as much as place. The human interactions that complement the story of a destination's landmarks and monuments.

My lasting memory of Penang, for instance, is not the crisp, whitewashed colonial buildings of George Town but rather sitting down with the owner of Sam's Batik to discuss world affairs and the inconvenience of ageing, something I've done many times.

The smile I raised on the otherwise grumpy face of the hawker in Singapore when I praised her delicious chicken rice is worth a thousand photos of the Merlion and Marina Bay Sands resort.

The playful ribbing I always get from the flamboyant Razman in the club lounge at the Mandarin Oriental in Kuala Lumpur always lures me back despite the eye-watering expense of staying at the hotel.

Walking away from Zeki's shop with an armful of little treasures I realised we had not just bought mementos of a place. We'd come away with precious memories of the person who'd sold them to us. Unlike the swarms of headphoned tourists trudging miserably behind the flag-bearing tour guides, we'd struck out on our own and were rewarded with a much deeper experience.

HAVE YOUR SAY: What do you remember the most from your travels - the people or the places? Do you travel independently or prefer organised tours? What's your most abiding travel memory? Email us: echidna@theechidna.com.au

IN CASE YOU MISSED IT:

- Australia should tax so-called "AI factories" owned or operated by tech giants like Amazon, Microsoft and Google to get more long-standing benefits from the data centre investment boom, ACT senator David Pocock says.

- The cost of building a new home has re-accelerated as the Middle East oil crisis continues to impact the industry. Construction costs increased 3.2 per cent in the 12 months ended September, up from 2.8 per cent in 2025/26.

- More Papua New Guinea citizens have been given a green light to join the Australian military as part of strengthening ties between the two countries.

THEY SAID IT: "We travel, some of us forever, to seek other states, other lives, other souls." - Anais Nin

YOU SAID IT: In the wake of the attack on federal MP Helen Haines, hard questions are being asked about political polarisation in Australia, inflammatory rhetoric and the role social media plays in fuelling outrage.

"Sadly, it may well be that the attack on Helen Haines is to the digital duty of care legislation as was the Port Arthur massacre to sensible gun control in Australia," writes Keith from Canberra. "But the digital duty legislation needs improvement. It shouldn't be an opt out choice but rather an opt in one."

Bard writes: "Welcome back, John. Sadly the descent down the plug hole has continued. I would humbly suggest a social media detox-reset not unlike Earth Hour. For a week. The idea of cancelling question time for reflection appeals too, but I know the news cycle would have conniptions. Personal responsibility with actual leadership required."

"You nailed it, John," writes Emile. "From where I sit in my 80th year, I cannot see a single benefit in how so-called social media has evolved over the last 10 years. It is clearly antisocial media and, while ever members can remain anonymous and untraceable, a menace to public safety and civil discourse and should be dismissed as irrelevant to a healthy life - if only the users would let go of the teat (which, as addicts, they can not)."

Chris has a suggestion for dialling down the temperature: "Start by ceasing the telecast of question time so the mud slinging and theatrics there are made less public."

"Social media is a major driver of harmful views," writes Arthur. "It is time anyone who posts anything on social media has to accept responsibility for what they say. Hiding behind anonymity is a coward's way of intimidating someone and stirring up hatred amongst different groups. Regulation to make anonymous posts illegal is long overdue. If you post something on social media you sign it. If you are not prepared to accept the consequences of your post then do not post it."

Joanna writes: "The attack on Helen Haines reminds me of the attempted assassination of Arthur Calwell. This happened in the 1960s at a time when intergenerational tensions were rising with the conscription lottery on 20-year-old men, who at the time were not given the vote. The attacker was captured, his attempt foiled by the efforts of two brave young men. Later, when he was incarcerated in a mental hospital, Calwell visited the would-be assassin. He then befriended him and was instrumental in his healing and long-term rehabilitation."

"I feel some of our politicians have chosen to follow in the Trump vein, thinking it makes them look tough but ultimately it's just plain nasty and they do not deserve to represent anyone," writes Vena. "Hanson has gotten worse since linking with Gina R who is as ruthless as Trump. Do we as voters want our government to be dignified or act like junkyard dogs? We as a society must demand better."

Mick writes: "First up, whether the attack on Helen Haines was political at all is yet to be seen. Attacks on public figures by the mentally ill have been occurring since public figures became a thing. Go back to 1983 to find the real cause of most of these attacks and look at The Richmond Report."

"Ten years ago, I said that these media websites are publishing entities and should be held to the same standard as legacy media," writes Phil. "Their owners and management should be held to account for material they publish. If they cannot moderate their content then they should be banned."

Deb writes: "I was disappointed with your statement that the inevitable end point of unrestrained anger is violence. I think you should have said that the inevitable end point of unrestrained male anger is violence. By and large, women manage to contain their anger, maybe dealing with it by binge eating or shopping. It's not socially acceptable for women to explode with rage, the way it is acceptable for men to do so."

"In your list of lead-up events you omitted the 'Ditch the Witch' protest outside Parliament House attended by Tony Abbott and backed by conservative media," writes Tony.

Grant writes: "I doubt we will see a reduction in scorn and ridicule as we live in a world where fear has become a handy political weapon. Policies take second place when it's easier and more politically profitable to stoke the fires of suspicion. Fear of the stranger, fear of missing out, fear of the future and fear of the unknown can be turned into votes. Until we as a nation demand better of our politicians in terms of policy, vision and nation-building we will be saddled with a system that panders to our base instincts. To quote Nelson Mandela, 'May your choices reflect your hopes, not your fears.'"

"Very good to have you back," writes Paul. "I agree that the attack on Helen Haines was horrible, both that it happened and the way it happened. I am concerned, though, that everyone has immediately jumped to a political motivation. The truth is that we don't yet know the motivation. Attributing it to a political motivation before we have the facts feeds the narrative that politics in Australia is becoming nastier and less safe. We should let the police and courts do their jobs first."

Margaret writes: "So well said, John. What an appalling and abhorrent mess we are in. I feel so shocked and deeply saddened by what has happened to Helen Haines. The hate media needs to be held accountable."

Pope's view

Sightseeing is great but this is what travel is really about

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