The streets of the town were very narrow, almost like alleys, paved with large cobblestones. The houses on both sides were huge and overhung the streets. We entered the town with a lot of noise and excitement. The Chief of Police, along with several police officers, came out to greet us. They had heard about our arrival and were eager to welcome us.
A Wild Encounter
The Chief of Police was a young, sharp-looking man. However, he was riding a very wild and difficult horse, the most unruly one I had ever seen, even compared to horses in Wyoming. When we exchanged greetings, everything went smoothly, but when we tried to shake hands, his horse didn’t seem to like my horse, especially because I was a “Christian.” His horse tried to kick mine into a nearby coffeehouse, and my horse retaliated. For about 30 seconds, the air was filled with the sound of hooves clashing Istanbul Tour Guides.
A Bumpy Ride Through Town
It was customary for the Chief and me to ride together through the town to our place of rest. The streets were so narrow that our shoulders kept bumping into the walls, and our horses kept bumping into each other. This led to more kicking, and the sound of the mounted police and soldiers following us sounded like a train in a tunnel.
No Hotel, but Kindness from Locals
There were no hotels in the town, so some relatives of the dragoman (our guide) at the British Consulate in Monastir, who were Bulgarians, kindly offered their home to us. The dragoman was Greek, but he had married into this Bulgarian family. This was an example of how love can break through political and racial differences in this part of the world.
Our hostess was a widow. Her husband had been killed just a few months earlier by a Turkish enemy right in the street.
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