You want to go where everybody knows your name

"You want to go where everybody knows your name" goes the song from Cheers. But actually, no I don't.

I once heard an argument that people working in the tourism industry in Turkey can be blunt with the individual tourist because they prefer to concentrate on groups. I disagree. Lone travellers with no fixed itinerary are able to spend more time and money on whatever distractions are on offer.

I've been dividing my time between 1001 Gece - who want me to see the best of the region - and those who want me to ride their camel and perhaps a few who might want me to ride something else.

I've nipped out to the pension next door where I think no one knows I am single and alone and due to have a birthday. Sure this trip has its lonely moments but they have always been so crowded with strangers that I wold quite happily perservere with loneliness.

At present for example, I am writing on a terrace overlooking rock formations like soft sand dunes of dessert and piped jazz played somewhere over the rainbow and I had that moment all to myself and not to the man next to me who was bound to ask "excuse me where are you from "but I shot him such a glance that he has retreated into his mobile.

A couple of tables over is a man who thinks I am not Turkish, which I am not, but also thinks my sunset companion, who is Turkish, but I speak French to, and our collective sunset companions, who are also Turkish but we spoke German to... anyway the table man had a go at us for some reason after sunset and H wouldn't translate but I know in French this man is a "con".

I am also known by a man called Selcuk who might have been the man who pinned an evil eye pendant on me. I am also known by Mustafa, who spoke to me in French about randonees and various other activities which now means I can't use any other guide because that would just be impolite.

I am known well to Mustafa's shop neighbours, whose names I have forgotten but will later see me in the backs of cars and other places along with their children and cousins whose names I have also forgotten.

I have now got to the stage where I am as known as a local and I have only been here two days...