Over the last decade Kuşadası has grown and changed considerably. As elsewhere in Turkey, there has been a building boom here, as ever more houses, hotels, restaurants and shops spring up to cater for the growing number of tourists. Continuous inflation has also pushed prices up to a par with European Union countries. In many tourist resorts grocery shops, cafes and restaurants can be even more expensive than in Europe. Prices for public transport and items such as clothing are still relatively cheap.
The economic upturn here has also affected the lifstyles and tastes of local people. Turkey is demographically very young, and the young people definitely favour the American-style smart-casual wear which is becoming universal. And, of course, everybody now has a mobile phone.
The photo above, taken in 2004, highlights yet another change. Back then many of the anglers fishing on Turkey's coasts and rivers used simple handheld lines to catch their supper or make a little extra income. These days just about everybody uses a modern high-tech rod (see Istanbul essentials part 1 and Ionian spring part 1 at The Cheshire Cat Blog). |
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