The title sounds like the description of a downmarket evening in Sydney, doesn’t it?
Monday night Orhan, Dragos and I caught the dolmus (minibus) to the Carrefour hypermarket. Carrefour had some ridiculous digital camera prices (50 lira for 3.3 mega pixel, 60 lira for 6 mega pixel) and both Orhan and Dragos were after a digital camera.
As suspected, the cameras were sold out. However, all was not lost.
In the liquor section I saw Australian wines sold in Mersin for the first time ever. They were two white wines for sale, Hardys Stamp of Australia for 30 lira and 1999 Hardys Nottage Hill Chardonnay for 20 lira. Both wines are horrendously expensive, but the occasion got the better of me and I grabbed a bottle of chardonnay.
On a special display on one aisle were bottles of Foster’s Lager “Australia’s Famous Beer” (but not Australia’s favourite or best beer).
Although the announcement was made several months ago there were the first Turkish Foster’s beers I had seen. At 2 lira for a 33 cl bottle the brand is ‘premium’ priced. I’d be surprised if it had a premium taste.
It was after 10 PM when we left the shopping centre. After getting off the dolmus at the bridge, Dragos and I walked passed two lady boys soliciting on the side of the road. Although I’ve seen them in Istanbul, these were the first transsexuals/transvestites I’d witnessed in Mersin.
Perhaps Mersin is slowly becoming a more interesting place!
Hi Joe,
I just had a couple bottles of Fosters last night after coming back from Aleppo, Syria, where the only beer available is the truly abominable Al-Chark. Fosters is actually not that bad, and it definitely beats the pants off Budweiser.
PS: Is Fosters more or less expensive than Miller Genuine Draft?
Jeff,
I believe, having not ever chosen to buy a Miller Genuine Water, Foster’s may even be more expensive than MGD. I’ll have to investigate it further to find out.