Rainforests Cities

The part of me that was once a Biology teacher is still in love with coral reefs and rainforests. The rainforests on Fraser Island are some of my favourite places on Earth. The wealth of diversity in a rainforest is enormous. They have cycles of birth, death, decay, regeneration that give them a life of their own. Monocultures are the epitome of boring compared to a rainforest or a tropical reef.

The cities that I enjoy least are monocultures. Singapore is a monoculture, Dubai is a monoculture. The only really interesting things about a field of wheat are the weeds on the edges or the small group of occasional pests. The cities I love as a traveller have the same cycles as a rainforest.. for centuries they have experienced birth and rebirth, death, decay and regeneration. They have enormous diversity and an ability to evolve, almost as if they have become single organism quite independent of any human designs. New York, London, Berlin are rainforest cities. Mitch would add Bangalore and New Delhi. Hong Kong is a rainforest city. Rosewood – need I say more.

Istanbul is absolutely a rainforest city. For centuries it has been at the crossroads of the World’s major civilizations – those of Asia, Africa and Europe. It was the centre of Christianity for nearly 1000 years – until it became the most influential Islamic city for the next four or five centuries. Until the 1500’s only the civilizations in the Americas had no link with Istanbul. Even today we simultaneously heard the peal of church bells, the Muslim call to prayer and the constant hum that signifies a more Earthly interest in trade – trucks, cars, hawkers with carts, the sounds of ships’ horns on the Bosphorus. The population of 20+ million come from everywhere on the globe. (A slight exaggeration – really there aren’t that many Eskimos or peoples from Tallegalla or Gatton in our neighbourhood)

Today it is much quieter than our tear-gassed visit of 2 years ago. No screams, no sirens, no whistles or chants from the protestors. Erdogen has evolved into the President, but the stench of decay indicates that a new era is inevitable. In Istanbul there will be aging, death, decomposition and regeneration. Istanbul is its own living organism. Humans, even those in Presidential palaces, can’t prevent these cycles. This city won’t allow the cycle to be stopped.
 I love Istanbul

Enough from me – Best let you go Farquar

Farley C-S