Ankara is way more laid-back than Istanbul. There aren't any crazy crowds of tourists here (though because of that, hardly anyone speaks English, so you'd definitely want to pick up a few Turkish phrases), and there's less hustle and bustle overall. Plus, the city just feels different.

It seems like people only started living here a hundred years ago at most, not back in the 3rd or 4th century BC. The buildings all look super modern and fresh. Against that backdrop, the Ottoman quarters in the city center really stand out.

And then there's Atatürk's mausoleum. It's just... weirdly intense. They've allocated a huge territory for the burial. The scale is seriously impressive. And the number of kids on school tours too. In uniform, with flags and all these patriotic symbols. Honestly, it gave me major Soviet pioneer vibes.