Follow my map to the Turkish Consulate. The road is windy but you'll get there. The building is a beautiful shade of pastel yellow (or maybe not - I just bought gold-tinted sunglasses and everything was a beautiful shade of yellow). There is a big Turkish flag hanging there, so it's hard to miss. Just don't ask Tom how to get there (based on a fellow teacher's very bad directions).
You can see a mineret from the main street. That's a good sign. That's actually how I ended up finding the place. Along the way to the consulate you will pass the Rodopi Travel agency next to SKill Games ( as opposed to unskilled games - kinda like soccer without a goalie?) Across the road about a block up is Gubili tours. Keep this place in mind as you will have to come back here te next day between 5-7:30 am to catch the bus back to Istanbul.
The consulate OPENS at 9:30 am. I arrived shortly after that. A little Turkish man with a friendly smile took my passport, but he did not let me come in. I couldn't even wait on the same side of the street as the consulate.
So I dutifully crossed the street, sat on a curb, and waited. A half an hour he returned and requested 6000 DR. I paid him and again he disappeared. I saw him a few minutes later blowing the money on candy. Okay, not really. Fourty minutes later, he returned with my passport with the working sticker inside, along with a staped receipt.
NOTE: Tom's experience was different. He waited 45 minutes to pay twice as much as me, and then had to return at 2:00 to pick up his visa. Tom is American - I am Canadian. Tom also met some Brits who had to pay even more than he did - obviously it is priced according to countries.
Komotini, population 37,000, is not far from Alexandroupolis or Xanthi. It is completely overlooked by Let's Go. Lonely Planet barely has a page on it, for good reason. But since you have to be here anyway, I will share with you all of the info that I have been able to glean personally and from others who have been forced to come here.
Overall, Komtini isn't a bad little town. The clean air is a refreshing break from Sirinevler. As I mentioned earlier, many of the street names are mysteriously missing. In my guide, I drew my own map and named things myself. (editor's note - I'll have to scan the map. It's cute with little drawings and eveyrthing...) I'm sure the streets all had their own names - but it was all Greek to me...
Apollo Square (named by me) is the main place to go for cafes, lattes, espressos, bars, food and just generally hanging out. There was some construction going on when I was there, but it seemed just about finished.
RESTAURANTS of INTEREST:
Tom highly recommended the En Kamino Restaurant, especially for its fettucine. Prices are reasonable. It is near the Orpheus in Apollo Square. My impression of it was that it was full of fine young things trying to out-cool each other.
Nothing beats hanging out in Apollo Square with the sun shining down on your face sipping a frappe - a coffee frink served cold and frothy. Any cafe in the square will serve you one. I had mine at EONIKH across from the Orpheus. It cost about 500 DR. The guy there spoke English and he was friendly.
THE SNACK BAR
If you are frustrated about not being able to speak the Turkish you have acquired, head over to this place. For about 600 DR you can get a doner and a coke, and the Turkish owner will leap the counter and kiss you like a lone lost cousin the moment you utter that first 'tamam' .
NOTE: exercise some caution speaking Turkish here, but don't be afraid to try. There are quite a few Turks that live here. But it doesn't take a lot of effort to learn how to say thank you in greek...
THE GOLDEN COCK
I didn't get to try this place out, but ya gotta love the name. It looks like a Mafia hangout - not that I have anything against the mafia. I could've sworn I saw Jimmy Hoffa tending the bar.
ROMA PIZZA
Located across from the Hotel Hellas on Komotini BLVD, it's worth the walk. I had the bacon-mushroom pizza - awesome pizza. Crappy frappes - order a coke instead. And don't speak Turkish - the owner made some disparaging remarks when he saw my Turkish lira.
EARLY EATS
This is not its real name. It's a blue building in Apollo Square. Look for it on the map. It opens early (duh) and you can get a sausage and hash browns on a freshly baked crispy bun for 400 DR. A lot of other places aren't open that early. The cashier looked like she just stepped out of a Goth club. This place came in handy as I had to wait for my early bus to IStanbul.