Time to reminisce

I’ve been home for a about a week.  My month in Istanbul now seems an almost-distant memory.  But I am left with an overall impression of Turkey and  Turkish people that I hope to never forget: it is a beautiful, fascinating country, and they are  beautiful people.

I am pretty sure  that I would find this to be true in every corner of the world.

A few things that I learned from my travels:

1)       English is the language everybody knows.   

There were people from countries all over the world in our tour groups – and they seemed to know at least two languages: their native tongue and English.

That, along with English signage in international airports and the apps available on smart phones, makes it pretty easy to communicate,  even if you know very little of the language.

(Although, knowing a few phrases in the native language goes a long way.  In Istanbul, the locals appreciate your efforts in trying to speak Turkish)

2)      Most people are kind, goodhearted people

– not the thieves and murderers and rapists that fill the nightly news broadcasts.  They are living their lives the best they know how, working hard, and finding opportunities to laugh and love –  just like us.

There was never a time when I didn’t feel safe.  It was nice.  It made me more excited to travel to other places.

3)      What we see on the news doesn’t necessarily reflect reality. 

I arrived in Istanbul May 29th.  On May 31st  the Taksim Square Protest was international headlines.  We watched the news from our 5th floor apartment in the “Old City.”  The same violent clips were shown, over and over, on a dozen different news channels, for days.  It looked the the whole city was in turmoil.

Yet people everywhere in the city – tourists, locals, business owners, and families – went about their normal, everyday lives.   The most popular tourist spots were still crowded.  The trams and Metros were full of commuters and travelers. The businesses and vendors were busy trying to sells their wares.

Taksim Square protesters were limited to a small area.

According to the Freedom Press Index, out of 179 countries ranked, Turkey is 154 (described as a “very difficult situation”).  The media reports only what the government allows.

 Freedom of the press is a high ideal – but it’s not the reality.  (Not even in America.  There are restrictions to what we get to see – as well as biased, slanted reporting (I know – really??!) )

4)  Turkey is pretty average – pretty normal. 

When I told people that I was going to Turkey, I sometimes got a response like this:  ” Why would you want to go to that dangerous, violent, scary place?”

I admit that when Wesley suggested Istanbul, it wasn’t on my “Top Ten” list of places to go.  Then I started learning about the country.  It not only changed my mind, but it became the Number One place to go.

I had a stereotypical idea of Turkey before I had considered visiting there.  Much of it came from what I have learned from news sources.  And it wasn’t good.  After all, people going about their everyday lives doesn’t make the news – sensational events do.  And most of what I knew about Turkey was not favorable.

I came away with this:  Turkey is interesting but not outrageous.  It’s a perfectly wonderful place to visit!

5)      It’s okay to say I am from America.

I had the impression that Americans are hated everywhere – but I didn’t get that response in Turkey.

I was often asked where I was from.  When I said, “America” the response was usually a big smile, sometimes accompanied by a short anecdote in broken English:  “My English teacher was from Manhattan.”  “I went on an Alaskan cruise with my family four years ago.” “I was in New York for two weeks.”

The American Dream is alive and well.

6)      Few Americans travel.

I thought Americans would make up the bulk of tourists –  the people who travel the world.  But in group tours, we were typically the only Americans.  There were dozens of countries represented.  Australia, Germany, Argentina, Chile, Brazil, Canada, Sweden, Japan, Russia, China, Italy, Pakistan, Syria – these are just some of the countries represented in our tours.

7)      Turkey isn’t some backwards, undeveloped country.

It’s 2013 in Turkey, too – so why was I surprised that everywhere I looked, people were on their smartphones?  Satellite dishes crowd the rooftops.  Internet access was everywhere.  Men and women alike (even women who wear headdresses and burqas) dress quite fashionably.  And Istanbul is full of skyscrapers, modern transportation, and freeways – like any other large city.

8)      Turks are proud people –  proud of their heritage, and proud of their country.

 Turkish people long for the same thing that we long for in America – the same thing that people all over the world long for:

Freedom.

9)   It’s culturally acceptable for men to show affection for each other.

I love how the men greet each other with a kiss on each cheek.  Well – it may not actually be a kiss – but a cheek-to-cheek  greeting.   Every day, all day long, you see men reach out to each other and shake hands, and then draw close and and do the cheek-to-cheek greeting.

I also noticed that the men seemed to take good care of their mothers and grandmothers – always making sure there was a seat for them on the tram and leading them by the hand down the street.

10)   The food is delicious and fresh

Turks don’t eat a lot of processed foods.  They serve and eat what is in season.   If you are a meat-lover, you won’t be disappointed – there’s lots of  fish, lamb, beef,  and chicken.  And it’s also very easy to be a vegetarian in Turkey.

A full turkish meal usually starts with soup (the lentil soup is amazing) followed by mezes (appetizers) of cheeses, breads, olives, and dips.  The main staples are familiar foods: beans, rice, onions, garlic, cucumbers, eggplant, tomatoes, breads, fruits – but it is the abundance of spices that make it different and delicious.

11)   Most people want to help.

  If you are standing at the corner looking lost, strangers are more than willing ( in their own language, often) to help you.  They give you directions, using short phrases, hand gestures, and smiles.  Then you go off in the direction that you understood, and sometimes end up farther from your destination…

I hope that we are as friendly and helpful to strangers.

12)   Drivers do NOT wait for pedestrians. 

In fact, if it says “go” on a particular street, you better GO quickly.  The split second that drivers have the green light, they gun it.  It doesn’t matter if  you are still crossing the street – you’d better get out of the way, and fast.

13)   It’s okay to ignore street vendors’ pleas to buy. 

It’s not rude.  Well, even if it is rude, if your first inclination is to smile and say sweetly, “no thank you!” they will interpret that as a “Yes!  Of course I am interested!  How many can I buy?”

The best way to shop is to look, but not comment –  unless you are interested – and even then, don’t act too interested.  Negotiation is all part of the game.  The asking price is only a suggestion – it’s up to you to negotiate a lower price.  It’s expected.

  14)   Ice is a precious commodity.

It’s rarely used.  Asking for ice in drinks gets you two cubes.  In fact, a Turk would probably feel like it was a rip-off if served a soft drink that was full of ice.

15)   Tea and coffee are served in tiny little cups.

Big men and little women use these same, tiny cups.  No big, steaming mugs of coffee or tea.

16)   Everybody smokes. 

Everywhere.  Except on Turkish television.  If someone is smoking on a television show or movie, they block out the cigarette.

17)   Turks know how to keep their white clothes sparkling white. 

How do they do it?  I’ve got to learn their secret!

18)   94% of the country is Muslim. 

But I saw no one pause or stop what they were doing when the “call to prayer” sounded during the day.  I learned that they call themselves Muslim, but few practice it.  Or they practice different forms of it.

And this is what the Turks expect in a democracy.  Freedom to practice their religion or not to practice it.

It’s no different from what we expect in America.  Freedom to practice our religion or not to practice it.

19)   All of the honking is not necessarily angry-honking. 

Istanbul is a noisy city.  Horn-honking is continual.  Using the horn is a way to communicate.

Short taps on the horn are friendly warnings: I’m coming; get outta the way!

Longer taps show a little impatience: You’re pushing it – better move – and make it fast.

If the driver leans on the horn, it’s become quite serious:  Now you’ve really ticked me off and you’re lucky I just don’t mow you down.-of-way.

I had to get used to that, quickly, after almost getting ran over by a cab driver the first night I was in Istanbul.  It was clear to me:  we’re not in Moscow, Idaho where people cross the streets anywhere, anytime, and know the drivers will wait for them.

20)   Spoons come in two sizes: very large and very small.

A soup spoon – big enough to be considered a serving spoon, and a tea spoon – about the size of a play tea-set spoon.

21)   Overnight bus trips are for younger, smaller people.

Enough said.  (Even if they advertise that the bus has “roomy, reclining seats!  television! wifi! – save it for the youngsters.  Fly instead.)

22)   Western influences are not always positive. 

Does Istanbul really need McDonalds? Burger King? Starbucks?

23)   Café owners want you to linger over lunch/dinner.

  Please don’t hurry.  The more people eating at their place, the more people will join.  So, eat slower.  Order more.  Stay longer.  Have another cup of tea.

24)   Cats are everywhere.

And they aren’t considered strays.  Everybody takes care of the cats.

25)   The “Call to prayer”

occurs five times a day from every mosque in the city.  It became part of the whole experience of living in Istanbul.  I tried not to be annoyed when it woke me up at 4:00 in the morning.

26)   “Cat and Mouse” street vendors

Our neighborhood was close to bus stops and the Metro, so there was a lot of foot traffic.  Each afternoon, dozens of vendors would set up shop on the sidewalk, selling jewelry, clothes, purses, souvenirs, fruit, and all kinds of other products – until well after midnight.

One night we noticed that the vendors suddenly packed up their goods and disappeared.  Several cops were cruising through the neighborhood very slowly.  After the cops left the area, the vendors set out their wares again.

We later learned that it is a game of “cat-and-mouse”  – something to do with licensing and authorization.  I don’t know if there was some sort of bribery going on as well.

27)   Playgrounds aren’t just for kids.

At first, it looked like men in suits playing on the playground equipment – until I looked a little closer and noticed that they were using adult-sized fitness equipment.  What a great idea!

28)   You think you’ve got traffic jams?

We were in a mega-size traffic jam – it took several hours to go three miles.  But the locals take advantage of the opportunity – it wasn’t long before there were  vendors between the lanes of cars selling water and snacks.  Some people decided walking would be faster, so they abandoned their cars on the side of the road.  Some families knew it would be a long haul, and pulled over, spread a blanket, and had a picnic.

TRAVELING TO TURKEY CHANGED ME A LITTLE

I think that I am a little braver

 because of my month in Turkey.  It has made me feel like I could go anywhere – wwwwell – except for places like Iran or Libya

and

I learned  that half of the experience is getting there!

I made a conscientious effort to appreciate every step of my adventure, whether it was getting to Istanbul, or traveling inside Turkey.  This included long layovers, crowded trams,  cramped buses, traffic jams – all of it was part of the whole experience and I (for the most part) loved every bit of it.

“I am not the same having seen the moon shine on the other side of the world.”   Mary Anne Radmacher

When Marie left Istanbul, I had been in Turkey almost three weeks.  After taking her to Ataturk airport, I remember heading home to our empty apartment feeling worn out, weary, and satiated.  I wanted to go home.  I was done.

The wonder and newness of my travels had worn off.    What had excited me when I first got here – the energy of the city, the different culture smacking me in the heart,  the haunting sound of the call to prayer, the craziness of the drivers,  the crowded trams – became something different.  Now it was the cacophony of horns, the screeching moan of the call to prayer, the over-crowded, smelly trams, the seas of people…  I was  over it.  I wanted to be home.

 What was it that seemed so alluring about traveling to foreign countries?  Why did I think that this  is what I wanted to do with my summer breaks, now that I have a job that offers me the luxury of time off?  What kind of woman leaves her husband at home while she goes halfway around the world?  These were questions that I asked myself.

Wes,  Jessie and Caleb came home later that evening, and it made me feel a little better to have them near.  We had a few days with Caleb before he headed back to Kiev and we had a good time together – but I was still struggling with the urge to be home.  As Caleb was leaving, he said, “Wow – you guys have ten more days – what are you going to do?”  I wondered the same thing.  In fact, I toyed around with the idea of changing my flight.

I wanted to come home earlier, particularly because of one new detail.  Wes and Jess had just booked their flight home.   They were leaving at 1:30 p.m. Saturday, June 29.   I was booked to leave 6:00 a.m. Sunday, June 30.

What was I going to do for  16 hours, alone in Istanbul?  The logistics of  when to go to the airport and how to get to the airport became a huge dilemma.  Leaving at 6:00 a.m. means that I need to be at the airport by at least 4:00 a.m. – but, I prefer to be early rather than late – so leaving the apartment at 3:00 a.m. – even 2:00 a.m. is more reasonable.  But do I want to walk to the Metro alone at night, with my luggage?  It’s only a block, after all.  Or should I call a taxi?  Surely I can  trust a strange taxi driver to take me to the airport in the middle of the night.   Maybe I’ll just go to the airport with Wes and Jess and hang out there for hours and hours – yes, that’s what I’ll do.  I won’t be able to bear being alone in the apartment after they leave, anyway.

That is how I was feeling.

I battled with my feelings and emotions and prayed about it – and decided if it’s a reasonable fee to change my flight, then I’ll go home a couple of days early.  If it’s not, then it wasn’t meant to be and I will make the most of it – and I’ll figure out the airport thing.

It was way too expensive to change my flight.

And these last ten days with Wes and Jess have been perfect.  

Some of the days we explored new sights and some of the days we just chilled in the apartment.  We saw a couple of concerts,  toured the Black Sea, visited the Princes’ Islands,  went to a couple of movies, cooked yummy meals, ate delicious turkish food at local cafes, walked all over (and got sorta-lost in) many other areas of Istanbul, and got our shopping done.  

Just spending time with Wes and Jess has been amazing.  

It’s about 10:00 a.m. Saturday morning and Wes and Jess just left for the airport.  I will be leaving later – in the wee hours of the morning.  Tufan, our landlord, has arranged for a cab to pick me up at the apartment.  

This span of time alone in the apartment was what I had been dreading the most when I had my “melt-down”.   I had told my kids that I didn’t want to be here alone.  They were a little surprised that me, the adventurous one (!) was feeling abandoned, but were very sweet about it – and didn’t make fun of me (Wesley said that will come later!).  Jessie said she imagined me just relaxing, packing, cleaning things up, reading, napping, and getting ready for the long flight home.   

And now that the time is here, the hours that I will spend alone before the taxi takes me to the airport, that is exactly what I will be doing: reading, packing, cleaning, napping, and getting ready for the long flight home.  

And I am feeling wonderful!  

And I can honestly say that it has been an amazing month – all of it.

And the anticipation of going home fills me with happiness.

And Henry is at our home, waiting for Grandma ♥ 

“No one realizes how beautiful it is to travel until he comes home and rests his head on his old, familiar pillow.”  Lin Yutang

Winding down – feeling a little nostalgic

Can’t wait to get home.  Nothing better than being home.  But…knowing that these are the last few days in Istanbul makes it kind of bittersweet for me!  I hope I never forget the time spent here.

Today we took the Tram across the Golden Horn; destination:  Galata Tower.   The Galata Tower was built in Constantinople in 1348.  You can see it in the skyline from many parts of the city.

After getting off the Tram, we walked a few blocks toward the Tower.  We also had to climb a rather long stairway.

 

As usual, there were cats around.  I haven’t done a very good job of getting photos of the “cats of Istanbul” but there are cats everywhere – and everyone takes care of them, making sure they are fed and happy 🙂  It’s a little different from home, where stray cats are immediately picked up by Animal Control!

A glimpse down some side streets on our way to Galata Tower

 

Here we are coming upon Galata Tower.  It was used as a watchtower to defend the city and was the tallest structure in the city when it was built.

Beautiful panoramic views of Istanbul from the top of the tower.

 

 

         

 

Instead of taking the Tram back across the Golden Horn, we walked.  Loved walking across Galata Bridge.  It was so beautiful.

  

Always lots of fishermen on the bridge…

 

You can see some large mosques in the background.  These aren’t even the big, famous ones!

   

Walked a few more neighborhoods, enjoying the sights and sounds of the city

 

Last stop:  The train station of “The Orient Express.”  The international railway service ran from Paris to Istanbul and was synonymous with luxury travel during the 1900s.  I think I should read Agatha Christie’s “Murder on the Orient Express” when I get home.  Or, at least watch the movie 🙂

And with that, I will say “Gule gule”  (Bye bye!)  It’s bedtime and my eyes are playing tricks on me!

Welllll, I wasn’t going to post, but…

I have been told to not slack off from blogging these last few days in Istanbul – so here you go, for what it’s worth.

Our lovely trip to Turkey is coming to a close soon.  I really am excited to get home to Dale, my sisters, my brothers, my ma and pa – but we’re still having a wonderful time and there’s only a few more days left in Istanbul, so I plan to make the most of it.

One of the things the guide books say is a “must do” when visiting Istanbul is a ferry trip to the Princes’ Islands.  They are the only islands around the city

So, we got on the ferry, to make our way through the Bosphorous Strait.

Wes is doing his best Leonardo diCaprio “I’m King of the World!” impression.  Aside from the minor detail that we hadn’t left the dock yet, it’s not too bad 🙂

The Bosphorous Strait forms the boundary between Europe and Asia, separating Istanbul into two continents.  We headed toward the Sea of Marmara, where the islands are located.  It takes an hour or so by ferry to get to there.

The Asian side of Istanbul in the background

I’m trying to fix my hair before Jessie snaps my photo…

Okay – now it’s their turn

No motorized vehicles are allowed on the islands – everyone gets around by walking, bicycling, or horse-and-carriage.  Yes, horse-and-carriage!  So, naturally, Wes, Jess, and I participated in the horse and carriage tour.  Bethany would have been mortified – playing tourist like that!

But it was a fun way to get a glimpse of the island that we visited – the Princes’ Islands are the playground/weekend/summer escape for “rich” Istanbullians.  Lots of beautiful summer homes everywhere we looked.

It was soooooo hot that we pretty much  sat in the shade, ate a nice lunch, and did a (very little) bit of walking around before the return trip home.

The heat sort of zaps any energy!  We felt like we had done a hard day’s work when it was over!

Wes and Jess ♥

Time for some ice cream and bed.  It’s a rough life but someone’s gotta do it.  Until next time,  always remember:  “Cok guzelsiniz.” (You are very beautiful!)

Black Sea Tour

Istanbul is a beautiful,  fascinating city – and so large that I could spend a whole month within the city walls and never run out of things to see and do. But there is much more to Turkey and I am so glad that we have had the chance to explore other areas: Cappadocia, Ephesus, Pamukkale…

Yesterday, we took a day tour of the Black Sea.

If you look on a map, you’ll see that the Black Sea is bordered by Romania, Bulgaria, Ukraine, Russia, Georgia, and Turkey. Our day trip involved going only about 50 miles or so from Istanbul – but it was a different world!

We took a bus tour, because driving in this country is something that I personally NEVER want to experience. There seem to be no rules. Two lane highway? Ha! Vehicles make their own lanes – sometimes three or four, and pass other vehicles on the shoulder of the road. Unexpected lane changes are par for the course. I’ll leave the driving to others! Our bus was a nice, air-conditioned Mercedes, and the driver was amazing. I couldn’t help but think of Sandra – she would have surely been kicked off of the bus before we had gone 50 feet 🙂

The coast line of the Black Sea is spectacular.

We stopped at a little fishing village called Sile’ – which has been a fishing village since 700 B.C. During the summer months, the population of about 13,000 swells to over 35,000 as it has become a get-away destination for “rich” people from Istanbul, who have built holiday homes there. I can understand why – it is an absolutely beautiful area.

There are some beautiful beaches along the coastline. Our guide warned that because of the undercurrents, the Black Sea is a dangerous place for inexperienced swimmers and people drown there every year – so “be careful!” Some of our group decided to spend a few hours swimming; others (Wes, Jess,and I) strolled through the village, checking out the little shops lining the streets.

Sile’ is also known for Sile’ cloth, a crimped-looking, light, see-through cotton fabric made on the Şile’ coast. I bought little Henry a cute shirt – hope it fits the little fatty 🙂

A 150-year old lighthouse, still in use

After driving along some more coastline, we stopped for lunch at another quaint little fishing village and dined on fresh fish at an outdoor cafe.

After lunch, we took a leisurely boat ride down a beautiful little river that flows from the mountains of Istanbul into the Black Sea – the Goksu River. Dale would have liked this♥

    

Our tour guide, Sulleyman, and one of our group, Eduardo (from Brazil)

A 700-year old tree 🙂

  

Our requisite self-portrait 🙂

We took the forest route on the way home, stopping for tea at a little village cafe in the forest.

On the ride home, we ran into a bonafide traffic jam. It took 3 hours to go about 3 miles. I’ve never been involved in anything like it. The turkish people actually make it fun! Always entrenpreneurial, vendors started showing up,  pushing carts of “simit” (a fresh-baked pretzel-like bread with sesame seeds) and bottled water through the small spaces between the chaos of cars. Many drivers gave up trying to go anywhere and decided to wait it out – they pulled over, spread blankets in the dirt next to the road, and watched.

This is about an hour into the traffic jam

Two hours later

We finally made it back to our neighborhood around 11:00 p.m. – stopped at Kebab King for a cup of tea before heading up to our apartment. ‘Twas a good day♥

 

My favorite shot of a day – a little girl in her doorway

A good day

We had to say goodbye to Caleb yesterday.  That wasn’t fun.  I didn’t cry, though.  I’m getting better.  I love watching the friendship between Wes, Jess, and Caleb.  It’s a beautiful thing♥

Bye, Caleb.  See you in a few months.

It’s waayyyyy too hot here during the day.

So our new routine: sleep late, get up and talk about what we are going to do later,  leave the apartment late in the afternoon, stay out until 10 or so, come back to apartment and stay up ’til way past midnight, and do it again the next day.

It works.  So we laze around in the air-conditioned apartment, venturing out only to go to the neighborhood market to buy some groceries for breakfast and lunch – then head out for an adventure in the city.

This afternoon we had two goals. Find a (sort of obscure) museum – called miniaturk.  Then, in a totally different part of the city,  find the Opera House that is beyond Taksim Square.  There was a  concert pianist playing tonight as part of the Istanbul International Music Festival.

We were venturing into parts of Istanbul that I hadn’t been to yet.

First:  Get on the Metro  after re-charging the pass card

This is the entrance to the Metro – it wasn’t very crowded this afternoon.

Then, after riding on the Metro, we got off, walked a few blocks, and hopped on the Tram.

 We stopped at an Internet Cafe, drank tea, played backgammon, and tried to figure out where we were going by checking out Google Maps.

It doesn’t matter too much if you can’t figure out how to get to your destination – there’s always people-watching and wonderful sites to see everywhere you go!

I always think of you, mama, when I see the street vendors selling freshly-roasted corn-on-the-cob.

One of the things to do on my Istanbul Bucket list was to have a fresh fish sandwich from one of the cafes/vendors on Galata Bridge.  Check.

  

Well, we didn’t find miniaturk, and we didn’t find the Opera House near Taksim Square.  So we made our way back to our neighborhood, stopped at the market for ice cream, and stopped at the bakery for baklava and headed home.   It was a good day!

Until tomorrow – Cok yasa ♥

Our Asian Adventure

Visited a new continent yesterday.  We took a ferry ride across the Bosphorus Strait, traveling in less than an hour from Europe to Asia.

           

Nearing the shores of Asia.

 

The streets of Asian Istanbul have a different feel than the European side.  It seems less conservative and more influenced by Western culture.

 

The highlight of the afternoon/evening:  Wesley, Jessica, Caleb, and I each willingly paid 60 liras to attend a music event at the Sureyya Opera House.  Beautiful classical music by a internationally-renowned group called “Berlin Counterpoint”.  There were six members: flute, piano, bassoon, oboe, clarinet, and horn players.  Amazingly gifted musicians.

George Strait in Istanbul

Ahhh.  George.

Country music doesn’t necessarily “fit” this city – but, come on – I miss it.

I’m waiting around for the crew to get ready so that we can go on our next big adventure – explore the Asian side of Istanbul.  But hey, it’s only 2:30 p.m.  I need to be patient.  After all, if you go to bed at 5:00 a.m., the mornings get lost in the fog of sleep.

So, I fired up MOG.  Found some George.  Reminds me of my sissies ♥  But Wes is tickin’ me off and moaning like a sick bovine.

I can’t call him an SOB – that’s just insulting to me.  But he’s ruining the song  – making up words “somewhere in the neon light looking for my flashlight stumbling in the darkness…”

I raised a brat.

Fishin’

After a few low-key days of just kind of “chillin”, we decided to venture out into the City and find the aquarium that Jessica had read about.

Finding something in a city of 13 million or so people isn’t quite as easy as looking at the map and deciding which tram to get on.  It took a lot of walking, several mis-informed (or mis-interpreted) direction ideas from random individuals,  and a bit of back-tracking — but we eventually made it pretty darn close to our ultimate destination,  in an air-conditioned city bus.

It was worth the trouble.   It turns out Istanbul has a pretty awesome aquarium.

 The aquarium is beautiful and modern and brand new.  Visitors walk through it and follow an imaginary route from the Black Sea to the Pacific.  There’s even an Amazon Rainforest section as well as a pretty cool Shipwreck section.

Of course, looking at all the fish made me lonesome for Dale.  He would have loved it.  Me?

 “Ohhh, that’s pretty.”

“Oh, those are weird-looking creatures.”

“Oh, look – more fish!”

“Okay  –  that’s enough fish.”

Just kidding.  We had fun.  There were some beautiful displays.

  

                                  ROCK STARS!!!!

Oh, boy – better quit skipping a day of posting

The whole idea of creating a blog for my trip was because I know how bad my memory is.  I thought if I don’t write about something every day, the month will fly by, I’ll be home, and I will forget lots of little details about my trip.

So, I’ve been doing pretty good – almost every day:  uploading the photos from the day  from my camera, and writing a brief summary of the day’s events.

Yesterday, I left my camera at home.

Last night when we got home about 11:00, we visited for an hour or two and then went to bed (after skyping with Henry!).

This morning I am hard-pressed to remember what we did yesterday.

And I’m sitting here thinking, “I don’t need to write about the mundane things; fixing a late breakfast, lazing around in the cool apartment because of the stifling heat beyond our windows, watching the newscast about the events happening in Gezi Park and Taksim Square, taking a long walk on the banks of the Golden Horn…”

What did we actually do?  This is Istanbul, after all!

Now, it occurs to me – maybe that is what I need to write about now!  The first 2-3 weeks here have been a whirlwind of activities – big stuff – world-famous sites and attractions, new foods, new culture, new everything.  Now, as we wind down into the last couple of weeks in Istanbul, there will be less of the exotic, more of the everyday.  That’s what I will want to remember – how the streets look, how the people live, what the smells are like –

Those are the things that I will most likely forget – the little things.  That’s what I need to be writing at the end of each day. 

Saying goodbye

Said goodbye to my friend, Marie, today.  I pulled a “Dale” at the airport and had to walk away before I started crying.  It was so good to have her here – she is such a dear friend – and we had a fabulous time together. 

Home.  The best place to be.  Started feeling very lonesome for my hubby, my sisters, my mom and dad.  Riding the Metro back to the apartment, there was a  cute little boy in the seat facing me.  I winked at him, he smiled at me, and I started to cry.

The lady beside me said something in Turkish, then in English, “are you fine?”  I swear that Turkish people are so kind – even to strange people on the train.  I just nodded my head to her and wondered how I would explain it to her – even if I could.

By the time I got to the Metro station near the apartment, and out in the fresh air, I was feeling a little better.  

Then, a couple hours later, Wes and Jess and Caleb got home from their side trip to Goreme.  Love those kids.  Feeling much better now 🙂

Turkish Bath – the real thing!

  Marie and I wanted to have the famous “Turkish Bath” experience while we were here.  Not the touristy, Americanized Turkish Bath – no sir-ree!  We wanted the authentic experience.  So, we sought out the “real thing” – and we  got it!

We found the perfect place.  A women’s hamman just around the corner from where we are staying.  

  

The attendants running the bath didn’t speak a word of English, but we managed to get by with gestures.  They were really cute.

In the dressing section, we were provided with a thin cotton towel to wrap in, and then we were led to a warm marble room – marble floors, marble walls, and marble water basins.  We sat back and relaxed, soaking in the heat and pouring water over ourselves.

 Then, one at a time, we were called to the washing space.   This is where we layed down on a marble slab, and (using the loofahs that we brought) the Turkish woman scrubbed vigorously every inch of our bodies.  After that, came the sudsy massage.  My attendant had strong fingers – it almost hurt!

It was a rejuvenating experience, but now we are ready for a nap!

It’s Picture Time!

Feeling so much better today!

My memory of our tour of the ruins of Ephesus is fading fast.  Being sick must have destroyed a few brain cells.  Thankfully, I have pictures!

In its heyday, Ephesus was one of the major cities of the Mediterranean World – with over 250,000 people.  Today it is a major tourist attraction and an  archaeological site.  The city was partially destroyed by an earthquake in the 7th century and then gradually became swamp land.   Ephesus is one of the Seven Churches of Asia that are cited in the Book of Revelations and most likely the Gospel of John was written from here.

I took a couple of pictures of what is believed to be the House of Mary.  Our guide said that because the Apostle John was told to take care of Mary (from the cross, Jesus said to John, “behold your Mother” and to Mary, “behold your son) and John lived in Ephesus; so that’s one of many reasons for this belief.  There has been some restoration on the house.  There were so many people crowding into the small house that I didn’t go inside – and tried to get photos without a hoard of tourists:

                    

It is a small chapel now where people can go in, light a candle, and pray.

Our guide had a really awesome book on Ephesus – it showed pictures of the ruins we were looking at; then in an overlay, showed what the structure looked like originally.  For example, in the picture below, you can see two rows of columns framing a walkway.  This was actually a covered walkway, and there were shops and bazaars lining it.

            

       

Yep – I know – cute hat and looking pretty homely – but, hey!  It was HOT!!

   

That’s Marie in the cute hat and peach-colored top 🙂

     And there she is again (!) sitting in the auditorium.  This area was used for town gatherings and lectures; possibly used by the Apostle Paul when he journeyed to Ephesus.  The acoustics are great!  Our guide said that sometimes there are concerts here.

                    

Below is the Library of Celcus.  I love this site.    It was considered one of the most beautiful buildings in Ephesus.  There are statutes in the niches of the columns, that are reproductions of the originals.  (I enlarged the photo, so the resolution isn’t that great.)

     Today the site of the Temple of Artemis is marked by a single column constructed of dissociated fragments discovered on the site.

Our guide was a true Historian.   On tour days, we were always treated to a delicious lunch in nice restaurants, stayed in nice hotels (when we weren’t on the bus!) and well taken-care of.

      

And then, I got sick.  Two days down.  But thankfully, we were at home!

Wes, Jess, and Caleb made plans to go to Cappedocia – pictures taken from the apartment window of the three heading to the corner to catch a shuttle to the airport.  They plan to be  back on Saturday.

So, it’s just me and Marie for a few days! We’ve got some more exploring to do!

♥♥Until next time ♥♥

Pretty pathetic

Here we are – in Istanbul.  The capital of empires.  The cradle of civilization.  And here I am, in our 5th floor apartment, gazing out the window, watching the bustle of the Old City: people walking the sidewalks, cafe workers beckoning passerbys to eat at their restaurant, street vendors hawking the wares on the sidewalks, and  drivers going like madmen to their next destination.

  

It’s not been much fun being sick the last two days!   But I suppose it’s a good thing to take a couple of days off just to rest.

Marie and I will be hitting the streets tomorrow – so, until then – “size sevgi gönderme” sending my love to Dale, my family, and my friends

Not gonna post

S.I.C.K.

I’ll spare the details.  Got my own private nurse though.  Marie’s being a doll.  We came back from our 4-day tour  pretty tired, and she doesn’t seem to mind laying around the apartment today.

Yesterday, during our tour of Ephesus, our guide was talking about Heraclitus of Ephesus, a Greek Philosopher, as we were viewing some ruins.  He said that the well-known saying , “No man ever steps in the same river twice” is attributed to Heraclitus.

A  shorter version of that idea is commonly attributed to him:

“Everything flows.”

I kind of thought that was ironic today 🙂

Monday morning – your Sunday night

What do the think the chances are of Dale agreeing to come to Turkey with me next year?  I am so in love with this country.  The only thing missing is Dale.

It’s almost 8:00 a.m. Monday morning in Kusadasi, Turkey; that’s 10:00 p.m. Sunday night in Lewiston.  I got almost six hours of sleep last night.  What a gift!  I am looking out at the Aegean Sea from Marie’s and my hotel room.

The view from our room’s terrace last night at sunset

We had a nice dinner at the outdoor cafe before turning in

Our tour van will pick us up at 8:30 a.m. and we will go through some of the ruins of the city of Ephesus, the house of Mary and other sites in the area.   Hoping to find my mama something really special from Ephesus.  By the way – HAPPY ANNIVERSARY MAMA AND DAD!  

The last few days have been like a dream.  To be in this ancient place, walking down the same dusty roads that people thousands of years ago used is indescribable.

We spent the night in a “Cave” Hotel in Goreme’, Turkey.  The Cappadocia Region ( by the way, I used to pronounce this “capp-a-dosha”, but because I now pronounce all things the Turkish way, I pronounce it “capp-a-doka”) is almost fairy-tale like.  My pictures really do not do this area justice, so if you are interested in seeing more, I encourage you to search out some information on the web – you’ll get a better feel for it.

Cappedocia (capp-a-doka!) Archaeologists and geologists must go crazy in this area.  The natural landscape is so unusual – early Christians took advantage of this by building houses and churches in the rock formations – it was a place to hide from their enemies

            Our “CAVE” hotel and the views from it

  Everywhere we go, in little villages and large cities, men sit outside at small tables, drinking tea, watching people, smoking.  All day.  Doesn’t anybody work?  It is early morning here, so this is to give you an idea of what I mean.  (I don’t feel comfortable taking pictures of the men:  “SMILE!”  so waited for a time when they weren’t there.

Very common site everywhere we go

There is so much more to write about and pictures to show, but our tour bus is almost here.  I promise when we get back to Istanbul that I will do a better job.  I will close with a couple of pictures of Pamukkale – translated “Cotton Castles.”   Pure white terraces naturally formed from hot springs – the flowing water has minerals in it that form layers of rock and are bleached by the sun – another breathtaking site♥

Oh – real quick – toured an ancient city called Hieropolis; massive ruins and graveyards

  I can’t take the time to proof-read this so hoping it isn’t too convoluted!  Until next time:

“Tanrı sizi korusun ve harika bir gün var”♥

A couple of days worth

I missed updating my blog last night.  Was doing something much more exciting.  Specifically, a 10-hour red-eye bus ride with Marie to the Cappadocia Region.   The Cappadocia Region is in the center of Turkey and we are doing a guided tour of Cappadocia, Pammukkale, and Ephesus.

It was cheaper to go by bus than it was to fly – and the brochure promised “luxurious buses, with air-conditioning, wi-fi, television, and reclining seats…” Marie even thinks that she read “easy to sleep on.”

It was brutal. –  but we had fun in the misery 🙂  There was television – but everything was in Turkish.   The seats were fairly big and comfortable, but didn’t recline – at least not very far.  A  few people on the bus were able to sleep at least – God bless ’em – as indicated by their snoring.

The bus had an attendant, sort of like airlines have attendants.  He was sweet and didn’t speak a word of English.  Very accommodating. In fact, he promised to serve a snack and something to drink.

An hour or so into our journey – Marie  whispered, “Karen, look, he’s putting on rubber gloves.  I think he’s going to give us a treat.”  She watched for a while and then said, “Either that or a rectal exam.”  We went into (I hope) quiet fits of hysteria.  (I think it was one of those you-had-to-be-there moments.)  Marie can get away with comments like that, because she’s an RN.

We  hiked through some incredible country.  It felt like we were back in ancient times.  The landscape is like nothing I have ever seen before.  It is truly stunning.

My snapshots didn’t turn out well, so I am including a picture from the web.  It is the view that we had today on our hike. We hiked  5 km through the Rose Valley. Limestone rocks, formed from volcanic material  have been eroded by wind and rain into pillar forms. Ancient people of the region carved  houses and churches from them.  We also toured an underground city – something you wouldn’t want to do if you are the least bit claustrobic (some of the tunnels we walked through were so small that you were crouched down very low for quite a while getting through them).  It is where Early Christians hid in fear from the Romans – I guess around 300 A.D.  (I recommend you go to this link if you’d like to read about some underground cities and churches in the Cappadocia region – below is one of their images  http://www.theruinsofephesus.com/turkey/underground_cities.html )  This one has a much larger “opening” than the one that we toured!

We are touring the northern part of Cappadocia tomorrow.

Here’s me poking my head out of a rock-carved church:

A few photos of the quaint little village of Goreme’ where we are staying tonight in a Cave Hotel:

  

Today has been great; yesterday was great; tomorrow will be great — I’ll try to keep up with the photos and blog.  It’s always late at night when I try to post and I am usually a little tired!   Marie took a picture of me in our cave hotel trying to do my computer stuff…

Good night.  “Sen kalbimdesin” (You are in my heart.)

Marie’s Tour Guide

This morning, the four of us (Wes, Jess, Marie, and I)  started out together; we agreed to meet back at the apartment at 6:00 p.m, and Marie and I got off the Tram near the Grand Bazaar area.

Marie is so lucky to have me.  Because I am so experienced and well-traveled, I was the fearless leader.  We planned to visit the Grand Bazaar, Blue Mosque, Hagia Sophia Mosque,  and Basilica Cisterns – some of the most famous sites in all of Istanbul.  Marie hadn’t been to any of these sites yet.

I immediately succeeded in getting us turned around.  We walked several blocks the wrong way.  Then several more blocks another wrong way.   The good thing about being “directionally-dyslexic” is that there are fabulous, unique sites everywhere.  We came upon a cemetery of some (apparently) very important Sultans,  with burial dating back to the 1300s.  

  And…”now this is a cool building – I wonder what it is/was?”  Only to find out that it is one of the high schools.  Notice the picture of the “Father of Turkey”:  Mustafa Ataturk (died in 1938).  The people of Turkey still revere him; pictures of him are commonly seen (as well as on all currency).  An apartment near to us has a large painting of him in their living room (I peeked when they left the door open).  He is credited with converting Turkey from a Islamic nation to a modern, secular, free nation.

We eventually made it to the Grand Bazaar.  We wandered through the streets and stalls, picking up small gifts and souvenirs.  We had tea with a carpet salesman who insisted on showing us his shop even after we made it clear we weren’t in the market for a rug.  Because Wes and Jess have budgeted to buy a small rug, we gave him their contact information.  Took the pressure off.

We had lunch at a Turkish cafe with an open kitchen.  The sun was getting pretty hot today, so we cooled off in the Bascilica Cisterns.  (Of course, finding the cisterns was another adventure.)

Marie next to the upside-down/sideways Medusa

M

 We found the Blue Mosque eventually.

                             And, of course (!) I had to take a picture of the UPS Driver – this one’s for Dale and Neal!

When we got back to the apartment, Jessie had fixed a beautiful Turkish dinner for all of us.

      Love my kids, love my friend, love you, Dale♥

Iyi geceler (good night)

Just another day

This morning, Marie and I took a long walk through some surrounding neighborhoods. I really love walking the narrow cobblestone streets watching the people and enjoying all of the sights and sounds and smells of the city.  I didn’t take any pictures during our walk; it didn’t feel appropriate.  The backstreet neighborhoods away from the tourist areas are the most fun, though!

We left the apartment and walked north – knowing that we would eventually come to a body of water.  “North” was uphill – a few zigs and zags – and then downhill – a few more zigs and zags.  We reached water!  In the background of the pictures, you can see the skyline of the city across the Golden Horn (a prehistoric estuary that flows into the Bosphorus).  In this area of the city is Taksim Square – an area that we are avoiding.

 We managed to find our way back – with the help of Marie’s GPS app (!)  I guess we don’t worry too much about getting lost – because all we would have to do is find a Tram or Metro Station and head home.

When we were done, we stopped and had a cup of Turkish coffee — it’s very strong!  And certainly not served in the size of mug that I am accustomed to!

 After napping and dinner, we (Wes, Jess, Marie, and I) took a short Tram ride and enjoyed a relaxing walk through a park near the Grand Bazaar.

 Marie broke the buddy-system rule and went into a mosque alone.  She came strolling out a few minutes later and boy, did I nag!

When we came home, we stopped at the market to buy ice cream and some groceries.  A pretty large racket started building outside, and we saw 100s of people coming down the street chanting  “Erogan Resign!” in Turkish.   People of all ages were participating: grandmothers, children, teenagers –  clanging on their pots and pans, smiling, and marching peacefully.

The neighborhood is quite alive at night with lots of people milling about, visiting each other, stopping for tea or meze at outdoor cafes – and when the protestors marched through the street, many bystanders clapped and smiled; some just watched; some seemed to be indifferent, pretty much ignoring what was going on – not showing any reaction – just going about their business.  I didn’t take any pictures of this because I didn’t want to draw any attention to myself.  It’s funny – I am often asked if I am German.  Not knowing which nationality is “better” I am not sure whether to say “I’m American” or “I’m German.”  I’ve been truthful so far, just because it would be my luck to say “German” and for them to speak to me in German — the only thing I would be able to say is “Gehsundeit!”

Home – emails – Marie dozed off before making it to bed.

  Good night.  I love you, Dale♥

June 3 in Istanbul

The protests in Taksim Square have been going on for a few days.  I am hoping that it ends soon.  I wish it were not happening, but from what I know, the protesters motives are pure and courageous and it began peacefully.

I don’t think that it’s “cool” to be in Istanbul while this is happening, but there isn’t anything that can be done about that.  It doesn’t seem to be a dangerous time for tourists or locals, in spite of what’s going on –  thankfully.    If you are interested in seeing some photos that haven’t been shown in the mainstream media, take a look at this link:

http://imgur.com/a/JvJD3

This morning, Caleb, Wesley and I trekked a few blocks with our laundry to find a place where we could have our clothes washed and dried; the proprietor of the shop spoke no English, but used his computer to translate.  Getting our clothes cleaned turned out to be such a fun experience!

The shop owner was warm and friendly and very hospitable.  After we communicated what we needed (with the help of Google Translate) he offered us tea.  Because it is gracious to accept tea when offered, we said “evet” (yes).    He got on his telephone, said a few works in Turkish, and a few minutes later another man came in with a tray of hot tea.  Such hospitality!  The last photo is Caleb and Wesley being goofy on the walk back 🙂

   We rode the (subway) Metro for the first time today – it took us directly to Ataturk airport, where we were picking up my friend, Marie.  Because this was a “first” for us – and I thought Wes and Jess looked so cute  –  I had to snap a photo. Apparently, that was embarrassing for Wes – he turned just as I was taking a picture.

Ahhh, well – Jessie looks cute!

   Below are a few shots of our visit to the Spice Market.  The Spice Market has been in existence since the 1600s and is a great place to while away a few hours checking out all of the local wares. Although you can’t see it very well  in the second photo, the Asian skyline of Istanbul is in the distance, across the Bosphorous Strait.  (The Spice Market is on the European side of Istanbul).   That’s the Yeni Mosque facing the entrance to the market.

 Brianna and Shaundralyn having some fun at dinner last night:

  So happy to have my dear friend Marie arrive safely!  We have some big plans for the next couple of weeks!

 

It’s become the pattern to come back to the apartment after a full day, kick off our shoes, and get connected – checking emails, transferring photos (and uploading pictures for blogs!) Notice Caleb chillin’ beneath the  ottoman.

 

The highlight of my day?  Henry skyped me ♥ (He’s sooo smart!)

Topkapi Palace

Walking a few blocks to catch the Tram that will take us to the area of Topkapi Palace.  It is one of the “must-see” sights in Istanbul – and it is Sunday afternoon – so it will be full of tourists like us!

 

Getting tokens for the Tram.

It took us several hours to explore Topkapi Palace.  There are several courtyards, many smaller buildings, chambers where the treasures of the Sultans are kept (no cameras were allowed in those buildings).  Every single wall, corner, and detail of the buildings were exquisite (that’s the only word I can think of to describe it!)

We didn’t sit down very often today, so finding tables to rest were a treat.

Judy and her daughters

     

We call this Kamikaze Corner – drivers are crazy here!

Sorry for duplicate photos and / or no captions.  Trying to get the pictures uploaded tonight has been tedious – maybe the internet connection is sporadic; I’m not sure!  But my editing is taking me too long, so I am giving up!  Until tomorrow…have a nice evening♥

Playing Tourist

What a wonderful day exploring some of the main sites of the city!  It was very crowded everywhere (we forgot it was Saturday!) but we saw some magnificent sites:  the Blue Mosque, Hagia Sophia Mosque, the Basilica Cisterns, the Great Palace Mosaic Museum, and lots of other neat little nooks and crannies while walking up and down the blocks.    Definitely will be visiting these places again.

It’s so easy to get around the Old City from our apartment.  We walk about three blocks and and get on the Metro.  A one-way ride costs 3 liras (about $1.60) so it’s an inexpensive way to get around.

My camera doesn’t do these amazing places justice, but… if you want to see some really beautiful, professional pictures, you’ll have to google them 🙂

Here you go:  Beautiful marble steps lead to a marble courtyard of the Blue Mosque.  I didn’t want pictures of all of the tourists because I just wanted to photograph the mosque. 

This is the Blue Mosque from another view:

Besides being a tourist attraction, it is an active mosque.  Women must cover their head and arms (and legs) before entering.  Everyone must take off their shoes.

The Great Palace Mosaic Museum  ((from Wikipedia)  The museum hosts the mosaics used to decorate the pavement of a peristyle court… dating … 527-565. It was uncovered by Turkish archaeologists…during extensive excavations at the Arasta Bazaar in Sultan Ahmet Square in 1935-1938 and 1951-1954. The area formed part of the south-western Great Palace, and the excavations discovered a large courtyard… entirely decorated with mosaics.

The architectural details are amazing.  These pictures are from the Hagia Sophia 🙂

The Basilica Cisterns were fabulous – it was cool in the ancient caverns.  Built in 532 A.D. to provide water to Istanbul.  It’s a huge underground cistern with the marble column supports that you see in the pictures below.  There are now walkways built so people can wander through the cisterns.  Somehow fish have found their way into the water!

 

    

The Upside-down MEDUSA has a story behind it – I’m too lazy to share it with you right now… it’s past midnight…Good night!

 

Istanbul’s Grand Bazaar

Today was our day to explore Istanbul’s Grand Bazaar – it’s been an important trading center since the 1400s.  My pictures do not do it justice, believe me (!) but it was such a fun experience.  There are thousands of vendors and shops –  and the turkish people are friendly and hospitable.

When we started out this morning, we were trying to find our way to the correct metro to take us to the area of the Grand Bazaar.  Apparently we looked sufficiently confused, having backtracked a time or two – then a sweet Turkish man said, “I will take you.” We walked several blocks with him leading the way; he got on the Metro with us and road with us to our destination.

Trekking up some  stairs to go down some stairs to get to the Metro.

There are such beautiful handpainted  Turkish ceramic tiles and plates.   I want to bring back a vase or a plate or some small dishes, but am not sure that they would make it home in one piece!

Business owners are very entertaining and gracious; always offering  delicious apple tea.  It a much more entertaining shopping experience than what I am accustomed to!  

There was so much to look at!  Turkish ceramics, tiles, silks, scarves, leather goods, carpets, jewelry.  We spent several hours leisurely walking around and enjoying the bazaar, sitting at a sidewalk cafe watching the crowds – and I was actually pretty good at bargaining for what I wanted!

The Parry’s enjoying the day with us!

The cafe where we were hanging out – the waiter offered to take our photo.  A very good day!

Our first afternoon and evening exploring our neighborhood

It’s been a good day – we had a pretty laid-back, relaxed time.  Tomorrow is our big foray into some of the main sights that we are planning on exploring.  Today we stuck pretty close to our neighborhood.  Great day.

Caleb and his mama and sisters showed up around 5:00p.m. and we had a delicious dinner at the Kebob King – I’m pretty sure we’ll be eating there often!  After all, it’s right next door!

!

Visited a Fatih Mosque – but because it was after sunset my pictures do not do it justice.  It was built around 500 A.D.  We hear the “call to prayer” several times a day – and while we were at the mosque, the call was loud and lengthy, coming from the minarets.  Istanbul apparently has a lot of stray kitties and there were a couple of kitties running in the courtyard and  little turkish kids playing in the courtyard while their parents went inside for prayer.  I should have better pictures tomorrow – my nighttime camera work is almost embarrassing 🙂

 !

First morning in Istanbul

The morning view from our living room:

View from our living room

Before leaving the apartment this morning, we had our first little snafu.  The locks are kind of weird, and it took us 15 minutes or so to figure out how to use them — we initially locked ourselves OUT of the apartment.  I was pretty sure we’d be calling Tufan.  Persistent Jess figured it out – then FORCED me to practice unlocking the locks and letting myself back into the apartment.

The perfect way to experience other cultures is NOT to stay in a 5-star hotel – I want to live like the locals, I’ve always thought!  And that is pretty much what we are doing.

Below is a picture of the entrance to our apartment.  Keebab King – a talked-about cafe on a lot of Turkish blogs that I’ve read – is right next door.  The white locked gate (that Wes and Jess are standing in front of) is the entrance to the staircase of all of the apartments in the building.  It is one of those “Seinfeld” types of entrances  – you can buzz your guests in from your apartment.   We experimented with it – I went downstairs and outside; there were turkish men sitting at the outdoor cafe right next to me enjoying tea and I was ringing the bell, saying, “hello?  hello?”  And then I heard Wes say something – and VOILA! He buzzed me in!  The gate unlocked and I trekked up the five stories to our apartment 🙂

We took an early morning walk around the neighborhood.  Most of the shops were not open yet but there were a lot of people milling about, starting their day, headed to work and various places. I am so used to smiling and saying “hi” to everybody – but my dear children informed me that it’s probably not appropriate – especially to the “male species.”  I’m just so happy to be here and it’s such a beautiful morning that I couldn’t help it! But – I’ve been asked to “not  speak” – and that’s probably pretty good advice.  I walked behind Wes and Jess and pretended I am an independent woman, travelling the world on my own 🙂

We’re bought some eggs and juice and other items from a small market and came back to the apartment – going to just relax and wait for Judy, Caleb, and Caleb’s sisters to get here in a short while.

Ahhhh, Istanbul!

I feel like the city is so familiar  – probably because I have been looking up everything I could find about it in the last few months.  Tufan (our landlord) met us at the airport – just like he said he would (!) holding a pink sign that said “KAREN ANDREWS”.  He is a nice guy – and very helpful.   I wish that I had a picture of him .  (I took one of him and Jess at the airport and managed to delete it from the camera before I got it uploaded! )

Tufan brought us to the apartment and it is exactly as described.  We’re in a really great area of Istanbul  – and the apartment is on the fifth floor above small cafes and shops and markets.  I love hearing the sounds of the city below.

It will be a fun outing each morning to get breakfast foods and coffee from our neighborhood shops and vendors!  Can’t wait!  There isn’t a scrap of food in our apartment right now, but we are so exhausted from three days of travel that filling the refrigerator will have to wait.

Many of the sights that we plan to explore are within walking distance, and public transportation (buses, metro stations) are within the block.  It’s a perfect location.

Time for bed, I guess – don’t know that I’ll be able to sleep!

Here’s a picture of Wes and Jess chillin’ – getting ready to hit the sack.

 

Another long wait – this time at Moscow, Russia Airport

Oh, well – it’s better than being all stressed out, trying to make the flight!  We’re recharging our phones/computers, checking emails, watching people… We leave Moscow around 6:30p.m. tonight.  Not leaving the airport, though – there’s too much involved (would have to get Russian Visas; find public transport, etc) so we’ll just chill until it’s time to get on the flight to Istanbul!

 

Let’s meet at JFK!

We all made it!  Next stop: Moscow, Russia – then on to Istanbul

Let’s meet at JFK!

A Short (?) Wait

I only have 10 hours to wait until leaving for the JFK red-eye flight!

Dale saying goodbye

Dale peeking through the security glass at Pullman International Airport ♥

My bags are packed

Very proud of myself for taking only a small piece of luggage to check, and a carry-on.