We have done quite a bit since the last post.. Our hotel days passed and we shacked up in a little hippy hostel for 2 nights, called the. Mystic Simburgh. The guys that ran it were very laid back and cool, and despite having to wear earplugs because of the very lively steet below lined with bars, we had a nice stay. We went to see another movie, Walter Mitty, and it made me feel nostalgic for Iceland.. We played Cnuno (the Bosnian version of uno we picked up) and drank Turkish tea, and recovered from the stomach ailments that we had from our NYE bug.. The guys at the hostel cooked up a delish Turkish breakfast every morning and even offered us homemade wine while we relaxed in the common room. It's funny that we stayed in like 4 places during our Istanbul leg, but we also ran the gamut of accomodations.. Airbnb, fancy hotel, hippy hostel, and airbnb entire apartment.. I guess we like to move around! Luckily, all of our places were pretty close to eachother and very central to all the action.
Stephen arrived on the 4th and we were so excited to see him and show off "our" city. It was good we had some navigating under our belt already so when he arrived we knew our way around and what to do. The first night we headed to a jazz club we discovered after yoga class one evening, where a live band played every night. We planned out our next few days for the tourism marathon... The Blue Mosque, Grand bazaar, Turkish baths, archaeological museum, Bascilica cistern, Bosphorous cruise, Hagia Sophia, spice bazaar, and whatever else we could pack into 4 full days.. Looking back now I'd say we did pretty well and I saw almost everything I wanted to see... Although had we done more I may have been burnt out on being around tourists all the time....I can only handle so much of people walking around amazing places with a phone or iPad hovering in front if their face and running into me/stopping right in front of me while walking. It drives me nuts.
Of course, between all these interest points we also had to show off the Turkish nightlife and amazing food! I say this like I am a local... But I felt like one after making friends and being there for almost 2 weeks! Istanbul is a place I could easily live for a little bit as an expat and teach English or something..Don't worry Mom, I am just toying with the idea.
We could have easily spent an entire day in the archaeological museum, it was 4 buildings with soo many artifacts, many dating back before bible times..It was cool to see things I had learned about in school, such as the code of Hammurabi, Egyptian sarcophagi, pottery, friezes, and other things I had seen or read about in art history or world history classes. There was also a section dedicated to the history of Istanbul. Unfortunately after walking around for 3 hours we began to get ravenous and kind of whizzed though the last exhibit. That's why I always need to bring almonds or little snacks with us.. We walk basically everywhere, so it's easy to get hungry/grouchy (or as I call "hangry") because we burn a lot of what we eat pretty quickly. Luckily there was a little cafe of site so we could get some nourishment before heading off to the next point of interest.
The historical sights in Istanbul, such as the mosques, baths, and the cistern, were so well preserved and so gorgeous. Up until now, I had never been into a mosque before.. They are truly beautiful, with very detailed tile work and mosaics. At Sultanahmet, the Blue Mosque, we arrived just before they closed it to tourists during prayer. We all had to slip our shoes off and I covered my head before entering. It definitely looked a lot different than any church I have seen, with low hanging lights, no seats, and very high ceilings. Pictures really don't do it justice.. It was the same at the Hagia Sofia. People were walking around taking photos, but you just can't capture it all in a screen.. The only downside was there was scaffolding inside, which has been a common theme for a lot of the cool buildings we have seen.. They are all under restoration!
The Bascilica Cistern was build for Justinian, who ruled during the Byzantine era. It is an underground waterworks system, supported by lots of columns. A couple of the columns were recycled from other buildings, and included upside down Medusa heads on the bottom.. Pretty cool. It was really nicely lit up and pretty to see. There were also all the huge koi fish swimming around. Definitely worth the 10 lira they charge to visit. Apparently Istanbul has always had water problems, and this cistern helped bring the water from the Belgrade forest to the people within the city walls. Now everyone there just drinks bottled water... I've read the tap water is safe to drink, but, from everyone we spoke to and by or observations, no one drinks the tap water there. Something I will have to get used to for the next 3 months.. NO TAP WATER.
The Turkish baths we visited, Çemberlitas, were very different from the "Turkish baths" in Budapest. The ones in Budapest were mostly various pools with different temperatures, saunas, steam rooms, and cold pools. Not in istanbul. Basically, you can pay for someone to scrub you down with soap and a buffer, or you can do "self service". You go in, and sit on a warming stone to open your pores and begin to sweat. Then, either you or a man/woman (separate baths for both) comes over and scrubs every inch of your body, exfoliating and ridding toxins. Then you can sit on the stone again and sweat some more, before rinsing off and going for a massage or on your way. I did self service, simply to save money.. I could have layed on the hot stone all day... I just like warmth, I guess.... Hot yoga, saunas, and breaking a sweat everyday are my thing. Maybe that's why I live in Florida! Anyways, it was definitely a different experience, and I felt so clean and relaxed afterwards. Definitely worth getting someone else to scrub you though, everyone who had a little lady scrubbing them looked so relaxed and seemed to enjoy it. Ah well maybe next time.
Unfortunately I used my big camera for a lot of the photos I took in Istanbul because they are better quality and don't take up space on my phone... So once I figure out where I have a computer to upload, I'll post.
Our last night in istanbul we showed Stephen the infamous drink we had tried before his arrival, called Hönönö. Basically it's a concoction of different clear liquids, and bartender puts a napkin around the rim, slams it down, and then you must drink the fizzing sensation as fast as you can before it spills everywhere. It is only available at the place we were, and was named from a guy who ordered so many that when he tried to say "I'll have some more" it came out as Hönönö, basically gibberish. It's definitely fun to order and have with friends, but as Umut says, "please don't have more than 3". We were also surprised when Goçke pulled out a special treat she made for us... Out of a little cooler came 3 small ramekins of chocolate soufflé and 3 spoons for Paul, Stephen and I. This is why I love istanbul... There are so many amazing things to see and the hospitality is truly genuine. "Turkish hospitality" is something the Turks pride themselves on, and from the shops to the bazaar, from our hosts /newfound friends to Turkish airlines, it is quit evident. I can say that I have never had homemade soufflé brought to me in that kind of establishment before.. It made my night.
Currently I am in another continent. I was so tired when beginning the blog post I put it aside until now and am sitting on a terrace in Mumbai. The honking sounds below have been non stop since 7 this morning. Our flight arrived at 5:15 am, we got to the hotel at 6:30, and slept until almost 1. I booked us a hotel close to the airport for one night because I knew we would be shattered, so most of today will probably be confined to the walls of this hotel. One, because we are shattered and two, because it is more crazy here than Istanbul. I thought I was scared to cross the street in Istanbul, but where we are now is way more mental. Paul has been watching the traffic "pattern" for almost an hour now.. But that may be because he didn't sleep at all on the plane and is still a little delirious. I am just enjoying sitting in the sunshine and getting acquainted to the sights and smells so far.. Tomorrow we head to stay with a couple from airbnb, an American girl and British guy living inmumbai and doing nonprofit work.. Should be good! I think their flat is in a location that may be better for walking around and exploring. We went down to get some food earlier and the looks we got while walking down the street hinted that not many westerners come to this area for tourism.. That's okay though, it's just one night and gives us time to rest before we enter the madness in the streets below. Honk honk!
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