Istanbul, Turkey

Everything that happened after the epic concert:

Day 2 – After the crazy night before, I decided I would sleep until my heart was content, which ended up being 12:30 p.m. But, EVERYTHING in Istanbul was closed for a religious holiday so there was absolutely nothing to do, so I didn’t feel too bad about wasting half of my day. Sarah and Audrey were both gone on an SAS trip so Autumn, my roommate, and I , hung out and watched movies. It was nice to relax after the intense day of rocking my face off at the festival.

Days 3, 4, 5 – I can’t quite remember what day was which so this is just going to be a spilling of all the events in a non-chronological order. The Grand Bazaar is one of the main tourist destinations of Istanbul. They have everything from pacshmina scarves to handmade lights, carpets, and tapestries. It was a fun place to go because I love to barter. In fact, my main objective for Turkey was to buy a carpet, also known as a rug, because I regretted not getting one when I went last summer on my cruise of the Greek islands. The carpet store I found was very reliable and, of course, in true Turkish fashion, very hospitable. I did not plan on buying a handmade carpet because they are exponentially more expensive and I don’t really support how they are made. Anyways, I fell in love with this one rug that cost 900 Euro, or 1,200 USD. My bartering skills then kicked in and I got the rug down to 300 USD! The guy was really angry about making the deal, so I know that it was a good deal. Although I spent way to much money overall, I got a majority of my souvenir shopping done!

I believe it was the 3rd night that Sarah, Audrey, Autumn, and I decided to go see Harry Potter. When we arrived at the movie theater we were disappointed to find out the last showing started at 8:30 and it was already 9:15 p.m., so we headed out to find somewhere to get dinner. Right as we walked outside, we stumbled across a hookah bar. It was such a great atmosphere and, as usual, the Turkish people were super nice. Hookah is really fun, and not bad for you. Mom, I know what you are thinking, but its not. Anyways, we got double apple, which was really tasty. We also decided to get some Turkish tea. The tea comes in a bunch of different flavors, my personal favorite being kiwi. Aside from Hookah, backgammon is a huge part of the culture. While we were in the hookah bar, we made friends with the owner and asked him to teach us how to play. At first it was difficult to catch on because he would get frustrated with how long it took us to make a move, he would just do it for us. Eventually he left to serve other customers so we were able to really catch on. The next day I went back to the grand bazaar and got the most beautiful backgammon board and we have been playing it on the ship since. Actually, the first place we played it was right after we left the grand bazaar. We went back to the hookah bar, got some “tost” (pretty much a grilled cheese) and tea, and played on my backgammon board. Pretty cool story as to how I learned how to play!

While walking through the port one day, I met a guy named Volcan, who worked in customs, and wanted to exchange emails with me. Excited for another foreign friend, I of course said yes, and we have been emailing back and forth. I have been so taken back by the culture of this country. Everyone is so accommodating and so nice it is ridiculous. The people are so nice that if they came to the states, our culture would label them as creepy or “sketch”, but really they aren’t, it is just part of them to be extremely friendly.

The last day, Sarah, Audrey, and I got up early to see the famous Blue Mosque and the Hagia Sophia. They were both incredibly beautiful and, ultimately, like most things, indescribable. The Hagia Sophia (pronounced Haya, not Hag-ia), to my suprise, was originally a christian church, that later was turned into a mosque, and finally, a museum. Had we gone later that day to the Blue Mosque, around 12:00 p.m., Anne Hathaway was there. WHO KNEW!? A little disappointed I missed seeing her, but as I am not a huge fan of hers as it is, it wasn't too much of a disappointment. After all of our early sight seeing, we sat down for some lunch right near the ship because Sarah had an afternoon SAS trip to catch. Audrey and I decided afterwards to go grab our computers and head across the street to a small cafe with free wifi! I love getting internet, especially when it is free!

The one thing I will not miss about Europe in general is the constant bombardment and harassment a visitor will face when going to see “the sites” or in large shopping areas by tour guides and shop owners, respectively. I have never been told “I Love You” and asked “Will you be my beautiful customer?” so many times as when I was in the Grand Bazaar.

I did eventually see Harry Potter and was thoroughly disappointed.

I will definitely be going back to Istanbul. It may even be my favorite stop yet! The thing I loved about it most was the culture, if that wasn’t already made abundantly clear. The culture was finally rich and distinctive. It was so easy to feel and sink into, it really gave great insight into the country as a whole.

ANNOUNCEMENT: Pictures have been posted on my facebook for Spain, Italy, Croatia, and Greece. Turkey pictures will be up in the very near future! Also, if there is a particular souvenir you would like from either Egypt or Morocco, email me and let me know and I will be happy to bring it back for you!

31 days until I return to America! Miss and love you all!