Jaymie, Cassie and I arrived in Turkey around five o'clock in the evening and our introduction to the country was, well, interesting. We had a CRAZY cab ride from the airport to our hostel; seriously, I had to shut my eyes tight and hold on for dear life as we squeezed narrowly through traffic, barely avoided hitting pedestrians and reversed at at least forty miles per hour. (We later started referring to this as Mr. Turk's wild ride.)
But once we made it to the hostel (safe and sound, thank goodness), we set our stuff down and immediately headed outside - we were excited to see the city! The area we staying in was called "Backpackers' Row" by the locals because it was an entire street of hostels and cute little restaurants that attracted lots of young travellers. We loved just strolling around in the warm weather checking out the food and the cute little knickknacks at the souvenir shops.
Before too long, one of the shopkeepers invited us to have Turkish tea with some of his friends. Suddenly, we were sitting on the porch of his shop, dressing up in Turkish costumes (check out the veil and the belt with coins - it's called a shakira), and learning how to play traditional Turkish instruments (my favorite were the finger cymbals). We spent hours there with our new friends. They told us all about the sights in the city, the best Turkish food and the history of Turkey. Cassie went to use the bathroom at one point (which was on the top floor of their 4-level shop and restaurant building). She came back laughing and told us that she had noticed a hole in the bathroom wall, and when she look out she had a perfect view of the Hagia Sofia, Istanbul's oldest (and most beautiful) mosque. She's said "You guys, I've waited all my life to see that building and I saw it first through a hole in the bathroom wall!" We thought that was a really funny quote and we later preserved it for posterity in the guest book at the Hagia Sofia. That night was the perfect introduction for our time in Turkey. Everything we saw was so new and exciting and everyone we met was so friendly and welcoming; we were having a great time.
But once we made it to the hostel (safe and sound, thank goodness), we set our stuff down and immediately headed outside - we were excited to see the city! The area we staying in was called "Backpackers' Row" by the locals because it was an entire street of hostels and cute little restaurants that attracted lots of young travellers. We loved just strolling around in the warm weather checking out the food and the cute little knickknacks at the souvenir shops.
Before too long, one of the shopkeepers invited us to have Turkish tea with some of his friends. Suddenly, we were sitting on the porch of his shop, dressing up in Turkish costumes (check out the veil and the belt with coins - it's called a shakira), and learning how to play traditional Turkish instruments (my favorite were the finger cymbals). We spent hours there with our new friends. They told us all about the sights in the city, the best Turkish food and the history of Turkey. Cassie went to use the bathroom at one point (which was on the top floor of their 4-level shop and restaurant building). She came back laughing and told us that she had noticed a hole in the bathroom wall, and when she look out she had a perfect view of the Hagia Sofia, Istanbul's oldest (and most beautiful) mosque. She's said "You guys, I've waited all my life to see that building and I saw it first through a hole in the bathroom wall!" We thought that was a really funny quote and we later preserved it for posterity in the guest book at the Hagia Sofia. That night was the perfect introduction for our time in Turkey. Everything we saw was so new and exciting and everyone we met was so friendly and welcoming; we were having a great time.The next day we headed out to explore the city without any real plans. Most of our trips (like to Bratislava and Krakow and Prague) have been only a few days and we've always been pressed for time, so we were so happy to have ten days in Turkey and not have to rush around everywhere.
After about a half an hour of walking we had to go back and drop off our coats at the hostel because it was SO warm and sunny! We had gotten used to Budapest's cold weather, this was quite a releif. We spent a while walking along the rocky coast, which was great because we're all California girls and this was the first time we'd seen salt water since we'd been in Europe. We stumbled upon what seemed like a secret back entrance in the castle walls so, of course, I said "Lets explore!" What we found was a pasture for the horses that were used to give tourists carriage rides around the castle. We met Mehmet, who cared for the horses and he and his friends (we think their names were Rat Face and Black Man, but with their broken English it was hard to tell) showed us 
around. We stood inside the castle walls and looked out over the Bosphorous Strait, and we could see the other coast of Istanbul, the side that's in Asia. We met one of the horses, his name was Constantine. Mehmet and his friends were really curious about California and Hollywood and movie stars (though their favorite song was by Ace of Base, so I think they're a little behind the times) and they had alot of questions for us. We would have liked to stay and chat in the sunshine in that little secret garden all day, but we had to say goodbye; we still had so much of the city to see!
around. We stood inside the castle walls and looked out over the Bosphorous Strait, and we could see the other coast of Istanbul, the side that's in Asia. We met one of the horses, his name was Constantine. Mehmet and his friends were really curious about California and Hollywood and movie stars (though their favorite song was by Ace of Base, so I think they're a little behind the times) and they had alot of questions for us. We would have liked to stay and chat in the sunshine in that little secret garden all day, but we had to say goodbye; we still had so much of the city to see!Our next stop was at the Hagia Sofia, for a real view - not just through a hole in the bathroom wall! I had been wanting to see this building ever since I studied it in art history in high school, and it was one of my main reasons for coming to Istanbul. And really, it exceeded all my expectations! The building is SO big and SO beautiful, I really couldn't believe it. And it was built in the 5th century! Here's a quick histo
ry: the Hagia Sofia was built by the Byzantines as an Eastern Orthodox Church, then when the Turks conquered the city (then called Constantinople), it was converted to a Muslim Mosque. Because the Muslim religion prohibits having any representations of people (like saints, God, Jesus, etc.), all the original mosaics were plastered over and painted with Arabic writing and designs. Today, the Hagia Sofia is a museum and some of the mosaics have been uncovered, while some of the Arabic designs have been left. It's really strange to be able to see the history of the building so clearly. I mean, where else can you see a mosaic of the Angel Gabriel right next to some Arabic writing? And the building itself is really pretty too. There's a HUGE dome, with windows all around it and at different times of day the sun shines through different windows, creating these beams of light that light up the building. It's like if you stay long enough, you can see the light beams move and you can see time passing by right in front of your eyes. It's really breathtaking.
ry: the Hagia Sofia was built by the Byzantines as an Eastern Orthodox Church, then when the Turks conquered the city (then called Constantinople), it was converted to a Muslim Mosque. Because the Muslim religion prohibits having any representations of people (like saints, God, Jesus, etc.), all the original mosaics were plastered over and painted with Arabic writing and designs. Today, the Hagia Sofia is a museum and some of the mosaics have been uncovered, while some of the Arabic designs have been left. It's really strange to be able to see the history of the building so clearly. I mean, where else can you see a mosaic of the Angel Gabriel right next to some Arabic writing? And the building itself is really pretty too. There's a HUGE dome, with windows all around it and at different times of day the sun shines through different windows, creating these beams of light that light up the building. It's like if you stay long enough, you can see the light beams move and you can see time passing by right in front of your eyes. It's really breathtaking.Just across from the Hagia Sofia is the Blue Mosque, the biggest operating 
mosque in Istanbul. We stopped for a picture, but we couldn't go in because we didn't have head scarfs with us. You see, when you go into a mosque you have to take off your shoes and (if you're a woman) cover your head. The issue of head scarfs is an interesting one in Istanbul, because for quite some time wearing a headscarf in public (that is, outside of a mosque) was actually officially illegal. The law was put into effect when the Turks were trying to secularize their government, and decrease the influence of Islam on their society in an effort to get closer to "the West." But some women continue to wear the head scarfs in public as a religious and political statement. We opted just to wear them in the mosques.
mosque in Istanbul. We stopped for a picture, but we couldn't go in because we didn't have head scarfs with us. You see, when you go into a mosque you have to take off your shoes and (if you're a woman) cover your head. The issue of head scarfs is an interesting one in Istanbul, because for quite some time wearing a headscarf in public (that is, outside of a mosque) was actually officially illegal. The law was put into effect when the Turks were trying to secularize their government, and decrease the influence of Islam on their society in an effort to get closer to "the West." But some women continue to wear the head scarfs in public as a religious and political statement. We opted just to wear them in the mosques.
After all that walking around we were tired, so we settled down to a nice cup of Turkish coffee. Lets just say, it was GROSS. I called it coffee soup. Basically, it was a shot of brewed coffee with the grinds still in it. Later, we found out that you're supposed to drink it without stirring it so the grinds settle to the bottom (and don't get in your mouth). At the time, though, we didn't know this. 
So, we ended up with grinds in our coffee AND in our teeth. Yuck! Cassie and Jaymie made me take a picture of my teeth after drinking the last sip of coffee and here it is. Needless to say, I brushed my teeth for about ten minutes when we got back to the hostel. 
Turkish coffee wasn't the only specialty that I didn't like. The Turks have this tobacco waterpipe called nargile or hookah, that I just couldn't stand. We had it first with the shopkeepers on our first night in Istanbul and we soon found out that it is a staple for any social situation in Turkey. It's polite to take at least a few puffs as the pipe is passed around but I'm unaccustomed to any kind of smoking and I would end up coughing up a storm each time. Of course, all the Turks thought this was really funny.So our next big adventure in Turkey was a day trip to the Princes' Islands. The Islands are off the coast of the Asian part of Istanbul, about an hour by ferry from where we were staying.
We got off on the biggest island, which is ALOT like Catalina. It's funny how I can go halfway around the world and find something that's just like home. We got off the boat and just started wandering among the cool old houses on the island (they are vacation homes of the Turkish elite, 
we were told, but the place was like a ghost town now because it's not vacationing season). Along the way, we managed to pick up a stray dog, who we named Lady. Lady followed us ALL AROUND the island. First, she hiked about two miles with us among the hilly streets of the town. Then, a Turkish man driving a horse drawn carriage came up and began yelling at us in Turkish. Of course, we didn't understand but we got the gist that we wanted us to get in his carriage and we were tired from walking anyway, so we hopped in. Sadly, he motioned that Lady couldn't come along, so we had to leave her behind. The Turkish driver dropped us off at a little hillside cafe serving Turkish tea (which, unlike Turkish coffee is actually really good) and, of course, nargile. There was a gorgeous view of the ocean and the other islands between the trees, so we just sat back and relaxed for a few minutes. Then, suddenly, who do we see coming out of the trees? LADY! When we left the cafe later, we again had to leave Lady behind and we thought that would be the last we'd see of her, but after we got back into town, had dinner at a cute little seaside restaurant and some ice cream to top it off, we were just about to get on the ferry to leave when we saw Lady cross the street right in front of us. She turned to give us a look like "Geeze guys, I've been walking all over." We decided that if she followed us back to mainland Istanbul then we'd have to keep her. But then we got on the ferry and waved goodbye to the Princes' Islands and to Lady.The weather in Istanbul was extremely unpredictable. It went from being warm and sunny on Saturday to hot and muggy on Monday, then on Tuesday it rained! Our Turkish friends had an explanation: "The weather is like a woman," they say,"it can be nice in the morning, indifferent by midday and absolutely mean by nighttime." So, on Tuesday we saw mean, rainy weather.
We decided to tour all the Mosques in the city (good, indoor sights to see). We had been hearing the mosques since we'd been there. You see, five times a day they have the call to prayer - a really interesting shouting/ singing that reminds all Muslims to pray. Here's a video sample:
Today, there are microphones and loud speakers, but originally the call to prayer was actually shouted/ sang by a person standing at the top of the mosque's minaret (the tall, skinny tower). It's really interesting because there are mosques in Istanbul probably every three or four blocks, but they all do the call to prayer at the same time of day, so the Blue Mosque starts it off then the mosques nearby start too, and it spreads through the city that way. 
The result is this crazy echoing effect that is beautiful (even at 5 in the morning).
So we spent the whole day dashing through pouring rain from one mosque to the next. As much as we loved wearing our head scarfs and checking out the truly beautiful Muslim architecture, the rain did make us a little homesick and so we indulged in a little American comfort: STARBUCKS! We don't have any Starbucks in Budapest, and I have to tell you that a Grande Vanilla Latte never tasted so good (even if it did cost more than 7 dollars). After seeing nearly all the mosques in the city, we were faced with the prospect of walking all the way back to our hostel in the rain, so we opted to take a tram, the only problem was that it was packed full of wet, sweaty (kinda smelly) Turkish men who were also avoiding the rain. The smell, the space, the oily slippery disgustingness, it was all just like being inside a can of sardines. Yuck.
The result is this crazy echoing effect that is beautiful (even at 5 in the morning).So we spent the whole day dashing through pouring rain from one mosque to the next. As much as we loved wearing our head scarfs and checking out the truly beautiful Muslim architecture, the rain did make us a little homesick and so we indulged in a little American comfort: STARBUCKS! We don't have any Starbucks in Budapest, and I have to tell you that a Grande Vanilla Latte never tasted so good (even if it did cost more than 7 dollars). After seeing nearly all the mosques in the city, we were faced with the prospect of walking all the way back to our hostel in the rain, so we opted to take a tram, the only problem was that it was packed full of wet, sweaty (kinda smelly) Turkish men who were also avoiding the rain. The smell, the space, the oily slippery disgustingness, it was all just like being inside a can of sardines. Yuck.
Next Jaymie and I decided to get out of the city a little and take a two-day trip to Cappadocia, a region in Asiatic Turkey well-known for its geological formations (it's like the Grand Canyon of Turkey). We took a 13 hour overnight bus ride, and finally arrived in the city of Goreme just as the sun was coming up. But boy was it worth it. We stayed in a hostel that was literally carved into the rocks. 
Our room was a cave! And we were greeted with a great big Turkish breakfast (with Turkish tea, of course) on the hostel's balcony looking over the whole town and its rock formations. You see, the region is made of really soft volcanic ash and over the years, water eroded the ash into tiny valleys. But then the wind further eroded the rock into what they call "chimneys" - freestanding columns of rock. It's weird, but SO cool. We spent our first day there hiking the valleys and exploring a few of the "underground cities." It was amazing how elaborate and extensive some of these underground cities were - and they were just built by people digging into the cliffs. Before we went back to our hostel at night we stopped by a little hole-in-the-wall restaurant where we sat on cushions on the floor and sipped tea. While we were there a few of the guys got up and played traditional Turkish music. We ate lots of Turkish flatbread (kinda like pita but waaay better) and meze. Meze is the Turkish term for any appetizer-like dish. It's customary to order a few and share. Our favorite was a spicy eggplant dish called abergine. But this restaurant had sun-dried tomatoes soaked in olive oil and a pomegranate-balsamic sauce. It was the most delicious food I've ever had. When we woke up the next morning we set out to rent motor scooters, so we could explore more 
of the region on our own. It was great at first: we were out on the open road, enjoying breathtaking views. Then, just after Jaymie took this picture of me, she took a little topple. Nothing big, she just fell over and the bike fell on top of her. She had a few scratches on her and the bike had a few scratches on it. No big deal. About an hour later, I crashed my bike into a curb when I was turning off a dirt road onto a paved highway. I wasn't really hurt, but the force of the crash had broken the (very rusted) steering column and the handlebars were just hanging limp off the bike. We thought, "uh-oh!" So we had to call the rental guy, have him come pick us 
up and take us back to town. After about an hour of negotiations, I ended up paying him almost $200 dollars for the damages to the bike! But he felt so bad about making us pay that he offered to take Jaymie and me up to a historic church where his friend lived to watch the sunset. So we went (THEY drove us on quads this time) and we met his friend who was the caretaker of the church and lived in a cave next door and we all drank homemade (or cave-made) wine as we watched the sunset and they told us folktales about the history of the region. It was a nice, relaxing ending to a stressful day.
of the region on our own. It was great at first: we were out on the open road, enjoying breathtaking views. Then, just after Jaymie took this picture of me, she took a little topple. Nothing big, she just fell over and the bike fell on top of her. She had a few scratches on her and the bike had a few scratches on it. No big deal. About an hour later, I crashed my bike into a curb when I was turning off a dirt road onto a paved highway. I wasn't really hurt, but the force of the crash had broken the (very rusted) steering column and the handlebars were just hanging limp off the bike. We thought, "uh-oh!" So we had to call the rental guy, have him come pick us 
up and take us back to town. After about an hour of negotiations, I ended up paying him almost $200 dollars for the damages to the bike! But he felt so bad about making us pay that he offered to take Jaymie and me up to a historic church where his friend lived to watch the sunset. So we went (THEY drove us on quads this time) and we met his friend who was the caretaker of the church and lived in a cave next door and we all drank homemade (or cave-made) wine as we watched the sunset and they told us folktales about the history of the region. It was a nice, relaxing ending to a stressful day.Jaymie and I said goodbye to Cappadocia then, and after another long busride we were back in Istanbul. We knew our trip was winding down, so we spent the last of our time there doing some sightseeing. We went to the Grand Bazaar for some shopping (bargaining there is a must, so we brought along our friend Fransisco to take care of that for us). We went to the Spice Bazaar, where we were bombarded by samples of our new favorite food - 
Turkish delight! We each left with two kilograms of Turkish delight and a huge stomach ache. We went to Topkapi Palace, next to the garden where we had met Mehmet and Constantine back in the beginning of the week. The view from there was beautiful and I took this picture of the Bosphorus Strait. The coastline on the left of the picture is the European side of Istanbul and on the right is the Asiatic side. Cool, huh?
The last thing that I did before we left Turkey was to go back to a rug shop down the street from our hostel. I had gone in there on our first night in Istanbul and seen an embroidered wall hanging that I really wanted. Every time we passed by this shop, the owner always reminded me to come back and buy that wall hanging before I left. So finally I stopped in , and I spent two hours there! He insisted I sit down for tea and meze, and I stayed there playing with a neighborhood kid and his little kittens. By the time I left, we were really friends. And that's how things were in Turkey, everyone was so hospitable and friendly, I truely felt like I had a home away from home there, even if it was just for ten days.
p.s. If you want to see more (and bigger!) pictures, check out my album here: http://www.facebook.com/album.php?aid=2227364&l=15479&id=3420041
AND (yes, there's more), here:
http://www.facebook.com/album.php?aid=2227570&l=92e29&id=3420041
