Tuesday,
October 30th:
After a
morning coffee from Starbucks, Sarah and I discovered a neat shopping district
behind the Blue Mosque. At 10am, we caught a bus tour in front of the Hagia
Sophia that took us along the Bosphorus and through Taksim. An audio recording
gave us some of the history behind the landmarks we passed. Sarah and I got out
at Taksim Square. We walked along the 3km shopping street where we discovered a
Krispy Kreme! Hooray for chocolate covered, custard filled! There was a light
rain, so we ducked inside a shop until it passed. From there we walked to Galata
tower. There were amazing views of the city from the top.
After we
left, we asked directions to get to the next hop on point for our bus. Just as
we got near the place, our bus passed by on the other side of the interstate! We
backtracked to an overpass and crossed to the other side of the interstate. After
waiting for 15 minutes and still no bus, I got impatient suggested that we walk
in the direction of the route, back to the other side of the peninsula. We had
to cross over the interstate again, and almost died trying to cross. It was a
long trek back, through a hardware district and across the bridge.
On the
other side of the bridge, just as we were crossing the road to the next bus
stop, our bus went by. We figured another one would be by soon, and sat down to
wait. We waited for an hour and a half. After my impatience almost got us
killed, I just kept telling myself "wait for 5 more minutes ... just 5
more minutes." Finally, Sarah and I decided to walk back to the Hagia
Sophia. It was frustrating to waste so much time and I was disappointed
since it meant a change of plans for Thursday. We decided to finish the bus
tour Thursday morning, which we’d originally left open to revisit some of our
favorite places. We ate dinner at a restaurant with a terrace to enjoy the
beautiful views of the Hagia Sophia and Blue Mosque. After dinner, we went back
to our hotel and booked a boat tour for the next morning. The hotel generously
upgraded our room, so we were shown the new room and given a key. From the
hotel, we split up for a little down time. Sarah went to Starbucks and I went
exploring. A winding walk through narrow roads took me underneath the tram
trestle and when I came out on the other side, there was the ocean! I sat on
the wall, soaking in the soothing motion of the ocean, the peaceful lighting of
the sunset, and the reassurance of people around me - a father tenderly holding
his daughter on the rocks by the water, a man fishing, a couple cuddling on the
bench.
Sarah and
I had set a time to meet again, so I headed back around 5:30 to meet her at
Starbucks. Both feeling more refreshed, we walked back to Sultanahmet district
to the Arasta Bazaar. We’ve gotten lots of looks (not as much staring,
thankfully). Not only are we the only single women tourists I’ve seen, but the
obvious differences in our physical appearance make us a little conspicuous
too. I still get asked if I’m from Korea or China, but at least the question doesn’t
convey a subliminal implication with it. At one shop, a man asked me where I
was from and when I answered America, he turned to his friend in
disappointment. I asked him if they’d had a bet, and he smiled. “Who won?”
Apparently neither one had. “I guess I won then!” We all laughed at that.
Before heading back to the hotel, Sarah and I stopped at a café for apple tea.
Wednesday,
October 31st:
At 8am,
Sarah and I were waiting outside our hotel for the shuttle to pick us up. We
were taken to Kabatas boat landing with a group of other foreigners. It was
interesting to listen to the French, Arabic, Turkish, German, American and
British English voices circulating around our boat. The boat tour ended up
being one of our favorite adventures. We went to the Maiden’s Tower first. The
Tower has several legends associated with it. In one, the maiden Hera was
locked away here, but her lover, Leandros swam across the channel each night to
see her. One night the wind blew out the light in the tower. He couldn't find
his way and drowned at sea. Hera threw herself from the tower to immortalize
their love. After the Tower, we went to Ortakoy. Even though the mosque was
closed for renovation, we enjoyed going to the cute shops and watching the men
cast their lines for fish. They let out a long line, put the hook and weight on
the cement platform behind them, then flicked the pole out into the channel.
Time after time, they flicked the pole without snagging the hook on anyone,
even though people were gathered all around the platform. Truly a talent.
Our next
stop was Beylerbeyi Palace. It was the third Ottoman palace built in Istanbul. Apart
from keeping the sultan’s mother and brother under house arrest, the palace was
primarily used as a summer house for the sultan’s guests. A fountain was built
inside the main room, which served as a form of air conditioning. It is amazing
to see an enormous marble fountain with a large pool and benches indoors. As
there is no kitchen in the palace, all the meals were brought over by boat from
the other side of the channel. Imagine what it would be like if you requested
some extra bread, or didn’t like the main dish!
After the palace, we
zigzagged back across the channel to the Rumelli Fortress. The morning-only
passengers debarked while the afternoon riders came aboard. Lunch was served as
the boat made its way up the channel to the Black Sea. On the way, we passed
two more small fortresses, a palace, a hospital where Florence Nightingale once
worked, and the military university where Ataturk studied.
Our final stop was a
village situated where the Bosphorus meets the Black Sea. We walked to the old
city walls overlooking the Black Sea. From there, we wandered up the hill to
the main village. Along our route, we passed three older
women wearing the same quaint blue head coverings. Two of the women were on the
road, talking to their friend on the balcony. As we passed, one of the women
eagerly tried to converse with me. She pulled out some red berries from her bag
and intimated that they were for chai. We tried to take a picture, but they
declined, gesturing to their head-coverings and suggesting that it would be
inappropriate. When we got to the top of the hill, we met three girls running
the local store. After figuring out the price of scarves and buying a few, I
asked the girls for their names. Fayza, Bayza and Bushera. We scampered back
down the hill and to the pier, getting on the boat just before it left.
As we
sailed back to Kabatas, our tour guide came and chatted with Sarah and me. I
enjoyed getting to know him. A smile and a pair of Rey Ban sunglasses were his
two distinguishing features. I asked him about his travels and he has really
been all over. He told us that he is frequently asked whether Istanbul is more
European or Asian. His answer, "definitely Asian." Their view of
Asian culture is much broader than ours, I think. He explained that European/Western
countries have many rules and a strict structure. Istanbul is like Asia because
people function according to the unwritten rules. "Chaos, it's all chaos.
And I love it!" I know westerners would describe the culture as chaotic,
but I've never heard a local describe it that way. He went on to say that the
culture is also very dramatic, "the men especially." I had to share
his smile then. Yes, life is certainly more dramatic.
After he
left to talk to the other passengers, I spent time praying and thinking about
how refreshing this trip has been. On the boat, my mind was able to wander,
thinking about things I don't often have time to think about at home. I am
usually focused on students, lesson planning, and team. My thoughts about the
future, what I am learning, what I hope to achieve in the next year, often fall
by the wayside, or try to creep into my devotional time. It was refreshing to
have a time to let them spill over. My mind has felt more focused each morning
that we've been here. I hope I can take back some of the things I've learned to
my students. It has been exciting for me to learn about Istanbul, and I want my
students to find that they have the same joy in their experiences.
The
shuttle took us back to the Sultanahmet district, where we asked to be dropped
off at the Grand Bazaar. Many of the shops were closing, but we made a “strike
attack” (as Sarah’s dad would say) and got some dried fruit and apple tea. From
there, we went back to the Sultanahmet Fish Restaurant for salmon steak and a
chocolate crepe. The seafood has been a wonderful change of diet!
When we
got back to the hotel, I was able to FaceTime with my sister during her lunch
break. It was an unexpected and welcome surprise. She listened to all of my
exploits, many of which had reminded me of her and our adventures together.
When her lunch break ended, Hannah texted Mom, who immediately Skyped me for
the next hour. I got to talk to Eithen and Jaden, then Mom filled me in on the
family happenings.
