Hush Hostel Istanbul

... big thunder storm so we waited for it to calm down and even got our Hafele coats out and brought a couple of poncho’s to keep our cases dry and walked to the dock where we have boarded the cruise and it is fantastic.

We set off from Venice and headed towards Bari Italy our first stop and got off for a short walk but the ship is so good we went back and had a spa and sat around doing nothing.

We were sitting at a table on the top deck in the sun having ...

... 2am, every half-asleep and very confused person was forced to get off the bus as a crew of EMT boarded the bus. We could not understand anything that was said, but from gestures we guessed that Mehmet had high-blood pressure, a heart condition, or was drunk. There was one problem, Mehmet refused to get off the bus. The paramedics did not appreciate Mehmet's attitude, and left him on the bus. The bus driver refused to drive any further with Mehmet on the bus. The co-captain motioned for ...

... the columns are illuminated and in areas the water is lit enough that we see fish swimming in the shallows. The sunlight overwhelms us as we leave the underground vault and re-enter the animated world that is downtown Istanbul. Now it is time for lunch. To you readers it must seem like we are eating all the time, but the food is so wonderful that I always feel compelled to mention it. So, with that in mind, we now return to Doy Doy for a ...

Day 3 - The Istanbul by Foot - tour 2009. Yup, today Obama was doing his touristy stuff. Yup, he needed to show the Islamic people of the world that unlike his predecessor, he is Muslim friendly. Therefore, we all had to suffer some so that the "leader of the free world"(as said on CNN) got his PR shots. To avoid Obama, who was suppose to visit the blue Mosque near our hotel, we thought that we'd do a walking tour that would take us across the Galata ...

... kariye musezi. here is a link to read about it: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Chora_Chur ch it is in the outskirts of the heart of the city, and i trekked up hill, down hill, across major streets, slums, etc. and it was so worth it. the mosaics and frescoes are still in excellent condition, and i am willing to go out on a limb and say that they are better than the ones in the Ayasofya. its amazing that such works are still in such good condition... its a real treat to see ...

... that wont take away from my time here. someone was telling me about the ortakoy mosque here in istanbul, and now i really want to go. Apparently it has 6 minarets and the only other mosque to have 6 minarets is the prophet's mosque in mecca. it was really controversial at the time because it was the ottomans showing their might and that they had more power than the saffavids in iran. relics from Muhammad's tomb used to be in this mosque but they have been moved to topkapi ...

... did enjoy the journey. Long as it was, the day was lovely and a bit much for you to wade through. For me, I hope I lost a pound or two in the process of making all those memories. By the way, two minutes after the Rabbinate received the fax from my hotel, I had an appointment for 10A tomorrow at Neve Calom. For those of you so inclined, "A Zeson Pesach." For those of you who are not, I hope you infused with spirit of joy and freedom that this holiday signifies.

... terrain were dramatic, very hot and dusty, dead flat and sparse vegetation. We crossed the border to none of the expected touting or hassle, it was certainly busy though. We caught a bus to the next town Gorakhpur and then an overnight train to Varanasi. Situated on the west bank of the River Ganga (Ganges), Varanasi is the holiest city in India. 60,000 people a day go down to the Ghats (steps leading down to the water), to pray, bathe, go to the toilet, wash ...

... Siad took Pat to the station on the back of his moped to get the tickets then on Friday evening they took the both of us to the station to catch the bus. The journey was 13 hours and all in all was pretty good. Air con, free drinks and biscuits, even a waiter in a bow tie to look after you - not bad for 20 quid really. National Express please take note! Afetr what seemed like forever the sun came up and we boarded the ferry for the final stint in our ...