Second Home Hostel Istanbul

... away yet?) It is a small
one named Hidayet Camii. The Turkish language is daunting. I can say about four
words so far including simit (a delicious sesame seed topped round donut looking
bread that is sold in the street, chay (tea), gunaydin (good morning), cami (mosque).

I then walked into the Spice Bazaar but I will save the description of this extraordinary
event for the next blog as it deserves its own section. Unbelievable is the best I can ...

... of the city centre, which seems to go on forever seems to be one huge market, not to mention the Grand Bazaar, the Spice Bazaar and a huge shopping street which goes for about 2km full of all the trendy shops.

All in all definitely a place I would come back to, maybe more for a weeks holiday or a long weeked in which you would be able to get around most of the major sites.

Will update with pictures once I get a decent internet place.

... builders placed a market within the precincts of the mosque to provide income for future years. The mosques are huge, but not grotesque like other Christian monuments. Inside the mosques they have lowered rafts of lights to serve the needs of the worshipers. That these rafts effectively cut off the soaring view of the inside ...

... up until a few weeks ago we were the one being. Standing in the concourse of the station I wasn't quite sure of its location in comparison to the city centre so I was happy to just sit somewhere and await the next train. Unfortunately the police weren't so pleased with this scenario; every time I sat down they would be over to tell me to get up. I was tired from the nights traveling and starting to get a bit cranky with what I felt was unnecessary harassment. To prevent myself from ...

... and some spooky music playing. At the end there are two medusa's heads - one upside down and one sideways. After having a quick nap, I walked down the hill in Sultanahmet to try to find something to eat. I was walking along when a big screen TV in a pub caught my eye. USA was playing China in the opening basketball game of the Beijing Olympics. This was too good to walk past so I went into the pub, had one nine lira beer (very expensive) and watched the back end of the game.

what can i say what can i say what can i say what can i say what can i say good news: the weather has been so much better lately, or it may just be getting acclimated to the temps. either way, it excites me because when i get to class, i dont look like i have just gotten out of the shower! gross... so after my scarring incident this morning with foul tasting apricots, i turned it around and had a pretty good day. i felt like i actually knew what i was doing (for the ...

... We managed to catch a ride for the last couple of ks with one of the only busses allowed up to the monument ..it was brilliant as it meant we could by pass the crowds and manage too get seat in the grandstand and catch a couple of hours kip before the NZ cermony began. It was so moving to see people holding medals and photos of their grandfathers lost in the war. I may not have had anybody personally in my family in the war but the ceremony definately touched me. After the ceremony ...

... cross the Taklamakan desert and the Himalayas!!! The geography is rough and tough (remember Borat?) and needs a lot of planning. I (G)will also publicize the tour, which will be promoting our mission. We will have a website in Turkish and English which we'll update every 10 days or so. We will visit the NGOs along the way and work with the media in those countries. TEMA is covering some of our costs but because we will be ...

... version started. We're soon rolling up to the landing gate..but.. oh my gosh, we're back at JFK. I ;say to him "I think we did a U-turn. This is the same terminal we flew out of. He says he thought that of JFK when he first landed there. The architecture is very similar, but he assures me we ARE in Turkey. And soon, I see the Istanbul airport sign, and a lot of Turkish Airline planes...whew! Being in the front, I had to wait out on the ramp for Julie, who is the back of ...

... I like mine with plain cheese. They flatten out the dough by hand. He pinched it. He put it on a pizza board with a long handle. He put it in the oven and took it out when it had risen. He pushed it down, he put the toppings on, put egg whites on and swooped it back into the oven. He took it out and it turned into a delicious pide. He put the finishing touches on it and then he served it. It was really yummy! I can still taste it in my mouth. Yummy, delicious pide. The end ...