Hotel Istanbul Conti

... black sea was not really a big deal and that the seaside was not really that picturesque anyways (from some hostel mates).

even though i had eaten some food on the way back, the hostel manager (i am so terrible with names) had made some rice and cauliflower soup which she offer to me and it was delicious. as for the rest of the evening i don't think i really did that much other than listen to some podcasts.

... when traveling are the most fun. I could have been a borderline rug smuggler! Forget law school, I'd just go back and forth between Istanbul and home.

Of course, that was maybe the best thing, he said he knew I couldn't lie because I was going to be a lawyer... "You can't lie, it is illegal. And I know you, I see you, I know you will do the right thing." Can't lie because I'm a lawyer, Ha! This guy really was shady and crazy!

Oh man, it was an entertaining final ...

... climate and significant natural resources. It's got good natural defenses (not so important now). But I can see why an emperor would want to be here and to make this the capital. So I rode up the strait, sat on the shore at a café for a couple of hours enjoying a light breeze and an incredible view, and then came back. Having stopped on the way back to the hotel for a pizza and some cash, I settled in for one last sleep in this great and immense metropolis.

... been left at the Pub so Kia  and I hopped back on the Tram to go and get it. The Tram guy thought we were trying to scam the system but we had new tokens to prove we weren't, got the bags of shirts and set off again. Our performance was to be at a different site but we ended up staying for the performance at the station.  Barb and I had already decided where we wanted to sit so we would have a good view of the show.  We all waited in the waiting room of ...

... hanging down from above if you walked on the sides and you could see down the Bosphurus.  We walked up the hill and went to see the Haghia Sophia.  It is one of the oldest buildings in the city and was first built in the 4th century by the Romans as the biggest cathedral in the area and then it was rebuilt in the 6th century when the Ottomans conquered the Romans and turned it into a mosque.  It was huge, with amazing mosaics and huge columns.  I ...

... to the hotel, or a short walk. But this was something else.. I was so tired and sweaty by the time I got to Saltanahmet it was ridiculous. And you guessed it.. all the hostels were full. Leave it to me to NOT book a reservation, just show up and assume that everyone can accommodate me. lol Woops. High season in Turkey, I didn't know. I finally got a bed at a place called the Orient, which is where I am now. All I want is a good meal, maybe visit the Hamam ...

... everywhere, facebooking and playing Solitaire in class, saying "no" to the same people at the same restaurants by the bridge, sinking into the colorful beanbags at the nargile wonderland... Time is flying by. 1/3 way through the program already! So sad. My parents told me to use my credit card for anything that costs more than $30, but I have not bought one item that costs over $30. I think the most money I spent at one time was like 20 liras for a week's worth of groceries. Bank ...

... kiosk. He is 52, looks 70, says gardening is only an old man's occupation now. We get back to the valley just 50m below where we nearly got into trouble. Took photos, which look suitably scary, and carried on with him until we could see the wider track. Paid him the agreed 10, although he was probably hoping for more. Took his photo against the backdrop of the dangerous section, then headed on down. The track widened ...

... and huge underground chamber where water was kept for the city's supply. It is an impressive structure hundreds of years old with some 350+ intricately carved columns spread out beneath normal city streets. Two columns had bases of the head of Medusa, one upside down and the other sideways for unknown reasons. I walked across the Galata bridge, which has restaurants underneath the bridge on both sides and fishermen on every foot of the railing above ...

... came on, music playing and thousands of people hoeing into their first food, drink and cigarette for over 13 hours!! We stood back and let the starving faithful get their fill before we bought a few things to eat as we wandered around. It was a great atmosphere and we were really glad in the end that Mehmet had made us change our plans. (Just found that our camera card has unformatted itself, so lost all the photos we took in the past 36 hours since the balloon flight - bugger!!)