Konak Marmaris

... of the universe.  I don't think i have ever been more harassed in my entire life. There we so many places to go and it was so easy to get lost.  The people give you cards so you can find your way back to how you got in.   We were with a group of at least 70 people and we only ran in to 2 or 3 the entire time we were in there.  That is how massive it is.  My friend Kathryn and I just walked around, told people we were sisters and ...

... the contents of my carryon and much to my delight and embarrassment there was my passport. How could it just magically disappear like that? Where did it go? Why did it leave me when I needed it most? I booked a hotel room for the night then called my tour guide and met him at his office so he could reschedule all my hotels rooms, tours and transport for a day later. After my itinerary was ...

... in Istanbul, I mistakenly took the bus instead of the train into town. It took me forever to find my hotel for the first night, as the streets were windy, non-continuous, and generally difficult to follow. I finally made it, threw down my bag, and head off to catch the nearby sights - the Blue Mosque. There were throngs of people, who appeared to be swallowed up by the immense interior. I then followed the swarms of people ...

... behind the counter providing any customer service. I finally got checked-in. Immigration was pretty much a zoo. No lines, just groups of passengers pushing up against the desk. The officer would choose the passport nearest him. The officer would check the passport, fill in the immigration form, stamp it, then hand it to another agent to enter the information in the computer. When the second agent was finished, she ...

All good things must come to an end. I am sad to say that my time here in Istanbul is over and it has forever changed my life. A year ago I couldnt have imagined going to a foreign country where i didnt know the language and maneuver my way around. unreal. i think i can say that i am proud of myself for what i accomplished here.... i overcame many insecurities and fears so now i can go back to ann arbor with a vengeance. excellent ...

... intuitive as to what you are supposed to do when. Although we were reassured that someone would explain to us what the process was like, and what we should actually do, that never happened....maybe because it was near the end of the night, or maybe because no one spoke English...either way, this set the stage for some funny scenarios. First, I (Andy) changed into my towel and entered the shower area....a very big, Turkish looking man ...

... the beautiful tiled iconography. Everyone knows that I'm not religious, and I definitely don't think that one religion is better than the other, but it really makes me angry and sad when I see the result of one religion thinking their's is the right one. the hagia sophia was grand and beautiful and we could only see glimpses of what it once was from the laborious ...

... met Multu, an attorney with an international commercial practice here in Istanbul, and he has invited us to dinner. He worked for 5 years in a large international law firm in New York before returning to Istanbul to open a solo practice and cash in on Turkey's booming economy. He took us to a very sophisticated restaurant on the Asian side of the Bosphorus. Multu was dressed like as a solo practitioner in Northern Michigan might be, comfortably ...

... of days we booked our flights to Hong Kong (leaving 13th July - Friday 13th July!!!) and saw more of Istanbul. On the 11th we went to see the Cistern, which is basically an underground freshwater place with lots of columns (if anyone has seen the James Bond film, From Russia With Love, with Sean Connery then they will have seen this place. There is a scene where James Bond is in a little rowing boat underground in a place with loads of ...

... is turquoise in colour here and is quite clear. It was not very wide but very long. Our hotel seemed to be in the centre of the bay. It is very hot in August here, about 41 - 45 degrees in the shade. We are going through 6-10 litres of water a day. The hotel we have is basic but has a swimming pool but there are loads of choice for cafes, bar, restaurants,shops, excursions, etc. We went ...