Splendid Hotel Istanbul

... highways and moved onto smaller, winding streets in very cool neighborhoods. Shortly thereafter, the car stopped in front of a hotel... which wasn't the place we'd asked to go.

We were a bit confused, but eventually sorted out that the school had reserved a room for us (without telling us), and that was where the driver had taken us. Fortunately, the room we'd reserved was literally around the corner, so it wasn't ...

... Turkey had descended upon it. There were hundreds of little stalls all waiting for the moon to rise to the sky so that people could break the fast and the was again such an incredible energy about the whole place. Then there was a power cut... Everything for a mile around went black and the only lights left on was the message on the Mosque itself. This only increased the mood and everyone cheered ...

... an AÇEV bracelet (AÇEV is the charity that they work with - the education fund for mothers and children) and a little candle. i was so touched. the cake was delicious and afterwards i went back to finish the project that i was working on. right before i was getting ready to leave one of the women from the marketing department came up and gave me a little gift from her personally - it looked like she was going to cry. i didnt ...

... my mom off to it. After my mom came back we went to the whirling Dervishes. They really are trying to meditate while spinning around, and sort of trying to get high. It was interesting, how some religions pray. After the whirling dervishes we went back to the restaurant Armendos. Then we HAD to get to bed because we are waking up at 3:00 in the morning. I will see you when I get home! I will miss you Istanbul! Esther

... other picks up a stick and stirs the fire. We watch from the window of the train, our mouths agape, stunned into silence, as the officer continues for minutes to stir the now blazing barrel with our travel documents in his overstretched grasp. Finally he puts the stick down and marches into the Immigration office, returning in good time with our whole, room temperature passports.  Phew!

... and bone. Watching them brought back a memory of my childhood, watching the news and the stories being about the plight of all the Romanian orphans. The pictures that accompanied the stories were horrific and really distressing. I remember as a result there became a big interest in the adoption of these orphans. As I watched I wondered about all those babies id seen on TV, trying to imagine what life would be like for many of them now. I stood there deep in thought for quite awhile ...

... a daily basis. Anyway, by the end of the day, Orhan had managed to scam several lira out of us, several dozens of lira out of the American, and god knows how many lira out of the Korean girl. But she took the brunt of it, because he was also putting on the moves. All I could think was "dude, at least take a shower!" We left Istanbul by night bus to Cappadocia = 11 hours. Turkish buses are purportedly fantastic, but really they were just like the Greyhound, only they have no bathrooms ...

... and faced relatively little persecution. When we arrive, there is no outward sign that we are at a synagogue. Security is extremely tight since (I can tell you now that we are done with our visit) Neve Shalom was the site of two terrorist bombings, one in 1986 and one in 2003. As a result, security here and at the Ashkenazi Synagogue a block away is exremely tight. We had to make the visit arrangements in advance ...

... to see the Blue Mosque which is a very fascinating piece of architecture. There is a fantastic shopping area right next to it where you can buy anything Turkish. I had just enough time to do some rug shopping. Turkish rugs are some of the best in the world... just prepare yourself for the price tag!!! They conveniently ship anywhere ...

... more cats and dogs on the streets.... · Lots more women wearing headscarves than we expected (in the rural areas of Turkey, yes, but not so much for Istanbul). And there are hundreds of different ways to arrange them - all very fashionable! · Everone is a carpet salesman or a tour guide!! · Love the call to prayer - very evocative!! And surprisingly the 5am wake up one is most evocative - barely awake, listening to the echoing chants from all the ...