TravelStream™ news feed for member hrtravellers on TravelPod's free travel blogs service http://www.travelpod.com/syndication/rss/hrtravellers en-us Copyright ©2009 TravelPod.com Wed, 14 Jan 2009 09:52:00 -0500 http://www.travelpod.com http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/hrtravellers/1/1229520780/tpod.html http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/hrtravellers/1/1229520780/tpod.html#comments Travel Blogs http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/hrtravellers/1/1229520780/tpod.html Wed, 14 Jan 2009 09:52:00 -0500 Discovering Istanbul: A year of adventure

Jump to the full
entry & travel map

Eskisehir, Turkey

So, many of you may know that I am a member of the Koc University American football team. I play right Tackle and defensive lineman. I am only allowed to play in about 3/4 of the games because Turkeys leagues are divided up into two categories: professional and collegiate. The college league, as you can imagine, is made up of university students only, while the professional league is open to anyone. Any games where I can't play I act as an offensive coordinator. Two days after Christmas, it was time to go and check out Eskishier. It would be about a 6 hour bus ride with 40 Turkish speaking teammates. It began much as I expected it to: rowdy laughter, beer drinking, and jokes I could not understand. Little by little, I began to grow accustomed to hearing the tones of their speech and recognizing what was supposed to be a joke, and what was just a comment. Also, I complained enough after the first hour that they threw in just enough English to keep me satisfied. We managed to stop four times during that 6 hour drive so that the bus driver and teem could smoke cigarettes. This I found most amusing. A bus full of athletes that could not go more than 2 hours without a nicotine fix. We arrived in the city of Eskishier around 2:30am and checked into our rooms and fell asleep quickly. We had to be back up at 8 to eat breakfast and get to the Field by 11. Breakfast was good. It was buffet style, composed mostly of cheese, tomatoes, cucumbers, hard boiled eggs, and lots of fruits. Luckily, I was able to find some Nescafe; the closest thing to American coffee in Turkey. The game lasted from 12:00pm until 5pm and it was snowing/raining for most of it. The game was very back and forth, but at halftime we were ahead by 6 points. After halftime we scored three successive touchdowns to seal our victory. Everyone was thoroughly excited and frozen all at once. Back on the bus, one of the players suggested that we go to a hamam (Turkish bath) to warm up before dinner. Everyone agreed that this was the best idea, perhaps in the history of mankind. I had never been to a hamam so I was not quite sure what to expect. When you walk in you have to give up your shoes for a pair of rubber sandals and proceed to the changing room. There, you change out of your clothes into a thin checked cloth called a "pestemal" which I was told to keep on at all times as it is bad form to flash. Next, wearing my checkered miniskirt, I followed the team into a room that had a pool in the middle which was a little bigger than the average living room, surrounded by marble benches with fountains every 4 feet or so. The room was very steamy and off in the corner I noticed a very large man being scrubbed by a teenage boy with a giant lufa. I opted for the marble bench. It was a little homo-erotic with 30 of your teammates splashing and laughing and throwing buckets of hot water on you, but hey; when in Turkey... The water could be adjusted through two taps, and the hot water was very very hot. After washing with the complimentary bar of soap, I decided I was ready for the big pool. This hamam happened to be one of the few natural spring hamam in Eskishies, so the water was a few degrees warmer than average. I would put it about 10 degrees warmer than the average hot tub. It took about 20 minutes for me to become accustomed to the heat, but after that, it was the most relaxing thing I have done in a long time. The pool was about five feet deep with benches all around the sides. The benches were raised up enough so that when you sat down your head was just above the water. It was fantastic. All of the cold creeps out of your body, your muscles relax, and happiness ensues. After around an hour, we had to leave. Apparently you can pass out if you stay in too long. Personally, I could think of few better ways to die, but I was hungry so we left. Dinner was back at the motel; Iskendar Kebop, a thinly sliced beef flavored with tomato sauce and served with soup, bread, and yogurt. It was another great meal that I had never tried before. Everyone was so relaxed I think we were all asleep 20 minuted into the bus ride home.
]]> http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/hrtravellers/1/1231938240/tpod.html http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/hrtravellers/1/1231938240/tpod.html#comments Travel Blogs http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/hrtravellers/1/1231938240/tpod.html Wed, 14 Jan 2009 08:32:33 -0500 Discovering Istanbul: A year of adventure

Jump to the full
entry & travel map

Sofia, Bulgaria

So today was the big day. Hannah was turning 25, and we were going to celebrate in style. We woke up and had a great breakfast, gathered up our belongings and said goodbye to Sophia. We walked for about 45 minutes and found out that we had missed the commuter train to Plovdiv by about 5 minutes. The next train, unfortunately, was not for a couple of hours so we decided to wait in a little cafe. Not the ideal way to spend a birthday, although, I told Hannah that we have spend other birthdays doing far less than waiting in a train station in Bulgaria. She soon agreed and we started to enjoy our cafe experience. Luckily, this cafe -as most places in Bulgaria- sold beer and spirits. I went to grab a couple of beers for Peter and I when I noticed a bottle of something called Black Ram whiskey. Now, Hannah and I both enjoy whiskey very much, and we have tried our fair share of brands, but nothing was going to prepare us for this stuff. I watched the grouchy gentleman pour out what he considered to be a shot into a plastic cup. He was using a tumbler that looked like it was straight out of communist times, that is to say it was made of tin or aluminum and severely dented, well used, and generous. The fact that we each got a glass of three shots of this liquid for less than 3 leva total (about 1.75 U.S. Dollars) should have tipped us off. I think I would be correct in categorizing this as gasoline rather than spirits, although, it did the trick and much merriment ensued. We grabbed our train soon after and unfortunately we all had to sit apart for most of the journey. Bulgaria seemed to be a very poor country with dilapidated housing surrounded by farmland. There were some beautiful mountains and landscape, but the people seem to be very poor. We arrived in Plovdiv and grabbed a cab to our hostel; the Plovdiv Guest house. This place was really cool. It was situated in old Plovdiv, a city center that can trace it's roots back 7,000 years. When we arrived we decided to check out some places for dinner, and Hannah wanted to check out this restaurant called the Art Gallery. It was authentic Bulgarian food and very delicious. Hannah and I both had a lamb dish with vegetables and a rich tomato sauce. The table split several bottles of wine and after dinner, we decided to walk downtown and check out some sights. We were able to see a roman amphitheater in near mint condition, in the middle of the town square. It is such a strange thought considering the U.S. is so lacking in historical relics. We wandered down the plaza and then headed back home for a good nights sleep. The next couple of days were spent mostly shopping and seeing historical sights. We went to several museums and art gallery's and enjoyed many of the sights of Plovdiv. However, after being away from home for almost a week we were ready to start the 12 hour journey back. It was mostly uneventful. Hannah and I picked up a bottle of Kahlua and Rum at the duty free shop, and we had to do the same process of getting on and off the train to go through customs. Once back in Istanbul, we were able to see the city walls, which date back to 3,000 years ago. It was a really awe-inspiring sight. The walls were completely intact for a few miles and you could almost imagine MehmettII's army advancing with ladders and catapults nearly 700 years ago. Back in Sariyer, Hannah and I grabbed a couple of chicken sandwitches, called "tavuk doners" and headed home to shower and catch up on some much needed sleep.
]]> http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/hrtravellers/1/1229354640/tpod.html http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/hrtravellers/1/1229354640/tpod.html#comments Travel Blogs http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/hrtravellers/1/1229354640/tpod.html Mon, 15 Dec 2008 10:25:25 -0500 Discovering Istanbul: A year of adventure

Jump to the full
entry & travel map

Sofia, Bulgaria

Alright, we are in Sofia, but what now? Good question. Having been on the train for close to a day, everyone was famished so food was priority number one. We decided to wander around and see what we could find. Walking along the streets we saw many fruit vendors and book sellers as well as kiosks that are on every corner where you can buy victory cigarettes and cheep alcohol. It is strange to go from a Muslim country to an eastern orthodox country. Most notably is the lack of mosques and many churches. Aside from that, the only discernable difference would be the abundance of alcohol and pork products. The people were very friendly and willing to help. It was also evident that more people spoke English than in Istanbul which is good considering that my Turkish is much better than my Bulgarian.The interesting thing about language is that you never know how much you know until you are put in a new situation where you know nothing. Hannah and I have been in Turkey for about 3 months now and I have the basics of the Turkish language down: is there/are there, where, what, when, why, basics for transportation, as well as many of the most common verbs. I would classify my comprehension as basic and my speaking skills as a step below basic. Still, I can walk into any store and feel comfortable finding what I need, and If I can't I can ask where and how to get there. Not the case in Bulgaria. Fortunately, as I said before, many people speak English.We settled on a restaurant called Olives, which had a very American, chain restaurant, feel too it. We were hungry enough not to care so we went in. And they had a menu that was in English so that's a plus. I am not ashamed to say that 90% of my meals involved pork. After living without pork chops, pork roast, ham, and bacon for three months, I was ready to splurge. Dinner was good. It was somewhat predictable; kind of like when you go to a Friendly's, maybe not authentic, but good. After that we went wandering around the town. The city, as I said before, was a little disappointing. Hannah and I love Historical sights, but other than a few museums and several churches, the capital was lacking in historical monuments. Although, considering that we have been in Istanbul, arguably the epicenter of historicity, my opinion was skewed. Honestly, Sofia was more about the nightlife than the history, so we were looking forward to going to Plovdiv, a city that can trace it's roots back to 7,000 years ago. Anyways, back to Sophia. The fruit vendors to not shout out as they do in Turkey, but they do have many of the same fruits. I was surprised to see strawberries, avocados, kiwis, oranges, nectarines, and fresh berries. I am not sure where they get their produce from, as it was snowing in Sofia and long past a growing season. The second day was much the same as the first. We slept in late, drank coffee, and enjoyed the view of the mountain. Rachel and Barbra wanted to go shopping, so Peter and I went back to Olive's with Hannah and had some drinks for a few hours. It was nice to relax and have some idol conversation. We met back at the apartment and decided to find a place that was authentic Indian food. When we got to the place, there was a sign outside that was different than in the travel guide, so we milled around wondering what to do next. While we were waiting, we bumped into a couple of Frenchmen who were looking for the same place to eat. Together we decided this place was non-existent and continued our search. We settled on a place called Mozzarellas, which ended up being really good. Hannah ordered pasta, I ordered pork chops, and we split an order of calamari. It was a great meal and the five of us spent less than 100 dollars including drinks. Afterwards, we wandered around and found a couple of bars, then went home. We went to bed early because we had to leave by 11am and it was going to be Hannah's birthday so we geared ourselves up for a big day.
]]> http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/hrtravellers/1/1229181420/tpod.html http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/hrtravellers/1/1229181420/tpod.html#comments Travel Blogs http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/hrtravellers/1/1229181420/tpod.html Sat, 13 Dec 2008 10:21:13 -0500 Discovering Istanbul: A year of adventure

Jump to the full
entry & travel map

Sofia, Bulgaria

In the next few posts I am going to try to relate some of the experiences that Hannah and I had on our adventure to Bulgaria. The first post will mostly be about our journey to Sofia and arriving at our apartment. The second will be about our adventures in Sofia and our train ride to Plovdiv, and the final post will be about Plovdiv and our return journey home. Enjoy.Hannah and I went with 3 of our friends to the train station on Friday. This is no simple task when you have fifty pounds of luggage in a hiking pack while taking mass transportation on a Friday evening. We made it to the train station early so we went to a nice restaurant and grabbed dinner. Around 9:30 pm we boarded our train and tried to find our cabins, but the train clerk had written everything so poorly that we had no idea what train car we were supposed to be on, let alone which cabin. We bounced from car to car for about 15 minutes until we found a conductor who could help us. Of course, he could not speak English or Turkish, and he could only read the Cyrillic alphabet, which made it difficult. Peter, thankfully spoke enough Russian to establish that our reservations had been double booked so it looked as though all five of us were going to have to share a cabin for three. Now, I should take a moment to describe what a sleeper cabin on this particular train was like. Image a room four feet wide, six feet long, and about 8 feet high. On one wall every 2 ½ feet there is three beds that pull down and lock in place for sleeping. They are about 5 feet long, and two feet wide. Considering we all had enough luggage to last a week, five of us were looking at a trip that was approaching new levels of ridiculousness. The first couple of hours went by reasonably well, but soon the fact that we had 16 hours in this little room started to weigh on us. The novelty of the situation wore off, and peter and I went to speak to the conductor to see what could be done. As I spoke no Russian, I was there for moral support, and to get out of the room. The conductor sympathized with us, and seemed exceedingly sad that we had no Vodka to pass the time. He mentioned that fact several times, as if a bottle of Grey Goose would have solved all our problems. He liked Peter for some reason so promised to do his best to make amends. After another couple of hours he came to the cabin and said that right next door their was a woman who was sleeping in a room with 2 empty beds that we could use. This was great news, if not four hours late. Rachel and Barbra left creating a feeling of more space. It was now 2am and Hannah and the girls went to sleep, but Peter and I decided to stay awake until the border, as it was rumored that we would have to get off the train and wait in the cold (apparently something most unusual for eastern European countries). Sure enough, we were taken off the train at 4am and made to walk across the tracks, in the dark, and stand in line with about a hundred other passengers. Naturally, there was only one Border officer working, so the process took well over an hour.I should take a moment to say that the woman that Rachel and Barbra were staying with was going to Serbia to sell items that she had purchased in Turkey. She had around 25 bags of merchandise which was strewn all over the train carriage floor, packed in her bed, and shoved into any corner possible. Their room looked like the Cat in the Hat had showed up for a few hours, and refused to clean up. Of course, the border officers search the train as well as the cargo, and anything over a certain amount has to be verified with receipts and taxed accordingly. They looked through everything, which took another hour and I had the privilege of seeing a border officer being bribed with cash. Around 6am, we started to move and I fell asleep until around 10am and spent the next four hours looking out the window at the Bulgarian countryside. It is a beautiful but impoverished country with clear indications of communist rule. The cities have massive concrete housing complexes and many of the government buildings share the same depressingly grey hue. 16 hours from the time we left Istanbul, we rolled into Sophia, exchanged some money at the train station (bad idea) and started walking. We got a really bad exchange rate, around 65% of our lira to the Bulgarian Lava. Exchange spots get away with this by not posting their sell rate, which I failed to notice. They post a buy rate of 90% which was what I was looking at. Luckily we only exchanged 200 lira and a majority of our money we were able to get a much fairer rate.The walk to the apartment was pretty unremarkable. We got turned around a few times, and got there after a few hours. Everyone was in need of a shower and stiff drink. All alcohol in Bulgaria is very cheep, so while the girls showered, Peter and I went in search of a bottle of Sobieski, a great vodka, which we paid ten lava for. Back at the apartment, which was three bedrooms with a full kitchen we reflected on the trip thus far. Looking out the fourth story window, we noticed that there was an enormous mountain range that we had an amazing view of. Everyone showered and refreshed we left in search of food and good times.
]]> http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/hrtravellers/1/1227626340/tpod.html http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/hrtravellers/1/1227626340/tpod.html#comments Travel Blogs http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/hrtravellers/1/1227626340/tpod.html Sat, 13 Dec 2008 10:20:36 -0500 Discovering Istanbul: A year of adventure

Jump to the full
entry & travel map

Istanbul, Turkey

Today Hannah and I went to a thanksgiving party on campus. There were around 100 people there and the ELC (English Language Center) sponsored the event. All the language teachers were brining food so Hannah and I made some apple pies. Five to be exact. I guess I never realized how long it can take to make a large quantity of pie. I pealed apples for about an hour and chopped for another hour before we had enough. By 4pm we had all the pies nice and cool and ready for travel. We did not have to be there until around 6:30 though, so we decided to take a nap. 5:50 our friend Peter calls us and says he needs our help with his part of the thanksgiving feast. He made a broccoli noodle casserole and said he was not going to make it on time. Hannah and I being the good neighbors that we are, packed up all of our pies and hiked over to their apartment on the fifth floor. When we arrived on the seen it was clear that Peter and Rachel did not have control of the situation. We were supposed to leave in about 15 minutes and they had just put their casseroles in the oven. We began to worry about transportation -as all of the dished were going to be very hot. I ended up going back to my house and getting oven mitts and a box of aluminum foil. This seemed to work well enough so we called a cab and got ready to go.The cab driver could not have been happy with us. We were very crowded in and everything we were carrying was hot so all of the windows were completely fogged up. When we got to the guard station at the entrance to campus he looked in the cab and laughed and waved us on. (This was good because usually you have to show ID and I was carrying 3 apple pies and had no idea how to get to my wallet). Oh yeah, it was also raining. We arrived on time and got everything set out and then the merriments ensued. We had a great time hanging out with everyone. There was nice complimentary wine, and so much food that it certainly felt like thanksgiving. It seems like in Turkey, almost all of the headaches are in the preparation and the travel, but once you arrive at your destination, everything is great.
]]> http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/hrtravellers/1/1227016680/tpod.html http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/hrtravellers/1/1227016680/tpod.html#comments Travel Blogs http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/hrtravellers/1/1227016680/tpod.html Tue, 18 Nov 2008 08:59:10 -0500 Discovering Istanbul: A year of adventure

Jump to the full
entry & travel map

Istanbul, Turkey

Today we went to a restaurant in Beyoglu, which is a district right next to Taxim. Right in the middle of what is considered "downtown" Istanbul, Peter chose this local for his birthday party. The place seemed a little up-scale for us, but we had some great food at reasonable prices. Hannah had a steak smothered in Veggies and I had a basil chicken in an a cream sauce. The beers were ten lira apiece, so we took it easy on those. It is painful to spend fifty dollars on five beers. The music was awesome. For some reason, Turkish people love early nineties dance music. We listened to Milly Vanilly, Vanilla Ice, Ace of Base, Journey, and some others. It was like stepping into a time machine and going back to a dance club in 1991 ... with extremely expensive beer. Peter had a great time so that was cool. Around 2 am we decided it was about time to head back. There was a rumored shuttle buss that takes you directly back to Sariyer (normally about an hour bus ride) in about 30 minutes. It seemed too good to be true. It was. We waited for 45 minutes and It did not come. Around 3 we got on to the 25t and began the hour long bus ride home. It turned out to be kind of funny. We met a couple of Turkish people who knew enough English so we could converse. They were about our age and they were both professional clowns. They had cards and everything. Unfortunately they did not know enough English for me garner information on how one becomes a clown. I happen to be unemployed, and maybe that would be the ideal position for me. I would not have to talk so that is a bonus. I imagine I would have to go to some sort of clown school, learn to put on makeup, and tie balloons, but who knows; Maybe I was meant to take the 25T that night.... Of course, I am going to watch James Bond in a couple of days with Peter and Rachel and I think that would be a much better calling for me. Secret agents are much cooler than clowns. Maybe I could be a secret agent fronting as a clown. Hmmm. I have to make some calls.
]]> http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/hrtravellers/1/1226064960/tpod.html http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/hrtravellers/1/1226064960/tpod.html#comments Travel Blogs http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/hrtravellers/1/1226064960/tpod.html Fri, 07 Nov 2008 08:37:52 -0500 Discovering Istanbul: A year of adventure

Jump to the full
entry & travel map

Istanbul, Turkey

Well, It would seem that we are entering the rainy season here in Turkey. The weather is reportedly rainy about 5 days a week and that standard seems to be holding for this week at least. I've never had a problem with the rain; it begs you to stay in bed and sleep late, watch movies, and make soups and stews. Yesterday Hannah made a cabbage soup that was really good. The cabbages here are enormous. I bought a quarter of one at the market for a lira on Wednesday and it was about half as big as a watermelon. They just chop them up with these machetes. Remind me to never anger a cabbage farmer. A couple of days ago I had to go and get my residence permit. I was supposed to meet the Koc lawyer at the police station at 7:30 in the morning in Askaroy. To get there I had to call a cab, catch a bus, get on the metro, then catch another cab the rest of the way. I was a little proud of myself that there were no major mishaps. I arrived about 20 minutes early so I decided to read some of the book I brought with me. Now I have to take a minute and explain that in Istanbul there are armed guards everywhere. They have some kind of machine gun and they seem to just hang out and watch people. It is at the same time comforting and terrifying. The police station is the largest on the western side of Istanbul, and in light of recent terrorist attacks it is heavily guarded. They all have whistles and blow them at cab drivers and people who park near the police station. They also whistle at people to get their attention. I was off to the left of the police station reading my book and leaning against the wall when someone was suddenly whistling at me. Why would anyone be trying to get my attention I thought. I looked up from my book and there were two guards with machine guns yelling at me in Turkish. Thinking I could manage to explain myself in Turkish, I walked over. As I started walking towards them, they shouted louder and were gesturing for me to go do something. Could have been go away, could have been come here. Not really sure. So I'm not sure if any of you have been yelled at by men with machine guns in a language you don't know and in a country where you don't have a visa yet.. But it is not comforting. Any Turkish I thought I new quickly left my mind and I just shouted in English "no Turkche" Pardon, Americanlie" Which is, in caveman Turkish, "no Turkish, sorry I am American" Then they dismissively waved me away and I walked around the corner to wait for the Koc lawyer. I can only guess that I was not supposed to lean against the wall. Who knew? After that it was smooth sailing. The lawyer showed up and four hours later I had a shiny new residence permit good for one year.
]]> http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/hrtravellers/1/1224591540/tpod.html http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/hrtravellers/1/1224591540/tpod.html#comments Travel Blogs http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/hrtravellers/1/1224591540/tpod.html Tue, 21 Oct 2008 08:21:13 -0400 Discovering Istanbul: A year of adventure

Jump to the full
entry & travel map

Istanbul, Turkey

Today we went to Belgrade forest. I'm not sure of the actual acreage. It is a sad day when Google and Wikipedia let me down. Our friend Mora called us to see if we wanted to go there with her boyfriend, Cihan. We took a taxi down there and took the long way in so we did not have to pay. We ended up walking for an extra hour but we saved 3 lira. The forest is full of really tall really straight trees. I was happy to see a little bit of color in the leaves. There are numerous walking paths snaking through the trees. We chose one that was about 6 kilometers considering we had already walked about 3 just to get in the park. Cihan had the idea that half way around the path we could come out on a different part of the forest, catch a cab, and be home by 4. Like most plans, this one did not work out exactly as planned. We ended up finding out that there was no path out so we walked about 10 kilometers instead of 6. It was a nicxe day though so we did not mind. Walking through the forest you can see chestnuts, hazelnuts, and mushrooms all over the place. Many people we saw had bags and they were collecting them. We walked by several dams; one of which Cihan told us was a reservoir for the ottoman empire and water was transported from there all the way to Sultanamet. We also saw a concrete container in the ground that was about twice the size of an average basement and twice as deep. It had stairs in all four corners leading to the bottom, and you could see fresh groundwater pouring in from a fountain. This too, apparently, is very old and used for water containment. We also saw a vine that we could swing from. Historical data about said vine was unavailable. We finally got back to where we started and decided to walk to this town and try to get a cab back. About a half an hour later we walked by some people yelling Taxi so I was hopeful. Apparently through, these are not "licensed" cab drivers. They are called pirated taxis here, and the owners often try to charge different rates than agreed upon. It's times like these that I am glad Cihan is Turkish. We decided to try our luck waiting on the side of the road for a cab to drive by. This too was unlucky so we then decided to walk to a bus stop and catch a bus back to Seriyer. Of Course, as soon as we start walking a cab flies by us. I yelled to Cihan (he was in front, I was in the back) and he tried let out some loud whistles to no avail. This is actually kind of funny because about an hour before that, Cihan was trying to explain how important is to whistle loudly in this country. (I guess I am one of those people who can't whistle at a level loud enough to hail a cab or bus). I guess he isn't either. So the bus it was. We got on and headed towards Seriyer but the bus took an unexpected turn heading in the wrong direction. We got off the buss and started walking the other way. Eventually we found a cab company and caught a direct ride home from there. We were home at 6 instead of 4, but now I have something to blog about so it worked out for the best.
]]> http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/hrtravellers/1/1223828520/tpod.html http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/hrtravellers/1/1223828520/tpod.html#comments Travel Blogs http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/hrtravellers/1/1223828520/tpod.html Sun, 12 Oct 2008 12:24:35 -0400 Discovering Istanbul: A year of adventure

Jump to the full
entry & travel map

Istanbul, Turkey

We made it down to Sultanamet with our friends Rachel and Peter. It was a journey of five modes of transportation. We took a Mini-bus, Autobus, metro, Finucular (a type of underground tram used for steep inclines) and a tramway in our journey. We got off the tram in front of the Topkapi Palace where up until the mid-19th century the Sultan lived. Grandiose would be a gross understatement. The whole place is full of grand complex mosaics, decadent ceilings laced with gold, vivid murals, open courtyards, and countless buildings. Construction for the palace began in 1459 and has been added to by various Sultans over the centuries. At the height of its existence as a royal residence, the palace was home to as many as 4,000 people (thank you wikipedia). The palace is also home to two museums. The first one we went to was an armory museum which had armor and weapons from the 8th century to present. Most of the swords had clearly seen battle, as they had dents, rivets, and chunks taken out of them. The armor varied throughout the centuries, but it was all intricately produced. Also on display were many Crusader and Templar armaments. It is easy to see how Crusaders would have a tough time in a warm climate. Often they wore a leather shirt, ring or plate mail, coverings for their legs, arms, neck and a helmet. This could all way upwards of 100 pounds. I would not want to walk in that, let alone fight. I would be the guy getting dressed right before the battle. No need to march in it. Actually, I would be the guy who goes fishing instead of war. Much safer. The other museum is of religious relics, one of the largest collections in the world. I was able to see the staff of Moses, The arm and skull of ......... , the shoes of Mohamed, His sisters tunic, keys to the Kabala, and various other religious wonders. It was amazing. I do hold some skepticism for certain relics such as the staff of mosses and the cup Mohamed drank from. I wonder how they would know. Either way, it is still awesome. We then went to the kitchen area where they used to daily make over 6,000 meals. I saw the largest iron pot I have ever seen. It was probably 3 or 4 feet deep with a diameter of 5 feet: that's some serious cooking. They are so heavy they never actually move. They are standing on two slabs of stone and fires can be made under them. I would not want to be the person in charge of clean-up at this place. After that we went to the Blue Mosque which will have to wait until tomorrow for I grow tired.
]]> http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/hrtravellers/1/1222974780/tpod.html http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/hrtravellers/1/1222974780/tpod.html#comments Travel Blogs http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/hrtravellers/1/1222974780/tpod.html Thu, 02 Oct 2008 15:14:17 -0400 Discovering Istanbul: A year of adventure

Jump to the full
entry & travel map

Istanbul, Turkey

Today we had two missions planned. We were going to go to the Salvador Dali exhibit at the art museum and we wanted to go and see the Castle c. The Dali exhibit was amazing. I had never seen much of his work before and the museum had devoted three floors to the great surrealist artist. We were able to see everything from sketches to masterpieces as well as some of his videos and journal entries. It was only ten lira each for us to get in. Awesome. We were with six other people and after we finished at the museum the next adventure was the castle. This castle is really cool for several reasons. With the help of thousands of masons and workers, the fortress was completed in a record time of 4 months and 16 days, which, considering the size of the castle, is very impressive. The walls are about 14 feet thick as well. The castle was built be Sultan Memmet II after he sacked Constantinople. He built the castle at the narrowest point in the Bosphorus as a way to control ships passing through. The other cool thing about this place is it only costs one lira to visit and you can explore the whole thing. The views are supposed to be amazing and you can walk along the parapets and look out on the Bosphorus. You can imagine how excited Hannah and I were to go. We met up with a couple more of our friends so 10 of us got onto a crowded bus and headed south. We got off and walked for about twenty minutes and saw ....a closed on Wednesdays sign. Total bummer.We decided to go to Ortakoy, a small village where my friend Peter lives. The party split up, and Hannah and I finally found some of the trinkets we were looking for. Hannah bought a headscarf and a couple evil eyes - not actually eyes or evil- and I finally got a pair of sunglasses for 10 lira. They say Okley on the side, but I would be very surprised. Peter and his girlfriend Rachel met back up with us and we went to a bar that had bean bag chairs for seats. We ordered a water pipe with apple in it and it was mild and delicious. The pipes are filled with a type of tobacco that looks like a piece of charcoal. It burned for hours. It seems like everyone here likes to smoke and play bay root as a type of evening relaxation ritual. Tomorrow we are going to check out the Blue Mosque as well as the Sultans Palace. I think we will try to go to the castle again this weekend.
]]>