Second-to-last day. The countdown begins

Kate: Today we went to the Dolmabache palace. It was all beautiful. There were flowers, green grass and the person who designed it was the man who designed the Paris Opera house. When we toured the palace there were huge, expensive chandeliers in each room, a crystal staircase and original paintings in the halls.

An example from the harem

After the palace we had lunch and mom and I decided to go to a Turkish bath. Traditionally, in the days before it was common to have running water, a Turkish bath, or hamam, was a place where people could go to get clean and socialize. Here are the different steps that we went through today. First we walked in and chose what our Turkish bath would include. We chose the second package that had a soap massage, a hairwash and scrubdown. We each got a token for our package and an individual scrubbing pad. We went down to the lockers, took off our clothes, changed into towels and went into a sauna room. We laid our towels down on a big, hot marble slab. We relaxed in the wet heat with drops of sweat tickling us until a lady came by with a pan of soapy water and an empty bowl. She took the empty bowl and filled it with hot water. She scrubbed us down with a rough scrubbing pad that took off all the dead skin on our bodies. Then she took a muslin bag that acted like a big bubble wand and covered us with suds. Then she gave us a soapy massage and rinsed us off. The last step was a quick hair wash by a low stone sink. I felt so refreshed afterwards. All the tension in my body loosened up.

Attaturk's deathbed

Josh: Today we went to the Dolmabache Palace. It was a place that was built because people said the Ottoman Empire was declining in military power and money. So the sultan made a big palace to prove them wrong. If you sold all the gold and jewels in the palace, all the money would be past Bill Gates by millions. But, the tour guide had the special unique gift to make everything that he said utterly boring. When we were done we were really happy that he was done. Then we had another tour of the harem which was better. We saw jewels and elephant tusks and giagantic chandaliers. If this was my house, I would be very paranoid. But in all, it was very cool. Yet another reason for you to go to Turkey, my friend. After we were done, we went back to the hotel and Kate and Mom went to the Turkish baths. Dad, Alex and I went to the Grand Bazaar for a while to buy some stuff. Alex and I got 5 lira to spend. Alex bought a bowl and I bought a mother-of-pearl flute. A picture will be placed later. After that, Mom and Kate got back and Dad, Alex and I went to the Turkish baths. When I went in I wasn't too sure about it, but when we got in, it was like inhaling molten lava because it was so hot. When the guy got there I felt like I had just run the 10K all over again. He scrubbed me down from all the dead skin. When he was done, I waited some more and he came in with bubble arms and foamed me. I laughed and laughed and laughed. It was pure tortue. He gave me rounds of the bubble gun again and again. When we were done I felt really good. We went out and I took a quick, cold shower. When we went out the lady asked me how I liked it and I told her that I don't "spa and tell."

Crazy mirror

Alex: As before, where Josh left off. I'm going to skip part of the day. And I'm going to the part of the day where the dreaded Turkish Bath began! We got undressed and put a towel around ourselves and went into a steaming volcano. By the time the guy got there I was roasting and sweating. He scrubbed me down which calmed me down a little bit. Then he got a bubble gun and started blowing. They splashed water on me and then we went into a cold shower and got wrapped into a towel. Now we are playing DS and that's all.

Mirror on the way out of the harem

Outside the Dolmabache gate

Vase

Window treatments

Windows