Istanbul - Where East Meets West
Trip Start
Nov 21, 2007
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120
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Trip End
Oct 01, 2008
Istanbul,
Turkey
Saturday, August 2, 2008
We got into Istanbul around 10 am. We could not check into our hotel so we went to all have breakfast together. We quickly found out that things were expensive in Turkey. Turkish coffee, a serving the size of a shot glass, cost about $4. GASP! Jana had some baklava for breakfast instead!
Then, we took our usual orientation tour
cool mosaic "S" for Shaffners
. Theresa dropped us off at the Grand Bazaar for a wander. WOW! Someone could get lost in there, easy! It is the largest undercover market in the world. It is more like a shopping center where you can find about anything (as long as you can find it!) Then, we made our way to the Spice Bazaar which is a smaller market that sells, well...spices and of course a few other things. This one was more our style. They had funny things like "Turkish viagra" and "5 times a night" which were just different foods and candies. Funny though. The harbor was a hub of business between day cruises, shuttle boats and FISH SANDWICHES! Yes, we feasted on these grilled fillets with onions stuck in a baguette. YUM. We then had to go figure out how to get to Selcuk to see Ephesus. We finally had to go to a travel agent to get some help. Then, our final stop for the day was the Blue Mosque. It is a huge wonder of Istanbul. As we were walking in, we found out that it was time for prayer (Muslims pray 5 times a day.) So, we could not go in for another 30 minutes. We made an executive decision to go have a shower before our last dinner with the group.Our last day in Istanbul, we ended up having breakfast with the group at the hotel. It is so funny how you travel with a group for so long and start to take them for granted. Then, you realize that they will no longer be around. After a few hugs, we headed to the Topkapi Palace.
Now, this Palace was just a palace from the design in our opinion. However, the inside holdings were amazing. From an 86 karat diamond that a spoon maker found to Moses's staff! Yes, there were LOTS of Biblical times artifacts that were really cool. Joseph's turban, the staff as mentioned before, St
Turkish omelet and coffee
. John's armor (we are assuming John the Baptist but we could never really confirm), David's sword (from David and Goliath), and a pot of Abraham's! Also, lots of the prophet Mohamed's belongings were kept here too. Even his beard and teeth were kept on display...crazy! This made us want to go read more again about the separation of beliefs. We ended this tour with a walk through the Harem, which is where some of the most powerful women in the empire lived. Then, we did make it into the Blue Mosque. Women have to wear things over their heads and we were back into taking off our shoes. Totally worth it though. Mosque structures are different than churches. They are just open areas with really high ceilings, but the atmosphere is the same, calm, reflective and peaceful.
We had a few more hours to blow. So, we grabbed some lunch at different places. Layton ordered a hamburger and Jana a chicken gyro. (please see the next entry for the continuation of this, it's a good one, trust us!)
The last thing we did in Istanbul was to go to a Turkish bath. Everyone must do this just to say they have done it. Yes, it is very touristy, but hey...that is what we are doing, right? We changed into towels (Jana's was a wee bit too short) and went to "cook." We just went to have a rest on the floor of a marble cave
apple tea is served everywhere
. They only tell you things in one word commands. Come. Lay. You. Lady. Change. You have to sometimes use the imagination. Layton went first and then Jana. Jana could hear Layton's beating...oh, bath! Yes, there were pops that would make anyone wonder. Jana's was a bit more relaxing but still cool. We are glad we did it!RANDOM
Entrance fees doubled a few days before we got to Istanbul. Literally, things that used to be 10 Lyra were no 20 Lyra! They doubled the price!! Crazy. We had a good laugh about how companies debate and ponder a price change for months when the ministry of culture in Turkey just says...yes, they will pay twice as much. THE END. (fyi, we did not visit the Aye Sophia Museum because of this reason.)
Boys birthdays. There is a certain birthday (somewhere between 5 and 10) that is a HUGE deal in Turkey because they dress them up like little princes and walk around town. We saw 3 or 4 in our 2 days in Istanbul and Layton was able to capture this and we wanted to provide some explanation.
