5th country: Turkey!

Merhaba (Hello) everyone! I am extremely sorry I am so far behind on keeping you all up to date on my travels! I spent the past five days in Istanbul, Turkey…and have much to write about…

Istanbul is the largest city in Europe, with its borders extending into Asia (and I feel as though I only saw a speck of it!). The Bosphorus River splits through it, and many bridges connect the two sides. The main bridge lights up at night and changes colors, which is beautiful. It is estimated that 15-20 million people currently reside in this chaotic and charming city, a fact I learned while listening to the Diplomatic meeting onboard the ship the morning of our arrival. Much history lies within the cities precincts. Their currency is the Turkish Lira, with the current exchange rate about 1.53 Lira for every US dollar. Suzannah has raved about Turkey ever since she spent two weeks there on an orchestra trip. She told me I would love it, and hooked me up via e-mail with a great friend of hers who gave us recommendations for things to do and see during our stay. Although I was excited for this stop, this was also the first port in which I was extremely fearful. And my fear only grew during the pre-port SAS lecture, as they talked for a while about the risks of terrorism. It was scary to listen to. The realization that anything can happen just hits you like a ton of bricks. With everything SAS was saying… most of us were asking “If there are these dangers here, why did they take us to Turkey?” I was thinking about it too much that I had a melt down in Anthony’s room after. It was just a lot to handle, and I am a worrier…

But, I prayed everyday and wore a pin that held The Eye, which is meant to ward off evil and protect.

I am extremely grateful that as I write this everyone is back safely on the MV Explorer as we await our departure…

So… your probably wondering how those 5 days were!

Well, on the first day, Anthony, Kevin, Bo and I ventured over the bridge to explore some famous sights. Our first stop was the famous Blue Mosque, which was incredible. I had never been inside of a mosque before, and it was quite an experience. In order to enter we had to take off our shoes and I had to cover my head (I put on my zip-up with my hood). Some people were praying while we there, so we had to be respectful. Inside, the tiles were colorful and the architecture was breathtaking. After, we paid a seven Lira admission charge to see the ancient Sistern. Good thing we had Kevin with us, because we would not have known about it. We would have just walked on by it…and I would have been upset because it had been quite a pleasant surprise! The Sistern was built in the 6th century for underground water storage. It was so neat… I have never seen anything like it before. Anthony said it reminded him a little of Howe Caverns…but I have never been there. Inside the Sistern there was still water with lots of fish amongst rows of thick pillars. They lit the water and pillars with lights, and with the lighting it was just beautiful. And, at the bottom of two pillars, we were able to see the two heads of Medusa from Greek Mythology. Pretty cool…I definitely got some pictures.

After the Sistern, we found our way into the Grand Bazaar. Wow. It is this huge indoor market with GREAT SHOPPING. But… I was with three guys… so I did not get a chance to do what girls do best! The guys were saying it was to overwhelming so they would go back another day. So we just buzzed through it. Oh well…
After that, we walked to the spice bazaar, which was located close by. It was also nice, although I am not a fan of tea or Turkish delights. So, my shopping was very limited there.

After a full day of walking around the vast city, we filled our bellies with food from the ship. Expecting to call it a night, I went back to my cabin to rest up for a little. However, I decided last minute to join Anthony and Rachael for a night out on the town. With Turkey being a predominately Muslim country, I was not sure what to expect in terms of their nightlife. But… it turns out they have quite a nightlife, and I was glad I went out. The area we went to was AMAZING. We were able to walk there and back, which took about 30 minutes, and the main street, Istiklal, was extremely lively! TONS of people were walking around, and it was nicely lit up. And it stayed happening for most of the night… The shops didn’t even close until about 11 o’clock. And the restaurants, clubs and bars remained open until the wee hours of the morning… some even 24/7. We stumbled upon a karaoke bar, and we all sang some tunes. Its always a good night when I get to sing!

Day 2:

We got back pretty late the night before… so I awoke after only about 4 hours of sleep in order to make my SAS trip: A Ballikaya Hike. Since the area is located on the Asian side of Istanbul… I can say I have hiked in Asia! It was my first hike with SAS, and let me say I am glad it is my last. I am not sure what company they went through…but it was pretty poorly organized. Don’t get me wrong… the hike was beautiful, but…there were definitely some issues. For instance, we got lost and everyone ran out of water. One girl got so dehydrated she couldn’t walk anymore. People were panicking for a little while, but the guides eventually found cell-phone service and we were able to get some help. Also, strenuous was an understatement as we pretty much scaled rocks. Other than that…it was good. And we only got back the ship 2 hours later than our scheduled time.

At night, we went to a soccer match between Turkey and Italy. The crowd was intense with many Turkish fans chanting and cheering wildly. People were decked out in black and white, Turkey’s team’s colors. Many SAS’s tried to blend in, buying jerseys and banners, but one could easily tell we were American. It was still fun!

Day 3:

Today we lied pretty low. But, we had a great day nonetheless. Nina, Anthony and I hit up the movie theaters and saw the second Transformers. The movies they play here are in English with Turkish subtitles, so we had no problem! It was a great action packed movie…and it got me super excited for Egypt! (Some scenes are filmed with the Pyramids!) It is weird that at the theatres in Turkey they have an intermission. Alas, we were all a little confused when midway through the film it just stopped at some random point. The lights came on and people got up and left. We were all like “What? What happened?” I ended up asking someone, but they only spoke French…so I used what French I know and was able to communicate with him!

After, we did some clothes shopping on Istiklal Street. I got a skirt and a pair of jeans! And…when we all got hungry we had a group dinner at the one and only Pizza Hut. Haha. It was a fun time…but nothing like the Hut in Greece. And it wasn’t the best pizza I’ve had…

Before bed, we chilled at a hooka bar, which are all over the city. I never tried the hooka, but it smelled good! Also, in Turkey most of the bars and restaurants offer games. For instance, I always saw people sipping tea, smoking hooka and playing backgammon or checkers. I even saw one place that offered Scrabble! I liked this part… I do love my games.

Day 4:

Today was a day for SHOPPING! The girls awoke early and headed straight for the Grand Bazaar. Shop after shop, there was jewelry, handbags, lamps, souvenirs, clothes, tea, etc… I did buy some things… people will have to wait and see.

After the Grand Bazaar, I was definitely down for a nice dinner out in the city with friends…and that is just what we did! A group of twelve of us went to this spectacular rooftop restaurant for dinner. It offered breathtaking panoramic views of the city skyline. We could even see our ship lit up in the port! We spent more than 2 hours there, and the food was amazing! I had a chicken Caesar salad, complete with chunks of real Parmesan cheese…YUM! I have rarely had salad on this trip… so it was a nice treat.

After our meal, we caught Taksi’s (their spelling) back to Taksim Square. Lauren, Eric, Ben, Anthony, Becca, Kate, Rachael and I went to this chill place we would have never had found had it not been for Eric’s friend from Turkey. We had such a fun time… and they offered one of the best collections of drinks I had ever seen! The drinks were not only creative but also delicious. They had a set of four shots for 25 Lira called the Ninja Turtle shots. YUM. After leaving that bar, we attempted to find a place to do Karaoke…but couldn’t. After that failed, we enjoyed each other’s company at a hookah bar until about 4 in the morning. It was a long but great night!

Day 5:

It’s always nice to have a relaxing last day in port. We usually are exhausted from seeing the sights, and like to stay close by to the ship since on-board time is 6 p.m. We do not want to be late for that! So…on our farewell day in Istanbul, Anthony, Nina and I saw our second movie together…The Proposal. It starred Sandra Bullock and Ryan Reynolds and I loved it!! We saw the 2 o’clock showing for 8 Lira. It was such a good movie! And on the walk back to the ship… I splurged and got one more frapaccino from Starbucks… a java chip one!

Reflecting on Turkey as a whole… I am not so sure of what I think of it. I had great days and nights, but out of all the countries we have visited thus far I felt the most stressed. It is definitely the most different. It is so many things at once… exotic, confusing… there is a lot to take in. It has the hustle bustle of normal city life, but I found it to be a little filthier than most other cities I have been to. You hear roughly 5 times a day the call to worship – where singers from the mosques sing and it is broadcast all over the city. The mosques, standing out with their unique architecture, are beautiful. There is a wide collection of people living here and roaming the streets – a lot of diversity. Also, it can be a very sketchy place to be at night… very unsafe.

In terms of the language barrier… most people I spoke to could understand me, and most people knew at least a few words in English. Still, communication was a struggle at times. Of the things I wanted to do in Turkey… I didn’t get a chance to do a Turkish bath… they were more expensive than I thought. Nor did I get to see a Suri Dervish ceremony. Maybe someday…

And overall, I spent about 200 Lira during the 5 days, plus the hike, which cost about $39.00.

Our next stop: Bulgaria

I love and miss everyone dearly…words cannot express it! I look forward to arriving in Norfolk in one month… and prayer everyday for everyone’s safety. 
XOXO
Erika

P.S. We walked a TON in Turkey!