Istanbul Part Iki (I Think That's Turkish for Two)

Okay so here we go with part two of my Turkish adventure.

Our second full day in Istanbul started once again with our excellent breakfast and our excellent view. Then we hopped on over to the Topkapi Palace. It was gorgeous! We went through the Harem portion first which was really cool. It was decorated with patterned tiles and there were rooms with huge beds and lounging couches. Pretty amazing. Then we toured the treasury part of the palace which housed all of these beautiful jewels, clothing, and other valuables. First of all, I saw candle sticks not much shorter than me. And they were gifts for a tomb! Then the other thing we saw truly worth mentioning was a huge diamond that would've put any rapper's bling to shame. Other items worth mentioning are Moses' walking stick (used to part the Red Sea) and part of the Prophet Muhammad's beard. A little iffy if you ask me but who am I to argue? We also took some pretty awesome pictures of us poking our heads through a balcony and climbing a ladder to peek into a trap door. All in all I'd say it was a successful morning.

After lunch we took a little trip to the Grand Bazaar. It was pretty amazing just for the sheer size and volume of it. It was such a maze and there were swells of people. We were a little overwhelmed actually and we had a few run ins with disgruntled shop owners. The Egyptian Bazaar was a little smaller and felt more manageable but it was still quite an experience.

Following our exhausting bazaar trip we had a talk scheduled where a student studying in Istanbul came and spoke to us about what it is like to live in Turkey including some of the recent politics that affect Eastern countries. She was so insightful and passionate about her opinions. She said things with conviction. I was a little skeptical at first since she was around our age but it was a great talk. I did however keep my mouth shut when she opened it up for discussion because I felt like I could probably pass for mildly intelligent if I didn't say anything ;)

We were set free for the rest of the night, our last night in Turkey. First, we went to see the Whirling Dervish Ceremony. It was so cool. The music was live and absolutely amazing. Then the Dervishes came out and took their places. They twirl around and their movements are supposed to be a remembrance of God. I know I keep saying this but it was amazing. After the Dervishes we had dinner. Sadly, it was Dominos. But we redeemed ourselves and went out to a hookah bar near our hotel. The owner was super nice, we chatted him up a little. He recommended the Turkish drink, Raki so I decided to take him up on that. Big mistake. It tasted and smelled like black licorice (which I don't like) and it was so damn strong. I finished it but not without pawning off a few sips to anyone who would try it.

Back at the hotel we saw that some of the other girls had spent their last night in Turkey drinking some Turkish wine and havin' some cake...a whole cake actually. They received sparklers with their purchase and we of course went outside and watched them dance around like it was the Fourth of July. Then we proceeded to take some jumping pictures which are always a crowd-pleaser.

After our night of antics we got a chance to sleep in the next day as there were no planned activities. We did make sure to get one last breakfast in on the terrace though. Our last morning in Turkey was spent in a museum of Islam. There were beautiful carpets and a gorgeous art exhibit. The art was actually really interesting because they were paintings of very specific things. There were paintings of mosaics and it was really odd. They weren't depictions or abstracts but very literal interpretations of what I would already consider works of art. I don't think I'm really conveying this right but they were just very different sorts of paintings. I split up from the rest of my roommates later because they decided to go the Turkish Baths which isn't really my idea of a relaxing afternoon. So, I went to another bazaar with our fearless leaders and some of the other people in the group. It was pretty cool and a lot of the stuff was hand made. We had this sort of wrap for a snack. I don't even know what it was called but it was damn good! We stuck around for a couple hours and then headed back to the hotel so that we could make our flight. Don't worry, I got one last helping of baklava before we left ;)

The entire weekend was incredible. I didn't really know what to expect with Turkey but I loved it. It's so different from anywhere I've ever been. Enjoyed every minute of it.

Until next time,

Kelsey

P.S. Turkish delight is another dessert that I am now addicted to...thanks a lot Turkey!

P.P.S. To whom it may concern, I saw an orca that puts all other orcas to shame.

P.P.P.S. It was snowing when we arrived in London...apparently this is a very rare occurrence but as a Yooper I was slightly peeved.