Our hotel in Istanbul was very nice and was pretty close to the Blue mosque, Hagia Sophia, and the Grand Bazaar. We began our tour with Bulent to see the Hagia Sophia which was one of the prettiest sanctuaries I've ever seen. It was built in the Byzantine Era and has been used as both a mosque as well as an Orthodox Church. It was neat to see how the two styles mixed to create a gorgeous space. There were wide cobblestone ramps leading up to the balcony story which our guide informed us were ramps used for royal family carriage to be pulled up by horses. Next we visited the Blue Mosque which was very pretty as well on the inside. Upon entering the space we had to remove our shoes and carry them in plastic baggies through the mosque. I think a lot of us were self conscious of walking through groups of people sitting on the floor of the mosque after walking all morning in tennis shoes leaving our feet pretty smelly. That night we found a small restaurant where I order a Turkish style pizza which was pretty good until I found a hair in it. Oh well... I'm learning there is hair in food all over the world.
The next day we started walking toward the Sultans palace. The grounds of the palace were very pretty. After seeing the gold encased arm of the prophet John and gift clock collection of the Sultans, Kathleen, Jen, Hillary, and I decided to try the traditional warm drink of Turkey called Sahlep. I'm not a big fan of milk and especially not warm milk but I assumed that since it was more of a creamy drink with cinnamon and infused with Orchid I would like it. I assumed wrong. Jen, Hillary, and Kathleen all liked Sahlep so if you ever get the chance definitely try it.
After seeing the palace and sketching a little we walked to the Grand Bazaar where we were given some time to look around. The bazaar was huge and extremely disorienting. Shop owners waited outside their stores saying all sort of sayings to appeal to the people walking by. Several different crazy sayings we heard included... "Come buy some things you don't need!", "Pretty scarves for pretty girls!", "Cheaper than Cheap!", and our favorite "Oh Spice Girls!!" Several of us set out on an expedition to find the traditional Turkish pants. We have started calling them Turkish pantaloons. The bazaar owners mark up their products two to three times what they are worth so you have to bargain to get the right price. After being yelled at by several shop owners we finally found a small store where a girl took us upstairs where she helped us all find the style and size of pants we were wanting. They even gave us a great deal since so many of us were buying pants. After our successful search we got a cheap lunch right outside of the bazaar before heading to the nearby bridge across the Bosporus Strait.
The bridge had two levels, the bottom was filled with fresh seafood restaurants while the top had sidewalks filled with peddlers and fishermen fishing off both sides of the bridge to catch food for their restaurants below. After crossing the bridge the group set out to find a popular pedestrian street. We eventually found our way to the street and all took time to look around for a while. Hillary, Jen, and I decided to go in and split a box of fresh Turkish delight. We chose chocolate pistachio dipped in chocolate and pistachio covered in coconut flakes which were both delicious. That night the four of us decided to hang out rest and do work before eating dinner in the hotel restaurant on the top floor. The view from the restaurant was gorgeous overlooking the Bosporus strait. We were able to see a gorgeous sunset out of the window and enjoy delicious food that was not too expensive. We all tried on our Turkish pantaloons and were amazed at how comfortable they were. The girls who did not buy some tried on the pants that the others bought and everyone was in love. Everyone wanted a pair or a second pair.... Or in an extreme case a sixth pair! Haha
The next morning we all went to take a ride in a boat down the Bosphorous. Boarding the boat we looked into the water where we saw tons of white jellyfish surrounding the boats along the edge. It was pretty crazy to see all of them and sort of creepy at the same time. We rode down the Bosphorous where we saw all sorts of buildings on both the European and Asian sides of Istanbul. The fifth most expensive house in the world priced at $100 million is located on the Bosphorous Strait in Istanbul. After a good trip we were dropped back off on the shore and driven to our hotel where we had the rest of the day free to pack for our drive the next day. A large group of us set off to find more pantaloons in the Grand Bazaar. Drew was the lucky one to have to take all of the girls sincere was looking for earrings anyway. Both Drew and I found the jewelry were looking for at a good price and the entire group of girls were able to pick up pantaloons at a small store a a woman who was so sweet. After picking out our pants she had us all wear the traditional hats and take a picture. She even gave Drew a fez for bringing all of the group of girls out to the bazaar. Before leaving the bazaar the girls were able to pick up all sorts of scarves, jewelry, and even a lamp before we headed to dinner.
We ate at a shop we had heard about before the trip called the pudding shop since Turkey is known for pudding. We all ate delicious Zucchini and had rice and chocolate pudding for dessert that were amazing before walking down to see the lights of the fountain in front of the Blue Mosque. That night we all decided we were going to wear our pantaloons on the bus the next day traveling which as an excellent decision.
No comments:
Post a Comment