Jun. 28, 2007 - Istanbul, Turkey
I did not writing day by day in Istanbul...there was just no time and no internet connection, so I am writing this after we are home...just pretend like we are still there. 
First, let me say this...we fly through Cairo, Egypt, but did not change planes so all we saw was the airport from the outside. But flying into Cairo was unbelievable. On the descent all you could see is brown sand...the desert...everywhere. For as far as the eye could see was desert. Then just along the banks of the Nile River is green...probably less than a mile from the river... and then it's desert again. A few minutes later there stood 3 pyramids. I have no idea which ones they were or if they were the only ones, I just know I saw them...it was cool. Shortly after that, all you could see for miles and miles was buildings. This has to be one of the biggest cities in the world. High rise building everywhere. And that was our view of Cairo.
Descending down into Istanbul was very similar to Cairo...buildings everywhere. It was neat to travel over the Mediterranean Sea, Agean Sea, Greece, the Bosphorus, and the Black sea. Istanbul divides Turkey into 2 parts...Europe side and Asia side. It's really cool to be in Europe, then drive over the huge suspension bridge that crosses the Bosphorus and then be in Asia. We flew into the Europe side and stayed at a guest house apartment on the Asia side.
The first thing we noticed about Istanbul was the heat. They were having a heat wave with the hottest temps they have had in years...and we had no air conditioning. We would open the windows and turn on fans, but there was no relief. We would take ice cold showers that would relieve the heat for a moment, but it would steam up the bathroom...unbelievable. Needless to say, we didn't sleep well for those 3 nights. If you have ever been to my house, you know how cold it is in here. My family always says it's like a meat locker...that's the only way I can sleep.
Despite the heat, we set out both days doing the tourists thing. Guy's sister, Gwen, met us in Istanbul and showed us around. She lives with her husband and boys south of Izmir. We took the ferry back over to the Europe side and toured the Blue Mosque, The St Sophia Museum, and The Sultan's Palace. The Mosque was something to see. We had to take off our shoes upon entering and everyone had to have their legs and shoulders covered. Shannon and I had on sleeveless tops, so they gave us a blue clothe to wrap around us. Guy had on shorts and he had to don the same clothe. The architecture was incredible at all of the places we visited. It's hard to believe that so long ago, they had the means and creativity to make such remarkable structures that are still standing today. The mosque is still in use today and they close to the public during prayer times. The call to prayer goes out over loud speakers from each mosque and they can be heard from all over town. Let me tell you...there is nothing peaceful about the call to prayer. The sound of the call is not a pleasant sound.
The Sultans Palace was once again an incredible architectural masterpiece. Hand painted ceilings and tiled walls, marble everywhere, doors with inlaid mother of pearl and hand carved wood. It was really interesting to see what type of house the sultans lived. A big part of the tour was the harems quarters...that was interesting as well. The enoches that served the harem had to be castrated to work there. Jackson had a little lesson on that and then asked if they were forced to work there. He didn't think that would be so great of a job...I can't blame him. I can't imagine. If you had seen the portraits of the sultans you would wonder if the harem women were forced to be there as well...I think they were.
The St. Sophia used to be a Christian church that was turned into a mosque. There are still beautiful Christian mosaics all over the ceiling and walls. There are places in the marble walls where there used to be crosses carved into the marble. When the church was converted to a mosque, they scratched off all the crosses and left just the downward line...it was sad to see that. Then all around the inside, there are these huge wooden discs that have Muslim scripture painted on them. These looked totally out of place and overpowering. It was a good visual of the spiritual warfare that is in this world. It was like the forces of good and evil were playing out right there in that building.
We also visited a man that sells Turkish rugs. Guy met him last time he was in Istanbul...he is a friend of several people we know there...very nice man. He showed us several of his carpets from new to very old...all very beautiful and unique. If you ever want a Turkish rug, this is the place to get one. We were ready for lunch and he took us to a local's place to eat. That's on of the things we really enjoyed about Turkey...the food. Again fresh fruits and vegetables and all very good.
One morning, Gwen made a Turkish breakfast for us...fresh bread, tea, eggs, sliced cucumbers, tomatoes, sauteed peppers, cheese, fresh figs and of course, olives. It was fabulous! I didn't think I would like it, but it was the best. Eating in Turkey has changed the way I eat. It's so much better for you.
We really didn't shop until the end of our time there. We passed shops all over town and wanted to go in and see the beautiful goods, but we had to see the history first. Finally the end of our second day, we hit shoppers paradise...The Grand Bazaar. I think we only saw about 1/5 of the whole thing. It is huge. Anything you could possibly want from Turkey was to be had there. We did buy some great stuff, mainly ceramic plates and bowls and a Turkish tea set. I really wanted to spend a lot more time in the bazaar. Next time we go, I will plan on spending at least 3 days just looking around.
The history was amazing, the food was to die for, the shopping fantastic and the people were very warm and friendly. I was not looking forward to this part of our trip, but Istanbul was a place I want to visit again and spend more time there. I really was amazing.
