We got in to Istanbul around 8 and after our first adventurous bus ride of the trip a group of us explored the small market area around the hostel we were staying at. After an authentic Turkish watermelon slushie and a chicken doner kabob our group became acquainted with the owner of the bufe. He served us apple tea and gave us a few cds of his sister's music. At this point Turkey was everything I was expecting it to be...nice people, cobblestone streets, and cats creeping around the dark alleys.
The next morning I was able to observe why many people see Istanbul as the greatest city in the world. I fell in love with the Mediterranean climate after a month of cold weather. Minarets from historic mosques give the city's skyline an unprecedented uniqueness while the houses on hills and fisherman on long bridges reminded me a bit of San Fransisco.
Our first stop of the day was the Basilica Cistern, the 1500-year-old underground water system for the city. I felt as if I was in an Indiana Jones movie as I walked in awe through the massive aqueduct.
We then headed to Aya Sofya, the crowned jewel of Istanbul. For those who dont know the history behind this building it can be classified as a great Christian cathedral being held prisoner by a mosque. Mosaics of Jesus have been slightly altered to look like other people.
I was able to haggle with merchant at the Grand Bizarre, a market that is so massive that individuals can easily become lost in it, and I came away with a Hedo Turkoglu Turkish national team basketball jersey. This quickly became a great conversation starter after I put it on, as the US team had just defeated Turkey in the FIBA championships held in Istanbul just two days earlier. The vendors were all over me, with many of them seeing it as a gesture of respect for their country. I don't think I have met an angry Turk yet.
The next day we embarked on an 8-hour bus journey to Ankara, the capitol of Turkey. We are staying at an office for the Concordia University system, which has just started an English Learning project here in Turkey. We headed to Ankara's greatest mosque on Thursday, and by chance were able to run into the head imam. Kadir, a successful Turkish rug tycoon and guide for our trip, had never met him and only recognized him from TV. He was enamored by our groups interest in listening to what he had to say and in the end began to cry because he was so thankful to have met us. What originally was a somewhat eerie experience quickly turned into a great learning opportunity and an elimination of some stereotypes held towards Muslims in America. While we were not in agreement on several levels, we each left the situation with a different view of each other.
After a short lecture on Turkish carpets, Kadir treated us to a massive feast at his house for lunch. This man is a celebrity of sorts in the area, as the likes of George Bush and Dick Cheney have bought rugs from him in the past. We had a very interesting conversation regarding Turkish and Muslim culture after lunch before heading out to see Ataturk's tomb after. This leader is held in great regard in Turkey as he is responsible for secularizing the country and forming the Republic. Kadir was moved to tears when he was telling us about him.
The bus ride was perhaps the most interesting event of the day. While many of us thought the traffic in Argentina was appauling, we had no idea what was about to hit us here. Our driver found himself in a tough situation as he had to go down the wrong side of a narrow one-way street at the beginning of the day. We managed to bend a stop sign and the n completely back into a parked van, tilting it over shattering a window and scratching the side door. All of us were ready for the driver to stop, but he simply sped away as people around the car ran after the bus. Our guided tried to communicate to the driver what was happening but he simply decided to ignore them and leave the scene as quickly as possible. After we returned from lunch, the driver had already painted over some scratches on the rear bumper.
Things got more interesting on our way home as we managed to knock the mirror off of a car riding alongside us. The driver got out and ran after the bus, but the driver once again sped away. There was nothing any of us could do except watch in awe. I never would have thought I would be a part of two hit-and-runs in a matter of 3 hours, but welcome to the highways of Turkey. Tomorrow may bring more stories as the same driver is taking us to Capaddocia (the scenery of Tatooine from the Star Wars films), that is if he still has his job.
It sounds like we should continue to pray for safe travel for you all! What an adventure! Thanks for giving us a peek at your experiences. XOXO.
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