Turkey

Day One

I dragged myself out of bed at 6:10am, hoping to catch the sunrise as we sailed into the port of Istanbul. Four of us went up to the top deck only to see the sun already in the sky, and the port was still far from sight. We lay down on the deck for a while until we came near the port, and watched as the enormous mosques and minarets appeared in the skyline. After breakfast I went back for a nap, then got up and met my group for the city orientation trip. We boarded a bus and drove through the city as our tour guide told us some basic facts about Istanbul and Turkey. I was surprised to learn that Istanbul is located across both the European and Asian continents – this means that I’ve traveled from the east end of Asia to the west end in one summer. I took care to note that Muslims account for 99% of the country’s population; having practically no experience with the Islamic culture, Turkey would be a great introduction. We stopped at a quiet park near the river and ate our boxed lunch, then drove to the old city to visit the mosques there. We first stopped at the Mosque of the Crown Prince. We entered the beautiful courtyard of tall columns and high archways, and watched as people cleansed themselves with water outside before entering for prayer. We were all told to dress conservatively - the men to always wear pants and the girls to cover their arms, legs and head before entering. We took off our shoes and entered the mosque, walking quietly on the soft red carpet. Inside you could see the enormous dome above, supported by smaller semi-domes and quarter-domes that were in turn supported by four enormous pillars. Unlike a church there were no paintings or visual depictions of religious scenes; the walls were decorated with colorful geometric patterns and enormous Arabic inscriptions. A series of wide rings hung down from the ceiling on chains, holding hundreds of small glass bulbs. We walked around as we listened to the story of the mosque and the architect who built it, then walked out in time to hear the call to prayer. Voices boomed from the megaphones on the minarets (tall, narrow towers placed around the mosques) with a song-like quality, as the muezzin read passages of the Qur’an to call people into the mosques for prayer. This happened five times a day, and I could hear the call coming from the mosques from anywhere in the city. We walked about five minutes across the park to visit the Aya Sophia, an even bigger mosque that had been turned into a museum; though they call it a museum the building itself is the only thing on display. Next we walked across the street and down some stairs to enter the Basilica Cistern, a dark underground water reservoir with rows of tall columns and arches dimly lit by red lights. After that we saw the Blue Mosque, nicknamed so for its blue windows and colorful painted patterns. We took the bus back to the ship and I took a quick nap before eating dinner on the ship, and then went out for the evening with a small group of six. We walked along the bridge that crossed the narrow strip of water where our ship was docked. Beneath the top level of the bridge was a whole row of restaurants, bars and lounges, and we decided to stop at an outside hookah bar with brightly colored bean bag chairs facing the water. We ordered a mug of the local beer Efes and a peach-flavored water pipe to share, and spent a few hours talking and relaxing while watching the sunset. Later that night we walked across the bridge looking for a local variation of ice cream called dondurma. Instead I ended up buying random foods as I walked along the bridge, stopping at vendors for a fish sandwich and a disgustingly sweet churro-like pastry. Realizing the ice cream stores wouldn’t be open so late at night, we headed back to the bridge and spent some time at a pub before returning to the ship.

Day Two

I slept in and left the ship around 11am with three others, and had breakfast at a baklava restaurant at the port. I had a bland cheese pastry and a Turkish coffee – probably the strongest I’ve ever tasted. We walked across the bridge toward the old part of the city, making our way past the street vendors selling shoes and sunglasses and random junk. In the morning the market was lively with tourists and locals, and we finally found a dondurma stand. Somehow the ice cream here has a sticky consistency like taffy, and the guy plays tricks with customers as he waves the ice cream cone around on a long piece of metal that sticks to the ice cream. Next we walked through the spice bazaar, a narrow strip in the market where there are mountains of colorful spices and Turkish treats for sale. A walk through this bazaar is something of a sensory overload: the strong scent of the spices in the air, the Turkish men yelling for us to come and spend our money, and the sight of all the goods displayed on the tables and walls combined for an overwhelming experience. I bought a few souvenirs but left my shopping for the next day, when we’d be going to the Grand Bazaar. We had heard that a great thing to try in Istanbul is a traditional Turkish bath, so we spent about an hour walking in the hot sun looking for one. Eventually we gave up and got in a cab, which took us straight to what the driver said was the best one in town. We arrived at the Cemberlitas Hamami, a Turkish bathhouse built in the 1500’s by the same architect who had built the great mosques. Including me there were two guys and two girls in our group, so we each paid for our bath and split off into the separate quarters. They gave us a room for us to put our clothes in and with nothing on but a small towel we were led into a large circular room with a dome ceiling. In the center of the room was a marble platform about two feet high and twenty feet across, where a few men were lying down. We lay on our backs staring up at the ceiling for about twenty minutes, and by that time the heat was almost unbearable – I was completely drenched in sweat. As we got up to take a break and go outside, our attendants came in and told us to sit down. The middle-aged Turkish guy, also wearing nothing but a towel, told me to lie on my back. He proceeded to scrub me down forcefully and lather me in soap before giving me a full massage. Over the next 20 minutes he cracked what seemed like every bone in my body as he bent each of my limbs around. As intense as it was, I felt extremely relaxed and didn’t feel at all uncomfortable about a near-naked 40-year old man massaging me. It was at the same time one of the weirdest and most enjoyable experiences I’ve had on this trip. My friend and I walked out feeling incredibly relaxed and sat down outside the steam room for about an hour while waiting for the girls. On the way back we got a Turkish pizza, then spent a few hours resting on the ship. We had heard that there was a soccer game going on that night, so we walked about half an hour to the stadium and lined up to get tickets. The regional team was playing against an Italian team, and a large group of us sat down in the huge stadium to watch the game. We randomly made friends with a group of local guys not much older than us after they asked where we were from, and they taught us a few cheers in Turkish. After the game ended we started our walk back, and I grabbed some kind of meat sandwich from a street vendor. But before finishing my last bite I had an interesting encounter with a little gypsy girl that came out of nowhere. As I was waiting to cross the street she pointed at my sandwich and looked up at me, so I offered it to her. She flashed a big smile and scarfed it down before giving me a high five and running off. Oddly enough (at least to us) no one at the game was drinking and beer was nowhere to be found at the stadium, so we headed back towards the port hoping to find a place to drink. We sat down at a hookah bar only to be told that no one was selling alcohol as it was Sunday, so we reluctantly walked back to the ship and called it a night.

Day Three

I met up with a large group in the morning, ready for a day of haggling at the Grand Bazaar. We crossed the bridge and walked through the spice market, then up the busy streets. We stopped at one of the ubiquitous stands with meat that looks like a monstrous beehive, which spins on a rod as it’s cooked. I ordered a sandwich and they carved some meat right off, placing it in a pita with some lettuce and tomato. I didn’t know it was lamb until I asked the guy afterwards, but it was extremely salty and had an interesting taste. Soon after we arrived at the Grand Bazaar, a huge indoor area filled with rows upon rows of small shops selling a huge assortment of goods: Turkish rugs, cashmere and silk, water pipes, colorful ceramics, musical instruments, and other souvenirs for tourists. Here the process of haggling is expected, and I had a great time figuring out how best to negotiate with the Turkish men. My best haggle was a turban, the cost of which I talked down from 22 lira to 10. After spending a few hours at the bazaar I was completely exhausted, and after sitting down at a café for some pie and apple tea (or chai as they call it) I headed back to the ship and took a long nap. I had dinner on the ship and debarked, ready for a night of drinking after the disappointing turn of events the night before. We bought some bottles of Istanblu vodka from a shop on the street and started walking towards a park where we’d heard there was a free music festival. On the way there our massive group broke apart, and the eight of us decided we’d be more content turning back and drinking near the bridge where we’d be closer to the ship and away from a potentially risky area. We found a small area just beyond the strip of restaurants, right on the water under the road. There we spent hours just hanging out – I had one of the most enjoyable nights of the trip just sitting on a towel on the cement, sharing a drink and talking with my friends. We eventually finished our bottles and moved to the reliable hookah bar from the night before, spending the rest of our night there.

Day Four

I woke up with a terrible cough and a slight fever; my exhaustion had finally caught up with me. I decided to sacrifice the day for rest so that I might make my hike the next day. I spent the day relaxing and getting some work done, then went out alone to an internet café for a few hours, enjoying my first relapse since Halifax. Internet use on the ship is extremely expensive so it felt great to spend a few hours catching up on emails and other things. I headed back to the ship and watched a movie before going to bed early, hoping I’d be well enough in the morning to not have to miss my trip.

Day Five

Woke up at 8am for a quick breakfast before my scheduled hike in Ballikaya. I still wasn’t feeling too well but I decided I didn’t want to spend my last day in Istanbul stuck inside. We got on a bus and drove across the enormous bridge crossing the Bosporus Strait, which is the dividing line separating the Asian and European continents, crossing over to Asia for the first time. We drove about an hour from the city and arrived at a scenic campsite next to a lake. From there our Turkish hike-leader and the interpreter/guide led us on a hike through the middle of the canyon, along the river for about half an hour. It was a great experience to get out of the city for once and get to see Turkey’s natural beauty. It was bright and sunny, and the canyon was full of plant life. Walking along the river I was reminded of Yosemite Park. We walked back to the camp, had a leisurely lunch next to the lake and took another route going up to the top of the canyon. This half of the hike was a little more challenging with a bad cough but I managed to get up to the top without killing myself. We admired the view from the top overlooking the river and the waterfall, and finally walked back down. After taking the bus back we had a few hours before we had to be back on the ship, so we decided to spend the rest of our Turkish money at an Internet café. While I surfed around I had a few cups of tea and a plate of watermelon, and then bought some baklava to take back on the ship. After boarding I spent the rest of the night catching up on work and went to bed early.