Oh Hey Istanbul

I have been living in Istanbul for a whole 6 days now! I have thus far concluded that the 3 major differences between Istanbul and America are the lack of women on the streets here, the lack of English spoken... anywhere, and the fact that people here are just about the friendliest I have ever met.  Even though they don't speak a lick of English, and I can hardly even say 'hello' correctly in Turkish, people go out of there way here to help us with the confusion of the bus system, the lack of pricing on anything in stores, and my complete inability to read the signs explaining when the next ferries will be arriving.  Its really unexpected for such a large city... I was assuming everyone would have a NYC mentality but I don't feel that far from Iowa after all.  Random passersby will say hello, or at least nod.  It is really a comfort.

Other than that Istanbul has turned out to be a bizarre and diverse city.  On Saturday I traveled on a ferry from the Old City up the Bosphorus to a little fishing village (that is still in the city limits) near the Black Sea.  The contrast between where I got on the boat, and where I got off, was astounding.  In the Old City I could hardly even buy a simit from a local vendor because of the crowds... but in Sarıyer I was able to sit in the sun, while enjoying some freshly made fish soup... while watching men catch more fish. There were parks on the water, and even a little playground with a ferris wheel. It was shocking to me that I could still be in the 5th largest city in the world in such a quiet, peaceful place.

So anyway, to rap this up, mother and I had a fantastic time exploring Istanbul this past weekend.  We ate delicious food (the highlight being this delicious waffle wrap filled with chocolate, kiwi, and strawberries) we wandered around beautiful places, and we saw artifacts and sculptures from well over 4000 years ago.  Overall a success! Though I did realize I forgot my camera's USB at home, so pictures may be delayed.

Tonight I am packing for my program excursion to Cappadocia and other areas of southern Turkey. I am beyond excited for this trip! Hopefully I will begin to pick up some Turkish along the way as well!