So...work has been OFF THE CHAIN for the past few weeks. I am too busy to even accomplish a task on my to-do list. All I want to do is go somewhere, anywhere but my office in the morning lately. Don't get me wrong, I LOVE my job...I just wish my office had a window.
Instead of a window, it has a beautiful wall hanging I purchased in the Egyptian Bazaar in Istanbul. I look at it all the time. It makes me think of all of the adventures I have already had in my life. Some people only dream of leaving the country, taking a jaunt across the pond. I dreamed. I did. I saw. I lived. I am sad I can't go to Turkey for a weekend anymore.
I have bits and pieces of my travels all over my house and my office and even in my pool bag. I love it when I pull out a Swiss Franc instead of a dime or say Scusi instead of excuse me in a hurry in Ulta. The memories are rich, the memories are alive. My two year adventure is far from over...
So in the spirit of living life and taking that jaunt across the pond, where ever you heart desires, I am bringing back one of my favorite travel emails to share on this rainy Monday night.
April 10, 2008
Merhaba!
I hope this email finds you all well. I just returned from a weekend trip to Istanbul , Turkey and it was such a rich experience that I am bursting to share. If you have never been to Istanbul or to Turkey ?GO!!!!
My fascination with Turkey started in the third grade when my teacher, Miss Walcott would talk about her time living and teaching English in Turkey . It always seemed so far away and incredibly interesting as she described her experiences as an American woman living in a Muslim country. My young mind raced with images of an American woman on a bicycle with rocks being thrown at her as she rode along the rode to work. Now in 2008, in a much more progressive world, I just had to see it for myself. So my adventurous friend Laura and I set off for Istanbul to celebrate my birthday.
The city of Istanbul is a unique mosaic of distinct neighborhoods, each one unlike the other. You might feel like you are walking in any European city with a system of trams and old cobblestone streets until you hear the call to prayer echo through the city air. As the sound of the Adhan is broadcasted from the minaret of the mosque you can not help but feel that you are experiencing something truly beautiful and peaceful. I was stopped dead in my tracks and stood to listen each time the call began. The most special time was in the morning at 5:30 a.m. at the first call when the call is the longest.
The people in Turkey were incredible and precious all at the same time. We were greeted warmly by so many interesting characters, all wanting to talk about their country. We were made to feel like special guests in their hotels, shops and restaurants. As women travelling alone, we had been warned that we might encounter a lot of unwanted banter from men and also a lot of stares. We did get a lot of looks but never found ourselves in an uncomfortable situation. Everyone referred to us as ?lady? which I found quite amusing and they were always wanting to get our attention by saying, ?Yes, please lady? when they wanted us to enter their shops.
We had some very cool shopping experiences in the Grand Bazaar where any currency was accepted. A kind shop owner named Mustafa hosted us in his pottery store for over an hour, ?My shop is your shop? he said as we drank apple tea and perused the beautiful hand painted Turkish pottery. In the Egyptian Bazaar we met another salesman who took a lot of time to show us some people window coverings that he was very proud of. He wanted to make sure that we were truly happy with the purchase we were making. Then we got a lesson in tying scarves the Turkish way.
On my birthday we ventured to a Turkish Hamam (http://www.cagalogluhamami.com.tr/) for a very traditional Turkish cleansing ritual. We decided to do it up and order the Sultan treatment, exfoliation, a dry massage, a soap massage, and a head and face massage. The bath we chose to go to was built over 300 years ago and is listed in the 1000 places to see before you die book. It was truly on the most unique experiences I have had in my entire time travelling. The women who work at the baths were so sweet and they led us by hand over the slippery hot rock and even sang songs in Turkish during the massage. I would highly recommend this experience to everyone! We were so relaxed and refreshed afterwards.
We experienced as much of the city as we could take in on our short visit. Our feet took us to the Blue Mosque, The Hagia Sophia, the Basilica Cistern, The Grand Bazaar, The Egyptian Bazaar, Galata Tower , Taksim Square , and Ortakoy. We ate fresh fish caught right from the Sea of Marmara and drank just enough Efes Turkish beer to leave us wanting for me.
I hope to be able to visit Turkey again one day. For now I will have to settle for the memories of the beautiful country and incredible people and a very cool visa and stamp in my passport. As my European adventure comes to a close, I am soaking up as much as I can as I am fortunate to have been able to have had such an awesome experience.
Here is the link to my photos. I hope you enjoy them!
http://picasaweb.google.com/rmmeuser/IstanbulNotConstantinople
I miss you all and will see some of you in 7 weeks!
Love,
reg
No comments:
Post a Comment