Istanbul, Turkey (1)

Boy oh boy.

I know I say this often, but I absolutely love this place. I fall in love with every country I visit and I imagine that is a good thing, because it keeps me excited to travel. Turkey is no different. It has officially stolen a piece of my heart, never to be returned... which is absolutely okay with me. Today was a glorious day to say the least. I will start at the beginning.

I am staying in a small hostel off of the main road across from a beautiful mosque. It is modern, colorful and the staff is beyond friendly and helpful. My room consists of ten people, well it did, our two German friends have since left. The other six are all American- two girls studying international affairs from Oregon, two girls from Jersey who are on sprnig break, and a couple from Texas who just left Ethiopia where they were teaching English. They are all explorers of the world and it is nice to share this new adventure with them. At the end of the day, we congregate on our beds in our pajamas and talk about our adventures. Many of us have visited the same countries and have similar experiences to share.

Well this morning, we all woke up about an hour after the alarm clocks sounded. Apparently, I wasn't the only one who tossed in turned in bed- not only because of still being jet lagged- but because my tummy wasn't very happy. Dont worry, the bug literally passed within a couple of hours. Well, just about everyone with the exception of the German girls we're feeling a little sick... but oddly from different things. So while we overslept, we still woke up cheerful and ready to explore this beautiful place for another day. Des (my friend I met in Madrid) and I hit the streets ready to walk, eat and shop and that's exactly what we did. We roamed the streets of Istanbul, while referencing our Lonely Planet bok often, and ignoring it often as well. It was mostly ignored when we found a neat little store. We saw many of the historical sites, which are incredible, but we also met amazing people and created new stories that we will hopefully one day share among a new group of hostel friends.

We met a young merchant names Sukuran and his American friend (she has been living in Turkey for nearly a year in an attempt to master the language) and we shared jokes and they gave us advice on Turkish baths to visit. That was a rather interesting conversation, because they had very oppositve views regarding the best Turkish bath experience. We also met, well not so coincidentally, but a waiter at Enjoyer restaurant where Des' friends suggested we visit. I ate an amazing lamb chop dinner... Side note- food here is increible, delicioso, rico, y todo los palabras buenas! The guy spoke perfect Spanish, which is not an unusual trait of the Turks. He also gave us a discount since he knew Des' friend. Discounts are greatly appreciated for student travelers :) Another face of Turkey are the people who work at our hostel. Every time we walk in, we are personally greeted, and while I sit here and type this email I am offered tea and lattes countless times. The tea, by the way, is so tasty! There are two main types of tea, I have found. One that tastes, well just like you would expect tea to taste, and the other tastes just like tea mixed with apple juice. And the tea ALWAYS comes out steaming hot, served in a small, vase-shaped glass. I've had one too many! Another personality of Turkey, if the young man- probably 16 or 17- who worked in his fathers shop, barely spoke a word of English, and offered us the best prices in the entire market. I bought the most precious ring! I can't wait to add it to my collection of rings from around the world.

As I was mentioning earlier, the food is great! Yesterday I had a Sheperds pie type of dinner, but rather than ground beef it had pieces of steak and rather than corn it had okra. I believe it was called Sultans Kebab. The side of the dish was Turkish rice, which is ironic, because it tastes exactly like good ole Spanish rice from NM. I'm not exaggerating... exactly! And for lunch, I had Turkish pizza or as it is called her pide. It was delicious and the pepporoni was exquisite, as it was thickly sliced and nicely spiced. Tomorrow, we are going to attempt to do an all dessert day, AKA nothing but dessert, every meal, no exceptions. Let's just say that every other shop has a beautifully dislpayed window showcasing their best pastries. It truly is a work of art and I cannot wait to indulge.

Shopping here is an adventure. We went to the Grand Bazaar, which is essentially an indoor mall that winds and winds into itself so much so that before you know it the store on the left looks like the store you thought you saw ten minutes ago, but wait a minute, maybe it is the same store. And the man that tried to sell you that beautifully painted bowl offered it to you for 10 Lira cheaper the first time you saw him around... and oh wait have I seen this scarf before... Yup, those were my exact thoughts are we scrambled through Turkey shopping paradise. We haggle prices, we get many of the same lines. For example, when I commented on something being beautiful, it was common to hear "Oh but much more beautiful in your home" or "just like you, my friend/" The merchants are sweet talkers, much like many of the countries I have visited. But some of their lines are so original! I need to start writing some down.

Some things that are unique in Turkey-
1. Pomegranates are to Turkey, as mangos are to India.
2. Stray cats are to Turkey, as stray dogs are to India.
3. Tulips are to Turkey, as the lotus flower is to Egypt.

Well, fam and friends, I have another big day planned tomorrow. Good night!

Ciao!