Istanbul (Not Constantinople)

Just got back from Turkey!

No more fish, mystery meat, and desserts soaked in honey.
No more brushing my teeth with a bottle of water.
No more sketch bathrooms with tiny showers.
No more squatty potties.

YESH.

In other news, Istanbul was brilliant! (the rest of Turkey will come later...)

I had no idea what to expect, but I loved it. The city reminds me partly of a European San Francisco, with windy, steep streets, green landscapes, and the Bosphorus winding through the city, occasionally covered by bridges. Also, Istanbul reminds me of something out of Star Wars, with all the different mosques scattered across the horizon. After dry, hot, and brown Jerusalem, Istanbul's greenness and 60 degree weather was perfect. 

The Blue Mosque.

We only had 2 days in Istanbul, so we were constantly herded from site to site like a bunch of cattle. Our Turkish tour guide Fatih would continually say "hurry up, hobbits!" Not quite sure why he called us that, but he always made me laugh. Other favorite quotes from him: "Attention all Harper bus!" "Hello aliens." "I'm a mountain goat."

On the first day we saw the Blue Mosque, Topkapi Palace (where the sultans of the Ottoman Empire lived for over 400 years), and the Grand Bazaar (4000 shops + over 60 streets + in-your-face shopkeepers = craziness. *Favorite comment from a shopkeeper: "You are so beautiful, like angels. I will be your Charlie." Wow). We also took a boat ride on the Bosphorus. It was great to sit on the boat after walking around all day and watch the sun set on Istanbul.

Inside the Blue Mosque.

At Topkapi Palace.

The Grand Bazaar.

Boat ride on the Bosphorus.

Sitting on the back of the boat.

The fish I ate at dinner. The eyeball was disgusting.
(AnnaLeah seems pretty excited about the food)

Our second day in Istanbul was equally exciting. We saw Hagia Sophia and walked through another bazaar. 

Inside Hagia Sophia.

The upper deck at Hagia Sophia. 

One of the mosaics. 

Cat sleeping at Hagia Sophia. I felt like joining him.

Enjoying our last Magnum ice cream bar in Turkey.