Istanbul

We spent the first four or five days of our summer course in the city of Istanbul - one of my favorite cities period, with some of the friendliest people I have ever met. Istanbul is a beautiful city surrounded on three sides by water, with a Mediterranean climate, ancient ruins, a wonderfully colorful history and unique culture.

We met many interesting people here - from the family who wanted us over for dinner, literally hours after my flight landed - to the cab driver we were certain was going to drop our bodies in an alley after a late night of drinking. One guy that I met very briefly on the tram platform recognized me three weeks later after returning from Bodrum. Of course, a man with blond hair stands out in Istanbul...but still. One of our group knew a friend of a friend who lives in Istanbul. She took us out for a locally flavored night on the town. Of course, she was also at least partially responsible for the aforementioned cab ride.

There are certainly some very real cultural differences. The only time I felt uncomfortable (not counting the scary cab ride) was while being given the evil eye when visiting an historic mosque. Korkut - one of our instructors, and a Turk - had inadvertently allowed us to visit the mosque too close to prayer time and a few of the patrons were clearly disturbed by our presence. I would also get a good chuckle in response to telling people that I was a student, followed by a grin and a "you are a very big student". I guess students in their mid thirties are a rarity in Turkey. We met many people in this fascinating metropolis. Most were exceedingly friendly. Some - well, not so much. All of them added to what I would later come to realize was a once in a lifetime experience.

Of course Istanbul has all the problems that around 12 million bodies in close proximity are bound to have. Lots of traffic and the occasional scam artist. I got conned into having my brushed leather shoes shined, (they never did look the same after that). The government is pretty stable but corruption is common and the Turkish Mafia is alive and well. But there is so much to see and do, and most people are really so helpful. We went to Turkey a couple years after 9/11 and within a year of a bomb blast that destroyed the British embassy, but were told often how nice it was to see Americans in Istanbul again. As one Turk put it, "We hate your government's policies, but have nothing against Americans in general...you will hear people say sometimes - 'oh I hate Turks' - but there are 60 million Turks, how can you hate an entire country?"


	Above left: The Bosporus is the straight that separates Europe from Asia. Istanbul straddles the two continents. Istanbul is a city of mosques, many of which are centuries old. Above is the Sehzade Mosque. Built in 1548, and designed by the imperial architect, Mimar Sinan. Left: I really have no idea why this was here but apparently - fishing is very good around derelict tankers. Part of the group at the sea of Marmar. Can't remember who took the two pics below. Below: Abe in front of a portrait of Ataturk You see a lot of those. He's the George Washington of Turkey, except that there are people still alive who remember him.



	The picturesque ferry landing above is Uskudar, Istanbul's oldest residential suburb. Above left - The crowded pedestrian thoroughfare leading to the Grand Bazaar. Above - The spice market. Left - A lively "discussion" outside the spice market. Below- Schoolchildren at the Blue Mosque. They really found us fascinating.



	Two rows above - Yup, that's me. Basking in the sun with the Bosporus in the background. Squirt, Kate and I at Topkopi Palace. Above Left - Matt & Dave arm wrestling at the Grand Bazaar with some of the locals cheering them on. Above - Chrisy and Kate with a new friend at Yenni Cami. Below - Street Views, including Serkeci Train Station (directly below) built in 1873, it was the terminus of the Orient Express.