Thursday night was my first time venturing to Taksim. A friend of mine was turning 21 and even though it's kind of insignificant in Istanbul, he still wanted to celebrate. Getting to Taksim we took a cab, and it just added to the list of unbelievable cab rides in Istanbul. In Taksim, it was kind of ridiculous because people sell oysters on the street all through the night. And chestnuts. There are also neon signs everywhere that reminded me of "A Bug's Life" but really it is just an advertisement for a cell phone company. The street vendor food there is quite excellent.
My roommate and I went to Topkapi Palace. It was definitely an indescribable experience. I was shocked at the things I saw. Literally, each time we saw something new, our response was, "Whaaaaaat??" It was ridiculous. I had no idea what amazing things were inside the palace, or the incredible views around every corner. If anyone comes to Istanbul, put this place at the top of your list. And save an entire day for it.
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| The most important people in the world held meetings in this room for hundreds of years |
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| Just one of about a million perfect views from the palace |
It's been kind of lonely on campus because a lot of students went home for the week. They do not have classes for the bayram holiday. I think I know everyone who is still here. But anyways, there are some dogs that just live on campus--they do not really belong to anyone but they kind of belong to the university at the same time. The other night, the entire pack of dogs (about ten) escorted my roommate and I back to our dorm from dinner. It was crazy. They literally followed us the entire way and some of them kept turning back to make sure we were coming. As much as I don't like dogs, I really didn't mind the escort. Being on campus without anyone else is a little creepy sometimes.
I got a chance to see Buyukada, one of the Prince's Islands. It's just off the coast of Istanbul and pretty easy to get to by ferry. Again, I had no idea what to expect. We rented bikes and basically rode up a mountain. Then when it got too steep, you had to walk up the mountain. It was crazy how much effort all of this took. I thought it was going to be an easy day but it was not. I was sooooo exhausted. But at the top of the mountain, you could look back and see Istanbul--pretty cool. There was also a church at the top which I think made the entire trip worth it. I was so glad to go down the mountain on the way back.
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| This is looking down from the part where you had to walk...there aren't any cars--just horses and buggys |
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| One of the views from the top :) |
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| Sunset over the island on the way back to Istanbul |
It's been a great couple of days. I love exploring this city :)
Looking forward to seeing the sites! Love Dad
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