Wednesday 17th May After checking into the Sultan Hostel in Sultanahmet (myself in a dorm with Renee and Nicole) we slept for a few hours following breakfast. Renee was flying out the following day to Antibes and she wanted to check out the Grand Bazaar and do some last minute shopping so the two of us went off to do that. We had a fun time a the bazaar, some guy said to us ‘where are you from? China?’ which we found well amusing and then used as our stock-standard answer to that question for the rest of the day. It worked really well because we are clearly not Chinese, so the people would laugh giving us time to walk on away. It was a day for one-liners actually. Renee got the pick-up line ‘ I wish I was a fish, so I could swim in your eyes!’ and we also had people yelling out to us ‘how may I hassle you? And how can I help you spend your money?
When we got back to Sultanahmet we joined Troy, Rod and Sarah and Darren drinking outside the backpacker bar. We stayed there for awhile before heading around the corner for dinner – iskender kebap again, yum. We went back to the bar after dinner, they had a 2 for 1 cocktail offer which was pretty good. We caught the end of the FA cup final between Barcelona and Arsenal, it was fun to watch because the Turkish are really, really into their soccer. We had a huge crowd out on the street watching it. Two American guys who’re staying at the Backpacker bar and playing guitar and singing for their keep moved everybody inside to listen to them, they were quite good. We ended up staying out until about 4am, Renee and I went to bed then.
Thursday 18th May We got up early to say goodbye to Renee over breakfast, then Nicole went to bed and I went to the Basilica cistern and to do some shopping.
The cistern was pretty cool, a huge cavern with roman columns submerged in water. It was really nicely lit and I can see that the rave a month ago would have been awesome in here! Unfortunately there was a huge group of school kids there at the same time as me – pretty annoying let me tell you! I could barely get a look, let alone a photo of the medusa head without someone in the way!
I then went to the park between the Hagia Sophia and the Blue Mosque to read for a bit … that was until the security guy kicked me off the grass! I’ve never heard of a park where you’re not allowed to sit on the grass.
I went back to the Bar street and hung out with everyone drinking 5 lira glasses of wine. We said goodbye to Rod and Sarah, they were off to Bulgaria by bus and then troy took us to Doy Doys restaurant for dinner. Darren, Nicole and I are addicted to iskender kebaps! We all had them for lunch today and then dinner again tonight! Everyone went back to the terrace of Bauhaus hostel for drinks, but I was well tired after only 3hrs sleep so I went to bed.
Friday 19th May Said goodbye to Darren over breakfast this morning, a different person leaves everyday, and then I went to the Grand Bazaar with Ian, Laura, Lindsay and Louis (the Canadians) for a last look around). I was meeting Nicole at 3pm so we could go have a hammam.
Before heading to the hammam we decided to grab some lunch which would have been nice except that halfway through eating I looked over to the road and say a cat behaving very strangely, leaping about all over the place. It took me a couple of seconds to realise it, bit it had been hit by a car and was bleeding everywhere. It was a horrific sight, but the worst thing was how everyone just kept about their business and ignored it! Eventually it died and a guy collected it in a bag and took it away, Nic and I were both feeling kind of ill be this stage.
So after that and lunch we headed over to the hammam (Turkish bath), Troy decided to come with. It was a separate sex one (unlike the one we went to in Selcuk) with women masseuses. We stripped down to our bikini bottoms and went into the bath. It was a similar set up to Selcuk, the big heated marble slab in the middle, water basins around the outside and little private alcoves around the edge. Nicole and I relaxed on the ‘slab’ for awhile before exchanging our tokens for a scrub down and soap massage from women with scarily large breasts. I have never seen so many different shaped women as in that hammam! Its quite funny getting the scrub and massage because the woman slaps you on the butt when she wants you to roll over! After this we laid back down for awhile, but soon found it too hot, so we moved to an alcove where we could sit next to a basin and splash ourselves with cool water. I absolutely love Turkish baths, you feel so clean and shiny and healthy afterwards!
We headed back to the hostel, I went to get changed and then sat to have a drink with Pam and Lauren (girls we met the previous night). Pam, Lauren and I ended up having dinner at a restaurant around the corner and then having a few drinks back a the bar. I was actually glad to not have a big night as I had to get up at like 4.30am the next morning.
Saturday 20th May I got my airport bus at 5.30am and got the airport in plenty of time. As I was lining up to check in there were people checking passports and asking a few questions. For some reason the lady who checked mine felt the need to fully interrogate me about why I was going to the UK, how long I’d spent there before, where I was going to work, could I prove that I was going to work etc. It was pretty full on considering I have a valid work visa in my passport! I eventually got the check-in desk only to be told that my reservation had been cancelled because of the flight I missed from Egypt! This stressed me out more than a little, but luckily all I had to do was line up at another desk and have something on the ticket changed. Phew!
I spent my last few lira on a cup of coffee and then boarded. The flight was fine, I had 3 seats to myself until some guy asked it he could move to one because his seat was really squish. He was nice though and we chatted for awhile.
