i don't want to go home.
yet.
istanbul!
istanbul is scenic. bodies of water that seem to change into the most beautiful shades of blue, it's mystical. old glorious mosques. bridges and fishermen who faithfully occupy them, even in pouring rain. istanbul is a huge and wonderful city.
i got to stay in the heart of modern turkey, and it sure never slept. new trends, younger couples, and lots of fashion, near taksim square down towards sultanamet. cafes with ambiance, tasty sweets, and endless shops.
i explored the spice and grand bazaars, historical sites, people, and the hamam from the indiana jones movie in sultanamet by foot. there were a handful of times when i got lost in flowing crowds, and i would think two things. 1. how the heck did i get here? and. 2. am i really in turkey? it is an amazing thing, to walk down the streets, where young and old turks are minding their own business and sometimes, they don't notice you're there as you're walking beside them. you're in their country and on their streets, watching and experiencing them and just being a part of their world and feeling SO grateful to be there.
i'd think 'right now, i am the luckiest girl alive.'
a big part of my closure week was staying with greg and tina, friends from los angeles...who i ran into last year at the musee d'orsay in paris, and then we happened to be in prague at the same time two months ago, and then tina was in canakkale when i was too, and now we're all here in istanbul. you got to wonder...
deep thanks to a (i mean this) marvelous couple.
i'm the type who is gifted in being uncomfortable. in almost any situation i can do it. but i guess greg and tina are even MORE gifted in hospitality, communication, and fun!
to...the simpsons. top chef. lonely planet study guides. being the chef's assistant. declaring war on mosquitoes. sampling turkish sweets. all the good talks...
to the end of the Harry Potter's series. it seems NF is right. all good things come to an end.
i will, be back i hope, before the end.
