We have been back in Crete a week now, since our whirlwind east meets west on the Bosphorus adventure.
Istanbul was incredible, similtaniously very similar and suprisingly different to how I imagined it would be. The vibe was kind of like Nepal, or Thailand. It is relaxed, time is fuzzy, the people are hospitable, pushy and want you to drink tea in their carpet shop, all the time. The arcitecture is largely European, all old stuff that I don't know much about but quite enjoy. With some strange symbiosis the city seems to grow clusters of very eastern domes and turets, soaring high and glowing against the blue sky. These are the many mosques of Istanbul. From the top of the Galatia Tower this mix creats a beautiful, if somewhat eclectic, very unique skyline.
Istanbul has its fair share of touts, sure, plenty (NO I DON'T NEED A CARPET!), but it is very clean, friendly, safe ... and the FOOD! Oh man. Love it. Beautiful, classy restraunts, long menues, local and global, everything cooked perfectly and suprisingly cheap.
We only had 6 days to see what we could of Istanbul, and it was a seriously manic 6 days, but heaps of fun. Mosques, of course; the Tower, as I said. A cruise on the Bosphorus, between the Asian and European shores of the city. The Grand Bazar (manic and exciting); Hagaia Sophia (tiled and marbled and arched and domed so high above our heads), The Archaeological Museaum (best museum ever! there was an exhibition of Hellenic, Roman, and related statues like I've only seen in books - The actual ONES I've seen in books. They're amazing. And an incredible exhibition of tombs, and a mummy, and I am no longer at all sorry I missed the Tutikumin exhibition in Melbourne). The Topaki Palace (talk about opulence. There was a diamond on display the size of my FIST).
Anyway, the whole trip was a sensory explosion, and I will be back.
We flew from Istanbul to Athens on the 6th evening. We expected to arrive at our hotel at around midnight. The airport bus stop is only 5 blocks away. But of course we didn't account for riots in our reckoning. Many central roads were closed due to demonstrations in front of the parliment building, so our bus couldn't reach Syntagma, its final destination. So, luggage in tow, we walked. And walked. After maybe half an our (that would be half past midnight)we incounted a carnval of police buses, and a casually clustered army of police officers (I say casually clustered, becuase every police officer we observed in Athens, that night and at every other time, appeared perposely casual, like catwalk models before a hall of cameras). Another block, another army of officers, and beyond them a demonstration in front of Parliment with a riot at its core.
Mum: "Can we go this way?"
Officer/Model: "Yes, just go around. And be careful."
Mum: "Go quickly guys"
Barbs: "Click Click Click"
Mum: "Where is dad?"
Me: "Watching Barbs take photos of the riot."
In the center of the riot teargas engulfs the front line and we hurry off the road, and down the final five blocks to our hotel, hearts racing.
Anyway, after that unnecessarily exciting introduction, Athens was a crazy-manic-poverty-inducing shopping spree. I got my jeans, the only item on my shopping list. But I couldn't resist the colours of the season! Earthy yellows, greens, blues, reds, browns - all my favourits. So also purchased a rather large pile of tops, and a bag.
Mum and I returned to Crete alone for a few days of respite and recovery. Now Poppy is back from Rhodes, dad, Sam, Ang and Barbs are home, and Mike is discovering the true meaning of Beach Party with his friend Stergious in Rhodes.
There is more to tell (isn't there always), like the unfortunate dinner party with the boiled lamb, and the rice in pungent boiled lamb juice, but once again the heat and misquitos are getting the better of me in this dark cave of an internet cafe, and I am keen to brave the heat of the road home.
