Tuesday--Istanbul to Kusadasi via Izmir

Tuesday--January 25--Istanbul to Kusadasi via Izmir

It’s raining it’s pouring the old man is snoring.  Good day to be leaving.  When I get up I check the weather and see it’s 4 degrees Celsius.  I’m not sure what that is in Fahrenheit but know it’s colder than what I’m used to.

I feel lots better and am glad to be moving on.  Last night after midnight I was woken by voices in the hotel--it sounded like it was coming from outside my door but I’m sure it was down in the lobby.  This place is small and sound travels up, but these people were so loud.  I called downstairs and asked if they could quiet down as I was trying to sleep.  It was after midnight so I didn’t think it was such an outrageous request.

I turn the tv on, to what last night was an English station, only to see Martha Stewart but hear her dubbed into Turkish.  This is hilarious to me for some reason.  After Martha, Gossip Girls comes on also dubbed.  I think this is so funny.

I shower, I squeeze the suitcase, I think you have the drill by now.  

I get all three items in the elevator and go to the lobby.  I eat some breakfast then take a few photos of “the boys” in the lobby.  They take one of me.

The Boys of 10 Suites
This has been a good place to stay.  I’m only sorry I got sick and couldn’t visit all the places I wanted to in Istanbul.  

I hope I can get back here some day.

Koray is ready to drive me to the airport it’s 9:30 and my flight is 11:30.

It takes about 1/2 hour to get to the airport.  By the time we arrive the rain has stopped.  

When I first enter the airport I must go through security. I put all three bags and my fanny pack through the machine.  The woman asks if I have a knife in the backpack and I say “no”.  She is not happy with my answer and takes everything out of the backpack, puts the backpack back through the machine and then makes me put everything back in.  REALLY.

I continued to the check in counter and was able to get an aisle seat, check the suitcase and carry on the backpack and electronics bag.  With my boarding pass and passport I walk to another security check point.  This time I didn’t have to undo my backpack.  Maybe they sent the film from the first security check point here.

I board the flight and am extremely surprised to see that I’m getting onto a large jet with three seats on each side of the aisle.  I don’t know I guess I was expecting a small plane.  How wrong I was.  Anyway, the flight attendants and pilot spoke both in Turkish and English for all information.  That was nice.

For this short 50 minute flight I was offered a drink and either a piece of cake or a sandwich.  Am I in a dream?  I just paid $40.00 for this flight, it’s less than an hour and they are giving me food.

I’m enjoying every minute of it.  It’s a bit of a slow landing as we have to navigate through the heavy clouds but I can finally see the ground and feel better.  Once we land I collect my suitcase and start to walk outside.  I’m a bit skeptical about this bus but ask a man and he walks me over to the bus that says “Kusadasi/Selcuk” on it.  I get on.  

I’m trying to use my GSM phone to contact this woman, Ayca who says she is going to have me picked up but the phone won’t work.   I email Ferit on my Blackberry and the next thing I know the bus driver is asking, “is Miss Nancy on the bus?”

I say, “ yes, me” and he tells the person on the phone I’m on the bus.  This is a good thing.  I can hardly believe how easy this has been.  What a pleasure.

The bus ride is a bit over an hour and I sit by the window taking a few photos along the way.  I'm surprised at how green it is here.  I hadn't anticipated this, it's so different from Istanbul.  








The cloud formations are fabulous.  About 15 minutes into the ride the rain starts to come down.  

I arrive in Kusadasi and am greeted by another driver in a van who takes me to the Palm Hotel.  I should have listened to my instincts.  This hotel is beyond tired and sad.  Nothing is open and no one is here.  The worst part is the smell of smoke.  Even though the sign says No Smoking,  I can smell smoke.

I leave my bags and since the rain has stopped for a minute decide to take a walk into the town.  The hotel is on a side street 50 meters up from what is the main street along the water.  I figure I can walk along the water and see what’s in the town.

I find several restaurants, other hotels, including the Hotel Antic (and wonder why I didn’t decide to stay here) on the main street.  Not many people are out because it has been raining and also because it’s off season.  I can see that in the spring and summer this could be a happening place.  There is a long pier for the boats to dock.  In the summer you can take a ferry every day from here to some Greek Islands.  Also Cruise ships stop here nearly every day in the season.  It’s only 30 minutes to Ephesus, the biggest tourist attraction for this area.  I continue walking and don’t really find too much.  I decide I want something to eat and that the best place was one back closer to the hotel.  I turn around and guess what, it has started to rain.  I stop at this restaurant and order a latte and a piece of lemon cheesecake.  It is delicious.  The waitress is very nice and asks me if I like the cake.  I sit for a while until the rain stops and walk back to my hotel.  I’ll be writing on Trip Advisor not to stay at this hotel.  Even in season I can’t imagine staying here.

I go back to my room and can’t stand the smoky smell.  I go downstairs and ask the receptionist if there is a “no smoking” room.  She says it is a “no smoking” room and no one is smoking.  Anyway she moves my room 4 rooms down the same hall.  What am I going to do.  I don’t want to make too much of a fuss.  I get my computer and go down to the lobby to write.

I was expecting the woman, Ayca, who made these Kusadasi arrangements to come to the hotel at 6:00 to talk with me about going to Greece.  At 6:00 the receptionist says there is a phone call for me.  I pick up the phone and it’s Ayca saying she is too busy to come and that we will talk after the tour tomorrow.  She also tells me that I will not be going to Ephesus as planned, but rather to Pamukkale the next day.  

“Why?”, I ask her.

She tells me that the weather is poor and that it will be better for me to go to Ephesus on Thursday.  I don’t understand this at all and feel I’m not getting the whole story, but again, what can I do.  I also ask her if there are other people going on the tour.  She says, yes, four others who will continue to Cappadocia after Pamukkale and I will be the only one coming back to Kusadasi.

I hang up more frustrated that another day will go by without a plan on how to get to Greece. 

My hotel room included breakfast and dinner.  When I checked in the woman told me that dinner started at 7:00 p.m.  A little after 7:00 I walk down to the restaurant.  More depressing than the room was the food.  They offered a buffet of things I can’t even tell you what they were.  I was a bit afraid to eat anything as nothing looked fresh.   I was rather surprised but what could I do.  I took a few cucumbers, a piece of bread, and some rice.  Pretty bleek.

I went back to my room wrote and got ready for bed.   I was being picked up at 8:30 a.m. 

Monday--very rainy day--making plans to leave Istanbul

Monday--January 24--Istanbul

Not a bad nights sleep for once.  I can tell it’s not a very nice day out and there isn’t much open today because it’s Monday.  All the museums or places I’m interested in visiting are closed and I’m sure it’s raining which means no boat cruise either.  Oh well.  I’m very low energy anyway.  

Although I would love to go downstairs to have breakfast in my p.j.’s I think otherwise and put some pants on.  It’s a very comfortable hotel and I feel like we’re kind of family but o.k. I guess I need to draw the line somewhere.

I go downstairs and I’m the only one for breakfast.  The Greek girls have left, the midwife interns leave early and who knows where Maria is.  While I’m eating the usual boring breakfast I see it’s raining outside.  

Koray comes downstairs and I ask him what there is to do in the rain on a Monday.  He suggests the Aquarium.  Um, now that sounds interesting.  Only thing is he tells me it’s about 1/2 hour out of town and I would need to take two or three metros to get there.  Not sounding so exciting now in this weather.  So what to do.  I need to pack because I’m leaving tomorrow , I need to catch up on the blog and I need to confirm with Ferit my arrangements for Kusadasi.  All very exciting tasks. 

A little after 11:00 I spend some time with Ferit discussing what I will do and how I will get to Kusadasi.  It’s decided that I will fly to Izmir via Atlas Jet for, are you ready for this, 64 TL about yep $40.00. I make the reservation on my computer while I’m sitting with Ferit and here’s the best part, Atlas Jet offers a FREE shuttle from Izmir to Kusadasi ( a nearly one hour ride).  Where in the world does this happen?  Can this be for real?  We’ll see.

Ferit is working with a woman at another travel agency in Kusadasi who says she will arrange for someone to get me from the shuttle bus and take me to the Palm Hotel.  I’m a bit skeptical about this Palm Hotel, based on Trip Advisor and ask Ferit three times to ask this woman why she is pushing the Palm Hotel.  I don’t get much of an answer other than, I can choose the Hotel Antic if I want for the same price.  I don’t know and go with the Palm.  I also arrange through this woman that I will stay in Kusadasi 4 nights, go on two tours, one to Ephesus and one to Pamukkale, some hot springs not far from Kusadasi and have an off day doing nothing.  Done.

I go upstairs and organize my stuff.  I hate this task.  I decide that I must use the backpack and the electronics bag.  The LeSport Sac didn’t work and I’ve got to hope they’ll let me take the backpack on the plane or i’ll just check it.

It’s late afternoon and the rain has stopped.  I decide I’ll go to a movie.  There is a movie theater very close by so even though it’s freezing out I think I can handle the short distance.  Earlier Koray helped me find a movie in English and the only one was “Love and Other Drugs”, of course a movie I’ve already seen, but I decide I can stand seeing it again.

At 6:00 I walk to the theater.  Just like in Israel when you purchase a movie ticket you are assigned a seat.  Although here the girl asked me where I wanted to sit.  I said on the aisle in the middle of the theater.  The movie cost 11 TL (about $8.00) and popcorn and a drink cost 11TL (I did not but the popcorn and drink).  I know popcorn is expensive but at least in the U.S. they make it cheaper than the movie.

Actually the movie was a bit crowded and it was a small theater so it was good I got this seat.   I didn’t bring my camera and now I wanted it.  I’m waiting for the movie to start and a door is open in front of me where they are rewinding the actual film from the showing before.  It would have been nice to add that photo.  I don’t think I’ve ever seen this done in the U.S.  It’s a 3 level metal unit that holds the film and is turning around.  

I forgot how sad this movie was.  I remembered there were many sex scenes and how hot Jake Gyllenhall was but I guess that was what I was left with.  It’s a very sad movie and it made me very sad to watch someone taking care of someone who is sick.  But of course it’s a movie and has a happy ending.  Real life don’t happen that way.

I’m kind of hungry when the movie is over and walk back to the hotel.  I return to the restaurant around the corner and have the same chard vegetable and rice for dinner.  Boring but what ya gonna do.  Not every night can be exciting.  Yah.  To bed to bed.

Sunday--January 23--Spice Market

Sunday-January 23--feeling a bit better

Around 9:00 a.m. I get out of bed, take a shower and go downstairs for breakfast.  I see Maria and ask if she wants to have dinner together.  We agree upon 7:00 p.m.

I’m feeling a bit better today and decide I want to see the Spice Market.  The weather is not looking so stable and the forecast is for rain.  After breakfast it’s not raining so I venture out.

Getting to the Spice Market is easy; the funicular to the tram and the tram to Eminonu just on the other side of the Bosphorus.  

Walking to the Spice Market from the tram I pass the “New Mosk” and go for a quick look but when I walk up the stairs realize I’m not really interested in going in.

The outside of the building is more interesting with all the birds nestled on walls and many more gathered on the ground.  

There are several women selling “food” for the birds. 

bird feed seller

Just around the corner is the Spice Market.

  

Not long after I arrive at the Spice Market the rain comes down but I’m inside.  I walk around and see that there is more to the Spice Market than just spices.  There are many spice vendors but I also see a lot of stores with “Turkish Delights”,  sweet candy.

I find an essential oils stall and go inside.  The man, of course, is all over me wanting to know where I’m from and how he can help me.  I love the display and different bottles the oils are in.

For some reason the “rose” oil speaks to me.  There are many variations of rose oil but I ask to smell the one from Istanbul. I figure it’s best to take something local.  Oh that smells great.  

I sample a few more oils but really like the one from Istanbul.  He asks if I’ve come to Istanbul with a group or by myself.

“I’m with a group”, I say “I’ve just gone away from them for a while”.  Best he thinks that’s the truth.  Then he asks if he can give me a hand massage with a “special” oil.  O.k.  I let him.  Then he brings out this bottle of  "afrodsia for men" and I have to laugh.  Is he trying to say something.  I just laugh.

afrodsia for men

I buy a very small bottle of the Istanbul rose oil for 30TL.

There really isn’t as much of the Spice Market as I thought there would be.  Some of it is outside and now it’s raining.  I decide to go back on the tram so maybe I can visit the Dolmababce Palace.  On the way to the tram I stop at a “nut” seller and buy some pistachios and walnuts.  I’m sure I overpaid but not in the mood for bargaining. 

I get on the tram and the rain is coming down but I have my hood on the jacket.

I get back to the hotel and am very disappointed that the weather is so bad.  I sit and write for a time hoping it’s going to stop.  

The girls who are staying here from Greece, Alexandra and Olivia return and tell me the palace was fabulous.  Oh I’ll go later or tomorrow.  No it’s closed on Monday.  I’m not sure I want to go today in the rain so I continue to write. 

Before I know it, it’s 4:00 and now too late to go to the palace. I’ve pretty much decided I will leave Istanbul Tuesday so I won’t get to see it.  I’m thinking maybe I’ll feel  better in a place that is warmer.  I don’t know.  I’m very anxious.

I go upstairs and rest for a while.  Just want to feel better.

At 7:00 I meet Maria downstairs and ask if she wants to try this restaurant that was recommended to me.  Sure why not.  We get directions it doesn’t seem to be too far away.

The rain has stopped but it’s really cold outside.

We walk down Istikal Steet toward the restaurant.  

While walking we see the street car but there are two connected and one is filled with a band playing live music and throwing off fog.  Amazing.  I try to get a photo but it’s moving too fast for me.  

We continue down the street and when we find the address I have for the restaurant it is unfortunately closed.  I hadn’t even thought about calling ahead.  The street we are has many restaurants, all seeming well populated so we choose another one.

Maria decides that this restaurant must be famous or well known because there are many photos of people, who we assume are famous in Turkey, on the wall.  

It is a fish restaurant so I decide I’ll have fish.  They have several kinds of fish but when I go to the case where they are displayed really they only have two choices and I pick the Sea Bass.  This restaurant is 3 times the price of the one below our hotel.

The man comes over with a tray of lots of different salads.  You can choose what you want.  I’m thinking they are included if you order fish, like in Israel, but I was wrong.  When the bill comes I see everything is ala carte.  It was very good though.  The fish was even better than the restaurant next to the hotel.

I enjoy having dinner with someone else for a change.  Maria is very nice and of course we talk about teaching English.  She tells me a bit about her earlier travels to Istanbul with her mother and sister.  This is how she knows Bashar, one of the owners of 10 Suites hotel where we are staying.  We talk about the noise and I discover it isn’t only me who thinks it’s noisy.  She also tells me that she can smell the fish from the restaurant below and the cigarette smoke from the street.  She is two floor below me.  Ouch.

We decide to go to another place for dessert.  I suggest the famous one with the pistachio pyramid in the window.  So that’s where we go.  

I have flan and she has some pudding log made from rice flour with what looks like chocolate on top.  It was very sticky and I didn’t like it much.  I did enjoy my flan though.

We walked back to the hotel and said goodnight.

Saturday--Istanbul-Hamami

Saturday--January 22--still not feeling well in Istanbul

Didn’t sleep so well.  Was woken up by drums pounding at  2:00 a.m. and I’m still not feeling so great.  I decide it’s best to start antibiotics because I can’t afford to be sick for very long.  I also have to decide when I’m leaving Istanbul and where I’m going.  Ferit has made an itinerary for me to travel to Cappadocia and then to Izmir leaving on Tuesday.  I’m not sure I can make two flights with the amount of congestion I have not to mention the cold factor in Cappadocia.  I may have to give it up for now and just go to Izmir and see the sights in that region.

I’m feeling a tad better and decide to go to the Hamami, Turkish Bath to try and sweat out the toxins.  There is a very old Hamami not far from the hotel.  

Hamami sign upper left --around the corner

The “most famous” one is in Sultanahmet but I don’t want to go all the way down there.  

I walk to where I think the Hamami is and it only takes three  askings to find it.  I go inside and there is a man who doesn’t speak much English and points to the menu of services and prices.  I say I only want the “turkish bath” which is 50 TL (about $30.) and I still don’t really know what that means.  I pay and then he tells me I need to go around the corner to the woman’s entrance.  

I walk around the corner and halfway down the street when I see a sign that says Hamami.  

I walk up the stairs open the door and there is a woman, also who doesn’t speak English who points to a room and motions that I should take off my clothes and use the turkish towel (thin as paper) and wooden shoes to go to another room.  

So I take off all my clothes put on the wooden shoes, lock this room and walk to the “bath”.  

turkish towel and wooden shoes

When I open the door I see a marble slab in the middle of the room and walls filled with small basins that each have two water taps above them.  So for 50TL ($30.) I get to sit on a hot marble slab.--really.

There is only one other younger woman lying on the slab and she starts to talk to me, in English.  

“You need to lay out the turkish towel and lie on it.  Your body will take about 20 minutes to warm up,”  she tells me.

“o.k.  thank you,” I say and lay out my towel and lie down.

“We are very lucky that it is not crowded today.” she says.

“Because it’s Saturday? or just in general.”

“Both.  Actually it’s usually much more crowded.  But also when there are more people it is hotter inside as well.  I don’t think it’s hot enough.”

“Where are you from?” she asks.

“California”, I tell her.

“Do you come here often?” I ask.

“Yes, once a month.  It feels so good.  I have a very stressful job.”

“Oh what kind of work do you do?”

“I am a lawyer for a big bank.” she tells me.

I don't know why but I mention to her that I notice there are so many men and not many women around.

She says she doesn’t agree.  Actually she says she doesn’t find there are many men.  What she means is it’s difficult for her to find a man she can date and/or marry.  I ask her how old she is and she tells me, “32.”

I ask her if she wants to get married.  She tells me that she wants to fall in love and then get married.  I wish her luck with that.

I guess it’s difficult to find love no matter where you live.  

An older woman enters the “bath” and she is going to give this younger woman the body scrub and massage.

“You should have the massage and body scrub too.  It’s very good for the skin.” she tells me.

The body scrub is another 25TL the body scrub and massage with soap is another 50TL and if you want oil it’s 75 TL more.  I don’t think so.  I lay there for another while longer as the warm slab does feel very good.  

When I'm ready to leave, I think there should be a shower. No, I'm told to use the water taps at the basins on the wall to rinse off.  There is no soap, no shower, and this is not what I expected.  Another part of the journey.

I walk back to the hotel along Istikal Street and find another protest.  Lots of people and lots of police.  

the smoke in front of the police was actually just blown out of the man's mouth

Actually I remember when I went down the street to the Hamami an entire restaurant was filled with police officers.  This must be the third or fourth protest I’ve seen in the last two days.   

I ask the boys when I get back to the hotel what the people are protesting and am told they have much to protest about.  There are young people, old people angry at the government not happy with the universities.  I see most of the people waving red cards and see pictures of Che Guevara.

I see Ferit and  he says I look tired.  When I tell him that I’ve just been to the Hamami he says I need to have a rest after that.  So I go upstairs to my room.

I don’t know if I’ve mentioned it but the people at this hotel are the best part of the place.  They go out of their way to make sure you have what you need and are extremely kind.  It helps a great deal because the down side to this hotel is the noise.  Maybe it’s just me.  

I stay in my room for a while and rest.  After a while I go downstairs and see Maria giving a Spanish lesson to one of the guys who works here.  

(Maria is 30+, from Mexico and came to Istanbul after being in Budapest for 3 months.  She had a marketing job in Mexico City that she quit and went to Budapest to take a TEOFL course so she can teach English.  Now she is trying to get a job in Istanbul teaching either Spanish or English.  She just doesn’t want to go back to Mexico.)

I decide to just go to the market to find something to eat because I’m not in the mood to go to a restaurant.  I walk down the street to the grocery store but don’t really find anything that appeals to me.  I buy a few waters and some dried apricots.  Boring and sick.

I watch some tv shows on my computer and fall asleep.

Only to be woken at, are you kidding me, 3:30 a.m. by the same f...king drums.  I can’t believe this.  I find my earphones and plug into Itunes hoping I can fall back to sleep.  I must have because the next time I check the time it’s after 7:00 a.m.

Friday--stayed in bed all day

Friday--January 21--all day in bed.

I can’t believe when I wake up it’s 12:00 p.m.  I’m really sick today.  I guess I did too much and it’s finally caught up with me.  I feel awful and have no desire to do anything.  I go downstairs and they see I’m not feeling well.  Ferit says they will bring me some tea, I should go back upstairs and if I need anything just call.

Which I do.  I can’t write because I can’t think straight.  I stay in bed all day and sleep thinking I’ll feel better tomorrow.

Thursday--January 20--top Istanbul sights

Thursday--January 20--Istanbul--all the big sights

Still not feeling so well but not willing to give in.  I drag myself out of bed, take a musinex and head to the tram down to Sultanahmet so I can visit all the ‘major’ sites.  I decide I'm not in the mood to take photos but know that I'll regret it if I don't take any so I compromise with myself and take the point and shoot.  

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front of Hagia Sophia

First stop, Hagia Sophia.  The weather is nice a bit cool but o.k.  The one thing about traveling in the off season is less crowds.  There are certainly people (tourists) but not what I imagine it would be like in the spring or summer.

I enter the Ayasofya (Hagia Sophia), and was amazed at the enormous size of the place.  It took 10,000 people to build it and I’m sure can hold at least 10 times that, if not more.  

on ground level

Hagia Sophia (from the Greek: Ἁγία Σοφία, "Holy Wisdom"; Latin: Sancta Sophia or Sancta Sapientia; Turkish: Aya Sofya) is a former Orthodox patriarchal basilica, later a mosque, and now a museum in Istanbul, Turkey. From the date of its dedication in 360 until 1453, it served as the cathedral of Constantinople, except between 1204 and 1261, when it was converted to a Roman Catholic cathedral under the Latin Patriarch of Constantinople of the Western Crusader established Latin Empire. The building was a mosque from 29 May 1453 until 1934, when it was secularized. It was opened as a museum on 1 February 1935.

marble jar

Walking around I admired not only the structure but also the materials that were used to build it.  The different marble used for the columns and floors were incredible. Not to mention this jar of enormous size made from one piece of marble. 

No way someone could do this today.  Also the lighting fixtures, although I’m sure not original are magnificent.  This is another one of those places that you just have to see to really gain the full impact.  

Famous in particular for its massive dome, it is considered the epitome of Byzantine architecture and is said to have "changed the history of architecture."[5] It was the largest cathedral in the world for nearly a thousand years, until Seville Cathedral was completed in 1520. The current building was originally constructed as a church between 532 and 537 on the orders of the Byzantine Emperor Justinian and was the third Church of the Holy Wisdom to occupy the site, the previous two having both been destroyed by rioters. It was designed by Isidore of Miletus, a physicist, and Anthemius of Tralles, a mathematician.

This was built more than once, really?  Who does that on this scale of size?  Well I guess it’s better to spend the money rebuilding a church than on a war.

To get to the upstairs part of the building you must climb very steep ramps made of large marble stones (very slippery).  It’s quite worth it because the best view is from the top.  You can also have a better view of the dome the mosaics and frescos.  

view from the top

The Blue Mosk is just across the street from Hag Sophia.  There is a lovely park with a beautiful fountain and many people hanging out.   Walking over to the Blue Mosk I heard some interesting comments.  

“hello, lady”, I don’t respond and continue walking.

“are you Spanish, hello?” I still don’t respond.

“are you deaf?”  this is my favorite not to mention probably pretty desperate.  

I was told not to spend more than one minute talking to a Turkish man because he will think you want to go to bed with him.  Really.  So I take the “no talking” approach as the best.

The Blue Mosk is nothing in comparison to Hag Sophia.  I hate to sound mean, but it’s another Mosk.  Maybe it’s because I’m not feeling so well but it’s a big room with tourists looking and muslims praying.  O.k, the stained glass windows are beautiful.

After the Blue Mosk, I try to find the Turkish carpet museum that Maria had told me about.  I saw a sign but I think it must have been closed.  

I decided to go see the Basilica Cistern.  Maria and the other girls staying at the hotel told me it’s a bit difficult to find the Cistern because the entrance is not so obvious.  

local color

I see a sign that has a straight arrow on it saying Basilica Cistern 50M.  I follow it through the park, eyeing some local color, but no it’s not there.  

local color

I walk around the street a few times thinking it’s got to be here and just as I was going to go ask the policeman, I turned and there was the entrance, across the street from the police station.  

The Basilica Cistern (Turkish: Yerebatan Sarayı - "Sunken Palace", or Yerebatan Sarnıcı - "Sunken Cistern"), is the largest of several hundred ancient cisterns that lie beneath the city of Istanbul (formerly Constantinople), Turkey. The cistern, located 500 feet (150 m) southwest of the Hagia Sophia on the historical peninsula of Sarayburnu, was built in the 6th century during the reign of Byzantine Emperor Justinian I.

This was a very interesting place.  An underground waterway. You need to walk down very slippery steps to get to the bottom.  The other attraction down here are the two Medusa heads.  They were found on top of pillars but have been placed one upside down and the other on its side.  Theory has it that if you look at Medusa you will turn to stone so they put her upside down and sideways therefore you can’t look at her.  While I was standing at one of the heads, a man said to me, “don’t look, you’ll turn to stone.”

Thanks.

I propel myself back up the stairs and decide to go to the Grand Bazaar.  My head is not so clear but I figure since I’m out and in the neighborhood I might as well go now.  Big mistake.

The Grand Bazaar was just a few blocks away but when I got there was totally overwhelmed.  This place was so big and I could see how easy it would be to loose one’s way.   Not the thing you want to do as a woman on your own.  It’s much better to act as though you know where your going.  Ha.

There are signs on the ceiling telling a bit of the history and it says there are 22 entrances.  Yikes.  Therefore I decided to walk in one straight line.  

I turn my head when I pass an intersection to see what is there but it all looks the same.  The more I see the more I just want to get out.  I get overwhelmed going to Ross (you know dress for less).

Another one of the signs overhead says that originally there was a “no competition” rule and therefore names for stores were not allowed but rather they had numbers.  Also there used to be 6 mosks and now there is only one.  

Opened in 1461, it is well known for its jewelry, pottery, spice, and carpet shops. Many of the stalls in the bazaar are grouped by the type of goods, with special areas for leather coats, gold jewelry and the like. The bazaar contains two bedestens (domed masonry structures built for storage and safe keeping), the first of which was constructed between 1455 and 1461 by the order of Sultan Mehmed the Conqueror. The bazaar was vastly enlarged in the 16th century, during the reign of Sultan Suleiman the Magnificent, and in 1894 underwent a major restoration following an earthquake. The grand bazaar consists of 12 major buildings and has 22 doors.  

Fortunately where I walk out of the Bazaar is the tram station.  I buy my token and get on the tram.  I'm tired but think I'll stop at the Istanbul Modern (art museum) and see the exhibit.  I also think I maybe they have a cafe and I can get something to eat.  I take the tram to the Kordokoy stop and walk a short distance to the entrance of the museum.  

When I walk in I go to the desk and the lady says,

"it's free today."

Wow.  lucky me.  I ask if there is a cafe and the security man points toward the back of the museum.  I walk over there and am really looking forward to sitting down and resting for a bit.  I take a look at the menu and can't believe how pricey and fancy this museum cafe is.  There isn't really anything I want and so I leave.  

I go back into the museum and in the first room find a nice big bench to sit on.  The room I'm in is titled "self-portraits".  It is self-portraits of many Turkish (I'm sure well known) artists, none of whom I've ever heard of.  I sat for a while and looked at the art that was around me.  It was peaceful here and felt so good to sit down and rest.

I went to see if they had a photo exhibit and see the sign pointing downstairs.  When I got downstairs I saw a bunch of TV screens with videos playing.  I read that the exhibit was interviews of people from "Orange County, CA" talking about their lives.  Really.  One teenager was talking about how she wanted to be a star.  I didn't need to listen to that.  But I will admit it was displayed rather well.  I hope the Turks appreciate it.

Now I was ready to go but remembered they had the “Body Worlds” exhibition  by Gunther von Hagens’ next door.  

The BODY WORLDS are the only public anatomical exhibitions that stem from an established body donation program and use donated bodies.  Body WORLDS & The Cycle of Life, is more than 200 authentic human specimens transformed through Plastination.  

It sounded interesting but the ticket was expensive, and I was now exhausted so didn’t go.

I was ready to go back to the hotel.  I was only two tram stops away from the funicular so walked to it.  I took the funicular and walked back to the hotel and rested.

Now I was ready to go but I remembered

Back to the hotel and to rest.

Nothing very exciting for dinner and I’m really not feeling well.  Maria told me that the restaurant on the corner was good so I decide to go there.  It is a very simple place (sort of cafeteria style) and cheap.  Of course I am the only woman.  I tell the man who seems to be in charge that I am staying at Ferit’s hotel and he said I should eat here.  O.k.

“Where are you from,” he asks.

“California”, I tell him.

“Oh my cousin lives in California.  What part do you live in.”

“Santa Barbara”

“Yes, my cousin has a Turkish restaurant there.”

“Really, I don’t think so.  I don’t know of any Turkish restaurants in Santa Barbara.”

“O.k. I’ll find out and let you know where it is.”

I have cooked vegetables, I think it’s chard, that they put yogurt on with some red rice.  It was fine.  Something to fill my tummy and off to bed.