Turkey

Taking off for a five day trip to Turkey from the 15th to the 20th on my Easter break was a continuation of enchanting escapes out of Cairo. After a mad-dash through the second round at Mogomma, and a quick passport page addition (I had run out of space) at the embassy, I hopped on a plane and landed in Istanbul in the evening. Michaela was waiting for me at the baggage reclaim, and Ifkan, Omer's driver was waiting for us after customs. It was my second time to stay with Omer, my uncle's best friend, and his hospitality is ever present. Staying at "hotel Omer" meant having a place about 45 minutes from downtown Istanbul in a forest on a golf course, fresh breakfasts (lots of good coffee and freshly squeezed orange juices), being taken out to a fish restaurant, and a 2008 Citroen. Coming from Cairo, where I have most definitely seen the craziest driving in the world, driving around Istanbul and Turkey was pretty tame, and it was a great way to get around this incredible country. 

We were in Istanbul for two full days, took off on the 7 am ferry boat across the sea of Marmara to Bandirma, drove to Assos on the Agean sea, came back on the next day at 930 pm, had another day in Istanbul and then left at night. In all waaayy too short, but definitely planting seeds for coming back to Turkey. Very few Turks spoke English, especially outside of Istanbul, and it was so fun going through the guidebook finding phrases or figuring out how to order in restaurants. Nevertheless, everyone who we met was incredibly friendly and helpful, but Turkish really is an impossible language, though a couple words from arabic are the same. From what we saw, both in Istanbul, and on the 3 and a half hour drive through the Dardanelles to the Aegean sea, Istanbul was strikingly European (for my Egyptified eyes) with the Islamic flair. The Aegean region was essentially Tuscany, winding roads in rolling hills with olive trees and sheep, small orange and red roofed towns situated in the lush green, the only difference really was the mosque in the center of the town. 

Some highlights: 

Istanbul au printemps.. walking through a beautiful tulip garden below the enormous topkapi palace. Somehow the tour busses don't make this stop, and the park is better for it. 

The Blue Mosque, one of the only mosques with six minarets. Great to hear prayer coming from it during the noon prayer. 

The Qibla in Haghia Sophia, pointing towards Mecca. This mosque/church was sweet, built in 500 something, huge arabic letters referring to parts of the Quran, mosaics of jesus under the same roof. 

The whole drive up the coast was absolutely amazing, we drove from a port town looking out at the Sea of Marmara (which is part of the Bosporus sea route) and then headed more South. On the way we passed by Troy, which really just had some ruins and a reconstructed horse, and then made our way through this Tuscan like region to this view. Looking out onto the island of Lesbos from the town of Assos. This is a town where Aristotle lived for a short while. 

Everything about this town was amazing from dipping in the sea, eating the sticky honey things they sell, breathing in the tourist-free/non-resorty breeze, eating great fish/sticky honey like things, relaxing.. I am absolutely coming back. 

Smoking shisha and playing backgammon with Michaela.. Peacefully enjoying cafés, and sometimes hearing different music, sometimes traditionally, sometimes popular. One night we heard a solo guitarist playing turkish popular songs until he did a thrilling version in turkish of "I will survive."