In a refreshing gesture, guest correspondent the illustrious Halley Morrissey has volunteered to recount our fourth day in Istanbul (yes, that was on October 14th...). Without further ado...
So, at the request of 'bencanblog'—the self-proclaimed demigod of the blogosphere—I am writing an entry for "Parlor Tricks" as a guest blogger. Apologies to all, hope you will not be missing your dear Ben too too much. He's off eating apples and saving the world…..
On our second to last day in Turkey, we awoke to gray skies and rain. I would say it was wonderful reprieve from the endlessly sunny days in Cairo, but this was day four (or was it day five?) of gray and gloomy low cloud cover over the city. I had absolutely no interest in crawling out of my bed that morning….or rather, out from under the skimpy coverlet that served as my makeshift bed on the floor. I had somehow endeared myself to the floor over the past few nights (note: couch surfing does not guarantee a couch. Be not surprised when you find yourself on an unelevated plane of floor with a kitten sleeping next to your head) ….so getting off the floor was as difficult as crawling out of bed. But Ben's cell phone was trumpeting an alarm, and it was time to get up. I think I kept my not-so-pleasant morning grumbles to myself—the day before Ben had received quite the earful—"I'm not taking a shower, I've changed my mind. I'm sleeping for the next fifteen minutes!"…….oh the joys of traveling with a 'morning person', which Ben definitely is….you know you secretly dread these types, even though you outwardly applaud them for their ability to wake up chipper and refreshed on the less than six hours of sleep they managed to squeeze in the night before.
And we were off for the day! Ben politely refused the shelter of my umbrella as he had brought a raincoat--let's call him the ever-prepared urban explorer shall we! We continued in the general direction of the harbor. Ben and I both enjoyed a heart- and body-warming breakfast of potato pastry and cheese-pasta delight. Both of us decided we very much liked with the Turkish breakfast offerings.
On to the harbor, where our faithful water chariot awaited. There was a long line at the ticket window for the Bosphorus ferry, which was very comforting. The day before, there was no line, and we didn't speak a lick of Turkish and it was all very unsettling—we assumed it was closed and moved grumpily along. But on this day, there was a long line of tourists, ready for a lovely little jaunt on the ferry, in the pouring rain. We bought our tickets and hoped on the vessel, forget the name of her, but no matter. Meg enjoyed a cup of coffee, and the rest of us had tea. The roomy cabin was warm and the bustle of old and young travelers moving about to enjoy the scenery mingled with snippets of happy conversation in German, French, Japanese and English. Reading materials brought by our little group of four included The Turks of Today, Lord of the Flies, and A Moveable Feast. Really, can this group get any cuter? I took a short nap, because any trip—whether by land or by sea, short or long—calls for one.
Views from the stern of the ship were quite stunning. Grand villas (does this word apply to residential architecture outside of western Europe….in any event, the homes were villa-inspired) lined the straits. Green hills crept up from the water, with little and big burbs nestled into the creases. There was lots of greenery, more than we had seen since we had left the states. "Feast for the eyes" would certainly apply. Smartly dressed Europeans took photos and then returned to the cabin, likely clearing off their equally smart eyewear of mist and fog, only to return again to take more photos. The Galata Bridge, an impressive suspension bridge that spans the straits and connects the European and Asian sides, got much attention. We all went out on the stern deck to watch it pass overhead. When we finally arrived at our destination, it became apparent that catching a taxi to Yoros Castle would not be necessary. We climbed up through a series of stone pathways flanked with gloomy looking restaurants. The panorama from the top was definitely a 'moment I will not forget'. The mouth of the Black Sea loomed in front of us and the Bosphorus stretched behind us, with the Istanbul skyline a faint smudge in the distance. A couple of lone industrial looking ships made their way out to the Sea. We took some photos, the wind whipping hair and coats around as we posed, smiling big, in front of the perfectly beautiful grey sky and still greyer waterway below….The castle itself was not especially captivating.
We made our way merrily down the road. Ben commented on some of the Turkish signs posted on the fences outside a Turkish military installation. We assumed they were communicating such imperatives as "Keep Out!" and "Danger!", and Ben thought they would make for great Indie t-shirts back in the states. Before hopping on a bus back to Istanbul, we bought some fresh bread and candy. Nothing compares to a crunchy loaf of French-Italian style bread. Yes, we were tired of pita by then.
Bus ride was followed by another bus ride, which was followed by a short ferry ride, which was followed by a long walk back to Beyoglu. Shoes were soggy, we were soggy, and all were pretty eager to say farewell to one another and enjoy some much-needed alone time. The group split up and Meg and I went off to warm our bones with some hot chocolate and reading time. When we reunited a few hours later, Ben brought good news. Brian, a vegan chef and fellow couch-surfer staying at the apartment with us, was going to make us dinner. We headed to the grocery to pick up some produce, olive oil, bread, and peanut butter. He made us a veggie stir-fry rice bowl, served with a peanut sauce that was just right! I hadn't had Asian cuisine since August, it was such a treat….
After dinner, I was ready to hit the hay, or the floor rather. Ben and Brian faired the cold and rain to go meet up with friends at a bar. It was really a great day, spent in the company of great friends.
………Ben, I hope this blog entry is up to snuff. Halleycanblog. As my life coach and ad hoc nutritionist, I think adding editor to the list would be overdoing it. But overdo it we will! All other assignments can be forwarded to Dave Harvey. I hear he is quite a talent with quite a bit of time on his hands. Cheers to our trip in Istanbul Ben! You truly were a joy to travel with!
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