My time in Turkey is over and I am on my way home to Boston now. I had an amazing time in Istanbul seeing the sites and experiencing the culture: a special thanks to Serin, Yigit, Will, and Jessica for making the trip all the better.
My flight from Istanbul to Amsterdam was at 5:25 am, meaning that I had to take a cab from Serin's at 2:30 am to make it on-time. Luckily, Yigit had to pick up his family at the airport at 11:30 pm, so I caught an early/free ride then. The downside to this was that I could not check into my flight and had to wait by the check-in counter for 4 hours until KLM Airlines was ready to let me through.
I had not gotten much sleep the night before so I began to doze off around midnight. Of course, my phone had died so I had no alarm and I was nervous to fall asleep for fear of missing my flight. I risked it. I passed out on top of my luggage in front of the check-in counter like one of those crazy people who camps out at Best Buy for a big sale... I woke up every hour in a thrill of panic, afraid that I had missed my check-in until 3:30 am when the check-in finally started. Thank God. I have never been so happy to be on an airplane in my life. I put on my sleeping mask and was out in no time, waking up only when my plane touched down in Amsterdam.
Initially I had planned to leave the airport and go into the city for a while since my layover was 8 hours long, but upon my arrival I knew that would be nearly impossible. The threat level had been raised (shocker) and security was taking 2-3 hours to get back into the airport...plus I would have to allow an hour to clear customs and get into the city. It was not worth it.
Condemned to the airport, I decided that I would get Starbucks and some lunch and read/do homework. And thus my journey though Amsterdam International Airport begins...
Everywhere has Starbucks, right? Wrong. The one corner of the earth that apparently does NOT have it is inside security of Amsterdam International. I scoured the entire airport (keep in mind that it is huge) and could not find a single one! My mind was so set on a venti iced coffee that I legitimately began to freak out. Where the HELL was it?! After 2 hours of frantic searching I began to act like a Heroin addict in need of a fix. I kid you not, I was jonesing for coffee...my hands were shaking and sweat was dripping from my face.
Fuck it! I was going to have to settle for a McDonalds Iced Coffee instead. After waiting impatiently in line for 10 minutes at McDonalds, I finally went up to order, "Hi, could I please have a large iced coffee? No sugar, just a touch of cream."
The man at the counter looked perplexed. Maybe he did not speak English? Wait, he did. In perfect English he responded, "Sorry, Sir, we do not carry coffee here. What else may I get you?" Um, I don't know...a gun so I can blow my head off!!!!!!!
I quickly told him I did not want anything and I asked him where the Starbucks in the airport was. He did not know.
Devastation. Complete and utter devastation.
As I sat down by my gate to weep, a young, Dutch woman came to survey me on the airport. She asked me about how I felt about the airport and the ease of getting around it. I am sure you can imagine my response. I told her that this cannot possibly be considered a real airport, let alone place in the world, since it does not have Starbucks.
"Oh," she said in accented English, "But there is one. In lounge 1 outside security."
I was up in a flash, shoving patrons out of my way as I raced toward the signs indicating Lounge 1. It was on the other side of security. I could see the green letters beckoning me...tears of joy filled my eyes as I approached a kind, old saint to ask how the fuck I should get there.
"Please, sir, I just need a Starbucks!" He told me I would have to go through and re-check in. Nothing could stop me now. I did it. After running though security like a crazed terrorist, I approached the Starbucks counter! "Venti Iced Coffee, please!"
After 5 minutes of describing to the baristas that I did not want an iced Americano, but an iced coffee, I had my drink in hand. The hour I waited to get through passport check was worth it as I sipped my ambrosia.
Suddenly, I was on the plane with a whole row to myself. I finished my book, watched Slumdog Millionaire and Twilight, and landed in Boston. It was such an enjoyable flight...but I still shudder to think what would happen if I did not get that venti coffee...the plane surely would have gone down.
Tuesday, March 10, 2009
Friday, March 6, 2009
The Gaurdians of Istanbul
Istanbul is the most unique city I have ever been to. Ever. I had a lot of assumptions as to what the city would be like before I came, and I must say I was way off. I knew that East and West would juxtapose each other in the people, culture, and architecture of the city...but the vibe of the city is mostly Eastern: more conservative, religious, and extreme. Unlike other European cities, it can take hours via public transportation to get from one side of Istanbul to the other...as for walking--forget about it.
It may seem like I am harping on about Istanbul in a negative manner, but I am not. The city is fabulous and has so much to offer. The history here is magnificent, the people charming, and the food extraordinary. It is due to the slacking economy here that the old has been built upon and surrounded by the new so thoroughly. Of course, Old Istanbul is a presence everywhere, but modern buildings are pushing the city out even farther. That is what I mean when I say juxtaposition of East and West...it is amazing.
Other large cities in the world, notably in Europe and the Americas have a pigeon problem. I loathe pigeons. I think they may be the worst animal on the face of the earth. Seriously, when I think about them I think about that freak pigeon-lady in "Home Alone" and shudder. Like, the diseases the all carry...ugh, I don't even want to go there. But Istanbul is relatively void of these nasty, winged creatures from Satan! The reason being is that Istanbul has another animal that is prevalent on the streets: cats.
Normally, I don't like cats either. Mostly because I am allergic to them, but I love all of these cats! They kill pigeons, rats, and mice. The are pretty (not nasty) and they add a nice decor to the city! The watch over everything, especially in the grave yards, which I will get to later.
My week has been amazing thus far. Serin works most days, but I have been fortunate enough to meet up with her friend, Will, and be shown the city by someone who lives here, too. Will and I have seen a lot of the ancient sites here, including the 3rd most holy place in Islam--the Tomb of Mohammad's Staff bearer. No, I do not know what that means either, but it was cool to see. The tomb was ornate and detailed as anything and there were countless people surrounding it in prayer. I have never seen Christians pray like that. The devotion to religion here is awe-inspiring.
The tomb and mosque is surrounded by a giant graveyard that stretches up a mountainous hill. Will and I climbed it and had tea overlooking the city. The view was amazing, but the weather sucked so I did not get any good pictures. The cats of the city danced along the tomb-stones keeping them clean of birds, rats, and anything else that might harm those who rested below the soil. It was fascinating. If it were not for the fact that I demand cremation, I would like to have a cat guard my rotting corpse, too.
The city is so gigantic and the history so rich that it is hard to see everything here--even in 9 days. I have 3 full days left in the city and a lot more ground to cover, so I hope I can see some more historic sites. Of course, everything here is a historic site, so that should not be hard. Our good friend from Minnesota, Lauren, is flying in today from Barcelona to join us for the weekend. There should be some crazy stories coming up soon.
Obviously, the night life has been a bit insane, but I will write about that later. Lauren just arrived so it is off to see more of the city!
It may seem like I am harping on about Istanbul in a negative manner, but I am not. The city is fabulous and has so much to offer. The history here is magnificent, the people charming, and the food extraordinary. It is due to the slacking economy here that the old has been built upon and surrounded by the new so thoroughly. Of course, Old Istanbul is a presence everywhere, but modern buildings are pushing the city out even farther. That is what I mean when I say juxtaposition of East and West...it is amazing.
Other large cities in the world, notably in Europe and the Americas have a pigeon problem. I loathe pigeons. I think they may be the worst animal on the face of the earth. Seriously, when I think about them I think about that freak pigeon-lady in "Home Alone" and shudder. Like, the diseases the all carry...ugh, I don't even want to go there. But Istanbul is relatively void of these nasty, winged creatures from Satan! The reason being is that Istanbul has another animal that is prevalent on the streets: cats.
Normally, I don't like cats either. Mostly because I am allergic to them, but I love all of these cats! They kill pigeons, rats, and mice. The are pretty (not nasty) and they add a nice decor to the city! The watch over everything, especially in the grave yards, which I will get to later.
My week has been amazing thus far. Serin works most days, but I have been fortunate enough to meet up with her friend, Will, and be shown the city by someone who lives here, too. Will and I have seen a lot of the ancient sites here, including the 3rd most holy place in Islam--the Tomb of Mohammad's Staff bearer. No, I do not know what that means either, but it was cool to see. The tomb was ornate and detailed as anything and there were countless people surrounding it in prayer. I have never seen Christians pray like that. The devotion to religion here is awe-inspiring.
The tomb and mosque is surrounded by a giant graveyard that stretches up a mountainous hill. Will and I climbed it and had tea overlooking the city. The view was amazing, but the weather sucked so I did not get any good pictures. The cats of the city danced along the tomb-stones keeping them clean of birds, rats, and anything else that might harm those who rested below the soil. It was fascinating. If it were not for the fact that I demand cremation, I would like to have a cat guard my rotting corpse, too.
The city is so gigantic and the history so rich that it is hard to see everything here--even in 9 days. I have 3 full days left in the city and a lot more ground to cover, so I hope I can see some more historic sites. Of course, everything here is a historic site, so that should not be hard. Our good friend from Minnesota, Lauren, is flying in today from Barcelona to join us for the weekend. There should be some crazy stories coming up soon.
Obviously, the night life has been a bit insane, but I will write about that later. Lauren just arrived so it is off to see more of the city!
Monday, March 2, 2009
Impressions of Istanbul
I have successfully adjusted to the Turkish time zone and I am ready to update everyone on Turkey thus far (and by everyone, I mean the 5 people who read this). So last night Serin, Yigit and I went out to an early dinner at a nice restaurant. I sat helpless as Yigit and Serin ordered our food. The only words in Turkish I know are mersi (meaning thank you...the only reason I know it is because it is also French) and Kebap (meaning a delicious kebap), so I was at the mercy of Yigit's order. Luckily, Turkish food is generally delicious and I loved everything that was delivered to our table. I made sure to say "mersi" before leaving. Although my stomach was full, I was still exhausted--having lost 7 hours and not getting much sleep on my flight--but I knew that my life would be better if I went out to rage in Istanbul regardless of sleep--I can sleep when I am dead.
Serin and Yigit had arranged for us to meet up with some of their friends in a neighborhood called Taksim--the young, fun party area of Istanbul. It's wild, crowded streets are lined with bars, restaurants, clubs, and young people. Since I still did not have my luggage, I went out in my travel clothes. Thank god I dress well for every occasion, because I did not seem to be under-dressed for the evening. I was, however, freezing. We met Yigit's friend and decided on a bar. The bar had a sweet vibe and was blasting an awesome mix of traditional Turkish music and Euro-Trash techno. All I could think was that I wanted every song on my Euro-Trash Birthday Bash play list for next week!
Tequila seemed to be the drink of the night and we all ordered a couple of shots. You know what they say...One tequila, two tequila, three tequila...great night! After dancing, talking, and getting our drink on in Taksim, we left for our next destination: a posh club called Ulus-29
here is the link: http://www.group-29.com/
It was so much fun! The club doubles as a restaurant during the day and it is easy to see why. It is beautiful and over looks the Bosporous (the strip of water that separates Turkish-Europe from Turkish-Asia), the whole city is visible from the club's windows and it looks like a thousand stars glowing at night (overboard analogy? maybe). The music was even better than in Taksim and we partied until 5 am. We then cabbed it back to Serin's where we slept until 2 pm waiting for my luggage.
Sunday was more low-key. Serin's grandparents live on the Asian side of Turkey, so we crossed the Bosporous on the ferry to visit them. It was an interesting visit because they do not speak a word of English, so Serin had to translate everything for me. They were exceptionally hospitable and made us eat way too much! It was not hard because the food was so good, but I was very full. Serin and I went to coffee (I ordered a traditional Turkish Coffee, which is very small and very strong) and we made our way back to Europe. It is crazy that Istanbul is one city in on two continents. Fascinating.
Serin worked all day on Monday so I took the opportunity to venture into the city on my own. I am generally very comfortable being alone in foreign cities, but Istanbul is very different. It is the fourth largest city in the world, and unlike New York or Paris, there is not logical grid system to be seen! The public transportation is hard to use, too. Another handicap I discovered was that very few people in the city speak English unless thay want to trick you into buying something. Therefore, whenever someone asked me something in English, I would respond in French, Spanish, or German to throw them off. One man called me a "tricky bastard!" Whatever, I was not going to buy the cheap crap he was trying to sell me with his broken English!
I went to Old Istanbul and saw the Blue Mosque, the Hagia Sofia,the Yerebatan Sarayı, the New Mosque, and various spice markets! I did not buy anything today...I am waiting to go to the Grand Bazaar, but I was tempted! The sights were amazing and so beautiful. While the ancient churches of Western Europe are gorgeous, these Mosques were breathtaking. The detail covering every inch of these massive buildings is awe-inspiring.
I was proud of myself for navigating the city all alone and went back to Serin's to meet her at 8:30 pm after her day of work. The only problem was I could not call her, she could not call me, and I was stuck outside her apartment building for an hour. Freezing, pissed, and a bit nervous (I seriously considered taking a cab to the US Embassy), I stormed off to a nearby restaurant I remembered seeing called "The Wrap." I busted through the door and snarled "English!" to the person behind the counter. He obviously understood my urgency, because he rushed off to get someone to help me. I asked for a phone to use and called Serin. Finally able to reunite with her, I was happy. Now I am warm and watching Turkish TV...ah, the life.
Serin and Yigit had arranged for us to meet up with some of their friends in a neighborhood called Taksim--the young, fun party area of Istanbul. It's wild, crowded streets are lined with bars, restaurants, clubs, and young people. Since I still did not have my luggage, I went out in my travel clothes. Thank god I dress well for every occasion, because I did not seem to be under-dressed for the evening. I was, however, freezing. We met Yigit's friend and decided on a bar. The bar had a sweet vibe and was blasting an awesome mix of traditional Turkish music and Euro-Trash techno. All I could think was that I wanted every song on my Euro-Trash Birthday Bash play list for next week!
Tequila seemed to be the drink of the night and we all ordered a couple of shots. You know what they say...One tequila, two tequila, three tequila...great night! After dancing, talking, and getting our drink on in Taksim, we left for our next destination: a posh club called Ulus-29
here is the link: http://www.group-29.com/
It was so much fun! The club doubles as a restaurant during the day and it is easy to see why. It is beautiful and over looks the Bosporous (the strip of water that separates Turkish-Europe from Turkish-Asia), the whole city is visible from the club's windows and it looks like a thousand stars glowing at night (overboard analogy? maybe). The music was even better than in Taksim and we partied until 5 am. We then cabbed it back to Serin's where we slept until 2 pm waiting for my luggage.
Sunday was more low-key. Serin's grandparents live on the Asian side of Turkey, so we crossed the Bosporous on the ferry to visit them. It was an interesting visit because they do not speak a word of English, so Serin had to translate everything for me. They were exceptionally hospitable and made us eat way too much! It was not hard because the food was so good, but I was very full. Serin and I went to coffee (I ordered a traditional Turkish Coffee, which is very small and very strong) and we made our way back to Europe. It is crazy that Istanbul is one city in on two continents. Fascinating.
Serin worked all day on Monday so I took the opportunity to venture into the city on my own. I am generally very comfortable being alone in foreign cities, but Istanbul is very different. It is the fourth largest city in the world, and unlike New York or Paris, there is not logical grid system to be seen! The public transportation is hard to use, too. Another handicap I discovered was that very few people in the city speak English unless thay want to trick you into buying something. Therefore, whenever someone asked me something in English, I would respond in French, Spanish, or German to throw them off. One man called me a "tricky bastard!" Whatever, I was not going to buy the cheap crap he was trying to sell me with his broken English!
I went to Old Istanbul and saw the Blue Mosque, the Hagia Sofia,the Yerebatan Sarayı, the New Mosque, and various spice markets! I did not buy anything today...I am waiting to go to the Grand Bazaar, but I was tempted! The sights were amazing and so beautiful. While the ancient churches of Western Europe are gorgeous, these Mosques were breathtaking. The detail covering every inch of these massive buildings is awe-inspiring.
I was proud of myself for navigating the city all alone and went back to Serin's to meet her at 8:30 pm after her day of work. The only problem was I could not call her, she could not call me, and I was stuck outside her apartment building for an hour. Freezing, pissed, and a bit nervous (I seriously considered taking a cab to the US Embassy), I stormed off to a nearby restaurant I remembered seeing called "The Wrap." I busted through the door and snarled "English!" to the person behind the counter. He obviously understood my urgency, because he rushed off to get someone to help me. I asked for a phone to use and called Serin. Finally able to reunite with her, I was happy. Now I am warm and watching Turkish TV...ah, the life.
Sunday, March 1, 2009
Jumping the Pond (and the European Peninsula)
My travel from Boston to Turkey was relatively smooth. My flights were on-time and there was not much turbulence, with the exception of a brief spout over the Atlantic Ocean that scared the shit out of me. My policy on plane crashes is this: I would rather perish on the way home from a trip than on the way there. That way, I at least get to enjoy the place I am traveling to.
Obviously, I did not crash (praise Allah) and I arrived in Amsterdam for my short layover. I had to pull a "Home Alone" and sprint blindly through the airport hoping that I arrived at the proper gate. I did. The flight from Amsterdam to Istanbul was quick and nice. I ate a delicious breakfast and was offered something "sweet and savory" from the flight attendant. I ate my Mars Bar with great satisfaction and landed in Turkey.
Of course, Northwest Airlines lost my luggage (fuck my life), and I waited around with some gargantuan Dutch man who was also screwed by NWA. I was so excited to see Serin so my anger passed and I ran out to meet Serin and her boyfriend, Yigit. We drove to Serin's house and I tried desperately to take in the city. It is awesome. I took a power nap and we went to a mall to shop. I needed some clothes seeing as I did not have any (Thanks again, NWA), and then we preceeded home.
I am legit starving now, so I am going to update more later on my night (which was SO ridiculous and fun), so stay tuned. My luggage just arrived so now I don't smell like a jetliner...Thank God.
Obviously, I did not crash (praise Allah) and I arrived in Amsterdam for my short layover. I had to pull a "Home Alone" and sprint blindly through the airport hoping that I arrived at the proper gate. I did. The flight from Amsterdam to Istanbul was quick and nice. I ate a delicious breakfast and was offered something "sweet and savory" from the flight attendant. I ate my Mars Bar with great satisfaction and landed in Turkey.
Of course, Northwest Airlines lost my luggage (fuck my life), and I waited around with some gargantuan Dutch man who was also screwed by NWA. I was so excited to see Serin so my anger passed and I ran out to meet Serin and her boyfriend, Yigit. We drove to Serin's house and I tried desperately to take in the city. It is awesome. I took a power nap and we went to a mall to shop. I needed some clothes seeing as I did not have any (Thanks again, NWA), and then we preceeded home.
I am legit starving now, so I am going to update more later on my night (which was SO ridiculous and fun), so stay tuned. My luggage just arrived so now I don't smell like a jetliner...Thank God.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)