Tuesday, a FULL day in Istanbul (22,404 steps to prove it)

We started our day with traditional Turkish breakfast (kind of a thick soup like thing I can’t remember the name of. Most of them had meat in them, though I think there was a veggie option or two as well. I chose the chicken. It came with some good bread and was fairly tasty.

Then we took a ride down the street on a trolly which has been in operation for over a hundred years. A short ride on the tunnel down to the Galata Bridge and then a train ride to the Hagia Sophia. I didn’t take the normal pictures most people do (as I was there last summer with my beautiful bride, the Langs and the Petersens.) I did take some pictures of the students (all, I believe, who had never been there) experiencing the incredibleness of this amazing (former) place of worship. I suspect that, even though it is now a museum and that they have resumed holding Muslim services on Mondays, that quite a bit of worship of the one true God actually takes place at this place.

   
            
After the Hagia Sophia, we took a short walk to a place that is supposed to have the best coffee in all of Turkey. I personally can’t testify one way or the other about that as, in my opinion, even the best coffee isn’t good. But, to each his (or her) own. While at this coffee shop, Ryan told us about the coffee business they have established to support the work he is involved in here in Turkey. I’m impressed at their creativity at finding a way to support their efforts with indigenous, rather than foreign, resources.

After coffee, we walked back to the Blue Mosque (the group headed while a couple of us were still in line to borrow the facilities.) This wasn’t that big of a problem since I visited this marvelous city just last summer and knew my way around that part of town. Elijah and I got to the mosque and there was no sign on the rest of our group. We walked around a little bit, several cruise ship tour groups in line to get in, but no sign of the rest. Ejijah and I went out to the Hippodrome and still no sign. We decided we’d go on in to the mosque and catch up with them after. About 40-50 people from the end of the line was our group so we got to all experience the mosque together. Then we found a short wall in the shade at the Hippodrome to have a bite of lunch.

After lunch about half the group went to the cisterns and the rest walked to the Grand Bazaar. I don’t have pictures from the shopping center, but here are a few of the cisterns (including one of Medusa’s head on the bottom of one of the columns near the rear. Notice the full-grown goldfish swimming around in the first photos.

I’ll have to finish the rest of this later as we are packing up the van and about to lose internet connection.  

(typing the followup without internet and will upload it when I get connected…)

After the cisterns we walked down the street to the Galata Bridge and boarded the Sardine Express (a VERY full train). There was no fear in falling over on this ride and I never even got to raise my hand to grab hold of a handle or rail. We rode to the end of the line then started walking to a place with the reportedly best baked potatoes in Turkey. 4-5 miles later, we were “getting close to the neighborhood” and then another mile and we were “almost there.” The baked potato place was at the base of the Bosphorus Bridge. It was a cool shopping area along the water, kind of like Seaport Village in San Diego. There was a huge 3-4 story Starbuck’s there and a row of baked potato and waffle stands. We picked a potato stand and ordered about 20 potatoes which they prepared with butter and cheese and then each of us selected what toppings we wanted (about 15 or so choices – no bacon or broccoli though…)

A bunch of tired legs and burning feet determined that we would hire 5 taksis to take us up the hill to Taksim Square, at the end of the street our hostel was located just off of. A half mile walk (downhill) and we were back at our Istanbul home away from home. That night a father and son from Bosnia or Croatia (I was too tired ot remember which) broke out their guitars and gave an impromptu concert in the lobby of the hostel.

I’m totally enjoying myself on this trip, but to be honest, I’m struggling a little with making sure I don’t overstep any boundaries because my son and I are on the trip together. I want to (and we are, I think, at least I am) enjoy experiencing these things together and I’m trying had to not “father” him on this trip. Along those lines, I’m also struggling a little bit to just be one of the students and not act like a leader or chaperone on this trip. Fortunately, after today, we’re going to places I’ve never been before and won’t have to fight the urge to compare/contrast this experience with my prior visit here. I’m trying really hard to only make such comments when someone asks for them-hopefully I’m succeeding in that effort.

—–

Please pray for me as I developed a little bit of a queasy stomach this morning. I ordered scrambled eggs this morning and (which came to the table still scrambling…) We’re back at the hostel now, after eating and are saying goodbye to the SMU team, who are flying ahead to Ankara, then we will jump in the van and say goodbye to Istanbul.