The last post...for now

Our Last Post for now


We spent our last few days in Istanbul enjoying the sights and sounds of the city. We didn’t do too much sightseeing but did take the public ferry up the Bosporus to the Black Sea. This body of water separates Istanbul into two parts, the European and Asian sides and is the connected by a series of bridges. As we sailed we had a great view of Istanbul as well as the small fishing villages just outside the city. The schedule ended at a small fishing village at the mouth of the Bosporus where we had a fish lunch while we waited for the ferry to return.

One of the old Ottoman mansions along the Bosporus

There were many small boats with one fisherman jigging with a hand line. The channel was full of boats large and small.

The typical Istanbul neighbourhood...lots of apartments all built on a hill with a mosque in the middle

Our fish lunch, very fresh indeed.

Enjoying our day and so wishing for some new clothes to wear as everytime we look at pictures of ourselves we always seem to be wearing the same clothes.

During these last few days we have been staying at the Metropolis Hostel which is located in the neighbourhood below the Blue Mosque. This area has lots of small hotels and hostels with a lively night life which we heard every night until about 3am! But the room was fine, the bed was comfortable and the bathroom clean which is really all we needed. It was also one third the price of a hotel.

The view from the hostel's terrace where we would go at night for a drink and meet the other guests. We were among the oldest ones,however it is nice to meet young people from all over the world and get their views on life over a beer or two.

Our very lively street

We did a lot of walking as well as taking the tram to different areas of Istanbul including the large shopping district called Taskim Square. We took the tram to the end of the line and then a funicular up to the square which is the beginning of a long pedestrian street full of upscale shops and tens of thousands of people walking from one end to the other. In the square there was another statue celebrating the War of Independence led by Ataturk. Republic Day is coming soon and everywhere there are banners flying to celebrate the occasion.

The Independence statue...we noticed everywhere we went on this trip there were great sculptures and street art which really added to the sense of place.

One of the squares we passed getting ready for Republic Day.I loved the colors of the flags and the vans.

We were sitting in the park one day watching as this older guy set up his typewriter and men lined up to pay him to do their correspondence,he seemed to be rather busy.

A street scene in front of the Blue Mosque.I liked the touch of pink from the cotton candy.

Before we left we wanted to try a Turkish bath so we splurged and went to the oldest one in Istanbul built in 1545. We went together but had separate entrances and it was an awesome experience. First you undress and they give you what looks like a large tea towel before being ushered into the inner area which is very hot and steamy. This Haman had beautiful high domes as well as a large heated marble platform where you lie for awhile so as to perspire. Then the attendant, a lady in black panties starts the procedure of throwing water on you as well as producing huge amounts of bubbles. She then scrubs you as if you were a baby…your body as well as your hair.

Lying on the hot marble stone

Getting the bubble treatment

And the scrubbing treatment...

After that you go into a smaller area with plunge pools of hot water, stay for awhile and then come back to lie on the hot marble before beginning the massage which was one of the best ever. The young women did an hour massage from head to toe and she used her elbow to try and get the kinks out of my various parts. It was painful but felt good after it was all over. I really enjoyed the experience and so did Don in the men’s quarters. One thing I noticed was that the men had no issue with coming out to the common area barely clothed but no women to be seen. This was a great way to end our time in Istanbul.

We then took Royal Jordanian Air to Montreal via Imman, Jordan and then on the next day to home. We have been reflecting on our amazing trip…on the places we have seen and the people we have met. It definitely was a trip of a lifetime and we hope that we can be lucky enough to do another one sometime soon. Two months is a long time to live out of a backpack but we managed and discovered it is a great way to see the world. Now we need to get back to our list of places to see before we die and fiqure out where to next!

Lastly I would like to thank all of you who followed the blog and either commented here or in email as to how much you enjoyed reading about our travels. Thanks because knowing there was someone taking the time to read the posts motivated me to write them and now I have a great diary of this trip.

Evil eye anyone?? The evil eye is everywhere in Turkey hanging from people's homes, cars, restaurants wherever. It is the symbol that reminds us most of Turkey, one that keeps the evil away and the good luck near. We now have one in our front porch!

We will be home now for a month until our winter trip to Mexico which will be Dec, Jan and Feb. I am going to write a blog from there as well, not every day but certainly to try and document our attempts to live in a foreign country for three months. We hope to pick up a bit of the language, learn to drink Mexican cervaza and cook the tasty Mexican cuisine. Until then Adios…