Why would I want to go to a spice market? I was out voted. Actually I didn't mind as we walked through curved streets filled wall to wall with merchandise. It's the second largest market in Turkey next to the Egyptian Market also in Istanbul. Go figure. Although the Lira (Turkey Dollars) are .53 cents to the US dollar, Saffron still comes out to be about $25 per ounce. (Luther said, "Sufferin succotash, saffron's a stack of cash. No spice for you.") That's okay there's plenty of everything for everyone around miles of city blocks. I needed a pair of shorts and the guy shook his head signaling with his hands that I was too big--too many bagels. A half a block later a man came out telling me he had shorts that would fit. Word spreads when your ready to buy something. They are hurting for tourists. One of the workers in the Palace said they usually see about 10,000 tourists per day but he estimated this day turned out to be about 3,000. (Luther said, "You mean you can fit three times more people into this little place? Humans are 2D walkers. Once the ground is covered by people you can't fit anymore but monkeys can fit five times as many. They are smaller and walk in 3D. Some on the ground and the rest swinging from tree to tree." I said to the guard, Don't mind him, he's a monkey nerd.")
On the Bosporus boat ride we met three Chinese that work in Bose, Turkey in the silk business. They were impressed that Carson could say some words in Mandarin. They became buddies. (When they asked if he were a monkey, Luther replied, "Oh, sure, sure. Here we go again." They asked if he meant, "sure" as in the Chinese word for yes, or "sure-sure" which means sometimes he's a monkey? Luther looked away. I said, "bad monkey. Be nice.")
Luther decided to go to Taksim Square, the spot where the uprising against the Turkish prime minister's decision to bulldoze 400 trees for a mall. One of the last pieces of big green spaces left. When the police moved to push out the peaceful protesters they used tear gas and water cannons. That force made things a lot worse. Thousands came into the square to protest louder. Lots of injuries occurred and scared off many visitors from coming to Turkey. Lucky for us we either know how to take God's name in vain by testing God's protection or we are plain ignorant. (Luther says, "My vote is for both and against the lucky part.") So we are going to accompany Luther anyway and check it out this evening. He'd like to interview a policeman and protester. Since there's still thousands there we might find some. (Luther said, "What's the worse that could happen? We could get some sudden exercise and we won't need any spice for our next meal." Then he said to me, "If you are coming with me then you must promise to pronounce the words right! It's, `I'm a tourist.' It is not `I'm a terrorist. Got it?'" I said, "I'll do my best." He said, "That's what scares me.")
It's sad to note this is our last day in Istanbul. Tomorrow we leave on a plane bound for Izmir. It will be my first time driving in Turkey with a rented van. I think we'll be testing God's protection again.
(I told Luther, "I hope someday they'll learn to spell their country's name correct. Everywhere I look I see, `Türkiye.' I think they should be learned better." Luther said, "Sufferin succotash, aye-y-aye. It's `teach it correctly' and they are correct!" I didn't understand what he was yelling. I think it's probably some foreign monkey language.)
Saturday, June 8, 2013
Friday, June 7, 2013
Turkey
We met up with Melissa's twin sister and her family. Our four became eight and we moved into our apartment for the next few days. (Luther was impatient, waiting for them to come. Luther said, It's refreshing to know cab drivers often get lost too like you do in Lincoln." I said, "Yeah if only I could have one of those money making meters the cab drivers run while driving in circles.")
Our flat overlooks the water with ferries coming every few minutes. The most amazing part is being near many touristy bars where we were treated each night to multiple free concerts from midnight until closing at 3 AM. (Luther was certain a guy was singing in our living room. We got out of bed and searched the apartment. We never found the singer. We decided he's testing how loud his sound system could be turned up without blowing out speakers. After it stopped at 2:53 AM, Luther slept until seven and stole all the covers.) Our three bedroom and two bath flat overlooking the coasts was beautiful none-the-less. (The next morning he informed me that he prayed God would send a lightning bolt to that guy. I told him that could be understood as being disrespectful to God, breaking the commandment you shall not take God's name in vain. After my explanation I heard him snore.)
Two taxi rides later (One cost 14 Lira to the Blue Mosque area and the ride back--same distance--cost 48. I held Luther back from arguing.) we decided to walk with a map. After a mile or two back to the Blue Mosque area we saw the Sultan's palace (Luther said, "It became the seat power for the Ottoman state of 1299 after Constantinople [Istanbul.] was conquered in 1453. I told him to put away his smart phone.) The sultans ruled for 623 years until 1922. We visited the Topkapi Palace where the Ottoman Sultans (emperors) lived with their harem, parliament, oval office equivalent, treasury relics from 1465-1856. Almost 400 years of their 624-year reign. (I told Luther, "That's it, I'm taking the smart phone away." He handed me some thing made of lots of paper with pictures and lots of words. I think you call it a travel book. These were used a long time ago in the BC times which stands for "Before Cell phones." Anyway Luther had something to say about the palace, "It's used and it's too old. The columns are too slippery and there isn't enough trees." And then he asked, "What's a harem?" I bared false witness! I told him a half lie. I said, It's a palace for educating hairy women." For some reason that made sense to him.)
In the treasury/relic rooms we saw Moses' staff inlaid in gold, Joseph's arm inlaid in gold, a broach with a diamond as big as the palm of my hand, and more gold and jewels I've ever seen in one place. (Luther asked, "Why are those funny men in green berets carrying machine guns? And why do I have to ride on that conveyer belt with all the bags through security? I told him at least he doesn't have to walk through metal detectors that make loud beeps due to my camera, coins in my pocket and belt metal. Still no one seems concerned and I walked on past.)
Outside the main palace were multiple museums of Sumerian cuneiform, reliefs, sarcophagus from Turkey and Egypt, statues, pottery, and mausoleums. (Luther said, "I can relate to those mummies. After a long day of hanging on your neck I also feel dead tired.)
Our flat overlooks the water with ferries coming every few minutes. The most amazing part is being near many touristy bars where we were treated each night to multiple free concerts from midnight until closing at 3 AM. (Luther was certain a guy was singing in our living room. We got out of bed and searched the apartment. We never found the singer. We decided he's testing how loud his sound system could be turned up without blowing out speakers. After it stopped at 2:53 AM, Luther slept until seven and stole all the covers.) Our three bedroom and two bath flat overlooking the coasts was beautiful none-the-less. (The next morning he informed me that he prayed God would send a lightning bolt to that guy. I told him that could be understood as being disrespectful to God, breaking the commandment you shall not take God's name in vain. After my explanation I heard him snore.)
Two taxi rides later (One cost 14 Lira to the Blue Mosque area and the ride back--same distance--cost 48. I held Luther back from arguing.) we decided to walk with a map. After a mile or two back to the Blue Mosque area we saw the Sultan's palace (Luther said, "It became the seat power for the Ottoman state of 1299 after Constantinople [Istanbul.] was conquered in 1453. I told him to put away his smart phone.) The sultans ruled for 623 years until 1922. We visited the Topkapi Palace where the Ottoman Sultans (emperors) lived with their harem, parliament, oval office equivalent, treasury relics from 1465-1856. Almost 400 years of their 624-year reign. (I told Luther, "That's it, I'm taking the smart phone away." He handed me some thing made of lots of paper with pictures and lots of words. I think you call it a travel book. These were used a long time ago in the BC times which stands for "Before Cell phones." Anyway Luther had something to say about the palace, "It's used and it's too old. The columns are too slippery and there isn't enough trees." And then he asked, "What's a harem?" I bared false witness! I told him a half lie. I said, It's a palace for educating hairy women." For some reason that made sense to him.)
In the treasury/relic rooms we saw Moses' staff inlaid in gold, Joseph's arm inlaid in gold, a broach with a diamond as big as the palm of my hand, and more gold and jewels I've ever seen in one place. (Luther asked, "Why are those funny men in green berets carrying machine guns? And why do I have to ride on that conveyer belt with all the bags through security? I told him at least he doesn't have to walk through metal detectors that make loud beeps due to my camera, coins in my pocket and belt metal. Still no one seems concerned and I walked on past.)
Outside the main palace were multiple museums of Sumerian cuneiform, reliefs, sarcophagus from Turkey and Egypt, statues, pottery, and mausoleums. (Luther said, "I can relate to those mummies. After a long day of hanging on your neck I also feel dead tired.)
We Arrived!
Facing the rear in our taxi-van to ride from the Istanbul
airport was my third mistake on the trip. Like a racing car video game we
zipped from the rush hour of start-and-stop traffic to spurts of 90 km. (The
three lane roundabout has traffic lights!) Once on the side streets we wound
through narrow streets made of cobble stone to stop in front of Galata Flats,
our bed and breakfast. Not having slept much in 24 hours we skipped a meal and
concentrated on the bed part.
Although modern air travel that keeps two hundred thousand people
in the air at a given moment. It’s also rough on one’s end. Someone
once said getting out of a twenty-ton sardine can flinging through the air over
500 mph for hours on end (I mean literally on my end) gives a person a new appreciation for the
joy of standing and walking.
A Hasidic Jewish guy built like me also ate a few too many bagels. Yet he turned out to be the smart one. Although many of us on the end isle were after a cat nap, we were treated to wake up slaps every few minutes when his prayer shawl came around. (I enjoyed the clean fresh scent. It was a change from my shower starved body.) At one point in the flight he stood facing a wall in that extra space where the doors are located. He was there for a good 20 minutes with a white hoody. I suppose when on a plane you have to use whatever wailing wall you can find even if it's the bathroom wall. (Luther said, The bathroom is probably used to modest wails anyway.")
I appreciate the pious disciplines of religion but it's the ironies that make it all worth it. That Jewish man covered in his white shawl sat behind one of the priests on board. The priests wore the traditional Roman Catholic black robes. How do things like that happen? We came from the same religion! Anyhow the priest droned on in the darkened plane about St. Augustine, Rome and the books he read. That poor pretty young woman in dreads kept her patient kindness up for hours. I sure hope I don’t sound like a priest nerd. (Luther said,"Too late.")
A Hasidic Jewish guy built like me also ate a few too many bagels. Yet he turned out to be the smart one. Although many of us on the end isle were after a cat nap, we were treated to wake up slaps every few minutes when his prayer shawl came around. (I enjoyed the clean fresh scent. It was a change from my shower starved body.) At one point in the flight he stood facing a wall in that extra space where the doors are located. He was there for a good 20 minutes with a white hoody. I suppose when on a plane you have to use whatever wailing wall you can find even if it's the bathroom wall. (Luther said, The bathroom is probably used to modest wails anyway.")
I appreciate the pious disciplines of religion but it's the ironies that make it all worth it. That Jewish man covered in his white shawl sat behind one of the priests on board. The priests wore the traditional Roman Catholic black robes. How do things like that happen? We came from the same religion! Anyhow the priest droned on in the darkened plane about St. Augustine, Rome and the books he read. That poor pretty young woman in dreads kept her patient kindness up for hours. I sure hope I don’t sound like a priest nerd. (Luther said,"Too late.")
After that cramped space God blessed us with lots of standing
and walking in rows of serpentine lines waiting in passport security. A soldier
from Colorado asked me how to get into the country. With no passport but a memorized
military number they told him it would be enough. I wished we had a number like
that because we found out that we needed a twenty dollar sticky stamp on our
passport before we could get into Turkey. That was found in the Visa line
across the hall. So after another serpentine line we got a stamp for each of
our little passport books and found the familiar line again that by this
time grew down the airport hall. These lines would make Disney proud since
right after the passport “ride/walk” we were greeted with many duty free shops.
Think of four story row houses smashed together but these serve
as store fronts each small store having as much window space as possible. Two to
three floors high were store after store selling one item, chandeliers. It’s basically
the Nebraska Furniture Mart for lighting only. Sparkling crystal spans the
entire window top to bottom. The combo of speed by too fast and car sickness
didn’t allow for a picture.
Sporadic ancient walls, palaces and an aqueduct s scattered in
disarray. Crumbling structures were held together by centuries of repairs. (Luther thinks it was done by
someone named Fast Eddy using Liquid Nails and scraps of odd stones and bricks. And he thought the fixes were like mine. They fall apart again in a few days.) Yet these stone structures held firm while modern
roads and high rises spring around. Strange combos paint a montage of delight and
beauty.
After eight hours of rest we got up at 10 PM Lincoln time,
and six AM here we walked down a narrow street for our breakfast. (Mine: Grape
leaves, olives, two sausages, grape tomatoes, cucumber, honey, kind of a cherry
jelly, three cheeses and 3 kinds of bread with butter—for Lisa but forgot to
take a picture.)
That's all for now. They'll get shorter as the days go.
Tuesday, June 4, 2013
Taking off
We are off to the Omaha airport for the first leg of the trip. Things seem to have settled down in Istanbul so we feel confident in issues of safety. Thanks Sara and Jo for the sending off get together and the thoughtful gifts! Already broke into the chocolate:)
Wednesday, May 29, 2013
Itinerary
June 4: Travel to Omaha, NE. Fly to Istanbul, Turkey
June 5: Land in Istanbul, Turkey
June 9: Fly to Izmir, Turkey and taxi to Kusadasi, Turkey
- Kusadasi
- Turkish Baths
- Ephesus
- Pamukkale
- Flexible Priene
- Miletus Didymas
June 14: Taxi to Izmir and Fly to Naxos, Greece
- Naxos
- Relaxing
- Beaches
- Shopping
June 19: Fly to Athens, Greece
- Athens
- Tours
- Acropolis
- Parthenon
June 22: Fly to Venice, Italy
- Venice
- St. Mark's Square
June 24: Train to Florence, Italy
- Florence
- Pitti Palace- gardens
- Museums
- II Duomo Cathedral of Santa Maria del Fiore
- The Uffizi Gallery
June 26: Train to Rome, Italy
- Rome
- Underground Tour
- Colosseum
- Pantheon
- St. Peter's Church
- Vatican City
June 29: Fly to Tel Aviv, Israel. Train to Manot, Israel
June 30: Dig in Manot, Israel starts for Luther and the Ryan's
July 18: Dig ends for Luther and the Ryan's.
July 18- 23: Visit Nazareth, The Sea of Galilee, Jerusalem, and The Dead Sea
July 23: Fly to Athens, Greece
July 24: Fly to Omaha, Ne
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