Istanbul

Hotel in the Sultanahmet District (me on top)
The Blue Mosque
Grand Bazaar
1000 year old mosaic in the Haghia Sophia Mosque

We just returned from a week in Istanbul. I met Hector there, where he was presenting at a teeny little conference of Eastern European Schools. Five hours to JFK, then 10 more to Istanbul. But Turkish Airlines is quite comfortable, unless you find yourself sitting next to a retired army sergeant who wants to talk from the instant she flings herself down. Fortunately, my coffee cup-sized Bose earphones always do their job. We did have individual TV screens, 2 meals and free booze, in coach! I watched 4 movies and still had time to sober up.

Istanbul was much cleaner/friendlier/prettier than I expected. We left our Marriott after one night because it was so far out in the suburbs and moved into the Alzer Hotel, a charming guesthouse directly across the street from the Blue Mosque, so we could watch the minarets light up at dusk as the muezzin did his loudspeaker call to prayer. There is absolutely no way in the world one could not hear this, as all the mosques seem to have a competition for who can be loudest and most overly dramatic. We were there for some special event where the baying went on into all hours of the night and men were scurrying in and out well past bedtime.

The Turks are a pretty friendly bunch. Granted, we were staying in the tourist area, but even strangers approached us on the street, wanting to converse in English. It was kind of sweet. In the US when a stranger walks toward you with a big smile, you quite naturally assume they are crazy or wanting money. In Istanbul they would say,"Where are you from? Are you enjoying Istanbul?" And then just walk on. Turks think Istanbul is just the greatest thing in the world-- just like New Yorkers: Aren't you thrilled to be here? There were very few American tourists, but a million loud Spaniards, Germans, tough-looking Russians, aloof Japanese.

The food was good, lots of lamb and beef kabobs, vegetables, rice. Superb desserts. Mostly we just walked around, getting a bit lost, stopping for tea at a cafe, seeing all the hotspots: Topkapi Palace (2 days worth), Blue Mosque and Haghia Sophia Mosque, The Bazaar and Spice Market, Aquaduct, Basilica Cistern, Archeological Museum (fantastic!). We bought a lamp and a tile mosaic. It was fun chatting with the locals-- they are eager to not be mistaken for a fundamentalist Islamic country. Several said they wanted to visit the US but it's very difficult to get a visa, big surprise.