Marhaba, friends! Blogging is so difficult for a procrastinator like myself. I spent several wonderful days in Istanbul but haven't had the inspiration to write about it. I will start by saying that if you haven't been to Istanbul it should definitely be on your list of places to visit. I was there for 3 days but I could have easily spent a week exploring the city. The city is huge but very easy to get around. I stayed in Sultenhament and could easily walk to most of the tourist sights. The city also has a great (and cheap) public transport system- buses, ferries, trams, and trains.
I typically take after my father and plan my trips but in Istanbul I enjoyed wandering aimlessly and visiting various sites whenever the mood struck. The two largest sites in Instanbul sit directly across from each other- the Blue Mosque and Hagia Sophia. Both buildings are architectually gorgeous and incredibly crowded. The Blue Mosque is a functioning place of worship and I was amazed with the insensitivity that people showed to those worshiping there. So many people were acting like they were at Disneyland when their were devout Muslims trying to worship. I was appalled at how a lot of women were dressed. Logic should tell people that if they plan on visiting a mosque they shouldn't wear shorts and a tank top. The mosque provides scarves for women to cover their heads but the majority of the scarves are used as skirts and shawls to cover exposed skin.
If that wasn't enough to shock me, I was molested inside the mosque! Just minding my own business, I suddenly felt someone stroking my lower back. Completely shocked, I stood there thinking that there had to be some logical excuse for what was happening. I must look exactly like someone's girlfriend. I turned around and found a grinning Turkish boy behind me. In an attempt to be diplomatic (as a Foreign Service wanna-be should be) I just gave him a dirty look and moved away. For those who have seen my dirty looks, you know that should have been enough to dissuade this kid. It wasn't. He followed me and starting touching me again. Regretfully, I resulted to physical violence. Okay, not regretfully- I rather enjoyed it. I elbowed the kid in the gut and yelled at him. A little old Turkish lady saw what was happening and she proceeded to shame the kid and his friend into leaving. One of my friends reminded me that this is not the first time I've lured a man away from Allah. This summer I passed a man praying in the street, and he was so intrigued by me he proceeded to stare at me while continuing his prayers. I'm quite sure he will go to hell for that.
The most amusing this about Istanbul was the unbelievable number of street vendors selling spirographs. They were everywhere! I felt like I had been transported back to the 80's.
This is the only thing I found amusing about the street vendors. They were quite aggressive and bothersome. There were also a large number of young men wandering around telling young women that they were looking for someone to 'practice their English with.' Right. At one point I decided to pretend that I only spoke Arabic. Sadly, the guy I tried it on also spoke Arabic. On the next guy I tried Spanish but he spoke better Spanish than me (not a hard thing to do). I finally attempted Polish and that stumped them. Of course, with each Arabic word I've learned, I've forgotten a Polish word. That meant I was just stringing random words together. Luckily, they didn't know that.
If you ever make it to Istanbul don't be fooled by the descriptions of the Spice Market. I was expecting an old-fashioned souq filled with spices and food. I got a handful of spice stalls mixed in with a lot of non-traditional stalls. Toys painted with lead-based paint, black market Viagra & other performance enhancers, and boot-leg apparel. Enteraining, yes. Just not what I was expecting. Sadly, I never made it to the Grand Bazaar because it was closed when I was there. Whoever thought it was a good idea to close a major tourist attraction during a Muslim holiday weekend should be fired.
Well this blog post has proven to be just as random as my trip to Istanbul.
I typically take after my father and plan my trips but in Istanbul I enjoyed wandering aimlessly and visiting various sites whenever the mood struck. The two largest sites in Instanbul sit directly across from each other- the Blue Mosque and Hagia Sophia. Both buildings are architectually gorgeous and incredibly crowded. The Blue Mosque is a functioning place of worship and I was amazed with the insensitivity that people showed to those worshiping there. So many people were acting like they were at Disneyland when their were devout Muslims trying to worship. I was appalled at how a lot of women were dressed. Logic should tell people that if they plan on visiting a mosque they shouldn't wear shorts and a tank top. The mosque provides scarves for women to cover their heads but the majority of the scarves are used as skirts and shawls to cover exposed skin.
If that wasn't enough to shock me, I was molested inside the mosque! Just minding my own business, I suddenly felt someone stroking my lower back. Completely shocked, I stood there thinking that there had to be some logical excuse for what was happening. I must look exactly like someone's girlfriend. I turned around and found a grinning Turkish boy behind me. In an attempt to be diplomatic (as a Foreign Service wanna-be should be) I just gave him a dirty look and moved away. For those who have seen my dirty looks, you know that should have been enough to dissuade this kid. It wasn't. He followed me and starting touching me again. Regretfully, I resulted to physical violence. Okay, not regretfully- I rather enjoyed it. I elbowed the kid in the gut and yelled at him. A little old Turkish lady saw what was happening and she proceeded to shame the kid and his friend into leaving. One of my friends reminded me that this is not the first time I've lured a man away from Allah. This summer I passed a man praying in the street, and he was so intrigued by me he proceeded to stare at me while continuing his prayers. I'm quite sure he will go to hell for that.
The most amusing this about Istanbul was the unbelievable number of street vendors selling spirographs. They were everywhere! I felt like I had been transported back to the 80's.
This is the only thing I found amusing about the street vendors. They were quite aggressive and bothersome. There were also a large number of young men wandering around telling young women that they were looking for someone to 'practice their English with.' Right. At one point I decided to pretend that I only spoke Arabic. Sadly, the guy I tried it on also spoke Arabic. On the next guy I tried Spanish but he spoke better Spanish than me (not a hard thing to do). I finally attempted Polish and that stumped them. Of course, with each Arabic word I've learned, I've forgotten a Polish word. That meant I was just stringing random words together. Luckily, they didn't know that.
If you ever make it to Istanbul don't be fooled by the descriptions of the Spice Market. I was expecting an old-fashioned souq filled with spices and food. I got a handful of spice stalls mixed in with a lot of non-traditional stalls. Toys painted with lead-based paint, black market Viagra & other performance enhancers, and boot-leg apparel. Enteraining, yes. Just not what I was expecting. Sadly, I never made it to the Grand Bazaar because it was closed when I was there. Whoever thought it was a good idea to close a major tourist attraction during a Muslim holiday weekend should be fired.
Well this blog post has proven to be just as random as my trip to Istanbul.
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