Sunday, May 1, 2011

Istanbul: Turkish Delight

Aaaahhhh… the country of Apple Tea and Turkish delight … hard to not love Istanbul. We spent almost two full days here and had a GREAT time. The weather was cool but sunny and – for the first time in two weeks – I did not feel like I was melting at every turn. We came to Istanbul with my mom and Ben on Great Escape 2009 and, everywhere we went, I felt their presence. Homesickness set in. I ended up staying at the hotel - for almost an hour after we got our scavenge book – so I could call the boys and just hear their voices. The time change between the US and Asia makes it virtually impossible to talk to them until we get this far west. It was so nice to just hear them, even though they were heading out to school and could not talk for long.
Some of our Istanbul scavenges:
#1: The Obvious: We had to visit the Haga Sofia and the Blue Dome – of course. I put my finger in The Sweating Wall in the Haga Sofia and made a complete turn of my hand while making a wish (apparently all the steps necessary to guarantee that my wish will come true)… Sure hope that the legend it true as it was a good wish.
#2: The Unexpected: We got stopped in the main square by two ten year old girls who were required to talk to strangers for their English homework assignment. We had to answer a long list of random questions (like: “What season do you like best?” and “What kind of pet do you have?”). Their English was great and they were so serious about getting all of the questions asked and accurately recording the answers. Very cute.
#3: The Grand Bazaar: The grand market was teaming with people so we wandered around for almost a hour, people-watching and getting the answers to various scavenger questions. For example, we had to find this particular carpet shop and get a list of famous people who had bought carpets there (Answer: Harvey Keitel, Elizabeth Hurley). This may not seem like a big deal but there are approximately 892 carpet stores in the Grand Bazaar and finding this exact one is somewhat of a Herculean feat. We also bought a set of Russian stacking dolls and “Evil Eye” blue-stoned key chains.
# 4: Smoking ChiChi: We had to spend an hour visiting with people at a specific Hookah bar in the middle of the trendy area of town (Cemberlitas). We tried apple tobacco upon the recommendation of our waiter but it burned the back of my throat and made me cough. We drank cup after cup of apple tea.
#5: Bonus trip to Ephesus: On the second morning, we took a bonus trip to Ephesus. I was dreading it because it involved a 4 AM wake-up call and I’ve had just about enough of waking up before dawn. But it ended up being a great day. The flight was short (less than an hour) and then an easy car ride to Ephesus. We ended up with lots of time so we wandered slowly through the ruins, took tons of photos and then sat and ate lunch in the market area at the end. The poppies are in bloom and the flowers grow all in-between the rocks and ruins making the whole place seem alive with color. Seems unreal that this statue had survived the elements for all of these years and still looks so great.
#5: Hammam: Traditional Turkish Bath: We had to go to a Turkish bath and take in the experience. So we found ourselves in this large marble-lined room with dozens of other half-nude women sweating out the toxins and getting scrubbed up – with lots of bubbles and soap – by muscled female attendants. A Hammam is like a giant public sauna and bath house where the women sit around on this marble circular stage in the middle of the room and gossip and giggle. The men’s section is separate. We came out feeling clean and exfoliated.
Good-Bye Asia: Hello Europe
Leaving Turkey was the end of the Asia leg. We are heading to Madrid now to start the Europe trek. In this part of the trip, we’ll be dumped in Madrid and have to make our way through several countries over 4 or 5 days doing scavenges along the way. We have to arrange our own transportation and figure out the best route to get the most scavenges done in the various countries. I’ve never been to Spain, so I’m looking forward to this leg. This is also the part of the trip where we have to travel with all of our luggage again – on planes, trains, buses etc. – and by the end I will likely be cursing every extra pair of socks that I have in my suitcase. I even threw away from clothes in Istanbul to try and lighten the load… but I’m still pretty much hauling around a body bag. I am dreading that part.
Observations from Asia:
1) Washing clothes in India: There is an area in Mumbai called the Dhoti Ghats: a large laundry area - or field of concrete squares - that is flooded with clean water once per week. Men work from dawn to dusk - standing thigh high in the water - scrubbing sheets, clothes and linens with blocks of soap and beating them on the concrete sides to get them clean and then hanging it all up to dry in the blistering sun. Apparently more than 50% of the laundry of Mumbai is done here, including laundry for some of the best hotels. It sort of goes without saying that the day that you send things out to wash in Mumbai is important as you clearly want to time your washing for “clean water” day instead of “6 days into dirty water” day.
2) This was my favorite quote from Gandhi’s house – and not just because I am a woman – but because it seems so true: “To call women the weaker sex is a libel, it is man’s injustice to women. If by strength is meant moral power then woman is immeasurably man’s superior…If non-violence is the law of our being, the future is with women.” Just being where he had slept and walked and studied was impactful and has stayed with me.
3) Trying to stay clean in the face of abject poverty: A little boy in the slums of Mumbai bathing in an old paint can half-filled with dirty water. All you can think is: “There but for the grace of God, go I.” How is it that I was luck enough to born into my life and this poor child was born into his?
4) Asian culture is are so vibrant with color – and color is such a part of their lives - that they even decorate their public transport (called Jeepneys). These were originally re-modeled US Jeeps that were left behind after the Korean war. Every Jeepney is a different artistic expression.
5) Dawn: Sunrise: Dawn: We have seen the sun rise almost every day of the trip as Bill usually has some scavenge - with lots of points – that occurs only at dawn. He is either a true sadist or he wants us up and out of bed (doing and seeing things) early every day. I have not yet decided which is true. But what is true is that there is an “out of this world” feeling about being on a Buddhist monument – watching out at the city of Yogykarta – while the sun rises.
6) It took us full effort to climb to the top of Mount Brumo for sunrise – and there were even horses available to carry the elderly or kids to the top – and this girl decided to hike it in heels!!!! Vanity is apparently the same throughout the world: a powerful emotion that overcomes all reason!!!
7) Our hotel in Bali was SOOOOO luxurious that they laid out rose petals each night on our bed and gave us fresh night gowns (of soft cotton) to sleep in. And best of all.. the nightgowns were clean and smelt like sunshine (which is not true of virtually every thing in my suitcase by now). We are hand-washing our clothes each night and, when you soak what you wore that day, the water is BLACK with grime. Even with multiple washing cycles, our clothes are not in great shape. And do not smell particularly good. I can’t wait to get home to machine washed clothes.
8) This was a staple meal for us throughout Asia: Nasi Goreing or fried rice. Except, here, instead of mixing the egg in with the rice, the egg comes on top (like an omellete hat)

9) I am having a serious chat with one of the orphans in Manilla . He is not understanding a word that I am saying… obviously!!!
10) This what many of our meals in Asia looked like: not a single recognizable thing on the table.






















11) In the fish market outside of Seoul, there was a woman making fish cakes on an open fire … and pressing them into the shape of fish. Apparently fish tastes best when it looks like fish.




12) Emily and Elizabeth are doing well as team mates, no major fights although there have been a few minor meltdowns. Every team has been tested by the competition as each day is HARD, busy, exhausting and often frustrating. As expected, emotions can run high and there are tears from time to time.

2 comments:

Chloe said...

Hey,
those fish cakes, were they actually fish? Cuz I remember in Japan they made things that looked like that but it was like cake pastry on the outside and red bean paste on the inside.. just wondered if that was the same thing.
Looks like you really have had a fantastic time in Asia. Can't wait to hear about your adventures in Europe!

Unknown said...

I loved Epesus in Turkey. I was in awe of how smart the paople of yester year where and all the amazing inventions like sluice gates to wash the streets clean every night etc.
If you are now about to enter your Europian leg you must be getting close to finished. My that time went fast.
Once again thanks for all your wonderful stories.

 

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