We had class like normal and a test, which went very well.
Besides the academic portion of our trip (how important can that be??) we had ample time to explore the city this week!!
We went down to Eminonu, which is a part of the city located on the Golden Horn. It has extensive fishing and is located right next to the spice market. It was absolutely beautiful as the sun began to set over the water. Exploring the spice market was very...interesting. My favorite pickup line that we heard was "Does your father work on a sugar farm?" I was super confused so I said, "What?" To which he responded, "Because you are so sweet!" It was so funny!! The spice market is a very good place if you want to boost your self esteem!! However, after wandering for about an hour in the spice market we stopped at a small cafe outside for a small dinner (we avoided the scaley fish sandwiches...) The waiter brought us water but no menu. He offered us three different dishes and we ordered. However we were surprised when we got the check and it was 168 lira for six of us. Turns out he offered us the most expensive items on the menu... of course. Tourists can be pretty stupid...oops! It may have been worth it if the cats hadn't swarmed us during dinner... gross.
The next day, after our failed cultural encounter, as a group we took a tour of the Greek Patriarchate, the leading Orthodox (well, first among equals...aka the leading) Patriarchate in the world. It was a beautiful church and was interesting to see all of the relics they had. The iconostasis, the wall that separates the congregation from the holy area, was extremely elaborate and completely gilded in gold. They continue to use Byzantine chant in services that haven't changed in 100s of years. Exciting!
Our next cultural experience was visiting a Hamam, or Turkish Bath. The one we went to was in Taksim, a popular area of Istanbul. In a Turkish Bath you are in a steam room, all one gender, and they exfoliate, scrub, and massage you while you relax. It was wonderful. And nothing says group bonding like chatting naked for two hours. The bath left me feeling so clean and relaxed. The women at the bath seemed to excited to have us there and it was all around an enjoyable experience and not nearly as awkward as it would seem.
We came back to the superdorm to relax, drank really cheap and horrible wine (Turkey is not a good place for wine, perhaps because Islam prohibits drinking they don't put an emphasis on good alcohol...). We also tried to learn the dance to Beat It by Michael Jackson, but suprisingly, were not very good at it.
School the next day was a tad bit painful because I caught some sort of stomach bug, along with a few other people, and lecture was extremely boring. After a nap in the afternoon and a gazillion peptobismal I was feeling well enough to participate in the progressive dinner! Each room took a different portion of the meal (appetizers, fruit, drinks, entrees, etc.) and we moved from room to room for our evening meal. Yum! It was a fantastic evening despite the stomach troubles...
On Saturday we took the day off and relaxed at a beach in Sile. The weather was absolutely gorgeous and we laid on the beach, played in the Black Sea, and chatted for 6 hours. It was wonderful. However, despite applying sunscreen a number of times, many of us got burned. I'm pretty sure the Turkish were wondering if we had ever been outdoors before this because we are so pale in comparison...now we are just red....
On Sunday morning we went to service at the Greek Patriarchate which was interesting because we couldn't understand a word of what was being said. I was wondering if even their congregation could. However it was a beautiful service and very busy as people feel free to wander about during service in the Greek Orthodox Church.
After the service we wandered the city, successfully (!), to find the Chora Church which has some of the most amazing Byzantine mosaics in the world. I don't think I would ever have the patience for that...but it was great to look at it. We also toured the underground Cisterns and the Islamic Art Museum before returning to the Superdorm.
Ugh...long day! Dinner time now and packing to move to the hotel tomorrow morning...and journaling...and reading....oh, so much to do!!
Iyi Geceler
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