XC 1X2

A few thousand miles and the hotel breakfast changes, a little. No simit but now we have sumusa (I hope I’m spelling that right) and more fresh vegetables. Starting in Greece there’s been a salad comprised of chopped tomato, onion, and cucumber with lemon juice. That’s reporting for duty here too. The tea is not as good as Turkey. If there’s one thing the Turks have right it’s the tea culture. Everyone drinks the same thing which means what everywhere you go it’s available all the time hot. Probably like drinking coffee in the US in the 60s, no subtle flavors or art but the ease is enticing. For my first stop of the day I hit the Afrosiyob. This is an archeological site and the oldest part of the settlement. Samarkand is old and even before the Silk Road, people lived here. Excavations started in the late 1800s and have continued since. First with Russian archeologists, now with French and local teams. The collection is mildly interesting to me. Antiquities for antiquities’s sake just ...

 One last hotel breakfast and a long morning metro ride. On the way in to the airport I overhear North American English behind me and talk to a pair of young Canadians who are heading home from Egypt and Istanbul. “Boring dude, this place is so boring. You can’t go to a club unless you bring a woman with you and the food is so bad bro.” Reshat and Gul’s hospitality was fantastic but the moment I was let loose in Istanbul I felt lost. It was hard to do anything and I didn’t manage to entertain myself or eat well. I think after this trip I have no reason to spend time in the city center of Istanbul. It just isn’t for me. There’s a lot to love about the place. The history is old and rich, the architecture is beautiful, and wandering the streets can be exciting. I have heard more diversity of languages spoken on the street here than I would in London or New York, especially from places that the western world is sanctioning. That being said this place gave me the same feeling Rome did, ...

 My last full day on the Bosporus. Hopefully today I’ll get to see some sites, I’ve only gotten them in passing. Naturally, I began by sleeping in and running an errand. On my way to by moisturizer (probably easier here than Samarkand) I passed Phottoman. My friend Raphael and I have been texting back and forth, enjoying the punny names businesses have here. When I told him about the Sultan’s photo op, he demanded I go. I told him there was no damn way I was going to take a dumb photo like that. He won this one Up the coast to Taksim for moisturizer. Funny enough, the cream I bought was packaged for the US market, the Turkish box was just a sleeve around the outside. Made it easy to read the instructions. For brunch, I promised a restaurant owner I met last night that I would come by after he insisted. Predictably it was closed. I resolved to instead enjoy a most heinous local treat, the wet burger. For about two bucks, you get a hamburger with Turkish spiced tomato sauce that’s be...

My first full day alone in the city. Time to start adjusting back to a solitary lifestyle. The freedom of choosing for one and the isolation that comes with it. Breakfast comes with the hotel. It’s the usual Turkish spread of mezze and tea. A good combo. I head out to the spice bazaar to run an errand for my mother. She’s asked me to take some saffron back to the US for her and of course, I’m happy to help. A fun adventure and by the nature of the spice, it’s lightweight. The bazaar is half tourist trap and half working spice market. I pick a dealer and haggle out a price. We shake hands and he vacuum seals some flower for my journey home. When I get back to my hotel to put the goods in the safe I realize he entered a different number into the credit card terminal. Not high enough to fuss about but not cool. Cost of doing business. How Bazaar Next I hit the grand bazaar to investigate the rug buying process. I’d like to end this trip with one but not from Istanbul, ideally it will come...

 The final day in Sariyer with Kivilcim’s family. After this I won’t see anyone I know until I get to Melbourne, about a month from now. Kivilcim is starting the day by making crepes for us. I’m struggling to fill mine. We Americans aren’t often exposed to savory crepes and the Turks aren’t partial to sweet breakfast. In the late afternoon I say my goodbyes. Gul and Reshat have been incredible hosts and I’m sad to leave them behind. Spending time with Kivilcim and Jake has also been a breath of fresh air, there’s nothing quite like people who know you. I hop the metro to the golden horn where I will stay for the next few days. Now is my time to enjoy Istanbul at my pace. I check in to my hotel and they offer my tea and a rest before going to my room. I’m beginning to like this place. I drop my bag and I’m off in search of Doner. After a short walk through a sea of tourists I settle for a lamb kebab plate. Hardly a tragedy. My next stop for the night is Nardis, a jazz club near Gala...

 New Year’s Day is the same everywhere. Sitting, waiting for the hangover to clear out enough to nurse the hangover. Breakfast in the hotel was the usual. Cheese, bread, some dips, and tea. I grabbed a Turkish glass, that was the wrong move. The locals here were drinking their tea out of giant water glasses. The overnight sprinkling of snow had piled into large drifts. The highway was full of stuck cars and trucks. Semis chugging along at full chat, afraid to stop for fear of jackknifing. Luckily the bridge back across the Bosporus was clear and we got from Asia back to Europe safely. World’s coziest dog The rest of the day was spent recovering. In a rare moment where I was asleep, Gul challenged me to a game of backgammon. I’m keeping the score a secret. To end the day, we went downstairs and Rashad build a fire in the fireplace. We watched the show and I was surprised to see a familiar place. The whole thing is set in Haverhill! I was just there two months ago to the day. Funny h...