Ok, just TRY to read the title one more time without that song getting stuck in your head. Or better yet, click here: and let this play softly in the background as you read the rest of this post.
It was definitely our theme song for the weekend! And now, as I'm safely back in my little dorm room in Haifa, reflecting on everything that happened over the last week, I'm glad that a weekend that started out SO horrible, was able to turn in to something that will ALWAYS make me smile....as well as make me sing the song!
So lets see, where did I leave off? I believe I was able to share with you all my RIDICULOUS experience of trying to get out of Ben Gurion International last Friday. And I explained about how we could see the fire in Haifa from the plane right? Right. (Which I will have pictures of soon-promise) Okay then - on to ISTANBUL.
After arriving, my travel companion for the day, Michele, and I hailed a taxi to take to our hostel. Unfortunately, we had no idea where our hostel was, and as the rest of our friends that had arrived the day before didn't have phones..we generally had no way of figuring it out. But, luckily for us, it was a BEAUTIFUL fall day in Downtown Istanbul, and the long cab ride gave us ample time to look out at this new cityscape. In fact, I think that first 20 minute drive was all it took for us to fall in love with Istanbul. The first, most noticeable difference? Istanbul has SEASONS!! I had forgotten how beautiful fall could be! The leaves were all sorts of wonderful colors! And beyond that, everywhere we turned there was some magnificently old and impressive structure of some kind. We were ENTHRALLED by the time the driver finalyl told us he thought he had found our hostel. So we happily got out and walked inside....only to realize that it WASN'T in fact our hostel. Word to the wise: If you ever intend to stay at the Mavi GuestHouse in Istanbul....there are TWO of them. And they're owned by the same people. RIdiculous?? Haha...but, it was quickly realized that we were at the WRONG Mavi hotel...and we were pointed in the right direction straight away. (Which, thankfully, was in walking distance). As we wandered through the streets trying to find the correct Mavi-Michele and I couldn't help but screech just a little every second or two as we noticed something new that made this city our absolute favorite. We were walking through the Old City on the European side of Istanbul, and the small cobblestone streets and alleyways filled with colorful shops and old-world looking cafes had us just about drooling. And then of course..we had to walk through a small bazaar. It took ALL our will power to keep walking past the treasures that peeked out at us from behing shop windows. I'm not sure I've ever experienced such a wonderful and picturesque first impression.
But, we did finally make it to our hostel-just in time to run in to our friends who greeted us with the kind of super-tight, lung-crushing hugs that can only come from worry over loved ones narrowly escaping a disaster. They had been in the airport when they learned of the fire in Haifa, and hadn't had much news since, and as we greeted each other, and shared our stories of the past 24 hours, the small reception room of the hostel was filled with a sense of relief-that everyone was okay, and that we had all made it here. They told us about their first day in Istanbul, and we told them about the horrors going on back at our home in Haifa. It was ironic to say the least. But after we had exhausted ourselves of sharing news, we all went up to the room to get ready to head out for the evening.
Our room, by the way, was situated, and looked out right next to the Ayasofya Mosque-now museum. Our window gave us a spectacular view of one of the world's most magnificent bulidings! But there wasn't much time to dwell on it..as we had plans to meet up with our friend, Remzi, downtown. Remzi was our very own Turkish tour guide for the weekend. We met him in August, he was studying and doing the Ulpan with all of us here at the international school in Haifa, and, obviously, he didn't stay for the whole semester, but we all kept in touch, and when he learned we were coming to Istanbul, where he lives and studies, he could barely contain his excitement! We had decided to meet him at the Burger King in Taxsim Square (the site of the terrorist attack a few weeks back). Now..you would think this would be a fairly easy landmark to spot-a Burger King. Well..you'd be wrong. In the area surrounding Taxsim-there was not one, but THREE burger kings..and so, we were a little late in meeting up with Remzi...oops??
But we found each other all the same, and we had so much fun catching up and reminiscing about all our mutual friends from the August Ulpan as we wandered the streets surrounding Taxsim. We met Remzi's girlfriend and a friend of hers and all had dinner together before continuing our wanderings. We walked ALL OVER downtown Istanbul..and then were somehow racing to catch a ferry to the Asian side at about 10pm. It was all so much to take in, I remember the overwhelming feelings of it being a sensory overload. I wanted my eyes to see everything, and take it all in, and then the sounds of the city! And the smells!
The rest of the long weekend pretty much went along in this fashion as well. I'm not sure 5 days is long enough to spend in Istanbul..I stil lwishI had had more time to see it all. And, in the hopes of cutting this post a little bit short, I'll just give the highlights from the rest of the weekend:
Remzi had so much he wanted us to see. And we did a fair amount of exploring on our own. Some of the BEST places (in my opinion) were the Grand Bazaar (world-famous..and when have I EVER been known to turn down shopping???), the Blue Mosque (soooooo beautiful), the Ayasofya Mosque (aka the one right outside our hostel window-it used to be a church and was turned in to a mosque, so it included a lot of Christian and Islamic imagery simultaneously..which was SO cool), AND Dolmabache Palace. This palace, other than being my future home, was where the Sultans of the Ottoman Empire lived. It is the most magnificent structure I think I've ever seen! It has some 280 something rooms and TONS and TONS and TONS of crystal chandelliers. It is also where some of the scenes from "Titanic" were filmed. (Those featuring the inside of the ship were ACTUALLY filmed here, in Turkey...crazy huh?) It made me feel like a princess for the day we wandered through it, that's for sure. Fun little side note, it's also the place where Ataturk, Turkey's first president following the fall of the Ottoman Empire, died-and so his bedroom is quite the attraction these days.
Another highlight of the trip-the Turkish Hamam. I STRONGLY encourage everyone to get themselves to one of these ASAP. A Turkish bath, while it isn't Turkish AT ALL, is still one of the most relaxing, luxurious experiences I've ever had. The one we went to was built in the 1500s!! There are separate areas for women and men. We walked in after changing and were at once at the scene of some imperial bath house from long ago. A giant heated marble slab takes up the center of the room, and women are being scrubbed and washed and massaged left and right. And then there's little room with tiny little faucets and stone basins in which to wash yourself. The girls had SO MUCH FUN. After a little scrub down, we swam around in the heated pools, and layed out on the marble. It was wonderful! We felt like true goddesses...even if for only a few hours.
And then, for my last full day in Turkey, we took a ferry out to the Prince's Islands-which are South-east of mainland Istanbul. We spent all day on the last and largest Island, and decided to rent bikes for the day to see the whole island. We rode around the coast and were able to see what has to be considered one of the world's BEST sunsets. We were unable to continue riding for a while there...as everytime we tried our eyes were locked on the horizon and couldn't be pulled away. My friend Tyler and I were standing there, amazed..and only one statement came to mind... it was said as a whisper, but could have been screamed out at full volume for all the conviction it carried behind it: "So this is what it feels like to see the world." And it was a perfect last night in Istanbul, the perfect end to a fantastic little trip that I feel so blessed to have been able to go on.
Our flight home went off without a hitch...and getting back in to Israel? Turns out its a breeze.
Arriving back in Haifa was a welcomed homecoming. Haifa is changed now. I mean, things are back to normal for the most part...but, the psyche here is different now. And the forest and the view we were so used to..it's gone now. The Hafia we came home to was a different one, but it was, it is, our home just the same.
I can't believe all the places I've gotten to see this semester. It has only made me more excited for the next leg of my journey, the second half of my year. And I can't wait to share more about that with everyone...
I have less than a month now before I leave this city for good. And while I will miss it dearly..I'm ready for whatever else is out there waiting for me. I'm ready to see more of the world. I'm ready to be amazed. My trip to Turkey has me more excited than ever...come along for the ride won't you? :)
Until next time...
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