Hello dear follower,
We're in Turkey! After a ten-hour flight that offered tons of movie selections and unidentifiable foods (is that rice or mashed potatoes?) we made it to Istanbul.
We became insta-friends with our cab driver, who knew just enough English to crack jokes with us. He even offered to let us drive. We almost died laughing when the first song that popped on the radio was Call Me Maybe - and we couldn't help but sing along.
We found our new favorite lunch spot, where we made more insta-friends. The waiters were very friendly (not too much though, don't worry Dad) and so were the French tourists who sat next to us. They referred to us as "La Petite Rouge" and "Miss USA." Alysa got to whip out her French with them and learned that Turkish wine is "just red juice with alcohol" compared to that of Northern France. They also asked if we're traveling "avec le garçon" (with a man). We should mention that these men were jolly, balding, and accompanied by their wives. Our first encounter with Turkish coffee and tea also took place at this restaurant, and let me tell you, it was fabulous. I would say that Turkish coffee is like the stout beer of coffees - thick and almost chocolatey. It was superb. Not to mention they had excellent homemade hummus and veg-friendly dishes. We'll definitely go back to the Sofa Cafe and Restaurant for the coffee, food, and friends.
Next we found the mosques. Our hostel is situated between two mosques and a palace (we think). The mosques are breathtaking - they're like Aladdin's palace combined with Cinderella's castle, but real! They were especially gorgeous lit up at night, with a glowing fountain to set them off.
The marketplace was also unreal. It's called the Grand Bazaar, complete with hundreds of shops lining the twisty turny paths. They sold lots of gold jewelry, beautiful red carpets, and ornate china pieces. The next time I'm in Turkey, I'm definitely going to have a budget for shipping things home. Alysa found a special trinket for herself - more on that to come.
Alysa and I are both trying to get a hang of the language, but it's unlike any Romance or Germanic language that we've studied so it's been a bit of a challenge. We have "hello" down pat, which is "merhaba". We've done well in sounding semi-intelligent and not like self-centered Americans by presenting ourselves to the locals with a friendly "merhaba". Saying "thank you" is another story. It's pronounced like "Tay-shuh-care ay-der-am", in two words, which is difficult to remember and reproduce. One of our new friends along the way told us to remember it as "Tea-sugar ah-dream" and that seems to be working. Haha.
We definitely stand out on the street as two girls with noticeably different hair color than the average Turk. We enjoy hearing merchants who shout any English word that comes to mind when we pass by, such as "Hi! Bye!" and "Yes, please thank you!" It hasn't worked on these tough Philly girls, no need to worry. And obviously I can't say much about someone's choppy English when I have one Turkish word in my vocabulary.
It was a great day of wandering around, meeting new people, and successfully staying awake! Off to dinner and activities with more new friends at our hostel. Catch ya later :)
Love,
Melissa and Alysa
We're in Turkey! After a ten-hour flight that offered tons of movie selections and unidentifiable foods (is that rice or mashed potatoes?) we made it to Istanbul.
We became insta-friends with our cab driver, who knew just enough English to crack jokes with us. He even offered to let us drive. We almost died laughing when the first song that popped on the radio was Call Me Maybe - and we couldn't help but sing along.
We found our new favorite lunch spot, where we made more insta-friends. The waiters were very friendly (not too much though, don't worry Dad) and so were the French tourists who sat next to us. They referred to us as "La Petite Rouge" and "Miss USA." Alysa got to whip out her French with them and learned that Turkish wine is "just red juice with alcohol" compared to that of Northern France. They also asked if we're traveling "avec le garçon" (with a man). We should mention that these men were jolly, balding, and accompanied by their wives. Our first encounter with Turkish coffee and tea also took place at this restaurant, and let me tell you, it was fabulous. I would say that Turkish coffee is like the stout beer of coffees - thick and almost chocolatey. It was superb. Not to mention they had excellent homemade hummus and veg-friendly dishes. We'll definitely go back to the Sofa Cafe and Restaurant for the coffee, food, and friends.
Next we found the mosques. Our hostel is situated between two mosques and a palace (we think). The mosques are breathtaking - they're like Aladdin's palace combined with Cinderella's castle, but real! They were especially gorgeous lit up at night, with a glowing fountain to set them off.
 |
| One of the main mosques, Hagia Sophia |
The marketplace was also unreal. It's called the Grand Bazaar, complete with hundreds of shops lining the twisty turny paths. They sold lots of gold jewelry, beautiful red carpets, and ornate china pieces. The next time I'm in Turkey, I'm definitely going to have a budget for shipping things home. Alysa found a special trinket for herself - more on that to come.
 |
| Wandering the Grand Bazaar |
Alysa and I are both trying to get a hang of the language, but it's unlike any Romance or Germanic language that we've studied so it's been a bit of a challenge. We have "hello" down pat, which is "merhaba". We've done well in sounding semi-intelligent and not like self-centered Americans by presenting ourselves to the locals with a friendly "merhaba". Saying "thank you" is another story. It's pronounced like "Tay-shuh-care ay-der-am", in two words, which is difficult to remember and reproduce. One of our new friends along the way told us to remember it as "Tea-sugar ah-dream" and that seems to be working. Haha.
 |
| Try pronouncing these words! |
 |
| One of the breathtaking streets near our hostel |
 |
| Our hostel in the Sultanehmet district of Istanbul |
Love,
Melissa and Alysa
No comments:
Post a Comment