istanbul

During the last week of my trip to Greece, we took a cruise around the Aegean Sea with our first port in Istanbul. I hadn't anticipated going to Turkey but everything just worked out.

Istanbul was witness to a lot of "firsts" for me. Cab racing. Dining and dashing (we were willing to pay for the fancy dinner until they wanted €500 for one bottle of vodka and five Red Bulls that we didn't ask for). My first and only hookah (mint, and exquisite). And stepping into another culture's holy place.

The last three photos are of the Blue Mosque. Even when I tip-toed with my bare feet, I still felt like I was intruding as I saw so many people bent in prayer. We all felt so small in such a big mosque, but in the best way possible. Then there was the Hagia Sofia. I know that no one worships in the Hagia Sofia, but with the detailed walls and streaming sunlight, I easily could have. It was breathtaking.

scenes from istanbul

I'm off to Tahoe! More Istanbul photos + text to come!

ephesus revisited

Ephesus. To be honest, before I visited last summer I wasn't sure if it was a place that still existed. The most I knew was what I'd read about it in the Bible, with Paul's letters to the Ephesians. Although I had been to other sites, Ephesus (tied with Delphi) was my favorite because it was actually like walking through the ancient city. You could see the main street along the market place, board games that sellers would play to pass time, the library-- even the bathrooms. And even though everything left is just a fraction of what used to be there, it just felt so real.

Also, funny stories about the last photo: This is the great theater where Paul of the Apostle spoke to the Ephesians. About 1900 years later, Enrique Iglesias performed here for the excavation site's first fundraising concert. And, our tour guide took a girl on their first date to that Enrique concert nine years ago. Today, she's his wife.

istanbul

i am currently on a cruise ship, docked in istanbul and arriving for mykonos tomorrow. i can't upload any photos because the only internet available on here is on the cruise computers :(

hopefully i can get internet soon and show you philip II's tomb from back in vergina and some shots of istanbul, city that is beautiful but filled with bad men.

sorry to be brief, this internet is 10 euro an hour :(