Tourist Level 1000

“JAN!” you say, “why haven’t you been updating your blog, what have you been up to.” My dear friends and family, what I have been up this past week is trying to jam as much traveling as possible into my days while the kids are still in school. In a mere three weeks school will be out and I will be off to Bodrum

Behold- Bodrum!

It will be even shorter for the some of us, this week one of Sarah’s kids are done and Alix will be out of commission as of the eighth. So much to do! So little time!

The first outing I had last week was to Ortaköy (since the last time we were there it flooded). When we weren’t browsing the vendors, we were haggling with shopkeepers. How, you ask, is the best way to get a deal? Charm. Smile, say nice things about Turkey, comment on their wares, maybe take a picture or two with the shopkeepers. Leave it to the three of us to actually charm our way into free stuff. While we were befriending the jewelers, the food vendors were offering us free marshmallows and olives. Next thing you know, a flower garland was placed on my head. Nothing like free stuff to brighten your day!

The following day Alix was working so Sarah and I met up with Murad, and then later Halil (remember these guys?! The two that saved Alix and I during the monsoon). 

Murad- left, Halil- right 

Midday we were taking bus down to historical peninsula when all of a sudden Sarah fainted. Earlier that day, I had called Sarah to tell her that it would be cooling off and if we were planning on staying out late (it was our off day) we should wear pants and bring sweaters- and to my credit, it did. However, when we were on the bus it was stuffy and hot, probably 30 degrees. In addition, Sarah had not eaten anything all day. She had expressed to me she wasn't feeling well and then she mumbled  “I’m going to faint”... and well, true to her word, she collapsed right there. Thank goodness I was already linked arms with her and Murad was there to catch her. She came back about ten seconds later, by then other people were yelling for someone to give her a seat. We got off one stop later, and the health science student in me came out- “sugar and liquids!”. Not only did I make her down a cup of fresh squeeze OJ, eat a ice cream, drink another bottle of water- but I eeeeeeven had to force her to eat square after square of sugar packed Turkish delight. Don’t worry guys, she was ok after this.

Thought this quote was worth putting in- from Sarah's blog:

'Here I am, meeting this guy for the first time and I end up passing out. The first time he met Jan and Alix they were a mess and lost. I could only imagine what he was thinking, “what’s with these crazy Canadian girls?”'

I was pretty much thinking along the same lines.

In the evening we went to Taksim and  Murad and Halil showed us around the district. We had dinner and then went to a bar/cafe called Midpoint to have a drink. The view from the place was amazing. The nice thing about cafes or restaurants in Turkey is that they offer you blankets if it gets chilly. So Sarah and I sat there snuggling in our blankets watching the sunset over a rainbow (I’m not lying) and sipping the best sangrias I’ve ever had. Perfect night.

Taksim!

In the restaurant- dinner

view from the bar/cafe

Cozy

The following day Alix and I headed over to the Istanbul Archeology Museum. To say they have a lot of artifacts is an understatement! The place was jammed full of carved stone artifacts from various empires and civilizations. We were surprised to see a bunch of them outside exposed to the elements. We also noted how close you could get to everything. We saw kids going through on tours literally touching ancient sarcophaguses, and no one said anything! My inner tourist went a little crazy and I got pretty shutter happy with my camera. So much to see! I came home with around 400 pictures.  

A couple wrong turns later..

Alix rubbing shoulders with a Sphinx

Marble Head of Alexander the Great

The Alexander Sarcophagus is one of four massive carved sarcophagi, forming two pairs, that were discovered during the excavations conducted by Osman Hamdi Bey at the necropolis near Sidon, Lebanon in 1887. Sarcophagus of Abdalonymus (died 311 BC), the king of Sidon. 

Remains of King of Sidon

After our tour, we went to check out the surrounding areas. All within a couple blocks are the Hagia Sophia, Blue Mosque, and Topkapi palace. We intend to visit all three this week! Wish us luck!

The Great Monsoon

I would have wrote this earlier but frankly I was to busy/sick/tired to do so. However, I feel obligated to write about this particular day because the day was so insane. Friday was both my best and worst day in Istanbul.

Our morning started out pretty well. Alix and I met and took a new bus downtown. Typically, we got to the station, and didn’t know where to go from here. Again, we had wrote down where we had to go, but we were still not sure which bus to get on. Lucky for us, locals just seem to want to help out two girls who look desperately lost. No less than 5 people helped us at this stop- including flagging down a private buses (more like vans), asking the driver if the bus would take us to our location, telling the other people in the van to warn us when to get off, then actually telling us when to get off and where to walk. People are amazing.

Lost- attempting to use the guidebook

We ended up stopping at this cute restaurant in the Emirgan district before we went to the museum. The food was AMAZING! We had lentil soup, turkish coffee, and all these different kind of bread (some with dates, nuts, honey). It was inexpensive too! 

After went to the Sakıp Sabancı museum to see the Vermeer and Rembrant exhibition. I still can’t believe we got in for free. 

By the Turkish Art Exhibit

Checking out the artwork

Outside the museum

We also got to see a huge display for illuminated works and textiles (including a bunch of beautiful Qurans). The museum provided, in exchange for ID, ipads for us to go on our own digital tour. We were to hold up the ipads to these “barcodes” so we could flip through the pages of the works that were not shown. Super idea, poorly executed on our part. For the life of us, we could not get the ipads to work. We would hold them up to the “barcodes” (to the point of arm fatigue) and nothing would happen. The museum security upon seeing how frustrated we were, would laugh at us, come take the ipads, and like magic, it would work. I imagine much of their day is spent in this fashion.

Holding the Ipad up the barcode

Not working....

Beautiful illuminated works

Illumination tools

Alix got her Ipad to work... I suspect sorcery

We got through this museum a lot faster than expected and decided to explore some more. We took a bus down to the ports in Beşiktaş to see Istanbul Modern (the modern art museum). We were again admitted for free (for some odd reason, the website said only Fridays are free....still not sure why we didn’t have to pay anywhere). Unfortunately, photos were not permitted. About midway through our tour we got to the back of the museum, which was all glass and overlooked the water, and we saw these MASSIVE BLACK clouds rolling in. We rushed through the rest of our tour and hopped on another bus and went to Ortaköy. I’d actually been to this area before with my host family so it was easy getting around. We didn’t spend much time outside because by the time we got off the bus it had started to rain. While we were inside eating it began to pour, and by the time we finished, it was in full on monsoon mode. 

The district of Ortaköy is downhill from the rest of Istanbul so all the water began collecting down there. We walked out of the restaurant to find the entire place under a foot of water. We were immediately soaked. While running to the bus stop we used our umbrellas as shields for the tsunamis that were caused by by the cars speeding by. After bussing to Istinya park mall, Sarah was picked up by her driver (lucky bum). This is where the adventure begins.

Alix and I were waiting for our bus in the pouring rain, with only one small umbrella. At this time it was getting extremely you-can-see-your-breathe kind of cold outside. On the electronic board you could see when the buses were going to arrive. We stood there fuming as bus after bus was delayed. I only found out later that our bus route (that took us to main terminal) was so badly flooded that the bus couldn’t arrive at our current stop. At this time, we were shaking and very much considering taking a very expensive cab. By some miracle a guy there realized we were distressed and offered his help. He didn’t speak much English, but the guy next to him spoke French and acted as translator between us.

After the bus was delayed a fourth time, Murad, our miracle man, offered to guide us to the main station. However, this wasn’t translated very well, the man who was translating just said “go,  follow him”. So we went. I retrospect it was probably a pretty stupid thing to do. We were pretty sure Murad had good intentions, and we were desperate...but probably something we shouldn’t have done in a foreign country. We followed Murad about 4 blocks in the dark, talking to him in broken English, until we arrived at the metro station. This entire walk, Alix and I kept making jokes about being abducted and dying in the rain, but I know both of us were a little worried. However, Murad was a perfect gentleman. He walked on the outside so we weren’t splashed by cars, guided us around pot holes, and helped us cross the super busy intersections. When we finally got to the metro station, our metro cards HAD RUN OUT OF MONEY! What a nightmare, the whole day I was joking about them running out at the worst possible moment and this was it. However, Murad, without hesitation, scanned his card for both of us explaining that “students help students”. I can only imagine what would have happened if we had got on a bus without Murad... the public transit here doesn’t accept change, only tokens are cards. When we got the main bus terminal, we met up with Murad’s friend Halil. Murad had, unknowly to us, called him earlier to meet us at the  terminal. Halil spoke more English, and Murad wanted to be sure we got on the right bus home! They made sure were we got our passes reloaded, and got on the correct route. They even walked us all the way to the doors of our bus.

I am actually so amazed by how kind, thoughtful and concerned for our safety these two students were. I can even begin to imagine how we would have got home without them! This post it decided to you guys!

*Update on this whole experience. The three of us are extremely sick after spending all that time in the cold and rain. No surprise there.

Happily Ever After

Today Sarah, Alix and I decided to meet for lunch with some fellow Au Pairs in Bebek. Alix had spent the last day researching how to get there online, and I had some scribbled directions, but neither of us was feeling very confident that we would get there in one piece. All we were sure of was that we had to take three buses, the first being the 48 (“No A, B or C!!”). We were to take this bus to the main station. From that point on we would be on our own, only equipped a written translation of “What bus number do I take to Bebek”, our cell phones and our senses (or lack thereof). Anyone who knows me very well will tell you that I lack any sense of general direction. Pretty sure I was born without an internal compass. Alix assured me she wouldn’t be much help either. Oh well, two fools are better than one.

As I walked to the bus stop this morning to meet Alix, the grey skies didn’t discourage me much, the dog following me on the other hand... The area outside of the gated community has a lot of stray dogs, the one that was following me was a big yellow dirty thing. I actually tried to take a picture over my shoulder (too scared to look the beast in the eye), but all I got was a picture of my hair. Sorry guys. I’ve looked online and here is the closet thing I can find.

Behold the mighty beast

10 minutes later when I got to Alix the beast finally left me alone. We sat there talking as the 48 A, B, C and L passed by getting a little worried. All the buses look different, some are brand new, some are sketchy and old. Some have electronic signs, other have little cards taped on the front window. The buses in Turkey don’t stop at the stops, you have to flag them down. Each bus zoomed by pretty quickly, we just got a glimpse of the number when they passed (especially hard with the card signs). Some 20 minutes later a 48 actually slowed down and HONKED at us and we got on. We definitely would not have even noticed this bus otherwise. I actually think Alix called this a “miracle”.

This bus wound through the countryside for about an hour before it got to the main station. I expected the main station to be some indoor facility with a electronic board with times of departure and destination, maybe even a help desk. The reality was pretty shocking. Alix and I got off at the final stop to see some six block long spread of buses with roads running through the centre (the centre being a 5 point intersection...yeah). What have we got our selves into. There was not a help desk in sight. We ran over to a pretzel stand and I showed a customer my handy dandy piece of paper. All he wrote down on my paper was DT1 DT2 and then he pointed down the road. Thank you man with bread crumbs in your beard, you were most helpful. When he pointed down the road, we figured our bus stop would be pretty close, but it was on the other side of the 5 point intersection (at least 3 blocks down). I think we stopped no less than five times to ask directions, with each stop getting more worried when they pointed us further down. Finally we saw the DT1 bus, got on and made it to the waterfront. The next transfer was much easier. Thank you baby Jesus we somehow arrived in Bebek... on time!

We met at a Starbucks on the waterfront. This is by far, is the nicest Starbucks I have ever seen. It’s all wood, and the back is glass overlooking the Bosphorous. Here we met Sarah, Lacey and Nicole. Super nice girls. Lacey has been here for 11 months and got us up to speed on things that we should see in this area. She brought us to a super cute cafe called Happily Ever After. When she told me the name I was already in love (I have a nerdy collection of old fairy tales). We chatted and ate for about an hour. The whole time I was there I thought it was pretty ironic. I kept thinking that I, like the heros of the Grimm’s Brother’s or Hans Christian Anderson’s tales, had survived both beast and a journey filled with struggles to arrive at the end, happily ever after. Literally. 

Inside the Starbucks

View from Starbucks- hard to believe I know.

From left to right: Sarah, Me, Lacey, Nicole and Alix. We almost all got the same thing these yummy sandwiches with mozzarella, avocado, rocket, red pepper and olives. 

The view of the Bosphorous

Alix and I had to leave pretty early since it wasn’t our off day, but we did get a little bit of a chance to look around. We even got to try some Turkish ice cream. It’s different...a lot stickier, but delicious. Bebek is beautiful and I would love to come back when the weather is nicer. After today I am definitely feeling a lot better about seeing other parts of the city. 

From now on you can call me: Janjulee, Master of Public Transit.

Special thanks to Alix, my ginger beacon of hope, for keeping sane the entire time on the bus, between transfer, and especially when asking for directions. Those two house of travel were hectic but so worth it!

Thanks Alix!

Turkish Delight

Yesterday was just what I needed! I got a chance to meet up with my cousin Sarah and her friend (who is also Au Pairing in Turkey) Alix. Huma (the Au Pair coordinator) was kind enough to pick us up and get us all together for a tour of some sites in Istanbul and host a sleepover. 

It was pretty terrible weather yesterday morning so we opted out of an outdoor excursion and instead went to visit the Chora Musuem or Kariye Müzesi. The museum itself is a big beautiful old church that was originally constructed outside city walls in 527 A.D. The Turkish word Kariye comes from the greek word Chora means “in the country”, indicating its place of construction. Despite the fact that the church has been destroyed, rebuilt and expanded, the name stuck. In addition to the beautiful architecture, the interior is covered with frescoes and mosaics. These frescoes and mosaics are said to be some of the oldest and most magnificent in Turkey. The church was converted into a mosque in 1945, and the Turks had the good sense to just cover up the offensive and sinful catholic art instead of destroying it. It wasn’t until the 1940s that the Byzantine works of art were unveiled in a restoration. To think, all these years the art just lay hidden. Truly a treasure. Sarah and Alix, both art major, really enjoyed all the work. To get more detailed information on the frescoes and mosaics visit Sarah’s blog.

Exterior of Chora Musuem

Frescoes

Mosiacs

Trusty Tumbler and I

After the church we went Spice Bazaar in the Old Istanbul. My experience this time in the spice bazaar was a lot different than when I was with the Celikoglu family. I mean, people were still aggressively vying for our attention, but shopkeepers comments were... a lot racier this time. Let’s just say a lot of inappropriate words, gestures and expression were shared. Eye contact makes it even worse (Note to self: when I get the courage to visit the Grand Bazaar DO NOT MAKE EYE CONTACT if I do not want to be harassed)!! Alix, Sarah and I spent the better part of our time at the Spice Bazaar laughing at how ridiculous it all was. We all bought some Turkish delight, which was amazing. We all got some form of it with pistachios and shared with one another. I’m sitting on my bed at home now wishing I had bought a lot more.

We went to Istinya Park (a mall) later in the day; we have all decided that this will be our new meeting place. Sarah can easily get a ride here with one of the drivers, and it’s really close my kids school. After some retail therapy (some of us needed it more than others) we went to Starbucks and spent a good hour chatting. I can’t even explain how nice it was talking to people my age in English... it has been a while. Sarah and I are already share the same sense of humour and I was so glad Alix fit right in. The whole time in Starbucks the three of us were madly laughing. You know that kind of unattractive laughter that makes people stare- the throwing their heads back, smacking the table kind of laughing? You hate those people right? Those people were us. MUAHHAHAHAHAHA. The rest of our night was spent in a similar manner. We stayed up late venting, telling jokes and cracking up.. I can not think of a better way that I could have spent my off day. It truly was a Turkish delight.

Turkish delight and Baclava

Special thanks to Huma who hosted us at her house, gave us a tour, and made us dinner. Thanks so much!! 

Unplanned Adventures

Sometimes the best days are the ones filled with unplanned adventures. This was my day- a day full of surprises. 

I awoke this morning to have my customary breakfast of Sigara Borek, olives, cheese, tomatoes, and Turkish tea thinking that it would be an utterly normal day: I would play with the kids, perhaps get some time to check out the neighbourhood more, have dinner with the family and then go to bed. I was taken aback when Zeynep announced that after Lal’s portfolio we would be heading down to Old Istanbul to visit what they call the historic peninsula or the district of Eminönü Sirekeci Karaköy (thanks guidebook!). I can not even begin to explain how excited I was. I grabbed my touristy musts: guidebook, camera and sunglasses and was ready for my day. 

Lal’s portfolio’s went really well. Her English teacher, a fellow Canadian, had particularly nice to things to say about her. He commented on her politeness, eagerness to help and fluency. I couldn’t help but agree. She has been such a treat, I just love spending time with her! 

After the portfolio Cem, Zeynep, Lal and I drove down to the the historic penninsula. After parking we had a bite to eat a the famous Hamdi Restaurant- a kebab house. Dad I posted some pictures of food just for you! Again, all food was amazing. I especially loved the pistachio baclava that I got to have after my meal. Yum. During lunch I heard the call to prayer from the Yeni Camii Kulliyesi mosque close by. This is the first time I got a really good listen. It’s beautiful and... I dunno, even though I can’t understand the words it’s really enchanting. It was echoing off the buildings close by and as it came in through the open windows all the tourists in the restaurant paused to take look outside.

Yeni Camii Külliyesi Mosque as seen from the road (super old- construction began in 1597). Where the call to prayer came from. Going to tour sometime this summer. 

So the salad is walnuts, parsley, red pepper, tomato, red onion with a honey, lemon balsamic dressing. The flat bread with mined meat and herbs ("Turkish Pizza") is wrapped around a mix of onions, spices, parsley and lemon. I love eating this. The thing at the back.. not exactly sure that it's called but its some type of meat baked in a doughy crust.

Baklava! Walnut and pistachio. 

Spices and Tea

After lunch we went to the market! The market is divided up similarly to markets I have seen in Bangkok or China. Some areas are spices, some stationary, clothes etc. The market is just...overwhelming to all the senses. People are rushing around pushing you, it’s hot, loud, bright colours everywhere, the smell of spices heavy in the air. I loved it all. I could spend all day wandering around. I just love how culturally rich these areas of the city are. Parts of the market is enclosed in this really old building... it’s got this new meets old feel. I going to come back sometime soon, hopefully with my cousin Sarah. 

Dried fruit and nut vendor in the spice market

Inside the market

In the outside part of the market

Around 3 we went home and I played with Can. Can and I had a long nerf gun war, which he obviously won due to my poor shooting skills. However, in my opinion, I think I should get extra points for my really good acting (fake death and following zombie awakening). 

Around dinner time Can, Lal, Zeynep and I went to see a basketball game in downtown Istanbul. Lal’s friend’s dad coaches the Galatasaray basketball team. We went to the game with Lal’s friends family and sat super close to the court. The girls were so excited  screaming and cheering the entire time. They were SO HAPPY when Galatasaray beat the Tofas team 80-66, qualifying them for the Turkish basketball playoffs. 

Today was such an amazing day. I am so thankful to have a family that really makes an effort to include me in activities and takes the time to talk to me. Taking me out to see all the historical parts of Istanbul have made my trip all the more rewarding. Getting to know the areas with locals first makes me confident that I can go back myself. 

I want to end this post by thanking everyone for all the support and love they have been giving me! This blog initially started for those of my family without facebook to keep up to date with what I was up to without me having to send out a bunch of e-mails. Your comments, kind words, messages and support make me feel like you are here experiencing Turkey with me. 

Missing you all, much love. 

Getting the lay of the land

Two days ago the Celikoglu family treated me to my first Turkish meal out- a kebab house! I don’t think I’ve ever had a traditional Turkish meal before but everything was really good. Lots of flavours, sour lemons, savory onions, dill, mint, peppers, lots of fresh tomatoes. Everything was so tasty. On the way to dinner (which was really close to where I live) Zeynep pointed out places near the neighbourhood. I never knew it, but there is literally a whole downtown area right around the corner from the gated community! Supermarkets, cafes, shops...even a Starbucks. When I get more confident (and have time) I will take a better look around a get some pictures. 

The following day Can had a portfolio presentation at school (like parent-teacher conferences day back home). I was impressed with Can- he pretty much guided the entire meeting. His English teacher, a very happy British man, said that Can’s English is ahead of his peers. I am going to talk with him some time before school ends so I know what I should be teaching Can this summer. I hope he will be reading by the time I leave. 

After the Can’s portfolio Zeynep took me to a mall where we met Huma, the AuPair coodinater. Before we went into the mall, security X-rayed our bags, checked our trunk, and make us walk through a metal detector. I guess they’ve had some problems with weapons in the past? Anyways, Huma just wanted to see how I was settling in and how the family and I are getting on. I really appreciated her checking in. She also brought me a city guide and a hand made blue ceramic bowl from the market. I’ve been looking through the book and there is SO MUCH that I want to see! I will have to figure out the public transit system. Huma said sometime next week I will get to see my cousin Sarah and her friend Alix, and we will all go on a tour of the city. Sarah if you are reading this expect THE BIGGEST HUG when I see you! I love you and miss you!

The hand made bowl from Huma- a new place to store my trinkets! 

Later we went down to the waterfront. I’m not sure what that particular area is called (I am going to have to start writing things down), but for your googling pleasure- it’s close to the Bosphorous. The view was amazing. Through the fog you could see the Asian side of Istanbul.

Istanbul is separated into two halves by the Golden Horn straight. Istanbul is the only city in the world that spans two continents. Joining the halves are two bridges. I’m told that the European half houses most of the Greek ruins and old mosques, whereas the Asian side is more businesses. 

Evil Pigeons

At the waterfront Can and I fed pigeons. The birds were everywhere, flapping viscously every time we threw grain. Their beady little eyes followed our every move. I don’t know what it is about pigeons that I find so creepy... I think it’s because they are unnaturally malicious (it must be all that grain). 

Beautiful bracelets! I want to buy them all!!!

Zeynep lead me around the area.There were lots of shops selling scarves and jewelry. If you look closely you can see the the blue Nazars symbol in the pictures. 

The Nazar is a talisman to ward of evil eye- a look thought to bring bad luck- and is commonly seen throughout Turkey.

This area is filled with winding cobblestone alleys, vendors scattered about and cafes and hookah houses tucked into the niches. I can imagine how beautiful this area would be at night. I  also suspect it would be lively with all the tourists and bars about. We stopped at a cafe and I tried my first Turkish coffee. I’ve never been one to like coffee, but I will admit it’s pretty tasty. I’m not sure what’s different, the beans or the manner in which it’s brewed... I will bring some for my Dad and we can experiment. 

First Turkish Coffee!!

Today Lal didn’t have school and we hung out with her friend. We went to the park that is really close to house and flew a kite, played football and volleyball. Playing football with the kids is amazing for my self esteem. They think I am AWESOME at it! Haha, and I am learning a lot of tricks from them. The weather outside was great; beautiful and sunny with just the right amount of wind to fly a kite and keep us cool while we ran around. Overall really great day :)

Sending all my love home to the motherland! Missing you all!

P.S those of you who have emailed me and wish to comment and don’t know how, right below each post on the mid-right handed side is orange text that says “ x comment” demonstrating how many comments have been written. Just click it and it will take you where you can leave comments!