It is my second full day in Istanbul, Turkey, and I am still exhausted from my flight a couple of days ago. Since we are on a break for a little over one hour, I decided to write some things that we have done and seen so far. I apologize if it seems a little halting or random, but I wanted to summarize the best I can.
When we arrived at Atlanta airport from Birmingham, I had an unexpected cultural shock when traveling on a light rail to the international flights terminal from the domestic flights terminal (they are two separate buildings). Those who have traveled internationally probably know what I am talking about here, and I guess it was a good introduction to what I will encounter for the next two weeks.
My flight from Atlanta to Amsterdam was pretty good, and we were treated to two meals before the cabin went dark at about 2:30 am EST. I did not sleep very well that night - probably around three hours, four at the most. Before I knew it, the sun has risen again and I couldn't go back to sleep!
After landing in Holland, our group had a seven-hour layover and decided to take an impromptu trip to see Amsterdam. And the best part is this: our visa was free! We toured Amsterdam for a couple of hours, and without getting in too much details, it will suffice to say that it was a very interesting city with beautiful architecture and canals. However, it is not a city for families or the faint-hearted. I am glad to have this chance to see Amsterdam, but I am equally happy to return to the airport and get ready for our flight to Turkey.
We arrived in Istanbul at 12:45 am local time yesterday, and I couldn't believe how full the Istanbul airport was at that time. We did not leave the airport until 2:00 am (our luggages took forever to arrive at the baggage claim area), and we arrived at the apartment by 3:00 am. I didn't go to bed until 4:30 am and woke up at 9:00 am, and my body didn't like it at all. But the trip started off on a good note...
Since arriving here, we have been able to meet some wonderful friends and get to know them some. We were able to go to the district of Taksim and did a scavenger hunt of the district for various things. We saw some interesting sights there, and I can't mention some of them here. We were able to go in several old cathedral churches located to several Consulates along the road, and even saw an Araturk (the founding father of Turkey) statue. Here are some other things that we have seen or done while there:
- Ate a pretzel-like snack that is round. Quite salty, but delicious nonetheless.
- Used Turkey's public transit system (it is said to be one of the best in the world, but it looks even more chaotic than New York City!).
- Ate at a local restaurant, and ate some excellent food!
- Saw two protests taking place in that location.
- Rode a ferry across the channel that divides the Asian and European sides of Istanbul, and I immensely enjoyed that ride because Istanbul is beautiful when it got dark.
- Saw Galatia Tower and Hagia Sophia (it's the only mosque with six minarets) from the ferry.
One of the most striking differences I have noticed since getting here is the presence of mosques. In a city of 14-17 million people, there are around 1,700 mosques with countless minarets penetrating the skies! Oh, I don't think I will ever forget the sound of a call to prayer being broadcasted from the minarets all over the city at certain times of the day.
It is amazing for me to experience this part of the world and having this opportunity to meet the workers here. But my body has not fully adjusted since arriving here, and I am still feeling a little drowsy. I'm pretty sure that I will be all right by this point tomorrow.
There's so much that I could talk about, but I can't at this point due to time constraints. However, I want to say that your prayers are much appreciated, and much more is needed while we are here and long after we leave.
Shalom!
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