Wednesday, October 15, 2008

Istanbul was Once Constantinople

Why it changes is nobody's business but the Turks....that's the song Wes & Diane Wolford sang to us as they drove us to BART. So now we're singing it...and those are the only words we know!

Here's a link to take a tour of our hotel

After 22 hours of travel we have arrived. As we flew in, the scene was rows and rows of high density housing. Oh, and the prayer towers next to all the mosques. A little different than the Bay Area.

We ate at the hotel on the terrace...soup and salad all around. The guys shared wine and the girls shared water. Until Sabrina got the waiter going and he was working on his tip....he brought the girls fresh orange juice and told Sabrina it was wine...which got her amped up a bit. Then later he brought desserts to share....a molten chocolate cake and vanilla ice cream with berry sauce. And we were serenaded with Andre Bocelli on the overhead speakers and the night prayers/chants from the nearby Mosques. They meet at the mosque each night for the fifth (not to drink a fifth) round of prayer. Not a chance any of us will be converting to that faith.

Oh, and there are MANY websites that are blocked by the Turkish government. Odd ones, makes you wonder.

Our day is planned for tomorrow.....meet for breakfast at 7:30, private tour at 9 until 3, then we get picked up and taken to the dock to board the ship which departs at 5. So much to do....

1 comment:

W and J said...

I made it back safely, in case you're wondering! :) I missed my hubby SO MUCH, but it was good to get into nature. Have a wonderful trip!