Kicking, Screaming… But Mostly Just Crying

Merhaba my long-lost friends.

For those of you wondering why I was MIA for most of August, here is my explanation. I did do a couple of cool things at the beginning of August, mainly going to the Süleymaniye Camii and the Yeni Camii with my cousin Jan. However, I didn’t blog about that because I forgot my camera that day, and what’s a post without pictures? Luckily, she also has a blog and you can read her rendition of that exciting day here -> http://jellisadventures.blogspot.ca/2012/08/mosque-times.html

Jan knew she was heading back to Bodrum, and I knew that I was going on the boat one more time, so we figured that would be our last day together in Istanbul. Unfortunately, we were right. Jan left for Bodrum a couple of days later and only returned to Istanbul one day before she flew home to Canada. I also went to Bodrum, Gocek, and the Greek Islands of Symi, Halki and Rhodes for 2 and a half weeks on the boat. (Side note, I have already been to all of those places, so I will only include a few pictures. To read my longer blog on the Greek Islands, click here ->https://turkishsummer.wordpress.com/2012/07/07/lets-sail-away/.) I usually only go on the boat for a week, so it was kind of surprising that I was going for 2 and a half weeks. That meant I would be returning to Istanbul only a day before leaving for Canada, giving me no more off days or any chances to say goodbye to the friends I’ve made here. Suzan could tell that I was a little sad about that, so she graciously let me return to Istanbul solo, and spend my last 4 days packing and saying goodbye to my home away from home. Of course those last few days flew by, but I enjoyed them more than I can express.

The most entrancing city in the world.

On the way into Halki, Greece.

Halki, Greece.

Halki… Such a cute little fishing village!

Morning swim time!

The lovely ladies in Rhodes, Greece.

As you can guess, this will probably be my last post. I’m currently writing this in the airplane that is taking me from Warsaw to Toronto. I have already taken one flight from Istanbul to Warsaw, and have one more from Toronto to Sudbury. Overall I will have travelled over 5,500 miles. Since my time in Istanbul is up, I don’t feel the need to continue blogging. After all, I did name my blog ‘Turkish Summer’.

But before I say goodbye, there are a few things I want to say…

Suzan, Turgut and the rest of the Toplusoy family: Thank you so much for the opportunity you gave me this summer.  Thank you for opening your doors to me, for treating me like family, and for always going above and beyond to make sure I was happy. Thank you for everything. I appreciate it more than you know. I will always consider you family and friends.

Grandma and Grandpa: Thank you for inspiring me to travel the world and encouraging me to chase my dreams. Also, special thanks for teaching me the travel basics – eat whenever you can, use the restroom whenever you can, always pack a rain-bag-jacket-thing, etc. In all seriousness, those things come in pretty handy.

Mom and Dad: Thank you for not freaking out when I said I wanted to go to Turkey for the summer, and thank you for encouraging me to go.

Jan and Alix: My sissies-from-another-missy, unofficial and underpaid therapists. I don’t think I would have made it through this summer without you two.

Huma: Thank you for setting me up with the Toplusoy family. It was a really great experience.

And last, but certainly not last… YOU.

To the incredibly loyal people who read my blog all summer: I don’t know how you put up with some of the sappy BS that I posted, but thanks for staying tuned anyway. I can express how appreciative I am to have people who cared enough to check in and see what I was up to. YOU are the ones who kept me writing all summer. It’s an awesome feeling finding out that PEOPLE ACTUALLY READ MY BLOG after I’d stay up, exhausted, spending 2 hours writing a post. You guys are the best.

After my crazy, 4 and a half month summer in Istanbul, it’s all over. It still doesn’t feel real. I’m already flying over the Atlantic and yet I still feel like I’m going to be back in a couple of hours or so. I hate saying goodbyes, especially knowing that some of them are forever. Although I’ve been homesick at times, I’ve loved the city and the people here so much that leaving feels wrong. I want to stay. This summer flew by way too quickly. Will I go back next summer? I don’t know yet. I have been asked by the family to come back next summer, but there are a lot of factors that will go into that decision. Istanbul is the first place I’ve lived outside of Canada, and I am leaving a part of my heart there for so many reasons. As I left for the airport I felt as if I was being dragged away from my new home, kicking, screaming… but mostly just crying. I can say that I’m leaving here feeling more like myself than ever. I feel confident in the person I’m becoming, and am proud of the decisions I’ve made along the way. Though there were ups and downs, I wouldn’t trade this summer for anything.

“There’s still so many things that I want to say to you, but go on. Just go on.”

Jack Johnson – “Go On”

Sending light and love to everyone in all parts of the world. See you soon, Canada.

-Sarah XO

Where Does Your Heart Lie?

Merhaba!

I think it’s about time to update everyone on what I’ve been up to! Here we go…

Since my last trip to Göcek, Turkey, I’ve been spending my days with the kids, and my off days with my friends. Since we’ve done most of the touristy things by now, we’ve been spending more days just relaxing and wandering around with no plans. It’s been very nice, but then again, it doesn’t leave me with a lot of exciting tales and pictures to blog about. Since my last post, Alix and Mehmet have both left Istanbul! Alix’s contract was up and she spent some time in Barcelona (lucky bum) before returning to Canada. Mehmet is also off to Barcelona (what’s with Barcelona all of a sudden?). He’s gone to some tennis camp and he won’t be back until mid-September, meaning that I will be gone by the time he comes back. So for the time being, my life here is pretty quiet. Having only 1 kid to look after is significantly less stressful than looking after 2. Also, whenever Zehra has tennis or piano or something of that nature, I get free time (aka, nap time)! I was pretty bummed out to see Alix leave, though. Our “Charlie’s Angels” gang has fizzled to a duo, and Jan and I are definitely going to miss her! Luckily, I met a really cool guy (Batu) who lives right in the same compound as me! We’re able to meet up often, and it’s great knowing locals because they know some cool spots to hang out.

Even though I’ve been spending a large chunk of my off time relaxing, I have managed to do a couple touristy things. When I realized that my off days in Istanbul are now very limited, I decided to make a list of things I couldn’t leave Istanbul without doing. On that list were the Galata Tower, and Rumeli Hisarı.

The Galata Tower, otherwise known as Galata Kulesi or Christea Turris (the Tower of Christ in Latin), is a medieval stone tower located in the Galata district, with an amazing view of Old Istanbul, the Bosphorus, and the Golden Horn. The tower is 66.9 meters tall, and was the city’s largest building at the time it was built (1348). The tower was originally used as an observation tower for spotting fires, however (like almost everything in Istanbul), it has a somewhat mythological tale associated with it. According to the Ottoman historian and traveller, Evliya Çelebi, in circa 1630-1632, Hezarfen Ahmet Çelebi flew from the top of the tower to the Üsküdar district (on the Asian side) – nearly six kilometers away – using only a pair of artificial wings. In other words, this guy ‘apparently’ strapped on a pair of Victoria’s Secret wings and flew from the top of the tower, glided all the way over the Bosphorus, and landed in Üsküdar? Sure. Whatever floats your boat, Turks. Anyway, there is also a café and a nightclub (which has a Turkish show) on the upper floors.

Galata Tower.

Did I find the tower to be superbly impressive? Not really. It was great, but other than the amazing view, it didn’t really do much for me. I think the café threw me off, as it took up nearly the entire upper floor. Damn you, commercialization. The view really was spectacular, though. Here are some of the pictures I took!

One view, the Bosphorus. Directly across the Bosphorus is the district of Üsküdar. Ps: the Galata district is kind of ghetto, if you didn’t notice already.

The other (and best) view. Topkapi Palace, the Hagia Sophia and the Blue Mosque can be seen in the distance.

Rooftops and mosques. How many mosques can you find?

Next stop was the amazing Rumeli Hisarı (otherwise known as Rumelihisarı or Rumelian Castle). It is located along the Bosphorus in between the two bridges. It was built by Ottoman Sultan Mehmed II between 1451 and 1452 (this was before he conquered Constantinople – present day Istanbul), in order to control sea traffic on the Bosphorus and to protect Constantinople. In 1509, Rumeli Hisarı,was partly destroyed by an earthquake, and in the 17th century, it was used as a prison for foreign prisoners of war. I think that the name Rumeli Hisarı (Castle) is misleading, because Rumeli Hisarı is not a castle, but a fortress. The fortress consists of three great towers, one small tower, and thirteen small watchtowers placed on the walls connecting the main towers. At the time it was built, there were wooden houses for the soldiers and a small mosque inside the fort (which are no longer standing). There is also a small amphitheater, which used to be used (very recently) for concerts, but has now stopped due to the damage it does to the fort.

Outer walls of the fort.

I can’t describe the feeling you get inside this fort! It’s like you’re completely hidden and disconnected from the rest of the city, and yet it has the most amazing, incredible views of the city and Bosphorus. Inside there are a ton of trees, and there aren’t a lot of tourists, so you’re free to roam and it’s quiet. To any fellow travelers who are going to Istanbul – don’t miss this one! Although, if you are elderly or have problems walking, I might sit this one out. Why? Because the fortress has a ton of steps along the walls where you can climb up and see amazing views, however, these steps and upper areas have absolutely no sort of guard railing and are very un-sturdy. A couple of steps actually crumbled underneath me! It was exhilarating to climb up so high and be rewarded with such an amazing view! It was slightly scary to look down, sometimes around 100ft to the ground, and realize that there’s nothing to grab onto if you slip or stumble.

Up, down, up, down, all along the perimeter of the fort!

Such an amazing view! That thingy also somewhat crumbled underneath me shortly after taking this photo!

Don’t stumble!

Million dollar, breathtaking view.

Watch your step! Just wanted to emphasize how crazy these steps were!

Side of the fortress.

Front of the fortress.

I wonder how many soldiers took watch here?

The interior of the fort.

A photo taken later that day while crossing the second Bosphorus bridge. You can see Rumeli Hisarı to the right.

One of the things I’ve realized recently is how much I’m going to miss Istanbul when I leave. Although there are certainly times when I just want to go home, Istanbul has become sort of a home to me. I can’t believe that Alix and Mehmet have both gone. I will see Alix in September for school, but I may never see Mehmet again. I keep expecting him to run through the door, kick off his shoes in every direction, make a beeline for the ice cream, and then tell me how his day was. I’ve grown close to the kids, and when all is said and done, I’m really going to miss that little rugrat. I’ve also made friends here that I’m going to miss a lot. But more than that, Istanbul has been a place of growth for me. With only 28 days until my return to Canada, I feel myself scrambling to see everything I want to see, while spending as much time with everyone as I can. I feel like time has crept up on me, and now I can’t believe I only have a month left. A month is still a long time, but in many ways it is not nearly enough. It is clear that when I leave here, I will be leaving a part of my heart here.

“I carry your heart with me. I carry it in my heart.” – E.E. Cummings.

– Sarah XO

Basilica Cistern; The Sunken Palace

Merhaba friends!

I recently went to the Basilica Cistern in Sultanhamet, Istanbul. The cistern is also referred to as the ‘Sunken Palace‘ (Yerebatan Sarayı) or the ‘Sunken Cistern’ (Yerebatan Sarnıcı). I can’t even begin to describe how amazing it was! It is called one of Istanbul’s strangest attractions, and for good reason! The history behind the cistern is controversial and argued over by scientists and historians. Although there are several hundred ancient cisterns in Istanbul, the Basilica Cistern is the biggest. It is approximately 138 meters by 64.4 meters and can hold 100,000 tons of water! There are 336 marble columns inside the cistern (crazy)! The columns are mainly Ionic and Corinthian styles, but a few columns differ and have Doric style capitals. Historical texts claim that 7,000 slaves constructed the cistern, which was built in the 6th century during the reign of Emperor Justinian (Byzantine).

Basilica Cistern! So spooky inside!

Columns.

Ceiling, column styles and eroding columns.

The creepy, non-lit up area. Makes you wonder, what went on in this place?

Although that quick statistical blurb is interesting, it is not what makes the cistern so mystical and intriguing. What really drew me in was all the unexplained aspects of the cistern. First of all, it is argued if the cistern was ever supposed to be underwater or not. The reason for this, is that the columns are made out of limestone, which erodes over time when exposed to water. So why would the Emperor construct a massive water cistern with limestone columns? If it was not supposed to be underwater, then what was it used for? Although the cistern is not currently underwater, there are a few feet of water at the bottom of the columns and the entire cistern is ‘dripping’ (wet walls, wet ceiling that literally drips…)

Thoroughly enjoying being dripped on and spooked!

Water at the base of the columns and fish! It doesn’t show in the picture, but those were some big fish!

The second question involves the Medusa heads inside the cistern. Medusa is the Greek mythological figure with hair of snakes, and who can turn anyone who looks at her into stone. There are 2 Medusa heads in total, both located at the back corners of the cistern. The origin of the Medusa heads is unknown, but it is thought that the heads were brought to the cistern after being removed from another building of the late Roman period. So if these heads were not originally part of the cistern, why were they brought there? The placement of the heads also causes controversy. Neither heads are upright. One is placed on its side, and one is upside-down. While some argue that the heads were simple turned so that they fit the right size needed to support the columns, others argue that they were placed that way to purposely fight off the gaze of the Medusa and the other Gorgons. What everyone can agree on, though, is that the Medusa heads were placed in their positions purposely and not moved afterwards. I can’t help but question, what is the real purpose of the Medusa heads? And why Medusa? All of it is very intriguing and leaves you feeling very superstitious and wary. I couldn’t stop feeling like I was in some sort of spooky, mythological building.

Upside down Medusa head. You can see the green slime built up from the decaying limestone.

Someone should have told me that squating wasn’t the best of poses…

Medusa head #2.

All in all, I really enjoyed going to the Basilica Cistern. It is definitely not a normal touristy attraction, but it is so worth visiting!

Other news in Turkey, the Ramadan has started! The Ramadan is the Muslim tradition of fasting. They fast for one month, eating and drinking nothing all day until 9pm at night. Children are usually allowed to eat snacks and drink water. Apparently it’s a big deal this year because it’s taking place in August. Usually it falls on a later month, therefore it’s cooler, but in August it’s still extremely hot in Istanbul and so a lot of people are worried about dehydration and passing out. My family is not fasting (only Ertugrul is), but Jan’s family is and she is planning on fasting with them! Luckily she is allowed snacks and water during the day.

Lately I’ve done a couple of other cool things worth mentioning. Alix is leaving Istanbul tomorrow, so we had one last night together and went out to a really cool nightclub called Anjelique. This is the same club that I went to with Bugra at the beginning of the summer. I love this club because it’s outside and has an amazing view of the Bosphorus. We had a great time! Also, today I visited the Galata Tower and Rumeli Hisarı, an old fort on the Bosphorus. Stay tuned for a post on those amazing places!

Sending light and love to everyone back home!

– Sarah XO

Let’s Sail Away

Merhaba everyone! I’ve been back from the Greek islands for about a week now, but have been dreading writing this blog. Why? Again, because I know it’s going to be long. Hey, this blog is supposed to be fun, not …

I’m On A Boat

Merhaba!

I just realized that I haven’t written a new post in 12 days! In my defense, I was off the grid for 7 of those days. So what have I been up to? I’ve actually been dreading writing this post because I know it will be a long one. I’ve just done too much since my last post! I’ll try to sum it up quickly in a timeline of sorts…

1 – Found out I am in a Turkish magazine (HELLO magazine). I’m only mentioning this for my friends and family who don’t have access to my Facebook. Mom, I bought you a copy of the magazine. Here is a picture:

Alix and I in HELLO magazine. This was from Ipek’s Henna Night.

2 – Literally half an hour after finding out I was in HELLO magazine, I left for Göcek and Fethiye, Turkey. I was supposed to go to the Greek islands, and I don’t know what happened. Sometimes, around here, plans just change unexpectedly and I have to roll with it. Where we ended up going was absolutely beautiful and I enjoyed every minute of it!

First of all, the boat/ship/yacht that the family owns is BEAUTIFUL! It’s 68ft long,  has 4 levels (that I counted, there might have been more below where the workers slept), has 5 bedrooms, 3 bathrooms, a living room, dining room, kitchen, outer eating areas, etc. I had my own room and my own bathroom! Pictures below.

The white one is ours!

My room on the boat.

My bathroom. There are doors that swing around in a circle to make a shower.

To be honest, most of the trip was a blur. A lot of the time I didn’t know where we were, and since there was no wifi, I pretty much lost track of time and reality. My days were spent swimming, snorkeling, tanning, eating and sleeping. Great trip!

Highlights of the trip:

– Scuba diving! It was my first time and I had a blast! I can now cross that off my bucket list, although, I want to do it again! We didn’t go very deep (maybe 20ft), but we saw a ton of fish and got to feed them! One fish bit me! It didn’t hurt, but I kind of freaked out! Ha, ha.

Before scuba diving! Beaming because I was so excited!

– Eating a fish dinner at a beach restaurant. The restaurant itself was beautiful (had a jungle/beach atmosphere), and the fresh seafood was amazing! I had the BEST calamari ever.

Restaurant.

– Snorkeling and swimming at “the aquarium”. We staying in this cove called “the aquarium” for about 3 days! The reason it is called “the aquarium” is because the water is ridiculously clear and you can see everything in the water! Where we were anchored, it was about 25-30ft, and you could see bottom like nothing. There were also a ton of fish, so the snorkeling was great! Mehmet kept challenging me to see how deep I could dive down. I was able to swim down about 30ft. While snorkeling, I collected a ton of shells, chunks of coral, and rocks. The best part was when we found out that the shells I had collected had small crabs in them! They were so cute!

Snorkeling in the aquarium.

Those rocks are about 25-30ft down!

– Ok, the final highlight of the trip was this sunset. (Pictures below). It was absolutely breathtaking. I know it’s only a sunset, but it was actually amazing and I felt the need to share the pictures with all of you. While watching the sunset, relaxing on a yacht, and taking pictures, two different thoughts came to mind. Firstly, I was thinking “is this real life? This can’t be my life, let alone my job. Am I seriously getting paid to do this?” Secondly, a completely different stream of though, “I wish I had someone to share this moment with.” Not that I was particularly lonely (the boat isn’t that big – there were other people around), but I was thinking of one person in particular and wishing that they were there with me. You know who you are. Unfortunately, the pictures just don’t do the sunset justice.

Sunset.

Pictures don’t do it justice.

3 – After coming home from Göcek and Fethiye, I was exhausted! Too much sun, little sleep and lots of swimming actually wore me. Who would have thought? So I pretty much slept as much as possible for 2 days and didn’t do anything too exciting.

4 – Yesterday I had a day off. I went to Topkapı Palace and was incredibly disappointed with it. To be honest, I don’t even feel like it’s worth writing about, but I will explain my disappointment. After going to Dolmabahçe Palace, I guess I just expected a lot more. It wasn’t really a palace at all. More like a bunch of rooms displaying artifacts. It was also incredibly packed with tourists! You were pushed along in a line and had about 30 seconds to view any given artifact. I found the collection of artifacts to be disappointingly small. Hey, I am an art history girl! Give me historical things to look at, and don’t push me while I’m trying to look at them (please)! The most disappointing part of the ‘palace’ was the large Spoonmaker’s Diamond. It is a ridiculous 86 carat diamond, and has quite the history. I am gazing at it through the glass, astounded, when this guy comes up to me. He strikes up a conversation, mentioning that he attends Istanbul University, takes archeology, and frequently visits Topkapı Palace for school. He notices my interest in the diamond and says “you know it’s a fake, right? They don’t keep the real diamond here. That’s just a plastic replica.” ARE YOU KIDDING ME. Here I am, across the North Atlantic, in a HOT, stuffy room, being pushed by tourists to look at a CHUNK OF PLASTIC?! I don’t know if he was lying or not, but it does make a lot of sense. The security in Turkey is severely lacking, and an 86 carat diamond is worth quite a bit… Who knows? If you visit Turkey, save yourself 25TL and skip Topkapı Palace. 

Check out Jan’s blog for her take on Topkapı Palace. She has better pictures than me and goes into greater detail about the palace and its history. http://jellisadventures.blogspot.ca/2012/06/walk-through-time.html 

That pretty much sums up what I’ve been up to since my last post! It’s late and I’m lacking in sleep so I’m posting this without proof reading it. Please don’t kill me for any grammatical errors! I seriously need to keep more up-to-date on my blogs. I’m leaving on Tuesday to go on the yacht again, so I will be unreachable soon. We’re only going for 4 or 5 days, but we’re supposed to go to the Greek islands this time. I think we’re going to Kos, Symi, Rhodes, and maybe a couple of other places. I’m not exactly sure. I’ll keep you ‘posted’! See what I did there? I love a good pun ha, ha…

– Sarah XO

PS:

“I can feel your hand in mine, though we’re living separate lives in separate places.” – Ray Lamontagne, Like Rock & Roll & Radio.

The Hamam (Turkish Bath) Experience

Merhaba!

Due to the content of this post, please do not read this if you are a prude.  No, seriously…

A Turkish bath (hamam) is a traditional method of bathing that dates back to Ancient Greek and Roman eras. They became very popular in the Victorian era due to their methods of relaxation. Turkish baths are similar to saunas, but use a continuous flow of hot, dry air so that you can breathe more easily. At one point hamams were very important part of Turkish culture, but surprisingly, most Turks do not go to hamams anymore. There are many reasons for this, but mostly it’s because homes are now equipped with personal showers, so there isn’t a need to go to a hamam to wash. Secondly, most Turks believe hamams to be dirty. I am not agreeing nor disagreeing with that statement, because of course there are dirty hamams out there, but there are also some clean but uber-touristy ones. I certainly did a lot of research before choosing a place to go. In Alix’s words, “finding somewhere to get naked and rubbed is not easy.”  The place we chose to go to is called Çemberlitaş Hamam. It was overpriced and touristy, but overall it was clean and we had a great time.

Here’s what happened… Because of obvious reasons, cameras are not permitted inside the hamam. Therefore, all the pictures below are from the Çemberlitaş Hamam website.

Upon arriving at the hamam, you have to choose what you want done. The choices are:

Self serve: you have access to the bath, and can stay as long as you’d like while washing/scrubbing yourself.

Traditional: After lying down on the hot marble platform and perspiring for a while, one of the attendants will scrub your body and give you a bubble wash (approx. 15 mins). This scrubbing and bubble wash take off the dead skin from your body thus helping your skin breathe, cleaning your pores and also regulating the blood circulation. After the scrubbing, your attendant will wash you in one of the rooms around the central marble platform. (Note – I copied and pasted this from the website. I will tell you later what actually happens.)

Oil massage: self-explanatory, done after bathing.

There are a couple of other options available, but most are self-explanatory (like ‘head massage’), and don’t need to be mentioned. Alix decided to get just the traditional style, while I opted for the traditional style with an oil massage afterwards. After paying (it was overpriced), you’re given a kese (exfoliating glove), a chip that you give to the attendant to prove you’ve paid, and a pair of underwear. Yep – a pair of  black panties. (Again, if you’re prude, stop reading because it will only get worse from here!) So after you’re given your package of stuff, you head to the change room and change into the ‘outfit’ they gave you. Traditionally, women used to go naked in the baths, but to be more tourist-friendly, you wear underwear so that you’re not completely naked. You’re also given a towel so that you can cover yourself while walking to and from the change room. Before going any farther, I should mention that men and women bath separately. It’s supposed to be a type of bonding experience where women go to bathe together, gossip and relax. Men are strictly forbidden from the women’s side of the hamam.

So we change (or should I say, undress), and head into the bath. Instantly it isn’t what I expect. It’s not a bath at all. In fact, it’s just a large room with a dome roof, with a large marble slab in the center. Below is a picture of the inside/roof.

Hamam interior.

I felt embarrassed for about 3 seconds. All of the women were wearing nothing but underwear! Unlike the pictures on the internet, not all the women in the bath are skinny and pretty. Darn you, lying advertisements! Take the pictures below (from the website), insert a lot of practically naked, overweight, old women and that’s pretty much what it looked like. Luckily, I adjusted from the shock quickly, and start to relax and enjoy the experience.

Inside the bath it is about 30 degrees. The purpose of the dry heat is to make you sweat before you’re washed. The more you sweat, the more skin comes off when they scrub you with the kese (which is the point). I don’t really sweat much, even when working out, but within 5 minutes I was covered head to toe in sweat! So nasty! It looked like someone threw a bucket of water on me. Alix and I waited about 20 minutes for attendants to be free to wash us. Alix got a Hulga-looking attendant, while my attendant kept calling me “baby” and saying that she was “my mom”. She also teased me about my “cute, small nose”.

The washing part was certainly different. As I mentioned, first they scrub you down with the kese (a exfoliating glove) and piles of gross, dead skin come off. Nasty. And when I say scrub, they seriously scrub you down. Like head to toe. Face, underarms, elbows, legs, feet, butt… If you have skin there, they will scrub it. I was a little shocked when the attendant started scrubbing my butt, but hey – when in Rome, right? After the scrubbing is over, they wash you with a mixture of cold and hot water. It’s actually very therapeutic. After washing your body, they wash your hair (very motherly). Then you’re supposed to relax in the jacuzzi for a while before rinsing and then going to change. When I was done being scrubbed and washed, my attendant kissed me on the cheek and said “I love you very much!” Ok, sounds cute, but it was a little strange.

Women waiting to be washed. There is cold water you can pour on yourself if you’re too hot. In reality the women weren’t that pretty and weren’t wearing towels.

The washing experience. Background – women being scrubbed with a kese. Foreground – woman being washed.

The jacuzzi.

After the washing I had an oil massage. It was excellent, but pretty much the same as it would be in Canada. Nothing too exciting to write about. Alix and I both loved our Turkish bath experience. I definitely recommend going to one if you’re in Turkey. But beware – if you’re not willing to undress, sweat in a room of almost naked people, and let a complete stranger scrub/wash you from head to toe, then this experience is not for you.

“An open heart is an open mind.” – Dalai Lama.

I hope that you all enjoyed this post! Mehmet is done school now so I am home most days instead of exploring Istanbul. Zehra is also finishing up this week. On Wednesday we are going to the Greek islands on the family’s yacht! We will be there for one week, then we’re coming back home for a week, then leaving again for 10 days! So altogether I will spend 17 days exploring the Greek islands on a yacht! I AM BEYOND EXCITED! I’m unsure what islands we’re going to, but probably ones that are close to the Turkish coast. I will try to find out and post where I’m going before I leave.

Light and love to everyone at home!

– Sarah XO

I ‘Mosque’ Ask You A Question

Hey there. It seems like everyone back home is asking me “why haven’t you been posting any new blogs?!” The answer is that I have been super busy trying to cram in a bunch of touristy stuff before the kids …

Hagia Sophia

Hello all. Yesterday I went to the most amazing place ever – the Hagia Sophia! For those who don’t know what it is, I will give a little background information… The Hagia Sophia was built in the years 532 – 537. …

Swag

Merhaba friends! Yesterday was an interesting but fun day. I say interesting because… Well… You’ll see. Jan and I had our day off, so we met up in Mecidiyeköy with her friend Murad. Murad is a local student who helped Jan …

İstanbul’u Seviyorum!

Hello everyone! The weather here has been amazing the past 2 days! Hot, sunny, and I’ve been into the city both days. I can’t complain one bit. The other day, Jan, Alix, and I met up for breakfast at our …