A last good-bye to Turkiye ( yes, that is spelled correctly )

Last day and night in Istanbul. It has a been an amazing first experience in Turkiye. I went inside the Sultanahmet Camii ( Camii means mosque ) or Blue Mosque as it is commonly called. I had just been outside before, in the courtyard, but today I went in after making sure to wear pants, a modest shirt and a head covering ( I bought a scarf at the Grand Bazaar ). The feeling of calm and peace inside was overwhelming. Despite the hundreds of people who were jibbering, jabbering and flashing cameras, there was a sense of calm and peace. The soft carpet probably lent itself to that feeling. The whole floor is carpeted in a very soft carpet that felt wonderful on your feet. ( You have to take your shoes off before entering ) It was a really interesting and awe inspiring place and just to think the amount of work that had to go into to building something like that over 400 years ago must have been enormous. It is the second largest mosque in the world, next to the one at Mecca as well has six minarets, which not other mosque has, except for Mecca, which has seven. The story is that Sultan Ahmet built the mosque with six minarets and when told that he could not do that because no mosque could have the same amount or more minarents then Mecca, he added a seventh one to Mecca. It's 'nick name' is owning itself to the myriad of blue tiles on the ceiling and the walls. Although not as blue as I expected it to be, it was still a breathtaking view to take in.

Yesterday was Ben's 26th birthday. It's pretty cool to be in Istanbul for your birthday, at least I think so. We celebrated by taking a boat tour of the Bosphorous Straight, which divides Istanbul into the Europeans and Asian sides and connects the Black Sea in the north to the Maramarra Sea in the south. It is a major shipping lane as all the countries bordering the Black Sea, including Russia, Georgia and a lot of the Balkans, use it to get good to the Mediterranean Sea and from there, where ever they need. There were quite a few boats on the water as well as some truly giant shipping barges which amaze me with their size and sheer bulk everytime. We ventured up the the Black Sea, which has many reasons for it's name sake, one of which is the danger in sailing it in the winter. We didn't go onto the sea, but got a great look at it. We saw the last point of Turkiye on both sides ( Asian and European ) and we disembarked at two ports on the Asian side. So, technically, I have now been on the Asian continent. Back on land after the cruise, Ben enjoyed some fresh fish at a local restaurant and we finished the night with some drinks and a hookah. :D Apply flavoured tobacco to be exact in an establishment that would fit right in in a stoner movie. Wood on the walls, some what trippy music playing, pillows to lay on ( no chairs ) and the lights dimed just above the point of visibility. I got the feeling this is a regular occurance for many Turkish people. It was probably the most chill place I have even been to and that is saying something.

I figured out what Turkiye makes 'reminds' me of. America in the 1950's. Hear me out. Everyone, and I mean everyone who is not a tourist, is dressed well. Hair done, make-up done, shoes shined, everything pulled together. Even the not as wealthy look their best all the time. Everyone smokes and drinks on a regular basis as a social event and I think ( I could be wrong ) that many of the people here are religious for appearances sake. Although there are still quite a few devout mulsims here who wear the full head coverings, I suspect that most here as casual worshippers or for appearance only. It just made me think of the 1950's/60's in the USA.

There is so much to tell and not enough time to write it all out. The hard hostel bed is calling me though. Gotta get up early and catch a plane tomorrow.

The next you hear from me, it wil;l be from an ocean view room in Athens.