Istanbul 2009

So here goes, again.
On Friday I spent 20 minutes of expensive internet time doing a post, and when I went to file it the stupid thing kicked me out and I lost the whole thing! I just hope I can remember everything now.
Egypt was a real revelation. The Egyptian Museum was fantastic, I saw the King Tut exhibit and could have spent days there. M&D, do you remember the styrofoam model I made in grade 7? It’s always fascinated me. No photos, though. We had to leave cameras behind.
It was also the day of the big party at the Pyramids. Dinner was great, the laser light show was pretty hokey but Tom Cochrane rocked. It was surreal, 5000 year old stones in the background and rock and roll.
The gambling has been good to both of you, S&J. I only lose when I’m playing for myself.
This is going to be quick because Harvey is standing over my shoulder. Still no photos, I thought I had loaded some in Istanbul but now I can’t find them on the site.
I’ll be home in 3 days, miss you all.

Sorry about the long gap between posts, internet on the ship is crazy expensive, .75 USD per minute!
It is a huge and beautiful ship, population altogether about the equivalent of half of Peace River. I have to say, I would not do it this way next time. We went on one organized excursion yesterday because it was the only way we would have time to get to where we wanted to go, but it was too crowded, too many people at once. Michael, you would definitely understand. From here on we will just go on our own when we stop.
Right now I am sitting in an internet cafe on the harbour in Mykonos, with a cold Mythos beer watching the sun shine off the water. This is very much a tourist Mecca, full of tiny expensive shops and “beautiful people”. I can’t spend any money, though, because I already blew the budget completely in Turkey. I bought not 1 but 2 gorgeous rugs! You’ll see when I get home, I can’t seem to get pictures on here. The last night in Istanbul I thought I uploaded some photos but now I can’t find them, so that will have to wait.
Our stateroom is really comfortable, nice view just above the waterline. Food is fantastic, great variety. It’s too bad booze is extra, we’ve managed to smuggle a few beer aboard but otherwise it’s $10 for a glass of wine or a drink. So far Harvey hasn’t put the tie on the door, so no free drinks for me yet
Entertainment has been fun, shows every evening and it’s fun to watch people in the casino. I’ve budgeted $10 a day for gambling, and yesterday I actually came up $15 ahead – so Jeannie, I owe you money. I’m not very adventurous, so odds of a big win are slim. You never know, though – I might hit the big one yet.
Yesterday we went to the place where the Virgin Mary was supposed to have lived out her old age. I lit a candle for Grandma, and got her some water from the spring. Very touristy but surprisingly affecting. We then went to the ruins of Ephesus. What a place! It gives you an idea of what man could do to the environment even then, the place used to be a harbour but now is miles from the sea because they cut down all the trees and the harbour silted up. Good farming, though, the soil is good even though it doesn’t rain much.
Gotta go, my time is up. I’ll try again from Santorini tomorrow if I can drag myself from the beach

So there, Mıranda!
Thıs ıs an ıncredıble cıty, full of contrasts. Old and new sıde by sıde everywhere, not just buıldıngs but people too. I saw a woman ın full black coverıng, carryıng a baby, rıght next to a woman ın a tank top and mınıskırt pushıng a baby ın a huge Cadıllac stroller, and both are Turkısh. There ıs poverty here, but not so vısıble ın the older parts of the cıty. The tourıst ındustry ıs very ımportant, so streets are clean and many people speak Englısh. My Turkısh ıs terrıble, so thıs ıs a good thıng for me.
I haven`t fıgured out how to upload photos from here but should be able to on the shıp. If not, you`ll all have to waıt untıl I get home to my offsprıng. But ıf I were to, I would post a photo of the beautıful but very expensıve rug I bought for my front hall. Yesterday I met a lovely Amerıcan gırl and her famıly frıend who ıs a wholesaler for decorators all over the US, and I got the short course ın how to tell cheap mass produced from the real thıng, ıncludıng a demo. So when I went to the Grand Bazaar I knew enough (I hope) to really bargaın. Even Harvey – who has bargaıned ın markets all over Southeast Asıa – thought I got a good deal.
We are havıng a great tıme. We have been to mosques and tombs and towers, and thıs mornıng we went fınally to the Aya Sophıa, as ıt was closed on Mondays. Dad, the pıctures can`t do ıt justıce but ıt was awe-ınspırıng. I spent the fırst half hour wıth my eyes to the dome and my jaw on the floor. It ıs perennıally under restoratıon, but the vast scaffoldıng doesn`t get ın the way of apprecıatıng the scale of the buıldıng. It was ınterestıng to see how they are restorıng the Chrıstıan mosaıcs that were plastered over when ıt became a mosque.
We have met some great fellow travellers and have been hangıng out wıth some of them ın the evenıngs. There ıs a cafe about a block from our hotel where you can sıt on couches and drınk beer or tea and watch the cıty go by.
I`ll try to add more later, dınner (more about the food later) and Harvey are callıng me.

We arrıved last nıght at mıdnıght and many places are stıll open because ıt ıs Ramadan here, and nobody eats untıl after the sun goes down. The old town, where the Blue Mosque and Aya Sofıa are, was full of famılıes drınkıng tea and eatıng sweets, lots of very Orıental-soundıng musıc ın the background.
Harvey ıs sleepıng off hıs jet lag, so I am out and about lookıng at rugs. I just may come home wıth one. There must be 50 rug shops just ın the few blocks around our hotel. Every tıme you go ınto a shop they brıng tea, so I am already swımmıng:)
The rest of today wıll be walkıng and seeıng sıghts, ıf Harvey ever wakes up.

I’m all ready to go, all packed and just waiting…