Istanbul...Not Constantinople

Of all the cities we were going to visit, I probably knew the least about Istanbul and was quite intrigued.  Everything I read stated that it was an extremely Westernized Islamic city.  I expected there to be some element of culture shock upon our arrival there, and was unsure if we would find other English speakers, Western clothing, and wondered how we would be received.  My Mom (again being super on top of things) had requested a wheelchair for Grandma upon our arrival.  She figured that after 24 hours of traveling, that Grandma may be tired and at the very least it would provide us a guide to help us navigate customs and the airport.  It was a great plan because a wonderfully nice, English-speaking man was there to meet us as we deplaned, and helped Grandma into the wheelchair.  He led us all through the airport, where I noticed the signs were even written in English, too.  Also, I did not see a single person in non-Westernized clothing! (Not that it mattered, just an observation...)  He took Grandma and Mom through the handicapped/fast track customs area, while Kristin, Mick, and I headed through standard customs.

*This international arrival area was one of the places that was bombed by terrorists within days of our returning home.  This is the place where we stood with other people just like us - some on vacation, some returning home, a group a teenagers with guitars that must have been part of a band, parents corralling their little children, many different nationalities and ages, all filled with the stress/excitement that comes with traveling.  The idea that it could've been us is sickening.  The idea that this happened to other innocent people is heart wrenching.  Lord, please make this violence and hatred stop!*

Anyway, the nice wheelchair man had pulled all of our luggage for us (And there was a lot of it...5 Weisenbeck girls. 12 days. Yikes.) and helped us haul it through the airport (past where the other bomb went off) and loaded into our shuttle van for us.  We had about a forty minute ride to our hotel, and I'm glad we did.  It gave us an opportunity to see the city, at least a little bit and gave me the first look at the Marmara Sea - the beautiful sea that separates Istanbul into it's European and Asian sides and what would lead us out into the Mediterranean on our voyage.  I snapped many pictures from the van windows on our drive through the city, hoping to capture a little of its beauty.

My first look at the Marmara Sea.

Hotel Next 2 was on a cobblestone street at the top of a small hill.  We were warmly greeted by Mustafa, a very nice guy who flirted with grandma (called her "Mama") and got a kick out of this many girls together on a family trip.  He made us feel so welcome and personally showed us around our 3 bedroom suite.  Had it not been Ramadan, he would've definitely joined us for dinner, but instead gave us a recommendation of a restaurant in walking distance. 

We found a restaurant for dinner and ordered some of our waiter's recommendations.  We were the only people in the place due to the fact that it was Ramadan and most others in the city were fasting. We had a variety of kabobs and grilled vegetables, some served with a yogurt sauce.  It was very similar in flavor to some of the Lebanese food I've had back in the States.

Our waiter was so sweet and even offered to take a picture for us.

Back at the hotel, we got in the world's smallest elevator (or so we thought...until we got to Rome) and headed upstairs to our room.

We were all pretty much exhausted by this point and we were ready to settle in for a good night's sleep.  Our room and beds were very cozy and no one even needed to share!

Our hotel offered a complimentary breakfast buffet, so the next morning we headed down to the lower level to see what Turkish breakfast was all about.  There was a tray of feta cheese, a tray of cucumbers and tomatoes, olives, some deli meats, toast with jam or nutella, fruit, OJ and pomegranate juice, very strong Turkish coffee (that has the grounds still in it), and omelets.  

Before long it was time to get packed up and head onto the ship.  I felt disappointed that I didn't get to see more of the city.  It seemed like it had so much to offer, and the people were very welcoming and kind.  But before sailing off on our beautiful ship, Istanbul had one last gift to offer.  One of the things I had most wanted to experience while there was the Call to Prayer.  While on land, this didn't happen in a place where I could hear it.  However, as our ship was pulling away from the port, with the two sides of Istanbul wrapped around the Marmara Sea, at dusk with the lights of the city illuminating the waves in front of us, we heard the Call to Prayer.  It echoed from one side of the harbor to the other, and regardless of one's faith, it was a holy moment and was a beautiful send-off from a unique and very special city.