Istanbul! The Turkish delight

Outside of Topkapi Palace.

Inside of Hagia Sophia - once a mosque, now a museum.

Little kitty I fell in love with...this one wears the ACDC t-shirt

Laura and I grabbing some Efes and apps on the Asian side of Istanbul!

Beautiful view from the ferry back from the Asian side.

Our last night in Istanbul with our friends who own the Hookah/tea lounge.

They told Laura she looks Turkish they told me I look Korean.

At the Acropolis in Athens!

Serefe!! The one word that I learned in Turkish meaning - Cheers! (of course) Istanbul exceeded the high expectations that I had.  A couple of words I would use to explain this city would be unique, rich, and authentic.  For five days straight Laura and I were going non stop!  There was so much to do and so much to see.  Between the beautiful and intricate mosques and other ancient ottoman and bizantine relics to the most elaborate bazaars, to taking a 20 minute ferry to the Asian side of Istanbul, to experiencing a traditional Turkish bath, making friends with the owners of a hookah/tea lounge and teaching them how to play blackjack,Laura acquiring the title "Princess" of our hostel within 24 hours of arriving and just simply getting lost in different parts of the city.

Some funny memories from this trip are: one of the hostel owners asking if Laura and I are "together", a shopkeeper that we passed everyday falling in love with Laura who at one point said about Laura as she walked by: "my favoriteeee eating a banana", Laura's expression when we entered the sauna room for our Turkish bath to about 30 practically naked women, and the many bumps and bruises we acquired through our various modes of transportation.

Both Laura and I were pleasantly surprised by how friendly and respectful all of the Turkish people were to us.  We felt completely safe and comfortable in Istanbul.  Something that was very cool and different from anywhere I've ever visited was the call to prayer that would bellow throughout the city 5 times a day from the mosques.  It amazes me that this is the way that part of their religious ritual works and that the mosques speak to an entire city. We would wake up to the call to prayer and a rooster every morning.  Another surprising thing was the abundance of cats roaming the streets of Istanbul.  One of the locals said "the cats run this city".  As a generalisation I have never known cats to be social but these cats would walk right up to us and curl up and sleep in our laps.  I fell in love with a 4 week old kitten that isn't named yet and wears a mini ACDC Tshirt.

One of my favorite things that I saw in Istanbul was all of the mosques and famous historical buildings lit up at sunset.  We were taking a ferry back from the Asian side around 7 or 8pm one night and were able to see an array of glowing mosques against an orange sky.  It was stunning. This city was different from anywhere I have ever been and the historical aspects were also completely unique to anywhere I have visited.  From ancient swords and guns much taller than me to sultan outfits to the most intricate detail, coloring, and lighting of the inside of the mosques.

The food was amazing and you couldn't walk a block without passing a kebab shop - yummy! All of our meals were accompanied with the signature beer of Turkey, Efes. they sold delicious pretzels with cheese on the side of the street that Laura and I indulged in several times. They also sold fresh pomegranates that were a deep fuchsia reddish color on the streets as well.  I found it very interesting that our hostel breakfast consisted of fresh tomatoes and cucumbers as opposed to fresh fruit in the morning. I found fresh veggies to be equally as delicious in the morning.

On our last day we spent wandering around the Taksim area of Istabul. It became one of my favorite areas. It is bustling with people, markets, and has a lively nightlife. It's up on a hill which was a trek to find but provides gorgeous views of the city. We went to a cool bar one night on a pub crawl in Taksim that played great music and had walls decorated by graffiti from the customers.  Only downfall was that it was 22 Turkish lira for a vodka soda!!

I cannot be happier to have started my trip in Istanbul.  It is a friendly city with a great energy and has so much to offer.  I would recommend this city to anyone who gets the opportunity to visit!

We just stopped off in Athens which truthfully was disappointing.  However the Acropolis was amazing to see and walk around.  I felt such an authenticity about the monuments observing how broken down all the structures were and could really feel the history that occurred there. Parts of it look as if it has been practically untouched. The views from the top were unbelievable.  We also had a fantastic meal last night! I know I am going to love the Greek food too much.  Besides the Acropolis we found Athens to be pretty dead and lacking character. We are en route to Santorini first and we have acquired another member of our pod, Lauras friend from Las Vegas. Welcome Presley :)

Today and tonight we will be celebrating Laura's 23rd birthday on the beautiful island of Santorini!!

<3

(pictures to follow soon!!)