Doorway To Happiness

I just got back from Istanbul, Turkey last evening and all I can say is WOW! What an experience. I am so happy I went, and I had the time of my life. I can honestly say that Istanbul was THE most beautiful city I have ever seen in my life! London is a great city, but holds nothing to the awes of Istanbul, the Doorway to Happiness.

I left Heathrow Airport on Thursday morning at about 11:30. On the plane, I had some delicious food and a Turkish bira (beer) called Efes. It was a 3 1/2 hour flight, so not too bad. We finally made it out of customs and to the hotel at around 8. All 37 of us went out to eat at a restaraunt and enjoyed some Turkish cuisine (I ordered Chicken Shish). After that, we were on our own for the night. Some people I met that day and I went to the Ramadan celebrations that were happening in the Hippodrome. We watched a concert and went to a Tea and Hookah place. Obviously had some Turkish Tea and hookah. It was fantastic. Then we went to a local bar and had an Efes, then hit the hay due to exhaustion.

In the middle of the night (well, 5 am), the Call to Prayer went out. For those of you who don't know, in Islam, a Muslim must pray 5 times a day and the first one occurs at 5 am. The prayer leader goes on a microphone in a mosque and it blares from the speakers on the minarets all throughout the city. I woke up and was so mad because all I wanted to do was sleep! It was the equivalent of 3am London time, so you can only imagine.

Anyway, the next morning, bright and early, we woke up and had breakfast on the rooftop terrace of our hotel. Walking out there on a sunny Friday morning, we have a magnificent view of Hagia Sophia, the Blue Mosque, Topkapi Palace, and the Bosphorous Strait. It was a breathtaking sight. We went on a tour of the Blue Mosque, and took our shoes off. We walked in a saw an amazing sight inside. High ceilings with chandeliers and traditional Islamic art. It was great! Then we walked to Hagia Sophia. This is what I have been waiting for. The Hagia Sophia was built as a Catholic Church during the Byzantine Empire after the fall of the Roman Empire. It was later converted into a Muslim Mosque when the Ottoman's built their empire. I love it so much because not only is it a beautiful building, but there is a mix of Islamic and Christian art inside. The Ottomans never destroyed the Christian art and today you can see Jesus and Mary on the walls right next to Allah's name inscribed on huge circles. The whole place was my favorite.

Later that day, we went to the Grand Bazaar, which is like a huge flea market for pretty much anything you could ever want. And you get to haggle the shop owners for the cost. It's pretty much great! I spent over 5 hours in the Bazaar and probably only went through half of it. I bought my very own hookah, made in Turkey of Hand Blown Glass and an authentic Turkish Prayer Rug. Both are really cool. Maybe they sound lame to you, but just wait until you see them!

That night, we enjoyed the luxuries of our favorite Hookah and Tea place after the server from the previous night chased us down and yelled, "My friends, My friends, come back here tonight!" So we went back and he gave us a discount on what we got and watched out for us and made us laugh. He was so funny. We took pictures with him and he had a professional photographer come over a take a large group picture that he is putting in a frame at his house to remember us by. His name is Yazmil. What a goofball. He tried getting this girls number, but he wasn't so lucky!

Anyways, the next day we saw the Cisterns, Topkapi Palace, and the Bosphorous boat tour. I was so neat to see all of the amazing architecture, artwork, and sheer brilliance this city offers. I took 235 pictures of my time there (most of them of buildings, doors, ceilings, tiles due to their beauty). I honestly cannot wait to go back to Istanbul. It is one place I will never forget.

But it did feel nice to come back to London. I moved back into my apartment, which is now shit-free. The carpets and bathroom were all replaced and are smelling lemony fresh. It's nice to be home.

I also got placed for my internship, however it is not with Parliament, sadly. I was placed at a non-profit organization called Penal Reform Institute. It deals with ridding the death penalty globally and finding alternatives to jails and prisons to rehabilitate. Although I think it sounds interesting, it is not what I signed up for. I am upset a bit that I didn't get Parliament like I was told, and then didn't get what my second choice was. Or my 3rd for that matter. But oh well, it will be a learning experience, and who knows, maybe I will walk away loving it!

Alright, sorry for this ridiculously long post, but I just wanted to share with you the most amazing time I had in Istanbul. I hope to walk through the Doorway To Happiness again sometime real soon!

Justin