Ataturk to Kadikoy

When I left you last night I was in a plane flying over the Medditeranean, about to land at Istanbul's Ataturk airport. We flew over Greece before landing and seeing all the scattered islands laid out just like on the map was slightly surreal. Due to my sleeplessness I was imagining dolphins out of every wave, though I think I actually saw one when I was closer to the water, right before we landed.

After a smooth landing we promptly got our Turkish visas, but then proceeded to wait almost an hour in the passport check line, not the most fun for a pair of tired and dishevelled travelers. Thankfully everything after that felt twice as fast - we found our luggage carousel (even though it was no longer on the board) and met Josh with no trouble at all. Once we were with him it was much easier - he got us on a bus, then a ferry across to the Asian side of Istanbul. A quick walk along a seaside promenade and we were in his huge apartment being offered a platter of fresh tomatoes, cucumber and feta cheese with bread (what better welcome could one ask for?). Once we'd had a refreshing nap, the whole apartment (four already live here, plus the two of us) headed out to go to a nearby bar.

Once we were there I found out that the bar (Hera) is the foreigner hangout, full of Brits and a couple fellow Canadians. The music was great, if slightly surreal, since the DJ played a number of Canadian bands (Constantines, the Tragically Hip) in between more European/Turkish fare. Post-bar we stopped at a late-night eatery for a plate of shredded chicken, rice, cucumber and tomato, much more delicious than usual late-night food back across the pond. It tasted fresh and wasn't deep-fried, and despite the fact it only cost 2.75 Turkish Lira (maybe $1-something Canadian), it was something I'd be happy eating regularly. I think this means I should be even more excited for slightly pricier Turkish food, since the cheap stuff makes my tastebuds so happy.

When we got home around 1 a.m. after walking back through the narrow streets (I think it might take me a while to orient myself here, where pretty much every street comes off at a diagonal to the next) and avoiding various stray cats and dogs I lay down in my little spare room and fell asleep ridiculously fast.

I woke up at 11 a.m. this morning to the sound of construction, had a much-needed shower (it's amazing how plane rides make you feel as if you've been on the road for days) and have just finished a perfect breakfast of scrambled eggs with basil and tomatoes, made by our lovely hosts. Today we're checking out a local market, then probably heading across the Bosphorus to the historical section of Istanbul to check out the Haiga Sophia and Blue Mosque, along with other stuff most likely.

Before I leave, here's a little list of things that I enjoy so far about Istanbul:

- Peach juice in cans (that's actually real juice and also cheap)
- Hearing the evening call to prayer from the nearby minaret echoing through the dark streets
- How the streets are indistinguishable from the sidewalks (unless you notice the tiny posts between the two areas)
- Our wonderful hosuemates: Josh and Jessica (two Canadians) and a pair of Australians, all currently teaching English in the city

Off to the market now!