July 14 Hot in the city

July 14, 2012

Giant Squirrels

After a slow waking morning considering our late night Friday at the garden wedding, we slathered all exposed skin with spf 50 and headed out into the heat.  We made a quick stop at the apt where the rest of the group was staying in order to find out what, if any, the plan was.  They were going for a brunch but we didn’t want to wait any longer so we planned to meet up later and down to the tram we went.  We got off at a new stop, a few past where we caught the boat for the Bosphorous ride, since I’d remembered seeing lots of shops & eateries along that road.  Indeed that was the case, but like most touristy areas, you see one or two souvenir shop, you’ve seen ‘em all.  Of course I was still on the hunt for a bunch of items to take home so this was good but I tried to make each stop quick for Tony & the kids’ sake.  We stopped into a little café for a Turkish coffee and baklava which was so ridiculously sweet I really couldn’t eat it.  They looked like little birds nests with a few nuts in the center and dipped in honey.  One bite was enough!  Even Tyler was overwhelmed by the sweetness so Tony ate most of it.  We continued walking with a 30’ stone wall along our left which finally ended to reveal a gate to Guhlane park.  It looked way too inviting to pass up and we thought it would be nice for the kids so we strolled in.  Greeting us on either side of the long, wide walkway leading into the park were giant stone squirrels begging us to climb up and take a picture, so we did.  Totally random that there were giant squirrels there, but whatever.  From there we just walked slow, taking in the expanses of green grass to our right and left, a fountain and the gorgeous tall trees which provided desperately wanted shade.  I have no idea what kind of trees they were and I’m wondering how I can find out…although what difference is it going to make if I know their name?  I want to paint them though so I took a bunch of pictures.  They were very tall and skinny with an almost spotted bark (I think it was just peeling but there were different colors that came off/remained) reminding me a little of Eucalyptus.  Near the top of each tree, about 30’ up, there was a little wooden bird house!  I never saw what kind of birds they were for but it was really cool.  Tyler wanted us to lie down in the grass and relax, like we do back home when we take a blanket to Delores Park or Golden Gate Park.  We obliged him for a little while and actually I ended up chasing him around per his request more than lying in the grass, but soon we had to go so we could eat lunch & meet our friends on time.

Check please!

Lunch was very overpriced, esp. for the amount of food we got, but it was our fault for picking a place smack in the middle of tourist central.  Well it seemed like everywhere we were in Istanbul was tourist central, but this was right across from the Blue Mosque, Aya Sofya, Hippodrome, etc. It’s like eating at Fisherman’s Wharf in San Francisco.  We ordered a Turkish Pida which is basically like a pizza, shaped like a flat boat (2 pointy ends, widening as the come together but no more than 4” wide) with the dough edge folded over and left alone like a pizza crust but in the center is cheese, meat, veggies, whatever.  We got just cheese and it was SO YUMMY but SO expensive (20 tl or $15’ish) and we split it between the four of us so I could have eaten at least another whole one to myself, but…yeah, not happening, and actually probably for the best in consideration of my waistline.  Tony was totally put off by the prices, even though he agreed to it and bought an overpriced Raku anyway.  Tyler broke a wine glass farting around with it and Teagan was getting all fussy so it was not a relaxed meal, sadly.  To top it off on the way out Tyler tripped and fell and while he was ok physically he just fell apart wailing in tears.  It was hot; I wanted to start wailing also, regardless of falling. 

Hot Stuff  

Everyone was meeting that afternoon to go to the Hamami or Turkish Bath, which I himmed & hawed about before making sure Tony wasn’t dying to do it (since one of us would have to stay with the kids) before saying I’d join.  We were supposed to meet back at the apt where everyone else was staying but when we got there no one was there.  We got a call from Evin before long and she told me where the Hamami was – unfortunately all the way back where we just were!  But whatever, I said goodbye to Tony & the kids and took the tram myself to meet everyone at the Cemberlitas Hamami, the oldest Turkish Bath in Istanbul (if not all of Turkey) built in 1584 by Mimar Sinan.  The men went one way and the women another, sent up a flight of spiral stairs to the dressing floor which felt somewhat Japanese to me with the little locker/changing rooms behind sliding doors & windows with wood slat floors.  We were handed a pestamal (cotton wrap/towel) and a pair of disposable black bikini underwear – which were folded up small and inside one of those little drawstring bags you often get jewelry in.  We weren’t sure if they were to be put on now or for after the bath when you were all clean, in case you didn’t bring with you a new pair of undies.  So we just wrapped our pestamals around our naked bodies, slipped on a pair of the generic, communal “flip-flops” and went back downstairs for further instruction.  We’d also been given a wash mitt, brand new and in a small, gold box, when we paid for our service which we brought with us now.  We were told to go through a doorway into a small’ish room with benches around the edge where women were waiting in their pestamals for their massage or facial services, and then through another door into the main area or hot room.  Hot is putting it mildly and suddenly I wondered why in the hell I’d willingly come to such a hot place when it was already a million degrees outside and I didn’t have to pay anyone to sweat my brains out!  The steam hit my face like a wall and I caught my breath, adjusting to the temperature of the air now filling my lungs.  It was a large circular room, everything made of marble, the center of which was a large, raised, circle of marble where easily 10 women were laying around the perimeter, head to feet, being washed while several others lay in the center of the circle waiting to be washed.  There were women of all shapes & sizes, lounging or being washed, as well as half a dozen masseuse ladies.  In general I think you are supposed to sit in the center of the circle for upwards of 20 minutes to relax, open your pores and prepare your skin for the scrubbing, but as soon as we got in there (I went in with Evin & Posi, the rest of the group still changing) one of the masseuse ladies waved me over to her section of the circle, took my pestamal to lay it down on the marble but then saw I was buck naked and she said something to me in Turkish, pointing down, to which I just shrugged.  Evin jumped in to exchange a few words with the masseuse who then left the room for a few minutes, to get the 3 of us another pair of the bikinis to put on!  Hahaha, in the meantime I was standing there in all my glory, which ultimately wasn’t a huge deal since there were only women in there and they were all half naked themselves, but I think it was more about the fact that we didn’t understand and did something “wrong” that made me feel that much more ashamed as I stood there exposed.  The masseuse returned after what felt like an hour but was probably just 2 minutes, I slipped on the bikini (as did Evin & Posi under their pestamals) and then sat down on the marble slab for an initial rinse – a bucket full of very warm water the masseuse got from a little alcove right behind her where there was a faucet running into a marble basin.  It wasn’t too hot but it was certainly a bit shocking, esp. since I wasn’t expecting it and wasn’t given warning before it “heaved” at my chest & shoulders.  It was surprisingly soft and amazing actually.  The lady held my hand and stepped back, looking at me with raised eyebrows and, as if speaking for me, made a loud “aaaah” sound.  My masseuse wore a black bra & the same black bikini as me, she had a round, well lived body and was short with short dark hair.  I instantly felt taken care of in her hands, like she really cared about me!  After I laid down on my tummy, head on the back of my hands, I felt another warm rush of water over me which made me raise my head up so as not to inhale any water or get it in my ears.  My lady nudged my head back down and now the scrubbing began, a rough-enough exfoliation but nothing painful.  She went over my whole body a couple times before giving me a little pat on the tush to get me to flip over and then she scrubbed me all over the front.  Next was the most amazing foam wash, I was laying there staring up at the domed ceiling where a filtered light was coming through a whole bunch of orange sized holes and then a row of 6 sided stars about the same size when my lady reached into a shallow basin to the side of me and pulled out what I thought was just a large hand towel soaked in sudsy water.  She sorta snapped it or something and it seemed to inflate into a large balloon which, while holding onto one end with one hand, she then “wrung out” with a pumping motion down the length of it with her other hand.  It happened very fast and was very trippy to watch but as the waves of foam landed on me I was totally taken away by the absolute heavenly feel of it.  It was like being covered with a warm, weightless blanket.  Now my lady washed me, spreading out the foam and giving me a light massage as she went.  Only a few minutes and she had me flip over and again I felt that amazing warm foam blanket.  I tried to just totally lose myself at this point as she massaged my neck, calves, arms & back.  She sat me up and continued the washing with my arms outstretched, her holding one of my hands and massaging me with the other so I was able to have a limp arm and totally release into it.  She was singing to me, not softly but not loudly, in Turkish so I have no clue what the song was but it was totally cool.  I imagined being some rich lady back in the 1500’s when the bath was built, coming in to be scrubbed & washed, being totally taken care of.  You see those period movies where the women have personal lady-in-waiting who dress them, bath them, do their hair, etc. and that’s what I was thinking about and pretending to be.  The bucket of hot water came over me again and again the “aaaaah” from the masseuse and this time I really felt my body going “aaaaah.”  She moved me into one of the alcoves through a high arched opening (all marble) and had me sit next to the water basin – floor, basin, walls, everything were marble.  She disappeared for a few minutes and I wasn’t sure what to do so I just tried to relax and wait.  When she came back she went immediately to my head and started washing, so I guessed she had gone to get a handful of shampoo.  It lathered up so fast and wonderful, I was shocked.  She gave my head a little scrub/massage and then the buckets of warm water rinsed my hair.  I was afraid all of a sudden that the water might run pink because I’d had my hair dyed so recently and it was still showing up on my towels.  Never found out though as I was next stood up and ushered to the “Jacuzzi” through another high arched doorway across the room.  Just inside the doorway I found another long, narrow tub “room” – the entire space was a giant tub, all the way to the walls with a little walkway at the end where you went down a few steps into the warm water and sat on an underwater bench along one side.  I didn’t realize how deep it was when I stepped off the bottom step and nearly went under before my tippy toe touched so needless to say I had to do a little swim over the an empty space toward the end of the tub where a fountain was “spraying” more water in.  The whole room was marble and the whole tub was marble and again I imagined ages ago soaking in here with the outside world SO different than it is today.  There were a couple other women in there that I didn’t know so I just sat and tried to enjoy every inch of the lovely warm pool and soon I was joined by Nebobi (Neutron) who sat next to me and chatted with me a bit.  Though I felt like I could stay all day in the “Jacuzzi” I decided it was time to get out before I turned into a prune and also so I could try to get a pedicure from the nail lady as an added service.  I did score that last bit and was finished about the time everyone else was done with their scrubs, Jacuzzi & massages.  Funny thing though, as I was getting the pedicure a lady hustled over to me and pointed down at the flip-flops I’d been wearing from the changing room and after she said something in another language I realized I had actually taken a pair of someone’s real shoes!!  I’m not sure how long she was looking for them before she found them with me but I felt silly and bad though she didn’t seem mad.  It was her darned fault anyway for leaving them outside her locker where all the communal shoes were!  Haha!

Tingling and Revived

The ladies in our group all finished more or less at the same time and regrouped in the lobby area only to find out the guys had finished a lot sooner than us and headed out to start their “guy time” since the plan was to split up guys & girls for dinner and then meet up later at some club.  We started out walking back to our area of town, all of us wanting to do some shopping along the way, so considering there was almost 10 of us it was inevitable we’d lose each other.  I just didn’t wait for anyone and let them know I’d meet them at the restaurant.  I couldn’t be held back and they shouldn’t be held back by me.  I scored some finds and caught the tram back the rest of the way, running to squeeze into it as the doors were shutting since I didn’t want to wait a minute longer out in the sun & heat for another tram.  The people aboard looked at me like I was a lunatic as I fought to squeeze through the closing door, even getting my hand pretty smushed and nearly having my bag ride outside the closed door!  I didn’t care, I mean I didn’t care what the people thought of me although I did feel kinda stupid esp. since my hand was killing me and while I was pretty sure no bones were broken I hoped the pain would go away soon.

Tony was at the apartment hanging out with Tyler while Teagan slept.  I gave him the Hamami story then headed back out with Tyler, Teagan & Dawn to meet Alison to walk to the restaurant.  Tony would wait at our apartment for the guys to swing by and get him and Segar.  On my walk back to the apartment I had passed a square along the promenade where a SLEW of police in riot gear were gathered, waiting, so I had my fingers crossed they were gone and nothing had happened since we’d have to walk right back by there.  I don’t know if anything happened but they were gone when we walked by.  We found the totally cute restaurant in this totally cute little local’s club/bar/restaurant area where it was only foot traffic on the narrow alley roads.  Luckily Tyler had fallen asleep in the stroller and stayed asleep the whole dinner, though I still had Teagan to take care of (no high chairs at this swanky-chic place!) but she was pretty good.  I dropped a grip of cash on red Turkish wine and dinner, which I split with Alison since she was the other veggie there, so it was a totally expensive day but fortunately they normally aren’t.  Dawn & I bailed “early” around 1045 before Tyler could wake up and put on his Mr. Cranky-pants routine which almost always happens when he wakes from a nap.  The dinner was technically for Evin’s birthday and I was bummed to leave before the cake came out, but I couldn’t risk the Tyler meltdown.  The streets were packed with people out mingling, going to dinner, smoking & chatting with friends, walking here & there, it was just quite a scene.  Back at the apartment I could hear club music from somewhere below us though I didn’t recall seeing any club.  The bass was totally thumping up through all 4 floors to us and I could imagine being totally irritated by it if I wasn’t so amused and actually dancing around to some of the songs!  I put the kids to bed, did some blogging and turned in myself.  Tony came home around 330 I would find out in the morning!  

 Turkish coffee & "baklava" goody break

 yes, I'm sitting atop a giant squirrel

 Teagan fully enjoying her time out of the stroller

 The group of us ladies post-"bath"

July 13 Weddings and Cultures

July 13, 2012

Weddings and Cultures

After the late night of drinking at the dinner given by Evin’s parents and considering I’d never caught up on sleep from the flight over or the nights before the flights, or the nights since arriving in Turkey, I was in desperate need of some catch up sleep.  So Friday morning I got it, sleeping until 1230!!  Tony was his typical thoughtful self and hung around while I slept even though I’d rather he’d have gone out sight seeing so as not to hold me accountable for his lack of “accomplishments” for the day.  We talked about that after I woke though and are all squared away for the future.  I’m not sure I’ve ever met a couple where both like to sleep in late or stay up late or get up early or whatever, it’s always a mixture.  Tony wakes at the crack of dawn regardless of when he went to sleep and under what condition, his body just says GO and so he does.  Not me.  I would love to be a night owl, I am at heart but after having kids it is just not realistic.  I love the morning but in general I’d rather just sleep in.  I’d like to think someday when I’m old I’ll get up at the crack of dawn intentionally and enjoy it, but I’m not old yet.  J

Child Friendly

We joined up with our apartment neighbors, Segar & Avni, to go to the Grand Bazaar for some shopping in the few hours we had until we needed to be heading out to the garden wedding on the other side of Istanbul.  We took the tram, entered the bazaar and agreed on a time to meet back in case we got separated…insisting we wouldn’t get separated.  Five minutes later we were separated.  You just can’t go into this place with more than you and your spouse, and even that seemed too much at times to me, because you want to stop to look at this and they want to stop and look at that and you don’t want to be impatient but you want to optimize time, blah blah blah.  So we split up.  Our meeting time gave us about 1 ½ hours to shop.  By now I knew what I wanted to buy although not every “stall” had just what I wanted so I kinda cruised by them all slowly pushing the stroller, doing my quick scan and assessing with each step, all the while deflecting stall workers questions “where are you from?”, “you want to spend your money?”, “how can I help you?” etc.  I basically just ignored them and avoided eye contact but still giving back a close-lipped general smile as if to say “thanks. Don’t know what you are saying. Not interested. Have a nice day.” all in one!  It wasn’t as easy just to cruise by these guys though because of my adorable cargo – if I haven’t already mentioned it, the Turkish people LOVE babies, or at least mine ;)  They (men, women, old, young) stop us to coo & goo & “wup-ah” & “tst tst” etc. etc. as they reach out and stroke Teagan’s arm, pinch her cheeks, grap both her cheeks in a big handful as they squeeze, tap her nose with their finger, examine her fingers and toes, KISS her on the cheek or arm or head.  It has been quite interesting.  It’s a good thing I’m not a freaky mom in terms of stranger’s germs or just personal space or I’d be screwed here.  It’s so enduring and refreshing.  They will even reach out to her and pick her up if I don’t stop them, of course Teagan hasn’t been too thrilled with that level of the friendliness and the few times it has happened she’s made enough fuss they put her right back. 

“I have something you can die with” – grand bazaar stall guy trying to lure us in then realizing he misspoke and corrected himself with “I mean, I have something to die for!”

It was hot & crowded in the bazaar, not to mention we were pressed for time and the kids were just not having any of it so despite my desire to purchase a few things, I didn’t.  We met up with Avni & Segar at the designated time and headed back to our apartments to get ready for the garden wedding.  On the way the guys stopped to have a Turkish shave at the barber by Deutron’s apartment where all the groomsmen were getting…groomed.  Avni & I took the kids to get some food at a café Deutron had recommended but to make a long story short it took forever to order & get our food even though we were the only patrons there but since the owner/translator/chef was just one woman it took much longer than it should have.  The food came, the guys arrived, we scarfed food, it was good but also over priced and finally we were out of there, way over an hour later and suddenly very behind schedule.  We needed to take a cab to some other part of Istanbul that in Friday traffic, we were warned, could take over an hour.  We got ready (I didn’t even have time to wash my hair!) and walked to the cab area, caught a cab and after an hour long cab ride made it with time to spare…only because the time we were told to be there wasn’t really the time we had to be there so even though we thought we were late we were still early/on time.  Brilliant. 

I thee wed

The setting was garden’esque, outdoors under the night sky and there was a lovely, much welcomed breeze.  We sat and after much adieu, around 9pm?, there was finally some music leading our gazes to this ivy archway though which the wedding party came through in pairs, Tony in his black suit arm in arm with a friend of Evin’s wearing a full pleated spaghetti strap coral colored belted knee length dress.  They all lined up rather awkwardly and soon the music indicated the bride/bride & groom were coming, though I can’t remember the song, some tear jerker.  All the guests were seated at large round tables around the main courtyard so we couldn’t even see what was going on.  It was truly a bizarre ceremony for me, after the bride & groom walked in together, with fireworks lining the walkway (the kind of firework you light and set on the ground which then create a sparkling tree’like display for a few minutes, starting low & growing to about 7 feet) they sat at a table under a canopy and signed some papers and said a few words to some officiant.  Then they stood up and came out to stand in front of the table and a line of family put their gifts, gold jewelry or gold coins, on them one by one.  After that was over they had their first dance and while I can’t recall what the song was, I will never forget that they had more fireworks (4 to create the small square perimeter they danced in) followed by mad bubbles (from a bubble machine) and then “fog” (from a fog machine) which made me feel more like I was at a club than a wedding!  I suddenly needed to find a place to change Teagan but when I was lead to the bathroom there was no way I was changing her there.  There was no baby changer and no counter space and the floors were gross & wet.  I was eventually allowed into the room where the bride was changing into her various dresses throughout the night.  When I came out there was this 6 tiered cake being wheeled away from the center of action and I was bummed out to have missed the cutting but couldn’t believe it had happened so fast!  We were told there was no dinner served although we got a small amount of mixed nuts & potato chips at each table.  Come to find out the cake was a fake and they just pretended to cut it!  Soon plates were being passed out with a piece of coffee/chocolate/bland’ish cake, a sesame cheese stick, a butter cookie, another sweet thing and several dolmas on it.  Totally random to serve rice wrapped grape leaves with sweets!  Oh and we got a half litre of coca cola & orange soda to go along with it.  Deutron & Evin made their rounds to the tables, greeting everyone and having pictures taken with guests and then they disappeared.  Soon they were re-emerging from the canopied walkway this time in traditional middle eastern wedding clothes (the first had been traditional western) and a group gathered around them as the music & dance to go along with the clothes got going.

Can’t we all just get along?

At this point there started to be a heated conversation in the back of all our tables, not far from us.  It escalated quickly and I could hear yelling and though I couldn’t understand a word anyone was saying it was obvious to me there was a fight between two men & it had turned physical and now others were jumping in to hold the guys back but either they were doing a crappy job or they didn’t really mind letting the fight progress.  I heard the distinct sound of skin being slapped & punched as the crowd grew and started moving like a snake slithering quickly away in half circles.  I immediately moved to the stroller where Teagan was asleep even though I had Tyler in my arms and all I could think was to protect my babies in case the fight came steamrolling in our direction.  It moved a good distance, as the bride & groom continued to dance and the surrounding guests stayed oblivious but then it all took a crazy twist.  The fight stopped as the two guys it seemed were finally pulled away and willing to go but what was left was an older/elderly Aunt of Evin’s on the ground convulsing!  A new crowd gathered, this time on hands & knees beside the woman, clothed head to foot like many of the Muslim guests.  The ‘doctors in the house’ (Elec, Posi & Avni) were quickly called over by a few of us Americans that saw what was going on but they were literally shoved away by family members kneeling at the side of the Aunt, apparently saying “we don’t want your western medicine!”  It was a very VERY dramatic few minutes and several things were rumored to be happening (“they’re trying to give CPR to someone who is already breathing!”, “they think she’s going to die right here!”) and through breaks in the crowd I could see the woman’s feet & legs jumping off the ground as she lay there.  I didn’t know if I should leave or stay put, Tyler was getting upset as was I but Tony was off dancing.  There was a woman (daughter of the aunt? cousin?) who was sitting nearby the crowd just wailing in despair, hand to her forehead looking around in disbelief that someone close to her was about to be gone and that was the most heart wrenching thing I saw.  After what seemed like forever, the crowd broke up and the Aunt was being helped to a bench, on her own two feet.  She was ok, she was going to live.  Apparently she was epileptic and guesses are that the strobe lights on the dance floor and drama of the fight pushed her over, or maybe she literally got pushed over by the rolling fight.  Regardless we were all able to settle down, except for the 3 doctors who were just outraged by what had happened because the woman could have died but she didn’t have to.  I guess that’s old world for ya.  Just about that time the bride & groom disappeared again and then re-emerged in traditional Ethiopian wedding attire, to pay homage to Deutron’s heritage.  So the middle eastern wedding attire was for the same reason but I just don’t know who the family is.  An Ethiopian song & dance followed and then there was a whole lotta “line dancing.”  Not the typical American cowboy line dancing but the European, everyone holding hands or hands on your neighbors shoulders, doing a little step routine then shuffling off to the side, people constantly breaking in and joining to make a longer line which curls around in a big circle that doesn’t connect, just keeps winding around itself.  The leader, or head of the line, was generally someone who really knew what he/she was doing and therefore lead the line along with waving a…something…think scarf-like but perhaps beaded?  I was too far to really know and didn’t take part since someone needed to watch the kids and Tony seemed much more excited about the dancing.  My shoes and the cobblestone ground were not a good mix for dancing anyway.  It was a lot of fun to watch though and just made you feel like you were ALL family.

Pink Cadillac

Ok I don’t think it was a Caddy…but it was pink and it was old and very cool.  Tony says it was a 57 Chevy.  That’s what Deutron & Evin drove away in after they changed back into their western wedding attire.  We all yelled and screamed as they honked and then they were gone.  We gathered our stuff, caught a cab and were back to our apt in half the time it took to get there!  Our cabby took a different route but it was after midnight so the traffic was probably the reason it was faster.  Our apt neighbors Segar & Avni joined us in our place for a beer and some chit chat before we all turned in exhausted.

 entrance to the Grand Bazaar - Segar is looking a little confused behind me!!

 Evin & Deutron's grand entrance surrounded by fireworks!  So cool!

 Our random plate of cake, cookies, sesame sticks & dolmas!!

 fuzzy pic but here's the bride & groom with me, tony & teagan

 The middle eastern portion of the evening - loved the gold coin headdress Evin wore!!

July 14, 2012 Getting to know the Turks

July 14, 2012 

Getting to know the Turks

It’s Saturday night and I’m back in my usual blogging spot, the couch of the apartment we are staying in, kids snoozing in the bedroom like good little babies, hubby out partying it up with the groom & other guys.  Maybe it’s time for a little explanation into our Turkey trip.  A friend of a good friend of Tony’s, Deutron, who has become a good friend himself, was marrying a very nice Turkish girl named Evin.  We were invited to their wedding.  How could we pass up sharing our friend’s important day…esp. when it’s in one of the countries on my bucket list?  Oh yeah, Tony was also one of the groomsmen so we really couldn’t pass it up. 

Here are the story players:

Deutron & Evin – Groom & Bride, live in Watsonville, CA

Rebecca & Nate – Friends, live in Berkeley, CA

Segar & Avni – Friends, live in Baltimore, MD

Ray & Dawn – 2^nd parents to Deutron, live in Milpitas, CA

Alison, Novi, Fiduce – Friends of Deutron, living all over US

Posi (Positron), Nibobby (Neutron), Elec (Electron) – siblings of Deutron (their father was a scientist ;) 

Various other family from Turkey & Ethiopia

So it’s been a fun, crazy, interesting & HOT few days.  The good & the bad aspects of my not writing at the end of each day are that I can’t possibly remember everything or have the enthusiasm to write about every little thing that happened but then some fun or at least randomly interesting details are forgotten, lost or untold.  Not as much to read but not as much to read J In my pre-parenthood travel days I would write at the end of each day, late late into the night/morning but alas sleep is much more precious to me now!

Our little apartment is quite sweet, modern but retaining the feel that we are in a different country.  We are on the top floor and have to climb 6 flights of narrow stone steps to reach it.  We have a little kitchenette that we thought we’d use but aren’t really.  The little fridge is key for milk for Teagan and beer for us adults.  Probably the best feature is the air conditioner which is absolutely essential here, at least for this San Francisco girl.  Same goes for my babies who have been melting and miserable when we go out, often just turning into a puddle of sweaty, sleeping baby in the stroller.  What do they care about the mosques and bazaars?  Poor angels.  Tony & I have questioned our parenting decision to put them through this several times.  After being out for the day, cranky, testy, sleeping, not eating, we come back to the apt and the cool air revives them like a magic.  I’ll take Teagan into the little box shower with me to rinse off the sweat and sun block and further revive.  Soon enough though we are heading back out into the heat, which subsides a little after the sun sets but not much, to see more sights, get some food, meet the group for some wedding events etc.

The Spice is Nice

Thursday we made our way to the tram station, a 15 minute walk along the main Taksim shopping street with all the big clothes, shoes, jewelry, etc. shops including Gap, Swatch, United Colors of Benetton to name a few I recognized.  Then down a long, steep narrow road where smaller, local boutiques are located as well as some little eateries, many with the big vertical meat things they shave off of for wraps etc., house ware shops, bakery, fresh squeezed orange juice carts, mini-markets displaying some very nice produce out front, a little barber shop, etc.  Plus lots of cats lounging, begging for food, etc.  The trams are nice (clean & air conditioned!) and come frequently.  It costs 2 TL (Turkish Lire) to ride which is about $1.50’ish.  They ride above ground which gives us a good view of the areas in between our stops.  We decided to hit up the Spice Bazaar after getting a mid-morning snack of the most amazingly & ridiculously yummy (read: most definitely terribly fattening) buttery philo thing filled with a white cheese.  The trouble with it was that it was neither too rich nor too salty so I could easily see myself  gaffling enough to surely clog my arteries in one sitting.  Think of a moist croissant in the shape a raisin Danish but as big around as your face and about 1 1/2” thick.  A guy wearing plastic gloves (to protect from being burned but also because his hands would be so slippery from the buttery goodness) slices it up with a half circle knife with a handle as the other part of the circle.  I know there’s a name for this kitchen utensil but I don’t know it.  Et voila.  Not sure what kind of cheese was inside, it looked like cottage cheese but wasn’t, and it was sparse, just enough for flavor.  I think you can get one of these with meat inside too.  I should figure out what the name of it is, I see them everywhere here.  Moaning in delight as we devoured the snack, we made our way through the narrow, curving streets, making us feel like we were in some spider web, up this way, down that way, cars & delivery trucks carefully but swiftly making their way with barely enough clearance, often stopping or backing up to let another maneuver through or make a turn.  There were lots of shops here too, lots of textiles with more bolts of colorful fabric than I think I’ve ever seen in one place; piles of scarves (since so many of the women here need to cover their heads if not their entire bodies save their eyes), etc.  We asked several times for directions to the Spice Bazaar since we didn’t yet have a map but no one really spoke English…nor seemed to know where the bazaar even was!  We began to feel like we were in a candid camera video where each person tells us different directions and we seem to be going in circles.  After maybe 15 frustrating minutes of that we finally found the bazaar which was a covered “T” shaped market lined with stalls containing mostly spices, teas, Turkish delight, coffee/tea cups/supplies (it’s very unique & specialized here) and some other souvenir stuff thrown in for good measure.  Aside from the colorful mounds of powders and crazy piles of squares & bars of Turkish Delight, there is another common item for sale in the bazaars and Everywhere, the nazar boncuk or famous ‘evil eye.’  It’s a pretty dark blue circle with a small white circle inside then a light blue circle inside that and finally a small black circle – it looks like an eye.  It’s quasi creepy but also kinda abstract art looking.  It comes from an age-old superstition, clearly persistent today apparently throughout the country, whereby some people are thought to carry within them a malevolent force that can be transmitted to others via their eyes.  The eye charms (nazar boncuk) are used to reflect the evil look back to the originator.  You find them as charms, beads and emblazoned on all kinds of artifacts.  I bought one that will hang on the wall and has a large silver butterfly in the design.  Tyler laid his eyes on a little drum with a Turkish design on the base and so soon he was happily drumming away in the stroller as we headed out J 

Fish Boats

On our way to meet the group we passed the New (only 400 years old –hah!) Mosque or Yeni Cami.  We took a brief look around the forecourt with all the columns and painted dome ceilings on the perimeter of the square, took some pictures and moved on without going inside.  It was cool but nothing to spend much time on.  Perhaps if we’d gone inside I’d have more to say about it.  It was midday and the sun was in full force and Tyler was hungry so we got him a donner kabap (that rotisserie meat thing in a pita with lettuce & tomato and a yogurt drink called Ayran which all the Turks drink to go along with) and then we sat in the shade of the Balik Ekmek (fish bread) cafes where I bought a canned ice tea to ear our seat.  Basically there’s these ornate boats floating right along the dock and on them is this giant grill where they’re cooking up fillets of fish (not exactly sure what kind or if they are caught right there or what) which they slap on a roll and pass across to a “waiter” on the dock and into the hands of the orderer.  I’m not so much eating fish these days and even if I was it didn’t look too appetizing to me but it wasn’t stinky and lots of people seemed to be enjoying it.  Tony went off to find a beer but ended up getting lost so I was sitting there with Tyler & Teagan for upwards of an hour, feeling the pressure of taking up a valuable table under the shade for patrons actually buying the café’s specialty while fending off children trying to sell us gum & other junk candy.  After Tyler told me for the 3^rd time he had to go peepee, instead of telling him again “ok, daddy will be back soon and then we can go” I just packed us up and hoped Tony would wait for us there when he came back and didn’t find us.  I headed us toward the big “WC” sign in an underground walkway and there we ran into Tony! 

Row, row, row your boat…

We met up with some of the group and did some negotiating with one of the many roaming boat tour salesmen (who incidentally had spent some time doting over Teagan while we were sitting at the fish bread café) and were soon cruising the Bosphorous strait which runs from the Sea of Marmara to the Black Sea.  Istanbul is on both sides but one is on the Asian continent and the other the European.  Our ride was around 2 hours, we sat up top covered but open and the wind felt great despite the blazing heat.  On our left, on the European shore, we passed several grandiose palaces, described in our tour book from a French writer’s travelogue as ‘a line of palaces white as snow, placed at the edge of the sea on marble docks’ and this description is as accurate as it is evocative.  I felt like I was in France or even Italy!  The boat was playing some crazy, loud Turkish club beats which had us all up & dancing off & on through the ride…we actually did hear Katy Perry’s California Girls too which really had us girls up dancing & feeling proud!  Then, the highlight of the ride, we’d heard rumors dolphins swim in the strait but that just seemed silly.  Well, silly or not, it’s true and after we turned around at the Golden Gate’s  silver colored little sister and as we were passing by the Kiz Kulesi or Maiden Tower (a small island with a pseudo lighthouse and ritzy restaurant inside – more on that later) there they suddenly were.  I might have screamed out, pointing, and everyone on the boat jumped up to check the 2 beauties out.  How is it that dolphins in the wild just seem so magical?  I remember seeing them in New Zealand once, on a ferry ride at the bottom of the south island and I was just as awe struck and taken by them then as now.  So graceful and somehow ethereal, as if they were a mythical creature like the unicorn.  Just as I was recovering from the excitement we saw another little cluster of them, including what seemed like (in my fantasy mood) a baby!  I got a few pictures but of course nothing captures seeing it in person.

Once off the boat, still feeling the swaying motion beneath me, we walked across the Galata bridge from the top of which there are many, many fishing lines in the water  as well as a an endless line of fish restaurants below.  We headed to Galata Tower which unfortunately was up a very steep hill (vs. the very long sets of stairs we avoided because of our stroller) which Novi was so kind (or stupid) to offer to push said stroller up.  There was a lift inside the tower so we all went up but once I saw the narrow viewing deck that surrounded the top of the tower I opted to stay inside the café on the next floor down.  There were still windows all around inside the café so I could see the amazing 360 view of the city, with all the minarets dotting the skyline. 

Feast

In lieu of a rehearsal dinner, the bride’s parents hosted a dinner for all the guests who travelled from outside of Turkey for the wedding which basically consisted of a bunch of us from the US and a few from Ethiopia.  After going back to the apt for a rinse off & clothes change we took a cab to this area of side by side by side restaurants with tons of outdoor seating (again reminiscent of France or Italy) and a small cobblestone walkway between where street vendors roamed with armloads of stuff you don’t need…unless you count the cigar guy who managed to sell a nice Cuban to Tony J  There was a 1^st, 2^nd and 3^rd course as seems to be the norm here and it was all DELISH!  When we sat down there were all these small plates of – lucky for me – vegetarian starters including fava beans, a stewed greens mixture, a yummy green salad and a few others I can’t even remember now!  There was a little plate of sardines which I avoided though ;)  My vegetarian main meal was to die for, a cast iron skillet full of eggplant, mushrooms, potatoes, tomatoes, peas, favas and herbs.  Tony got some whole fish which kinda grossed me out.  The alcohol was flowing; esp. the Turkish drink Raki (pronounced rah-coo) which is like Ouzo flavor-wise (anise) but like Absinthe in that you add water and the appearance turns from vodka-like to a cloudy white.  There were “musicians” coming around to play for the patrons of the various restaurants and they put on quite a show, getting guests up one by one to dance with the main guy, doing silly, crazy, flirty moves.  I think everyone got pulled up there but me since I was holding Teagan in my lap most of the time, so I got videos of everyone else.  It was a lot of fun.  The night flew by and before we knew it, as happens most of the time in Turkey we’ve found, it was LAAAATE & it was obvious most of the childless/unmarried people were going to be going out after the dinner so we got a cab and called it a night.  Probably for the best.

July 12, 2012 Istanbul

July 12, 2012 Istanbul

While The World Sleeps

Well or at least this part of the world.  Not really sure what time it is here in Istanbul, I just know it’s dark and quiet outside the window of our top floor apartment in the Taksim district.  I’d like to blame jet lag for the reason I’m awake but I could be snoozing away as soundly as Tony & Tyler in the bedroom if it weren’t for little miz Teagan being wide awake and I’m kinda not sold on jet lag being HER reason.  It’s my thought that if she were just purely jet lagged she would be acting as she normally does when she’s awake – happy, active, playful, inquisitive, etc. but she is none of these.  She is cranky, crying, fidgety & discontent.  I hope I’ve just got the real image of jet lag wrong in my mind because then perhaps it means she will get over this in a few days and be back to normal instead of my real concern which is that she’s getting or is sick.  One things for sure, she’s not the superstar travel baby that Tyler was/is L  Oh well, guess you can’t have everything perfect in life.  Sigh…

I went to bed early (read: passed out on the couch in our apt) last night and opted out of dinner with the group so Tony went on ahead while me & the kids got a head start on getting some rest.  Maybe that was my error.  Anyway, here I am and I’m hoping it’s going to be a great trip despite the bumpy start we’ve had. 

Procrastinations & The Past Come Back To Haunt Me

It was a long day Sunday before our original flight plan Monday morning.  Tony & I were busy getting things taken care of for his mom at her house in Ventura since she recently broke her hip and was finally home from the rehabilitation center but not quite back on her own two feet.  Tony ran errands for her and I cooked up several big meals that she could just heat up quick in the microwave that would hopefully see her through to our return in two weeks.  I’d like to blame my lack of sleep on trip excitement but it was a lot less lame.  I went to bed early with Tyler but was sleeping on the couch and although I logged maybe 4 good hours initially, the rest of the night was lost to worrying Tyler was going to fall off the couch to trying to move him to his own spot to dealing with him crying and wanting back with me to not being comfortable trying to sleep again with him next to me, blah blah blah.  The alarm went off at 345 and that was that.  We’d wanted to be out of the house by 5 but we weren’t pulling away from Sophie’s until 545 which put us finally at LAX, after parking at the long term company & catching their shuttle to our terminal, at 725 for an 830 flight.  No bueno.  It was the domestic leg of our itinerary but still, the terminal was packed with needy passengers and soon we were one of them.   You see, there was this little problem with my passport…heh heh…it still shows my previous married name.  I just never got around to changing it!  I meant to a zillion times, it was on countless to-do lists, but whether it was general procrastination or an upcoming trip that meant I wouldn’t have it back from the government in time, it just never got changed.  And now the day it would bite me in the ass.  Had we got to the airport the two hours ahead of our flight like we wanted to we probably still could have made the flight even with the name change drama, but who really knows.  Had Tony booked my ticket under my passport name instead of my current name none of this would have been an issue at all, but it’s not his fault, why would he think to purchase my ticket (thanks sweetie for the trip!!) under any other name than the name I go by today?  Had we picked a more competent United counter agent we may also have made the flight, but the what if’s got old fast.  Fact is we didn’t make the flight.  Instead we stood in front of said counter agent for about 2 hours, seriously, trying to work out what really should have been an easier problem.  Then again, I worked in the airline industry recently, I know how archaic and convoluted their computer system and procedures can be.  To make a really long, boring, ridiculous story short we got my name changed over the phone with reservations (despite standing at the counter while on that call as the counter agent tried to get the same thing done, albeit a lot slower and for $150 which we didn’t have to pay on the phone) and got us all rebooked on the same flight schedule the next day.  But then suddenly Tony & Tyler’s itinerary disappeared from the system and had to be rebooked!  Good thing that was caught before we showed up the next day and again couldn’t fly!  After 3 hours in the airport we caught the shuttle back to our car and joked with the same driver about our short trip and were off to Santa Monica beach to make lemonade out of lemons.  I’ve never walked along the beach there, nor the boardwalk, nor been to the infamous Venice beach so it was all new and exciting for me.  We had some drinks and people watched and saw the big Jim Morrison mural being repainted and some silly muscley men lifting weights at Muscle Beach!  Haha, good times.  The kids were great all day, not an incident at the airport all that time and then happily riding in the stroller taking in the ocean view with a breeze in their hair.  I guess they were saving up their ill behavior!

LAX Round 2

Getting to the airport plenty early this time was not a problem since we’d stayed overnight in Santa Monica and everything was all packed up from the day before.  As we pulled out of the hotel parking lot we were amused to see Captain Jack Sparrow, or a dead ringer for Johnny Depp as the pirate, camped out under the carport with his 3 exotic birds.  Yep, we’d seen him the day before on the boardwalk, luring tourists in with his fake smile and bird act, earning money for letting people take pictures of their spouses holding a big, colorful parrot.  What a life…and I don’t mean that in a good way, but who am I to judge, maybe the guy is happy?  Anyway, I digress.  At long last, with Starbucks in our hands, and a fidgety baby on our laps, we were on the plane headed to Newark, NJ, for a short layover and then on to Istanbul. 

The flights were actually relatively, in the grand scheme of things, not so bad.  I mean sure, Teagan drove me absolutely nuts and I wanted to chuck her out the window at 35,000 ft but I wasn’t traveling alone so I was able to hand her off to Tony where she suddenly became a total angel.  She is seriously turning out to be a daddy’s girl.  She just LOVES her daddy and is so good for him and happy with him.  Tyler was hypnotized in his seat by The Lorax and Cars movies playing on his personal tv screen.  I, for once, actually watched some movies myself and was pleased that I picked two I don’t want my time back for, even though it was just time sitting on a plane.  I watched the sad and sweet “The Vow” and then heart wrenching but somehow uplifting “A Little Bit Of Heaven” which had me crying like a baby at the end.  I tried and only slightly succeeded at getting some shut eye when my first view of Turkey over the wing of the airplane woke up my spirit. 

I Think I’m Goin’ To Kathmandu…er CATmandu

It’s never quick getting out of the airport when you travel abroad so all the excitement of that view out the airplane window and anticipation of fun to come takes a back seat for a while as you stand, exhausted & grody, in a long line in a humid & almost too warm terminal waiting to buy a visa to enter the country and then another line to have passport control officially allow you in & give you a fun stamp to brag about later.  Bags collected and stacked precariously on our stroller (we left a little room for Tyler to sit!) we headed out into the real heat & humidity (guess there was a/c on inside the airport after all) and luckily caught the bus we needed without issue, securing the last 2 seats on board.  Here’s where I finally had the real thought though that maybe, just maybe, it wasn’t actually such a fun idea to travel with kids.  Sure Tyler slept some on the plane but he was groggy & grouchy anyway - who wouldn’t be after pee’ing in his pants on the plane and not being able to get them changed-my bad, I totally forgot to pack an extra pair for the flight but by now they were dry…and stinky.  So when we pulled up to the bus and told him he had to get off the stroller and onto the bus he started melting down, just as the driver was trying to usher everyone on so he could leave on schedule.  We got onto the bus but the last 2 seats available were totally separated, on opposite ends of the bus, and since I was wearing Teagan in the Ergo carrier I just headed for my seat in the front.  But Tyler wanted to come with me and was soon crying & screaming & jumping in the aisle.  My patience was left long ago somewhere over the Atlantic and I just said to him “you have to go with daddy!” in a voice that could have been nicer.  I settled into my seat trying not to squeeze Teagan to death between the seat in front of us and all the bags I was carrying, shushed her brief cries of revolt and then thought about how much easier this would all be without 2 little kids.  I reminisced about the many trips in my days before motherhood, when it was just me & a backpack, or me & a rolling suitcase, and a friend/mate who I didn’t have to watch over, feed, discipline, corral, etc.  Oh well, maybe this will be the last big trip we take for a while, until the kids are much older and can travel better or we are able to break ourselves away from them for a few weeks if they have a place to stay.  That’s fine; who has the money to do these kinds of trips with kids much anyway?!

I read in the travel book that Istanbul has the least amount of green space per capita in all of Europe or something so I was preparing myself to see nothing but concrete but I was quickly surprised as our bus passed down beautiful tree lined streets with center divides covered in lush lawns and manicured, colorful flower beds.  Hmpf.  Of course there was plenty of concrete too and once we got into more of the city center, or one of the many city centers (Istanbul is so huge) the green did largely disappear.  I was reminded a lot of  Europe, of Portugal and various cities in the south of France & Spain by the architecture & street layout.  That last part soon proved to be a challenge after we got off the bus and attempted to locate the apartment that was rented for us all from a map on Tony’s phone which was hard to read in the blinding daylight and was hard to really figure out as we zoomed in & out & around trying to get our bearings.  The next solid hour to 90 minutes we spent looking for our place, trying to read Tony’s phone, asking people for directions, etc.  We had TONS of baggage, Tyler was passed out in the stroller, Teagan was passed out in the Ergo I was wearing, we were all sweating profusely and it seemed for a time we were looking for an address that didn’t exist.  At one point Tony left me with the kids, stroller & bags as he went to look and I stood there so long in this side street of cafes & little shops that I began FEELING eyes burning into me and my ears were BURNING from the whispers about me.  Not that it was negative so much as just inquisitive, and in my mind comical.  Sorta.  After a while I actually muttered aloud “seriously? I’m STILL standing here waiting for tony?!”  There was a little (VERY little) café that I think had nothing inside except the kitchen and there were half a dozen men sitting outside on these short stools all drinking tea in the traditional Turkish way.  Before coming to Turkey if you told me someone was having “tea” I would imagine a…tea cup & saucer.  Well they have a slight twist to it here.  The cup is glass and is like the top half of an hourglass shape, tulip at the top then curves in then bells out at the bottom, like the size of a large shot glass.  The saucer is glass too and there’s a teeny tiny spoon to stir in the sugar.  They all seem to drink this tea that I would find out later is a mix between Early Grey and, oh hell now I forget, maybe black tea?  Anyway, there’s no cream and it seems like everywhere you go all the men are drinking it.  Come to think of it, I don’t think I’ve seen any women drinking it!  Interesting…  SO, Tony gets on the phone with the property manager of the apt and finally gets a more “real” address, as if what we had before wasn’t real.  We decide he should go scope it out first instead of us lugging and dragging everything in case it’s another dead end.  I was starved and thirsty so I found a place for me & the kids to camp.  At that point I didn’t want any guesswork, no unknowns or at least very little, so when I came upon a “Mexican” place that was that.  I ordered a “dark” beer and nachos & then tried to relax a little while crAzy American videos played on the many flat screens in the place, the bass pounding for the few ears that were there.  The waiter was TAKEN by teagan who I’d plopped on the long table so she could stretch out and move around.  He held out his arms, looked at me briefly as if to ask “it’s ok?” and then scooped her up.  He was a youngish guy, it was random but sweet and genuine.  He stood there with her a minute goo’ing and bouncing her before looking at me again, this time with the “it’s ok!” look and then walked the few booths distance to the end of the restaurant where 2 girls were sitting and then he showed Teagan off to them like she was his own and the 2 girls were loving it!  One of them even stretched out her arms to hold Teagan but I think maybe the waiter knew that would be crossing the line considering he already carried her away from me.  I wasn’t so much worried, I actually would have even been ok if the girl had held her, it was much more secure that the place was virtually empty so I couldn’t lose sight of her or have any obstacles in my way if I suddenly had to jump up and run after her.  Yes, all this crossed my mind.  But I felt at peace and knew it was all ok.  The waiter brought Teagan back to me and then my Efes Dark beer (which is my new fave, at least while in Turkey) and soon my nachos.  I’d figured there probably wasn’t going to be an issue with the nachos, I mean how much different could they be made?  I was pleasantly surprised, they were pretty good, tho I think I counted only 7 pinto beans, there was some nice tomato, white cheese, roasted red pepper and…julienned pickles!  Tony showed up just as I was about to shovel the last 2 chips into my mouth and I innocently said to him “Hi sweetie, here have some nachos, I saved some for you!”  He told me he found the place but there was yet another glitch, our key had been given to another friend of the wedding party who was staying in the apt next to our’s but he was out sight seeing & we didn’t know when he’d be back.  Lovely.  I’m not sure what the alcohol percentage of this Efes Dark beer was but considering I was running on next to no sleep and next to no food, the beer had gone straight to my head and boy was I feeling Goooooooooooood!  I was cool with whatever at that point.  We packed up our stuff, paid the bill and walked the few blocks to our apt but then of course we had to camp out at the café across the small street as we tried to contact anyone who could contact the guy who had our key. 

As we sat we saw countless cats & kittens running here and there, lounging, dodging people, standing in the way of cars, etc.  It reminded me of Rome and I later found out that just like Rome, Istanbul has a “problem” with cats.  There are just so many and they roam free and aren’t fixed so are constantly having litters.  It’s sad and many of them don’t look so good, and many probably don’t even make it, but it seems the Istanbulis live harmoniously with them and put out water & even food for them and treat them like they are just another neighbor in the hood.  I decided shortly I was probably going to do a “Cats of Istanbul” photo book!

We sat on little stools at a little table outside a little café you stepped down into off the very narrow one way street, waiting, and having another beer.  Suddenly a familiar face appeared, it was Deutron, the bridegroom of the wedding we were here to attend.  He is a friend of Tony’s and is marrying Evin, a Turkish girl.  He apologized profusely for all the  mix up and sat with us while he continued trying to figure out how to get us into our apt.  It was just a joke to us at that point, after all that travel, with the kids, exhausted, hungry, dirty and we couldn’t even get into our place!  As we sat there the small street (basically an alleyway) would suddenly fill up with people chatting & smoking and then they would disappear.  This happened a few times before we realized there was a school of sorts (trade college) right there and it was probably break time whenever all the people would come out.  It was just a hint of what was to come in Istanbul.  Soon we took Deutron’s offer to stay at his apt that night and we walked to his place (leaving our bags inside the building in front of our door) which was 15 minutes away.  No sooner did we get there did someone show up who was staying there too that said he’d just said goodnight to the couple that had our key and they were heading back to our building.  I told Tony I just wanted to be in our own place so we schlepped back and knocked on their door and FINALLY had our key.  It wasn’t their fault at all, apparently the property manager was a shuck and was going out of town and just wanted to offload all the keys even though Sager & Avni didn’t think they should take the keys in the first place.  Alls well that ended well, we were in our own little apartment and finally could get some rest. 

The notes in my little 4”x3” notebook have lots of scribbles of memories from the day, including seeing a guy with a shirt that said “I’d Do Me” to another who had a totally killer tattoo of Darth Vader on his forearm to the fact that the smell of the Hookah pipe was totally in the air everywhere and while we were sitting with Deutron and his fiancé Evin joined she brought some traditional, special food that I couldn’t resist trying even though it was meat.  It’s called Tantuni and is basically a wrap of veal, parsley, tomato & herbs and then you tuck in a very thin, long yellow-green chili pepper.  Oye!  SO good!  Deutron also taught me how to say “thank you” in Turkish which is basically “t’sh-ook-ar ear-ah-deem.”  I wasn’t quite sure what to make yet of Istanbul or this trip but it was starting to look up. 

t minus

Well it's finally here...ok, it's almost finally here.  On the eve of our departure to Istanbul, Turkey, what might you find Tony & Tiffany Baer doing??  Yep, having a drink and fiddling around on the internet!  Haha!  Well we deserve both vices after the last few days of crazy Ventura life taking care of getting Tony's mom, Sophie, back in the groove of things as best as possible.  She fell and broke her hip on a midnight bathroom trip almost a month ago now and has been in a rehab facility since.  She came home Thursday, a little earlier than we expected, or at least quite suddenly in relation to our packing/preparing for Turkey trip.  It's been an emotional ride for us ever since the break, feeling very guilty for leaving the country just when she needs someone most.  Hence the insane day of madness for me Thursday getting us & the house ready for us to leave then piling in the car at 745 pm and driving 6hrs to Ventura.  We arrived after 3 a.m. and the sun rose way too early Friday morning, the kids not knowing the difference.  Ugh.  Ever since, over the last 3 days, it has been non-stop running errands (for an "elder potty" and a shower chair and a grabber) to help Sophie plus buying groceries and cooking up a bunch of ready-made-just-throw-in-the-microwave meals (big pot o bean soup, big lasagna, veggie quiche) so she won't not eat.  She's a feisty, agile woman for her age and situation so we're not too worried but none the less we've arranged for someone to come help her out a couple hours each day.

I've packed and repacked and will do a final "oh geez we might need this so let's stuff it in this corner of my suitcase" tonight along with making some sandwiches and cutting up some fruit for our flights tomorrow.  Of course they feed you on international flights, but tomorrow morning we fly to Newark for a small layover first before officially taking the "red eye" to Istanbul so I figured some "domestic travel" food was needed, esp. while flying with kids.  Apparently there's been a bit of drama where our tickets are concerned as I've overheard Tony talking with United the last few days but fingers crossed it has all been squared away.  Tyler keeps asking if we are going home and I tell him "no sweetie, we're flying on a big plane to the other side of the planet to Turkey!" and then he'll ask if we can drive there or take a hot air balloon instead!  Too cute.  I think he gets a little nervous around giant machines he normally digs on, like trains and planes.  Thankfully this time there will be two parents to quell the uneasy micro traveler...of course there will be two micro travelers this time, but I suspect not much angst out of the littler of the two.

In the weeks leading up to this trip I purchased on-line and at a store in Marin I had to drive 30 minutes to (the same company incidentally that I ADORE, at least in pictures in the catalog) a travel bag with multiple zippers on the front  that sadly were as sticky & jerky as anything I've ever had ($98!! tho vegan!?!) and travel shoes that looked airy & breathable in pictures but proved at home for a day of breaking in to be total feet destroyers ($80) which I brought with me to Ventura anyway because I had no choice but have been bumming on.  So yesterday while out on my hunt for a much needed pedicure - harder to find than I imagined - I ended up at the Ventura mall and scored on a totally cheap ($19 on half price sale) bag that was almost identical to the much pricier one but with zippers that slid back and forth like buttah and actually a much cuter color (dark violet vs cocoa) and I'm quite sure vegan as well...ok, probably plether which is probably just as environmentally rude but hey.  And then I found some totally cute, totally comfortable travel shoes that I KNEW would need no breaking in and wouldn't turn into razor blades on my achilles after a day of walking.  Yep, gotta love Payless shoes.  $19!!  OH and while I was in line at the check-out there I saw MY NEW PURSE!!  It was one of those moments where you just go "OH YEAH!" and grab it and sling it over your shoulder for a little prance in front of the full length mirror just to make totally sure what you already know which is that you've just found a "simple" piece that will make you smile every time you see it hanging on your dining chair or off your shoulder as you catch your reflection in a store front walking down the street!  My "simple" piece is a black and white thick horizontal stripe boho bag not dissimilar, ironically, to the purse I picked up in Madrid several years back in a yellow & white thick horizontal stripe that I adored the whole season I used it.  Sigh...I'm so happy :)  So to recap I picked up $45 worth of travel bag & shoes which will replace the $160 I already spent  for the same that didn't work out but will return for refund when I get home.  And if that weren't enough I got a cute pair of black, strappy, cork wedges from Payless at half price that will look totally adorbs with the strapless striped black & white dress I'm wearing for the evening wedding in Istanbul Wednesday.  The formal wedding is on Sunday and I've got a much fancier outfit for that.

Now if only my daughter's goopy gross "pink eye" or whatever infection will just go away I would be a totally happy woman.  Got some more eye drops today for her and waiting for it to clear up as I cross my fingers it's not something else.  Yucko & sucko. 

Ok, flight is 830 am tomorrow out of LA and we're driving to some special parking place near the airport from here (about an hour'ish away) so leaving at about 5 am which means I'm up at prob 345 so I can shower, wash & dry my hair and finish making sandwiches...as well as get my kids up and dressed.  We arrive in Istanbul Tuesday noon'ish.  It's gonna be a long trip!!!

Stay tuned for all the fun details of the trip there and our initial impressions of Turkey!!