Welcome to Istanbul!

After a (mercifully) uneventful flight over, I made it to Istanbul!  What an amazing city!  This is truly the experience I was looking for!  I immediately realized how little I knew about this part of the world.  The city is perfectly situated between the sea of Marmara (which empties into the Aegean-which in then empties into the Mediterranean) and the Black Sea and also sits at the mouth of the Bosphorus River.  I can understand how this site was selected as its strategic advantages for controlling commerce are obvious testament to the intellect of the original founders.  The atmosphere here is a perfect blend of Western and Middle Eastern.  People dress in modern clothing and clothing we might fully associate with the Muslim world (veils etc.) side by side.  The air is filled with the calls of the Imams from the various mosques five times a day, the shouts of street vendors and the smell of charcoal fires, kebabs and exotic perfumes.

  

Upon arriving, I went for a brief walk and sat down in an outdoor cafe to watch a dervish perform for an audience snuggled under blankets, drinking tea and smoking hookahs.  I'll try to include some photos with this blog (we'll see!).  I met several vendors who simply wanted to talk about the state of things in America shared tea with them and spent some time discussing politics and the financial impact of what is going on at home.   It's clear that people over here would love to see us elect Obama and know that if we do so it will have a positive impact on the way the rest of the world views us.  I agree...

My hotel is charming, right out of the Orient Express Movies and vintage 1920's.  In the heart of the old part of the city, the Sultanahmet Palace is just right for my outings as it really feels Turkish and is very comfortable. I am across the street from the Blue Mosque, built in the 17th century by Sultan Ahmet I who set out to build a structure that would rival the nearby Hagia Sophia in beauty.  (He came pretty darn close in my opinion).   Quite a thing to have right outside your door... I was overwhelmed by the sights in the night sky around me and attempted some photos.  Hagia Sophia is also visible from the hotel, but is a short walking distance away.  I will see both buildings on the tour I am taking tomorrow and intend to visit them by myself after that.  Hagia Sophia is a building I have been waiting to see my entire adult life and truly one of the architectural wonders of the world.  I can't wait to see things here and to learn more...like how to work a Turkish bath...