Thursday morning we woke up after a rough night of Raki, hookah, beer and wine, seems our new friends know how to have a good time. It also seems an old friend and I got into a tango last night and I may have walked away with a fractured finger, nothing some ice and Advil can’t help… or at least ease. One day I will triumph over and conquer my towering nemesis, but until then I have to accept my losses and always be on the lookout for the tricks they play.
After breakfast we wished our Raki/hookah/beer friends good luck in China, more adventures in Austria and safe trips back to Australia. Then we went out, crippled as I was, to see some of the sites near to the hostel. We paid 20TL each to enter Hagia Sophia, the dwelling of the weeping pillar. It is said that when Saint Gregory rested his head on the column, now known as the weeping pillar, that he was instantly healed. Now people flock to this pillar with hopes of a healing touch from its divine power. I went first, my finger is still swollen, bruised and slightly crooked and the hangover isn’t letting up any either. Kaitlin also touched the column (we followed the touristic ritual by sticking our thumb into the divet and rotating our wrist in a circle); no miracle cure for Kaitlin either. Since it was 20TL each we decided to walk around and take some pictures… click click… click click… Hagia Sophia was beautiful, but we were hoping for a miracle. Assuming we did it wrong the first time we went back again to the weeping column. This time Kaitlin stuck her head up to the opening…. No miracles on this ordinary Thrusday in Istanbul.
After Hagria Sophia we went over to the Blue Mosque and got our very own tour complete with secret entrance so we didn’t have to wait in the tourist line. We are pretty sure the tour started out as a rouse to make a few Turkish liras, but by the end we had won him over with our amazingly subdued, quiet American ways (I.e. hungover) and rather than ask for money he asked if he could take us to lunch. We politely declined and went about our afternoon. We probably should have accepted lunch and then politely excused ourselves because we ended up eating the worst gyros of our collective 53 years of life… man, we are old.
Dissapointed with our first gyros and the creepy wait staff we went in search of a spit we saw the previous day; mixed in the with gyro meat was carrots, peppers and onions all rotating and roasting to perfection. Without much trouble (every now and then we get a break) we located the restaurant and enjoyed a truly delectable gyro.
A note on gyros: In Nice we had the best gyros of our life, the meat was fatty and crisped and melted on your tongue, served on a pita with a garlic mayo, lettuce, tomatoes, onions and fries. In Italy the gyros were either chicken or beef (sometimes lamb) on a pita with a creamy sour cream like sauce, hot sauce, French fries, coleslaw, lettuce, tomatoes and onions. In Greece the meat came on a pita with French fries, tzatziki sauce, lettuce, tomatoes and onions. In Turkey the meat came on a tortilla with lettuce, tomato, onion and no sauce, although we were offered ketchup and mayo.
After lunch #2 we meandered through the shops and bought all of our last minute gifts then went back to the hostel for a mid-afternoon nap. After napping we had some dinner at the hostel, Kaitlin ordered the lamb kebab and I got a traditional dish of beef and onions, carrots and peppers served in cast iron dish with rice. It was delicious. Then back out to the streets to explore Sultanahmet Square by night. Parents and worriers, please note that there were plenty of people out and about and we were quite safe. Through a smaller bazaar, then up to the blue mosque at night and the water fountain. After ice cream from a trickster we headed back to our hostel.
Kaitlin discovered a beautiful view from the roof of our hostel that morning and we headed up to relax for a little while. After lounging we hung out in our room and had Kait and Alli bonding time before bed. Tomorrow starts our long trip home.
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