white meat, dark meat you just can’t lose…i fell off my moped and i got a bruise
June 4th, 2009 | Written by hurricanic
I’m pretty sure by the time I leave Istanbul, I will be all colors of black and blue. Me and public transportation don’t mix well in this city. Yesterday it was the impaling with the turnstyle. Today? Let’s just say a slippery metro station and flip flops aren’t a good combination for me.
We decided this morning to sleep in a bit as the day before we had been awake for about 23 hours straight. Slowly but surely we made our way down to the hotel’s breakfast room where we helped ourselves to an array of Turkish breakfast pleasantries. Yogurt (of course), olives (of course), tomatoes (of course), feta cheese (of course), and cucumbers (I opted to pass). We asked the server for tea, because breakfast without tea just isn’t breakfast (of course). Everyone in the room was drinking it, and I will share with you that no one had bills on their tables as breakfast was included in the price of the room. We were shocked (of course) when the bill arrived for our tea. What? I mean seriously. Curtis and Annie were appalled. They furthermore charged at least three times what is normally charged for tea when it’s not included in the price of a meal. With some quick Turkish dialogue, the bill was cancelled, and we walked away thinking we were probably only charged because we were American. I love it when people here try to screw us over as if we’re dumb tourists. I might be one, but my companions sure aren’t.
It was raining in Istanbul today so we decided to do mostly indoor activities. We first met a friend of Annie’s at Coffee World, the Turkish version of Starbucks, and enjoyed a couple hours off our feet. I, however, had already enjoyed some time off my feet when I managed in my own special version of grace to somehow turn the metro stop into a slip and slide. Like I said, flip flops and a wet staircase aren’t a good combination for me. Let’s just say my hind parts made contact with the floor in front of a hundred Turks. I’m so smooth like that.
We headed to see the Cisterns, a beautiful underground structure that used to hold water from the aqueducts of time past. I snapped a few pics and we carefully made our way back up the marble stairs. No need to repeat my performance from the metro stop. After some lunch and a great conversation with some Canadians who shared a table with us, we made our way to the Grand Bizarre. Let me tell you…it was both grand and bizarre. I was prepared, knowing that the skill of bartering was what made this process what it was. I went in emotionally prepared to become unattached to things and to spend my lira accordingly. I don’t think these vendors were prepared for me. I literally had three of them tell me in so many words that I exasperated them. Ha, ha. I’ve learned vicious shopping skills from my mother and I know how to play this game. I managed to talk one man down from 170 lira to 50 for a table runner. No lie. And I bought some beautiful handmade purses for 30 lira a piece instead of 80 a piece. Oh, yeah. The purse guy asked me if I was a business woman, as I drove a harder bargain than he’s used to. He literally told me I was making him sweat. It made me smile.
After a quick nap at the hotel, we headed out to Taksim, the trendiest area in Istanbul. We found a super cool little place to have dinner with the low tables and pillows lining a dark wood room. Curtis and Annie have told me this has become custom around here because of the nomadic tribes and the way they used to eat. I guess it makes sense. To travel with a shorter table and pillows sure is easier than the alternative. I just think it’s cool.
We made it back to the hotel and we started packing a day early so we can be out and about as much as possible tomorrow as it is our last day together in Turkey. I had shared with you that I purchased another suitcase since I’ve been buying so much over here, and after today I was worried it might not be enough space. Annie told me not to worry, that Curtis has skills beyond driving. I should’ve been videoing him tonight as he folded and stuffed and wound things around each other in my original suitcase. At one point I wasn’t even sure I was going to need the newly acquired bag. In fact, I’m pretty sure I don’t, he’s just not wanting me or the people lugging my bag in and out of planes to dislocate a shoulder due to its weight. Remind me to never buy four bottles of wine while I’m traveling again, will you? I mean, seriously…they may make great gifts and they may be from one of the coolest places I’ve been in Turkey, but they’re far from easy to pack.
kelly great news! mc hammer has his own reality tv show airing on A&E starting june 14th..i think he reads your blog!
pictures of the bruises? please?