Istanbul'da Bahar

The time that Ebba was here was sort of like an alternate universe. There we were,a Swede and an American speaking Spanish in Istanbul, a city I have spent practically no time in this year. It was a wonderful universe to be in though, and I miss it already. Ebba and I were in Istanbul for lovely five days, and we were able to see a lot. We stayed with our friend Mertcan who was also on our exchange to Spain. It was nice to see the a more residential area of Istanbul because it is a HUGE city and those parts tend to get missed by travellers. Plus his family was super sweet and seemed to enjoy having us there. Mertcan lives on the Asian side, so to get to the European side we took various different methods of transportation. During the day we took the bus and then the ferry, the quickest way to cross to the European side, and at night, buses or mini-buses called Dolmus. Depending on the traffic it could take anywhere from 45minutes-2hours to get to his house. The ferry boat ride was beautiful though, a little picturesque boat that crosses the sparkling blueish-green water. We spent most of our time on the European side though because that is were the main sights of Istanbul are located.


Sultanahmet is home to some of the worlds oldest and most famous sights, such as the Aya Sofya and the Blue Mosque. If you had been with Ebba and I as we toured these places in awe you too would have been subjected to listening to me read excerpts out of the guidebook, just as my mother would have done. Ebba and I had no real agenda except that we wanted to see as much as possible of Istanbul without ever feeling rushed, and for the most part we accomplished that. We were able to see most of the main sights-Istanbul has and endless amount-with the freedom to just wander around. One day we wandered from the Kapllı Carsı (The Grand Bazaar) down the hill towards the water and ended up in this very quiet little neighborhood completely empty of all tourists. We sat down at a quaint cafe with roses on the colorful tables and drank tea out of pretty glasses. The friendly old man who owned the cafe immediately switched the roses on our table for prettier ones saying that pretty girls needed pretty roses. It was exactly the kind of place you hope to run across in a city like Istanbul, a place that holds onto the past without effort. We enjoyed our tea in the quiet and then asked for directions back to the center. Turns out we had wandered so far away that the easiest way was to take the train back. The owner of the man reminded us that there was plenty of food and tea, and absolutely no rush, before pointing us in the direction of the train. I love being able to wander comfortable, not because I think we won't get lost, but rather Becca's there is no reason not to get lost. We had no idea where were going a lot of the time, and when we wanted to set ourselves straight I would just ask somebody.

We spent a fair bit of time in Taksim, the center of new Istanbul. It starts at the main square and then you can follow Istikklal Caddesi past tons of European shopping and little roads that lead off like veins from a leaf. There is a ton to do and see there and it seems to be the place to be when it comes to nightlife. I think one of the best parts about Istanbul was being able to communicate in Turkish. It was so fun to respond to the constant stream of comments from vendors and people on the street in their own language. After even just a couple words in Turkish it was instant astonishment. In Spain I felt like it was pretty normal for somebody to speak Spanish, but here it is so unusual that they seem kind of flattered that I am trying to learn their language. Almost everyone asked how I spoke it and where I was from. Ebba was a good sport about my speaking Turkish all the time, and reminded me from time to time that I needed to translate for her.


It is hard for me to believe that exactly two years ago I was on the same timeline as I am here, with only a month or so left to go. I realized after talking to her I am in a  similar mindset to when I was in Spain. Just like then I feel like this year will go on forever, contrary to the evidence. This place has just become so much a part of my every day life that I forget that in no time at all I will be back on San Juan Island. It is a bittersweet feeling, on one hand I am really excited to get home. I look forward to seeing my friends and family and being back on the Island. On the other hand though, I know I will really miss living here, even if that reality hasn't exactly caught up with me yet. For now though, I am trying to be as present as possible, enjoying each moment here.