July 24,2006
Hi from Istambul
Tapestry is safely in the marina in Marmaris and we are ready to fly to
Tampa tomorrow.
After my last e-mail several things have happened which I feel are worth
writing about. The first was putting the boat away. As usual, it was a
"hurry up and wait" day. We were to be the first ones out of only two
boats that day, but several emergency's came up so we waited from 9 till twelve
before anything happened. I have a photograph of the boat which I printed so
that the men who haul her know just where to place the slings so that there is
no damage to the prop shaft or underwater instruments. They thanked me, but
when it was time to move the boat one of the men removed his shirt, donned a
swim mask and dove on the boat to be sure everything was as it should be. I was
impressed. Once things get going, nothing happens slowly here. The 70 Ton lift
picked up Tapestry as if she were a match stick and transported her to the wash
area where a man pressure washed her bottom. Then a gang of six men took over.
The boat was moved to her winter resting place and the keel lowered onto heavy
beams on the ground. When they were satisfied that she was level, they propped
wooden logs between the ground and the boat bottom, driving wedges between
ground and boat to be sure they were tight. Then they nailed cross pieces
between the logs to create a more permanent cradle. There was a brace under bow
and stern and about six braces on each side. Not what we are used to, but
sufficient, we hope.
Julie and I collected our things in the constant 90 plus degree heat, and
headed for the restaurant for an early dinner, and then got a taxi to the bus
terminal. The road between the marina and Marmaris Bus Terminal is about 6
miles long and very curvy and hilly. Whereas the Domish (little bus) driver
usually makes the run in 20 to 30 minutes, our cab driver made it is 12. I
think he was practicing for a grand prix. Anyway, when we got to the terminal
we found our bus to be beautiful. It was sleek and modern with picture windows,
reclining seats and even a steward with a small galley. Although the knee room
left a bit to be desired, the bus was silent and sleek on the paved part of the
highway, a good choice for the 13 hour overnight ride. The countryside was
beautiful, rich and green, much of it like Chautauqua County in summer. It was
hilly and the narrow road twisted through forests, rose over tall hills and
presented magnificent vistas of sea and countryside until it grew dark. In
places there was a passing lane and our driver was quick to drop down a gear or
two and take on whoever was in front of him. Sometimes the road was very rough
and the bus would rattle and tilt alarmingly as we raced over gravel sections
of
road under repair. Occasionally we would descend very rough, steep hills, at
seemingly high speeds, only to drop back on smooth macadam where everything
would quiet down again. Every two hours or so we would stop for a rest break at
a modern, clean restaurant facility. The bus would stay about 30 minutes, long
enough for a snack or to use the restroom if one preferred that to the one on
the bus. Of course, no one on the bus spoke English so there was no way we
could know just how long the bus would stay at any place, although they had
announced it in Turkish. After sunrise, we found ourselves in a huge parking
lot. There were hundreds of busses there. We were all waiting in line for a
Ferry. There were six huge ferries where the road crossed the Sea of Marmara,
and only a short wait until we drove aboard with a dozen other busses and headed
across.
Istanbul was a city of surprises. First of all, the temperature was a full ten
degrees cooler than Marmaris. It was 80's rather than 90's with a refreshing
breeze. Secondly, although it is a city of 40 million (we were told), it seemed
very safe and friendly. As our bus stopped just short of the city, a helpful
young lady said "no, no," to us and practically pushed us back on the
bus when we tried to get off at that wrong stop. When we finally arrived at the
end of the line another man pointed us to a tram line and told us where to get
off in Sultanhamet. From there we dragged our wheeled luggage to the Side Hotel
where they were waiting for us with a clean room.
Istanbul is a city of 40 million, a big city by any measure, and we found out
that out as soon as we sat down for breakfast. We had a regular breakfast, (the
one served on the bus was pretty small), and the waiter said the bill was 25
lira. I added it up and it only came to 18. He was very sorry. We purchased a
tour or Prince's Island and found ourselves overcharged again. We complained
and again got our money back. Rug merchants are everywhere and endlessly pester
you to visit their store and buy a rug. So far we have resisted. But the city
and its people are magnificent. Outdoor restaurants serve the best food we have
had in Europe, all for a reasonable price. Service is excellent. Most of those
who work in these places are Kurds. They are proud, capable and invariably
articulate English speakers. We have visited the underground cistern, a huge
old cistern supported with columns from the Forum in Rome, the famous Blue
Mosque, which is near our hotel, Aya Sofya, a former Mosque, turned church,
turned museum, and Topkapi Palace, where the Sultans lived with their harems for
over a thousand years. All are magnificent on a huge scale. Five times each
day the city resounds with the call to worship from various Mosques, from East
to West
After the Palace, we visited the Grand Bazzar. Here hundreds, if not
thousands of merchants sell everything in a several city block covered bazzar.
It is exciting and busy. There are hundreds of gold merchants along with
leather goods, carpets, and clothing shops of all kinds. You bargain for
everything. Sometimes a third of the asking price is about what one needs to
pay. It is truly fascinating.
For dinner one night we went to the Arasta Bazar for dinner and watched the
whirling dervish who performed right in front of us on stage. It was done to
music and an excellent performance. They don't sell booze in the bazaar as it
is associated with the mosque, but both men and women often share hookas or huge
water pipes loaded with 95% flavor and 5% tobacco. Most smell like apple wood,
but they have pear, even cappacino and other flavors. We passed that one up.
The whole thing supports the Blue Mosque.
Many women here are in full cover; that is, they cover their legs with long
skirts or pants and their arms with long sleeved shirts and/or sweaters. They
wear colorful scarves to cover their hair. Most of the time they are very
attractively color coordinated with makeup and heels. Interestingly, it is not
legal for women to wear full cover while working in government agencies in
Turkey, so in the modern part of the City women wear regular clothing.
On Sunday we went to Prince's Island which entailed a several hour ferry ride
through the Bosphorus with its swirling currents to the Sea of Marmara. On the
way we met a family of five from Jerusalem. They were Palestinians and I don't
know what religion. They were delightful people who loved their homeland. He
arranged food for conferences of visiting groups. She was a "stay at home
Mom" with a degree in biochemistry. They all, including the kids, spoke
Arabic, English and French. The island was where princes, other than the Crown
Prince, were kept to maintain an emergency heir to the throne, but to avoid
rivalries between princes. It is in many ways like Macinaw Island. No motor
vehicles are allowed so carriages do the work. There are huge hotels and, like
Chautuaqua, beautiful Victorian (Ottoman) homes perched on the hillsides. It is
a beautiful place, but, unlike Chautauqua is overrun with tourist just there to
look. A "Cony Island" atmosphere prevails around the docks; we were
happy to return to the old town and our pension.
Today, Monday, we visited the new section of Istambul. We took a modern
streetcar, silent and swift, across the Golden Horn to the new part of the city.
There we found, a modern city with delightful shops and restaurants. Streets
were wide and some had a spectacular view of the sea. Prices are marked on
goods and they are for real. There is MacDonalds, Pizza Hut, Burger King, as
well as any number of famous logo clothing stores. Prices are low and the shops
are delightful. It was a fun day. Tonight we will check our flights on the
Internet, have dinner and head for the airport at 5:30 tomorrow morning for our
27 hour flight to Tampa. Peace at home, Peace in the World, that is the slogan
of Turkey. It works for me.
All the best, Hank and JulieP.S. It is now Wednesday, the 26th. Our
twenty seven hour day has come and
gone and in spite of being a bit frenzied yesterday, we made it home in good
shape. It is great to be back. Hope to hear from all of you soon.
Hank
and Julie.