My family and I took a plane to Istanbul, and very large and popular Turkish city. This is our last stop in Turkey, ending a pleasant month spent here.
Istanbul is an incredibly large city, with millions of citizens and thousands of tourists. It’s so big that it’s split between two continents, Europe and Asia.
My family and I stayed here a week in a local neighborhood. Our apartment was trendy, but was not meant for a family of four, instead a single or a couple of people.
On of first day in Istanbul, we rested. But the following morning we set off to a market called the Grand Bazaar. It was very overwhelming, with many people selling carpets, scarves, pottery, tea, spices and other goods. Here we didn’t buy very much, only a couple of glass animals, and it wasn’t what I thought it would be like.
We also visited a Spice Bazaar, where my Mom and I each got a scarf on sale and my brother a soccer jersey.
We walked along a long, wide shopping street here, and I got a new shirt and a pair of new shoes. My old ones were getting tight, and I’m leaving the, here in Namibia, where hopefully they’ll used well.
Perhaps you’ve heard about the riots in Taksim Square. We had no problems here, but did see some evidence of it.
Near our apartment is a tall tower called Galata Tower. It’s one of the tallest buildings in Istanbul, with great views. It’s also the oldest tower in the world open to visitors.
Another day we visited a tourist site, Topkapi Palace. This palace was very beautiful, with lots of tile and glass. We also saw courtyards, royal clothes, weapons and my favorite- the jewels.
I also saw the outside of a mosque called the Hagia Sophia. It was gigantic!
My Mom and I took a fun cooking class, and we made five yummy dishes! Our kind instructor also wrote about me on the school’s Facebook page and website!
Another day we took a short boat tour from the Europe side to the Asian and back.
On one of our last days here we visited an underground, man made room. It was built by slaves a long time ago, and had very fancy pillar and carvings and was refreshingly cool.
One afternoon I was invited to play volleyball with some local girls. I accepted and we became friends, playing daily together.
Now I’ll leave busy Istanbul and go to Namibia, Africa. Stay tuned! 🙂
Hey Charlie, I am about to go back to camp Deer Lake for 11 days, want me to tell you about it? -Veronica
I would love to hear about it. Which one are you doing? Please email me. Have Fun!!!
Your Friend,
Charlie
You do a lot of eating!! Have fun in Africa.
Hehe! I like the “Need a scarf?” thing! They looked really pretty.
Have a good time in Africa!!
looks like you had alot of fun in turkey.can hardly wait to experience your new cuisine-all the food you have learned to cook.glad you found some local kids to play with.wow has your hair grown.love you lots.