WE LEFT THE SHIP AFTER A GOOD BREAKFAST AND HEADED FOR OUR HOTEL WHICH WAS QUITE FAR AWAY. AFTER DUMPING THE LUGGAGE IN THE ROOM WE HEADED BACK INTO THE CITY WHERE WE VISITED THE GRAND BAZAAR AND DIDN'T BUY A THING. WE TOOK THE METRO FROM THE HOTEL, GOT THE WRONG DIRECTIONS AND HAD TO TAKE A CAB IN THE HEAVY TRAFFIC. THE BAZAAR IS SO CROWDED AND SO OVERWHELMING THAT MY HEAD WAS SPINNING AND JERRY WAS MUMBLING TO HIMSELF. WE FINALLY FOUND OUR WAY OUT OF THE MAZE AND GOT ON A BUS TO TAXIM SQUARE WHICH LOOKED NOTHING LIKE IT DID TEN YEARS AGO. WE WERE KIND OF DISAPPOINTED BY THE CHANGE BECAUSE WE FELT IT HAS LOST IT'S CHARM AND UNIQUENESS.
WE KNOW THERE WERE DEMONSTRATIONS AND RIOTS BUT WE HAVEN'T SEEN ANY OF THAT. VERY FEW PEOPLE SPEAK ENGLISH HERE SO IT IS A LITTLE DIFFICULT GETTING AROUND ON PUBLIC TRANSPORT BUT THAT DIDN'T STOP US. WE MANAGED PRETTY WELL.
ISTANBUL IS A CITY WHICH IS DIVIDED INTO TWO PARTS AND TWO CONTINENTS. IT IS HARD TO BELIEVE THAT ONE PART OF THE CITY IS IN EUROPE AND THE OTHER PART IS IN ASIA. WE RODE AROUND ON A PUBLIC BUS IN THE AFTERNOON ONCE AGAIN FOR ALMOST TWO HOURS IN ORDER TO GET BACK TO OUR HOTEL. I AM SO OVER PUBLIC BUSES!
I THINK WE ARE READY TO COME HOME. WE ARE BOTH EXHAUSTED AND SICK OF SCHLEPPING AROUND BOTTLED WATER. WE WILL CATCH OUR FLIGHT TO ROME TOMORROW MORNING AT SOME UNGODLY HOUR. WE HAVE A SHORT LAYOVER IN ROME AND THEN IT'S HOME AND OUR OWN BED.
IT HAS BEEN A WONDERFUL TRIP. WE SAW THINGS WE NEVER THOUGHT WE WOULD SEE. I AM OVERWHELMED BY THE WONDERFUL PEOPLE OF ISRAEL AND WHAT THEY HAVE DONE TO THE DESERT. I HAVE ACCOMPLISHED A LIFELONG DREAM OF SEEING THE PYRAMDS BUT I WILL NEVER GO BACK TO EGYPT. CAIRO IS A FILTHY CITY. THE NILE AROUND CAIRO IS FILLED WITH GARBAGE AND THE PEOPLE DON'T CARE. THEY JUST KEEP THROWING MORE IN. WE LOVED RHODES AND MALTA. ISTANBUL IS JUST TOO BIG AND CROWDED FOR ME AND WE COULDN'T GET MUCH HELP WITH DIRECTIONS, ALTHOUGH WE MANAGED. FINALLY, IF I NEVER SEE ANOTHER MOSQUE I WOULD BE THRILLED!
GOODBYE FROM ISTANBUL. I WILL START WORKING ON OUR NEXT TRIP. WHO WANTS TO JOIN US?
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