Turkey Round Two

After ten days in Germany I traveled back to Turkey not only to pick up my phone but to stay for another week because I was meeting up with my friends Katie Culhane and DJ Cunningham; some friends from my study abroad program in Amman. The first couple of days they went out and visited all the touristy places I had already previously seen. When their museum days were over, my birthday arrived and we celebrated by going to the Istanbul Aquarium. We then ended the day by meeting up with some locals along the Bosphorus for a picnic. The view was great as was the weather and we hung out there until dark. The next few days we took a trip to Prince’s Island for my round two of Island biking and re-visited the wonderful spice bazaar. 

            Week two in Istanbul turned out to be more relaxing than week one so I was able to get a better glimpse of the culture. For starters, getting around without knowing Turkish was a bit tricky because most Turkish people do not speak English or Arabic. We also discovered that they are passionate about soccer as are most Europeans. I experienced two big soccer games in Istanbul and all I have to say is that you are better off indoors on game days. On these days the streets become so flooded with fans to the point that it is impossible for cars to drive down the streets, with out being forced out of their cars to sing the national song.  We also discovered they appreciate trees. As it turns out, big riots broke out in Taksim Square (the area we were staying in) with thousands of people gathering to protest the cutting down of trees in a park near by. The riots got so intense that policemen fired tear gas into crowds of demonstrators. How we managed to live through this without knowing about it until we were back in Amman is beyond me.

            Turkey was an interesting place to visit with its unique European yet conservative feel. Something you won’t find in the Middle East or anywhere else in Europe. Even though the majority of the population is Muslim you will not find a single quiet night down in Taksim, the hub for dancing and celebrating. So if you plan on visiting Istanbul, pack some energy, conservative clothes, and an umbrella for rainy days. Lastly, don’t forget to visit the aquarium.