19. Back from Istanbul

I just returned from an absolutely amazing 4 days in Istanbul. Many thanks to Toby and Ivy for their excellent suggestions.

-The history of Istanbul is so rich that it's tough to fully appreciate it without some good research ahead of time. Though I failed to do this research, I caught up quickly throughout my journey by reading guides and asking friends.
-The first thing that I noticed (as well as everyone else) about Istanbul is that there is a dubious lack of women. For every 25 men I would see, there would be one woman. On the tram system, everyone stands/sits in silence and, as I was traveling with a girl for most of the time, all eyes were focused on us. That said, I maintain that my coat was garnering serious attention. The women that we did see were either tourists, or covered head-to-toe.
-It would be an absolute shock to me if Turkey gained entrance in the EU. Though there are forward thinking elements, the treatment of women alone seems enough to keep them out of the playground.
-Turks can't drive in snow. That makes for a scary taksi ride during a whiteout. Trust me.
-The hotspots in Istanbul are conveniently very close to one another. The Blue Mosque and Aya Sophia stare at each other. No city planner could've been nicer to tourists.
-At times, the city felt very Western European given its commercial development while at other times it felt strangely Eastern European. Lots of semi-mullets that are probably popular in Croatia and Bulgaria.
-Only once did I tell someone I was from the USA. I was from Toronto and it felt great. Americans get bad prices and aren't treated all that well. I've also been told that Jews don't do too well in Muslim countries, so I stayed away from talking about Israel.
-Some elements of Istanbul are really modern and out-of-place. For example, see the automatic towel dispensers in the bathrooms and electronic gadgets used to take orders in restaurants.

-The Blue Mosque is as ornate as 9th grade history teachers say. It was the first time I've been in a mosque and as far as I'm concerned, all others will probably be a let down. It's like going to the superbowl for a first football game. Walking around without shoes was inviting. For such a special site, I am shocked at how easy it was to gain entry. Had the place been in America, it would've taken hours.
-Aya Sophia, unfortunately, was a bit of a let down. This is only, however, a function of my lack of knowledge about the building. The Blue Mosque is much more elegant so my expectations were a bit high. It would have been nice to have a tour guide. Nonetheless, the architectural enormity of the structure did not disappoint, nor did the mosaics of Justinian and Constantine holding Jesus.
-Tokapi Palace, the winter home of the Ottoman Sultan for a couple hundred years, was large, extravagant, and surprisingly plain. Tokapi is not Versailles in that regard. From one end to the other was a 20 minutes walk. Huge open green spaces surrounded by low buildings on all sides. Each Sultan added a bit to the palace and the Harem (where he kept his females). The Harem is a complex that housed the Sultan's women (roughly 1000 of them) and looked like an upscale jail. Mosaics everywhere. Inside the museum were the following: Moses' walking stick, John the Baptists' arm and skull, Abraham's saucepan, Muhammed's footprint and beard and sword, and Joseph's cap. Eh, I'll let you judge the validity of the artifacts. We were totally freaking out at the claim that we were looking at Moses' walking stick (which was nice) and John's arm, but were rather curious why the museum isn't celebrated the world over. Muhammed had a low arch and big feet. Much bigger than expected. Muhammed's gold tooth chest was there too. I prefer the plastic ones from the school nurse.
-Turkish Baths are the best thing on Earth. The first day, I was scrubbed by a large, overworked Turkish man. He cracked every vertebrae in my body and nearly yanked my shoulder out of its socket. That said, I don't think I've ever been more relaxed in my life....except for the second day when I went again. I tried to convince every kid that went on the trip (~80) to get one, and most did. Though Americans are obviously obsessed with body image, I didn't realized the extent to which that is true. A lot of the kids absolutely refused and missed out on utter relaxation.
-We took a great boat cruise on the Bosphorus River (between Europe and Asia) and made friends with a nice Italian couple. Though it was snowing worse than the blizzard of '78, the cruise was lots of fun.
-We found the coolest street in all of Istanbul on the third day. Every shop was run by a woman and there were great shops and hipster images everywhere. Andy Warhol would've lived there. In one store--a retro shop that was a house--everything was for sale--there was a Seder plate for sale (an item used on Passover). Needless to say, I was shocked and asked the clerk if she knew what it was and if she was Jewish. She knew exactly what it was and I think she thought it was cool that we were Jewish given her smile when I asked about it. This street--and it's red haired hipster female clerks--gave me hope for Turkey's modernization process.

-I enjoyed traveling with a big group to Istanbul, though I now, more than ever, realize why so many people in this world dislike Americans. It is a sad thing, to be sure, though if Americans were a little more conscious of their surroundings and walked with a bit of humility, it would go a long way.

I great 4 days. Istanbul is a beautiful city and looks wonderful in a snowstorm. Pictures to follow.

Classes start tomorrow.