istanbul, turkey.

Remember that totally awkward phase of life, where everyone has acne, there is constant drama with your friends, you're constantly changing friends, you're wearing t-shirts with Hollister printed right across the front so everyone knows you shop there and everyone is just starting to get in the habit of wearing deodorant? Yeah remember Jr. High!? Well that was totally awkward and smelly and gross... now imagine a whole country of Jr. High kids! Welcome to Istanbul, Turkey!

My entire experience in Turkey was just like being in Jr. High. We got off the boat in Asia and had to walk over to Europe and it's really hot, really humid, the air is polluted and it smells like fart. Not even joking! The entire city reeks of it! Oh yeah and the people don't do anything about it! So we walk over to the Royal Palace and there's TONS of people there! We're all standing in line waiting to go into one room, we're all squished together and of course they haven't discovered deodorant yet... (if you don't think it's smelly in this country, you will by the end of this..) It was the most uncomfortable experience of my life! You know I got that venue done fast!

Next we go to the Hagia Sophia, the most beautiful mosque in the world! It's enormous and unlike anything I've ever seen! We're starting off on a good note, but of course it was super smelly!!

It was definitely better than the royal palace, but I was just amazed at the people occupying the streets and mosque! They are pushing and shoving and being completely inconsiderate of those around them. And here we are in a sacred mosque (sacred to the Muslims) and people are being so disrespectful, taking pictures, wearing tank tops and hats... I think that's one of the MANY reasons tourists aren't allowed in temples.

Well we spent the day going from mosque to mosque and checking out the bazaars. It was a really unique and almost unreal day! People still go to the bazaars and bargain for food and spices and clothes.. I bought my mom some ceramic little bowls and I had to bargain with the guy to get a good price! It was really fun, but I couldn't do it everyday!



When we went to the Grand Bazaar we tried some dried fruit and DOUBLE roasted pistachios. Now.. I LOVE LOVE pistachios! Like I could eat them every stinkin day! So when I heard double roasted I just had to partake. Yeah they were magical! Too bad I they were $30/kg. It was ridiculous! The only traditional thing we didn't try was Turkish Delight. That as well as the pistachios were SO expensive! They were like $5 per square, the square is like 2 square inches.

Haha! What a totally foreign, weird country! I would never go there again! But if you happen to find yourself conveniently in the area.. you might want to go just to experience the smells and shopping in the bazaars! It's UNREAL!