Hello and Goodbye . . . Istanbul

My tour of Istanbul, Turkey is coming to an end today.  It was a wonderful trip.

It is known as the home of the famous Blue Mosque and the spice market. Because of the EID holiday, the spice market was closed.

The Blue Mosque

Spice Market - Closed because of EID

No worries.  There was plenty to see and do.

Garden view of the Blue Mosque

Inside the Blue Mosque

We visited a palace that holds an 86-carat diamond.  Amazing!  I'm not a big jewelry person, but you can't help but love this rock.  Pictures weren't allowed, but I found this one online.

86-carat diamond

Flowers and shrubs in the shape of the flag,
in the garden at the Blue Mosque

"New" Mosque located at the harbor

My absolute favorite part of the trip was our voyage to The Big Island, one of nine islands in this area, that took an hour to reach by boat.  There were huge houses, mansions really, around every corner and every bend in the road.  Some were high on the hills, others at street level, and all incredibly beautiful.  Cars are forbidden on this island.  The only mode of transportation is by horse and buggy - they act as taxis - or on bikes or by foot.  So, so cool.

View of Istanbul from the ferry boat

This dog and cat were oblivious to the crowds walking by

Clock tower in the town square

There must have been at least 100 horse carriages ferrying folks around the island. All of the horses had "poop catchers" which was a brilliant idea or else there would have been tons of poop in the streets.

A few of the many horse carriages

There was some of the most vibrant-colored fruits and vegetables I've ever seen sold at store fronts.  I'm guessing all of the horse poop makes great fertilizer.

Speaking of fruit, I've eaten the best figs ever, here.  There eaten like apples with the peeling intact.  They're pale yellow and deep brownish/purple.  Yummy!

Panoramic View of Istanbul from the ferry boat

View of building in town square

The island is only a two-mile trip around, and there are only 7000 residents.  There were that many visitors yesterday alone.

Over-the-shoulder wine flask

On the way back to Istanbul, one of the tour guides acted as emcee and invited folks from the many and varied countries to come up and sing a song native to their country/region.  A video clip of one brave soul's rendition is below.

There were three other women traveling alone, so we hung out together because the buggy ride required four people.  It worked out great.  They are lovely ladies.

Me and my new friends 

So long Istanbul.

As always, thanks for sharing this ride with me.

A View from Abroad

A very interesting article on America in today's local UAE paper.

http://www.thenational.ae/thenationalconversation/comment/political-boasting-misses-the-point-of-americas-history?utm_source=Newsletter&utm_medium=Email&utm_campaign=Daily%2BNewsletter%2B19-08-2012

Turkey, Part 2

We just arrived at the hotel in Istanbul.  The drive over was filled with great sights - the best was an amazing aqueduct with Spanish style arches. I missed the shot . . . again, but I found pictures of it online.  I'm hoping to see it again before we leave.

Istanbul Aqueduct

Another view of the aqueduct

This is the town square.

There is a group of about 40 of us at this hotel and about that many staying at another place.  We all took advantage of a Groupon or Living Social Voucher and flew in from Dubai.  We'll have two days of guided tours, then we're headed home on Tuesday.

This trip was designed to celebrate EID.

Ramadan is officially over today and EID begins tomorrow.  This is a 5-day period to mark the end of the month of fasting, with three sacred days of partying and celebrations.  (This is the way they do it in the UAE.  Not sure if it's universally recognized like this).  This is a time when gifts are exchanged and presents are bought for all.  This is their Christmas, if you will.  This is the closest thing the Muslim community have to our Christmas holidays, and I hear it's pretty lavish, as you might expect.

Side note - I know I've said this many times before - so I expect there will be some eyes rolling, but that's OK.

Here goes -

All of these wonderful things didn't start happening in my life

Until . . .

I forgave.

A year ago.

At 55 years old!

I let it/him/them go.

Pushed it aside,

and / or

Chose to look at things differently.

I realized I was holding me back.  Not this person or that one.

Me.

Just me.

And when I made a conscious decision to let it/him/them be, things in my life turned around.

This is from someone who took great pride in holding a grudge, so . . .

If I can do it, you can too.

Cool Stuff

Real quick -

I discovered Triposo.  It is a free travel guide app that gives you things to do, the history of the area, and maps.  And, it works when you're offline.  Very nice.

Another super discovery was e-Gate, which allows you to skip the long lines at the airport when you're having to get your passport checked.  For a fee, roughly $60, I went to their office at the airport.  Showed them my passport.  They scanned my thumbs, and took my picture.  Voila!  That's it.  I now have a credit card looking ID that I will flash and zip right on through the passport checkpoints.  Sometimes the lines are crazy long, so this will be great.  I know that all airports have them, so if you travel a lot, it might be worth looking into.

I have to go to bed.  It's an early one for me.

Good morning to you.

Good night to me.

Ciao.

High in Dubai

Today I went for a helicopter ride over Dubai.

Oh my!

It was exhilarating!

I bought this voucher months ago from Groupon or Living Social, and knew I wanted to wait til the summer break to use it.

So, today was the day.

The ride began at Dubai Festival Marina, which is a high end mall, pier, and heliport all rolled into one. Thankfully, the GPS Coordinates were posted online, so it wasn't hard to find.

The Dubai Festival Marina

I arrived early, so I checked out the mall to stay cool.  At the appointed time, I joined six others back at the office.  We were weighed, shown a safety video, fitted with life jackets, and escorted to the landing pad.  When we got inside, we were buckled in and given headphones to protect our ears from the noise.  It was incredibly loud.

The helicopter

Then, off we went.

I was sitting in a middle seat, so the pictures aren't the best, but I hope you can get an idea of what I was seeing.

The islands making up the "world."

This picture is from online, showing what it looks like from space.
Amazing!

The water was a crystal blue.  The sky was a little hazy because it was windy, but otherwise, it was a wonderful day to do this.

This is the top of the palm tree
where you can see The Atlantis Hotel

This picture is from online, showing the entire island.
Each of the palm branches houses high-rise condominiums and apartments.

This is a close-up of The Atlantis Hotel.
It is extraordinarily big, with more than 1500 rooms.

Seeing the man-made islands making up the "world" and the palm tree was enchanting.  Pictures just don't do this justice.  It is absolutely magnificent!

The speck at the top is the Burj Arab,
the hotel that's shaped like a sailboat.

This is a closeup picture from online.

What a day!

Tomorrow I'm headed back to Turkey.  This time I'll be visiting Istanbul.

Inshallah.

More soon.

I Knew I was Getting Close . . .

To home when the toilet bowls disappeared and the holes in the floor appeared.

I knew I was back home . . .

When one lane of a three-lane road was suddenly turned into a parking lot.  No signs.  No heads up.  Nothing.

I knew I was back home . . .

When folks regularly created curb parking when no parking was available elsewhere.

I knew I was back home . . .

When none of this bothered me.

In the nine months that I've lived here, I've learned to go with the flow.

I've learned to consider, no matter what's happening, that all is well.

I've learned to adapt,

And

I've learned to love . . .

My new home.

Race in America

Where to begin?

We've come a long way in tackling the issues surrounding race in America.

Are they obsolete?  Of course not.

Is it much better?  Absolutely.

In raising Ben and Frankie, it was important for them to understand the struggles and battles fought, so that they could appreciate all who went before them to make their way possible.  But many times I felt the conversations fell on deaf ears because their experiences were so different.  Their struggles were minuscule in comparison.

That's a good thing, right?

Yes, but . . .

There are still those who have issues with who we are, based solely on the color of our skin, and we need to be aware of that, so that when it comes up, we can deal it with constructively.

I've thought a lot about this recently, in reference to my granddaughter, Zadie.

As a mixed child, she will need to be taught no matter how she sees herself, what matters in the way she is treated, is how the world sees her.  My classic example is Tiger Woods.  He sees himself as this multiracial (which he is) entity, but when he walks out of the door, the world sees a Black man.

When Zadie looks in the mirror, will she appreciate who she sees?  How do we help her grow and mature to embrace both sides of herself, without having to deny either part of who she is?  Will the standards of beauty have broaden by the time she's of age, to regularly include women of color?  Will it be necessary to have the same conversations with her, that I had with Ben and Frankie?

I think so.

Not as some indictment on everyone who is a certain color, but to be aware that there are still narrow-minded people who struggle to see pass our color.

Better to be prepared than to be blindsided.

Have we come a long way?

YES!

Do we still have a ways to go?

For sure.

Picture of Crete, Greece

This is Pigeon Island.  It sits in the harbor, standing watch on all who enter and leave.
It is a fort, surrounded by a wall, with tower in the middle.

Wonderful hole-in-the-wall coffee shop

Another street cafe

Notice the grapes growing and serving as a roof for this restaurant.

 

Closeup of the grapes growing on the roof

A church in the heart of town

Seaside homes and businesses

Pictures of Ephesus, Turkey

Panoramic view of Kusadasi, the city nearest Ephesus

Smaller stadium that the Apostle Paul was believed to have preached.

The Virgin Mary.  She is believed to have  lived
in Ephesus after the death of Christ.  Her home is nearby.

A sculpture in a museum in Kusadasi

Pictures of Athens

Homes in Athens

Soldier guarding the tomb of the unknown soldier

Olympic Stadium - Site of the first Olympics in 1896

Obscured view of The Acropolis

This is a downloaded picture of the Acropolis, with the Parthenon
in full view on the right.  This is the shot I missed.  It was a spectacular view.

Pictures of Taormina, Sicily

This is on Mt. Edna where the volcano created this crater,
covered with ash.

Along the main street

A magnificent old church

Inside one of the many churches

More shops along the main street

Notice how narrow the streets are

A closeup of the hearse in the square

The hearse is parked in front of the church.

Scores of people, including me, were sitting around this fountain
watching the funeral procession - the hearse, followed by the family
walking behind it.  The church is in this square.  My back is to it.

This is a view of the waters below from the main street.

Pictures of Rome

I'm not sure what this building is, but it is extraordinary.
The picture doesn't do it justice.

I liked the shape of this building.

The Coliseum

Notice the people on the bottom right.
I wanted you to see how massive this structure is.

St. Peter's Basilica

St. Peter's Square

Sailing Observations 2

Refreshingly, all coffee served in our European stops were served in china, including the airport in Rome.

Speedos appear to the bathing suit of choice for middle aged European men, which they wear confidently throughout all public places.  The French banned Arab women from wearing burkas.  All of Europe should consider a similar ban on Speedos. They are definitely more offensive than burkas could ever be.

The majority of the men were wearing satchels that draped across their chests. Gone were the fanny packs, replaced by these.  They reminded me of my brother Forrest who carried one of these, sans the strap, 40 years ago.  What is old, is new again.

Many folks were dressed in their finest every night parading through the ship. All dressed up with no place to go?

Spandex was on full display.  Sometimes successfully, most times not.

I met a guy yesterday whose wife had just died a month ago.  Was he sailing to remember the many times they had sailed together?  Or was he running away to forget?  I think guys have a harder time being alone.  Of course, we all deal with death differently.

I was invited by someone to join them dinner last night.  No, it wasn't the above mentioned guy.  Anyway, it was in the swanky dining room, with a 15-course meal. OK.  Maybe not that many, but a lot.  I enjoyed the dinner and the company, but that is not my scene.  If given a choice between swanky and a dive, I'll choose the dive every time.

People deal with strangers differently.  Some are open and friendly.  Others are head down on a mission to stay anonymous.  Although I pride myself on being able to talk to a rock, depending on my mood, I can be that head down person.  Sometimes, it's nice being anonymous.

I'm reading a really good book, ON BEAUTY by Zadie Smith, and woke up early to finish it.  These are characters I'm very much invested in.  I arrived at the 24-hour cafe for coffee at 5:45am and for the next 45 minutes, there were only guys in here. Is that because guys are earlier risers, or is it because it takes women longer to get dressed?

There doesn't seem to be the appreciation for the dangers of cigarette and second hand smoking in these countries.  There were no "no smoking" areas to be found. Also, more than once I saw folks rolling cigarettes.  Why?  Is it cheaper? Safer?

Of the many different accents heard on board, the British women's was the only one that was annoying.  Funny, I don't mind hearing a British guy, but when the women speak, in that sing-song whinny cadence, that is annoying.

Oh sugar!  I checked my emails and forgot to turn off the Internet.  Yikes! Seriously, by the time Zadie's in first grade, the world should be wireless and FREE!  Google boys - gather your boys and get on it!  I'm sure the technology is already available, but everyone wants a piece of the pie for as long as possible.

The Internet is my lifeline.  Should I have more human contact?  Probably, but I'm at a very selfish place in my life.  I spent my life taking care of others and putting their needs first, and now it's all about me.  I find it's easier to be selfish by myself, then I don't offend others whose opinion I couldn't care less about, or whose company I may or may not want.  Does that make me a bad person?  Maybe.  But I'm willing to wear that label to live the way I want to live, doing what I want to do.

I think I'm beginning to recognize folks who've had face lifts.  Or is it Botox? Whatever it is, their faces are tight and taut.  Looks like it hurts.  The things we do in the name of beauty.

It never ceases to amaze me how something this big, this cruise ship, can float.  Or how jumbo jets can fly?  Of course, I still don't understand how radios work, so I'm not hopeful that I'll ever get it, but I appreciate the engineering feat that allows these things to happen, nonetheless.

R&B Music has been playing all week throughout the ship.  Is that because it's universally enjoyed?  Or did the Captain check the manifest for the number of Black folks, and decided it was an R&B trip?

Just kidding.

Ciao!

Crete is Greece & Greece is Crete

Our last stop was here in Crete.  I'm not sure why it's identified by its name, distinct from mainland Greece.  Kind of reminds me of Brooklyn.  Why is it identified as Brooklyn, NY, and not New York, NY?

Anyway, on rare occasions, I think too much.

Side note - Anita Baker is playing over the PA System.  Nice.  Frankie Beverly, too. I met him once, in Miami.  My maiden name is Beverly, and I mentioned that, but he was a jerk about it.  Not a fan of him or his music.

We made four stops in Crete.  The first was a magnificent view of the valley below. You have to believe in God when you see something as grand and majestic as this. It was incredible.  The second stop was a community high in the mountains.  There was a cute coffee shop where I had Greek coffee.  It was espresso size and about as strong.  The third stop was in a quaint village at the seaside with turquoise colored water trimming it.  This was by far my favorite.  It was so inviting and relaxing.  Here I had another Greek coffee.  This one was iced.  Very nice.  The last stop was in a bustling commercial area.  Lots of shops and restaurants.  There were tons of people.  In addition to all of us visitors, it looked like a local hangout, too, because of all of the places to eat.

I took a city bus back to the harbor, and it was filled with folks from the ship heading back.  We had to be back on board early today.  Anyway, there was a twenty-something woman who missed all of the sights during the twenty minute ride back because her head was down the whole time as she was fiddling with her phone. This is a once in lifetime experience for some, and you're on your phone?  As much as I love technology, I think if we're not careful, we can let it interfere with living.

I think I'm out of Internet minutes . . . again . . . but that's OK because this is the end of the road for my travels.  We'll be spending the rest of the time at sea, heading back to Rome.

This week has been wonderful.  Thanks for sharing it with me.

Gobble? Gobble?

Today we're in Kusadasi on the western shore of Turkey.

We're approaching the shore to dock for the day, when a small tugboat-looking boat met us in the waters right off shore.  It was bright red, flying the flag of Turkey.  I think it's a "follow me" boat, as that is what we did.

There is an island patch of land sticking out in the water that is attached by a strip of a road.  On this island-like area, is a high wall with a lookout tower in the middle.  I'm sure there's a story there.

There are two communities, and the ship is between them.  Another small boat passes by.  It looks like a fishing boat.

The way the communities are built in the mountain, it looks like wherever you are, you have a view of the water.  The land is naturally formed like an amphitheater.  The water at stage level and the homes and businesses are like the seats arranged progressively higher as they're built in the mountain.

Again, it was an early day.  I recorded the above at about 7:00am.  It's about 5:30pm now, and I'm in the 24-hour cafe, and one of the places that I can get Internet service.

We headed to the town of Ephesus, that is referenced many places in the bible, not the least of which, in the Book of Ephesians.  We see the amphitheater where the Apostle Paul preached a sermon to the masses.

It is a beautiful area.  The mountain range is a lustrous green, and our guide showed us a system here where rain water is captured and used for the six months it doesn't rain, providing the irrigation needed to grow all of the fruits and vegetables that are so plentiful.  I love figs and bought some the size of your fists.  I've never seen any so big, and unlike the ones I'm used to, you eat them like an apple, peeling and all.  Delicious!

Until the year 2000, this was just a quaint village by the sea.  Since that time, the port was sold to Royal Carribean Cruise Line, and now they average two million visitors per year.  Cleverly, the town has built an outdoor mall that the ship passengers must pass through to get back on board.  We were dropped off about two blocks away from the dock.  So, there were many opportunities to shop or avoid shopping, along the way.  Also, if you chose not to go on an excursion, the mall brings the town to the ship.  Smart idea, for sure.

Side note - During this week of extraordinary experiences, I realize how grateful I am for the Internet.  It truly is my lifeline to the world.  Rationing my time on it has been the only down side about this trip.  I'm having so much fun, I want to tell you about it NOW and show you all of the pictures NOW.  But instead of griping, I choose to be thankful that I have it at all.  Just eight years go when Ben lived in Indonesia, our online experiences were very limited compared to nowadays.  Gmail video chat is awesome!  Gotta love those Google boys.  Even without the video, being able to call computer to computer is super, and it's free!  Consider getting a Gmail account, just for the chat features.

Seriously, I ought to a get paid for endorsements because when I like something, I want the world to know it.

Side note 2 - Turkey is a Muslim country, but you couldn't tell it by appearances, at all.  There wasn't a black rope or head scarf in sight anywhere.  There were eating establishments opened throughout, and it didn't look like it was just for non-Muslims.  The fasting period of Ramadan is still happening.  It is clear that the country is tolerant of other religions, based on its history alone.  According to our tour guide, it's the only Muslim country that is a member of NATO and is recognized for its peacekeeping activities.

Our last stop is Chania, Crete tomorrow, then we're at sea all day Saturday, and arrive in Rome at sunrise on Sunday.

Farewell for now.

It's Greek to Me!

We docked in Athens before dawn.  By 8:30 we were off on our panoramic tour of the city.

Pardon me for the comparisons, but since Cairo and Rome are still so fresh in my mind, my natural tendency is to compare them. Surprisingly, Athens is the most modern looking of the three.  It did not have the ruins on display like the others. Of course, there was the Parthenon, that sits on top of a mountain, overlooking the city.  And there was another set of columns standing nearby, but that was it.  We stopped at the base of it, but the view was obscured, and not the best.  In each city, I chose the tour that would give me the greatest exposure to the sights.  As a result though, our time was limited and so climbing to the top of the Parthenon was not to be this time.  Later as were driving along, we had a magnificent view of the Acropolis/Parthenon, but I missed the shot, fiddling with my camera.  I'll download one to show you.

The traffic was exceptionally light because most of the natives are on holiday during the month of August.  Even in these hard times over here, the folks still vacation, but just shorten them.

Another thing I notice is how clean Athens is, and so was Rome.  Most of Egypt was not.  I think that has to do with the lack of infrastructure.  It was clear  the roads had not been repaired in years, old garbage lined many of the roads, and many public building were in need of repair and/or upgrading.  Their is lots of hope resting on the shoulders of the new Egyptian president.  I hope that he can deliver.

Now about my accommodations -

The cruise ship is the Navigator of the Seas by Royal Caribbean.  It is a beauty.  This is my third time cruising, and each time with a different company.  This is the best one, for sure.  My room is very spacious, the staff is friendly and attentive and there are amenities galore.  The food is fabulous.   It is exceptionally clean, too.  Can't ask for much more than this.

I wrote everything before this, this afternoon when I returned from our excursion, now I'm back in the dining room with an incredible view of the Greek Isles as we make our way to Turkey tomorrow.  The view is absolutely spectacular.  Do the folks who live on these islands understand and appreciate how beautiful it is here?  I'm guessing not.  But that's true of most of us. No matter where we live, we rarely take the time to see the beauty that surrounds us.

There seems to be lots of families traveling together, but thankfully, I'm not seeing or hearing kids running around.  I was on the bus today with a darling baby who reminded me a lot of Zadie.  This little one had just learned to walk and she was enjoying her independence.  She didn't make a peep on the bus.  She was a real cutie.

For a hot minute, I was sitting next to a family with a couple of surly teenagers.  God, I don't miss having to deal with that.

I'm reading a lot, which is a favorite pastime of mine.  And you'll be happy to note my current choices are not trashy novels, although they are in the queue.  Speaking of trashy, I'm still struggling to get through Fifty Shades of Grey, but I'm determined to finish it.  I wish I could make myself care about these characters.

Side note - I love the Italian language.  Just add a vowel to every word, with an emphasis on that vowel, and you're good to go.  OK.  Maybe it's more to it than that, but it's a fun language to hear.

Side note 2 - There is live guitar music playing now.  Very soft.  Very soothing.

Side note 3 - There's a guy sitting at a table next to me that looks just like Malcolm Gladwell, just a younger version, crazy hair and all.

More soon.

Your blogging buddy

Sailing Observations & Random Thoughts

Yesterday at breakfast, a guy in Speedos graced us with his presence.  Thankfully, he had a shirt on.  The rest of him . . . the massively exposed part of him . . . was really, really hairy. Arms. Shoulders. Legs.

Yes.  It was as disgusting as you're imaging.

I'm in my usual spot in the dining room.  We're passing a huge mountain range that has risen up out of the water.  It is amazing!  At first blush it looked snow-covered, but it was just the way the sun was hitting it.  There's also a small boat in the distance.  Compared to what we're in, it's minuscule.

I have been sleeping like a baby.  Twelve hours for the last two nights.  And I took a long afternoon nap.  I never sleep this much, but it feels great.

Tonight is formal wear for dinner.  That is always funny to me.  It's like dressing up to go from your bedroom to your living room.  Seems a little silly to me, but if you like to play dress up, this is your cup of tea.

I was following a group of teenagers for a minute, as they were trying so hard to be cool.  But there was this other kid, also a teen, and looked like a jock, who was sitting in one of the big upholstered chairs reading a book.  He warmed my heart.  He was doing what he wanted to do, and he didn't care who saw him do it, oblivious to the world around him.

Tomorrow we're off and running early.  We'll be in Athens, Greece.

A note about the postings from this ship.

Usually, I spend lots of time mulling over them.  I know. They might seem thrown together, but they take great effort.  Anyway, I'm out of sync, and not proofing them as much as I would if I didn't have a time limit because of the crazy cost of the Internet on the ship.  Anyway, please excuse any and all mistakes.  I'll re-read them and make adjustments when I get home.