Took tram to New District (Modern Istanbul — business and shopping area). Pudding Shop. Tour through New District, Lunch in New District, and political lecture on rooftop bar with wine, beer, tea or Turkish coffee.
Cynthia (from Seattle) and Polly at Medusa last night.
Rebecca and Mimi (from Seattle)
The tram
Bonnie (from Texas) invited me to sit on her lap for part of the trip and I told her that I weighed 150 and not sure she wants that on her. She said no come on and so I moved in for a photo opportunity. Claudia (from San Francisco) looks on.
Modern Istanbul. Very international modern city.
Some women wear the headscarves but most women DO NOT WEAR THEM.
Modern Istanbul is very feminist with more women as CEOs than men.
These students from near the Black Sea region (they speak a Georgian dialect) asked if they could have a photo with all of us.
A little trolley in the modern district.
Shopkeepers along the way wanted to give us free samples of their baked goods.
Starbucks.
Kids from somewhere in Turkey in town for a festival.
Turkish delight.
Michael (from the Czech Republic) and his wife Polly (who is originally from the USA) share pudding with us. We all stopped at the pudding shop for traditional Turkish pudding. It was delicious.
Here is Mert in one of the oldest shopping halls of the Modern District.
I feel like this is a Mert Trip because Mert is in the way in many of my photos. Move it Mert!!
A Christian Church in the Modern District.
Stick Figure in Peril.
I think it says Please don't slip on the Turkish Pudding.
Graffiti
Polly and I had lunch at a small cafe down a charming restaurant alley row.
These muslims in total body cover are fundamentalists. The Turkish people hate them, Mert said. They do not represent the Muslim belief system and give a bad name to Muslims, just like Fundamentalist Christians. He said that the Turkish people call them "ferrets"... They are scary! I did not see many of them, especially in the Modern District.
We went up to a rooftop overlooking the water to talk politics. Mostly this was Mert talking about his view of things. Turkey is a strong political ally of the USA, but the relationship was seriously damaged by George Bush and his Muslim comment. The problem is Fundamentalism, not Muslim. The relationship has been strengthened by Obama, but that the damage was done and the Turkish people are slow to trust again. He believes we should not pull out of Afghanistan (which is more considered Asia) but is very strongly against the US in the middle east. I just listened. I am more moderate on all of this, but I had a very conservative upbringing on foreign policy views. I believe we should all give each other back rubs and then toast with a glass of wine.
Tonight we are heading out with the group to see Whirling Dervishes, but there is no photography allowed, so I will have to leave it to your imagination.
Thanks for reading, xoxo R
