Istanbul III [updated with pics and more; first posted 09/03/09]

I got up fairly early, got ready to go and headed up for breakfast. This time I tried the plain omelet. Like the french toast, it was a bit oily. I had some bread with it (a couple of slices of baguette).
Then I got a photo copy of my passport and driver's license (luckily I have it with me) and it was back, once again, to the Syrian embassy. When I got there, there was no line-up, and since I had already filled out the form the day before, all I had to do was hand everything to the woman behind the counter. I then had to go down to the bank to pay the fee, and then go back to the counter. She gave me a receipt and said to come back at 2:30. I had to be back then, as it was the last work day of the week, and they would be closed Monday. I had a few hours to waste, so I went for a bit of a walk and then took a taxi to Kabatas.I walked along the seaside, taking pictures of the mosques and other historic buildings along the way.I love mosques and churches.They are all such beautiful buildings.[a university: Mimar Sinan Guzel Sanatlar Universitesi Kultur ve Sanat Merkezi][??]Almost every mosque there had a small (or not so small) structure nearby for Muslims to do their ablution (washing/cleansing) before entering the mosque to pray.After I had my fill of mosques for he day, I wandered up the hill along a small side street.I had seen a little church from the main road and thought maybe I could find it. I did eventually find it, but the large gates were closed.After a bit more wandering, I stumbled across the Galata Tower.Built in 1348, the nine story tower is a very important and visible landmark in Istanbul.As it is on top of a hill, there is a good view of the city all around it from the top floor look out.Entrance was 10 TL. I had lunch in a little cafe near the tower. The waiter suggested the special donair, served the proper way. It is meat (beef) with a special sauce, over squares of bread, with unsweetened yogurt on the side.It was delicious! I still had a lot of time left, so I walked back down to the seaside and went to the Galata Bridge.Fishermen lined the sides of the bridge. Under the road part of the bridge is a pedestrian bridge, with restaurants the entire way. I decided to sit and have some tea at one of them.The waiter, Mehmet, stayed and chatted with me for a bit. Apparently fish and lures sometimes come flying into the restaurant (from the fishermen above). The lines come down past the pedestrian section the entire way. Mehmet said that only a couple of weeks before, he had been hit in the head by a little bait fish. LOL. My tea was free. :) Usually tea is free for customers, so Mehmet decided not to charge me. Yay.
Finally, I got my VISA.
I went back to my hotel to book my flight to Syria. That was a bit mistake as they really overcharged me for the flight. Lesson learned. Look around a bit for flights!!!!
My friend Omer met me at my hotel at 7:30. I met Omer in university and he has been living in Istanbul for the past 6 years. The plan: dinner and then drinks in Taksim area. We took the tram. At Kabatas, we tried to transfer to the Kabatas-Taksim short line. We got on, and waited. And waited. And waited. There were technical difficulties and the train wasn't working. So after all that waiting, we got off and went back up to the street. We tried to catch a taxi, but they were all full (due to so many people not being able to take the short line). Eventually we got one and made it to Taksim square. We walked along Istiklal to the restaurant. It was great! :) We had salad and a chicken dish. The restaurant is fairly high up, with no elevator. 6th floor?After eating, we went to meet some of his friends at another restaurant. They were gathered for a birthday party. They were drinking raki, which is made from anise seed. YUCK. I didn't even taste it. I know I don't like anise seed. They pour a shot or so into a glass and then add ice and water. The water makes it turn a milky white. Strange. Eventually we headed out in search of a bar called Cuba. We eventually found it but it was packed. So we went to a little bar called Lokal. It was great fun. The bar used to be a cafe, and it looks like it. The DJ is so funny!!!! He really doesn't look the part but is really good. After a few drinks (and dancing), we went to another bar, Menthe, where his friends had moved to. It is TINY!!!!! After everyone else started heading out, we decided to go back to Cuba. It wasn't as busy, so we went in. I love latino music, and dancing! :) So much fun. I didn't get back to my hotel until maybe 6AM (?). Oops. As a result, I only had time for about 2 hours or so of sleep. I had to get everything ready to go the next morning, check-out was at 10AM and breakfast is over at 10:30.

Rafting

Last weekend I went on a river rafting trip with a few friends from work. We went on an arranged tour that included bus, lunch, rafting, and a BBQ afterwards (check the Facebook group EXCITING LIFE in DYNAMIC KOREA).It was great fun... well, most of it. I was sick on the bus on the way to Hantan, but was fine by the time we got there. Lunch was a sort of boxed lunch of either rice with bulgogi or rice with a few bits of misc. fried meats (chicken, pork cutlet, etc). Then we got all dressed up and ready to go... Or so we thought. We ended up standing around in our rafting gear for who knows how long. We were waiting for buses to come to pick us up. and waiting. and waiting. and waiting.[pic taken while waiting... borrowed from EXCITING LIFE IN DYNAMIC KOREA.]
Finally 2 little buses came and we all piled in, bumping helmets and paddles the whole way. The bus ride to the starting point was about 30 minutes or so (maybe??).
Once at the river, we split up into 3 groups of ~12 people. At least one Korean speaker had to be in each boat to translate as the rafting guides had limited English abilities. We got our group organizer in our boat. We were the "Blue Team" due to the fact that our helmets were blue. We recruited a few guys to join us. Our rafting guide was Alex. There is some discussion as to how we got him. It is said that we picked him. I have also heard that he picked us... will add more to this later, possibly.[pic taken by Tom, posted on facebook and the previously mentioned Facebook group site]
The rafting was excellent. With some white water stretches and some smoother waters (of which some we floated, some we paddled and some we had water fights with other boats), it was both exciting and relaxing. I'm thinking that it is quite possible that our boat ride was the most interesting with one of the girls providing entertainment most of the way. She was flirting mercilessly with Alex, who didn't quite understand all that was said (which is perhaps why she said as much as she said). We all had a great time, though. And she did eventually get pushed off the boat. :P
After the last dangerous stretch, all 3 boats pulled over to a little sandy beach to take a break and enjoy the water. We went sort-of swimming (with lifejackets and helmets still on), and also did some sliding off the bottom of an overturned boat. I'll probably have a scar left from that, as my ankle got a bit scratched on the bottom (the seams? the sand?). I didn't even notice until I was back on the beach watching the sliding and the blood running down my foot was brought to my attention. Oh well. All in good fun.
When we all got back into our boats to move on, the other 2 boats took off and we noticed that we had an extra helmet in our boat all of a sudden, and one less paddle. WHAT? How did that happen? Needless to say, it was decided that our flirting friend would be the one without a paddle. She moved up to the front to make a few poses and cause more laughter. It was sometime around then that she was pushed off. She loved it. Especially when Alex pulled her out of the water (though the under-straps of the lifejacket got a tad uncomfortable).
On the boat ride, my friends and I tried to convince Alex to join us afterwards to share some maekju (beer) and soju. Unfortunately, he still had work to do. We found out that he is from Jamsil, which is fairly close to Apgujeong, so we said he should meet up with us back in Seoul.
Once the boys from our boat carried our boat up the slope to the buses, I got Alex's number and we all piled back into the little buses and headed back to our end point, where our tour bus was parked and where our BBQ and drinks were waiting.
The BBQ was great. The maekju and soju were great, too. :) I'm not even sure how much was drunk. What ever was left was shoved into bags and taken onto the bus for the 2 hour ride back to Seoul. Needless to say the ride back to Seoul was quite different from the one to Hantangang. I cut myself off at on point, but my friends kept on. Not the best move, as a few of them don't remember much after that point.
Once back in Seoul, some of us headed to a rooftop for some more drinks and a little rooftop party. It was good but short lived. Then eventually the remaining 2 of us went out with a trio of Koreans (one was her boyfriend, the other two were his friends) for some noraebang. Gotta love the Korean singing rooms. :D
I guess I could mention that while my friend (who actually has a boyfriend) was flirting with Alex, he had his eyes on me... Anyway, I sent him a message while on the bus, and he responded fairly quickly. We had an ongoing text msg conversation for the rest of the evening. He then came into Seoul on Sunday evening just to meet up with me for a drink. We sat at a soju tent restaurant talking (with a lot of help from his Korean-English dictionary that he stopped in Suwon to pick up). I think I got home at around 5 or 5:30 Monday morning, only to have to be at work at 9. For those that know me on Facebook, that kinda explains the whole "is TIRED" thing. He went all the way back to Hantangang Monday morning, as he is training other rafting guides this week. Normally he lives in Suwon and works a a personal trainer and PE teacher during the week.
To see more pics, check out the Facebook group I linked to above.

Chris's Christmas Party 2007

On the 15th I went to the eagerly anticipated party hosted by Chris. Last year's Halloween and Christmas parties, and this year's Halloween party were so great that it was hard to imagine he could make it any better. He never disappoints! Always the host with the most.His entire home was wrapped up Christmas style. Several activities were planned.First up was the tree trimming. Of course, most of the decorations were made by Chris - pictures of himself and friends.And of course, the star has to top the tree!Then there was a bit of a game of paper bag pinatas, using a small wooden sword that Chris had on display in his room. The game evolved a few times:soft ball styleT-ball styleA little later, once the mess of shattered candy was cleaned up, we played a game of pin-the-candycane-on-the-elf. Since the blindfold was no-where to be found, we had to settle for just closing our eyes. It worked well anyway.Then came the Christmas Story and carols. Every Christmas, Chris writes a story and carols for his friends.What is a Christmas party without a visit from Santa?Or a customary photo with the Man in Red.Everyone participated in the White Elephant gift exchange. There was a wide range of gifts from just plain useful to the useless, the funny to the questionable, etc.gameswinter hatsSPAM, toilet paperAnother thing that Chris always plans is a variety of contests such as naming a character or coming up with a caption for a picture. I won one of the caption contests, but won't tell you what it was.

Cambodia Day 1 and 2

I arrived here on the 6th very late, so all I did then was find a hotel. I just picked somewhat randomly out of my guide book. Well, not that randomly. I chose one that was near others that were listed, just incase it was full.
I've been staying at the Indochine Hotel. It is okay. The first night, my room was quite small, up a back staircase to the first floor rooms (room 103). It had air-conditioning, a fan, hot water, etc. Okay for $10. But NO window. I ended up sleeping until 9 (which was fine as I didn't get to sleep until around12). I probably would have woken up much earlier if I had a window!
Then next day I changed rooms, to one of the bigger ones upstairs on the 2nd floor. As there was someone still in the room with the window, I still have a no window room. Still $10, but bigger than the last one (there is more furniture and the ceiling is about twice as high). A room with a window costs twice as much, and there are only 2 in the hotel, I think. I will stay there tonight again. I had planned on changing hotels today, but last minute decided to stay where I was. I will go up to Siem Reap (or, at least, that is the plan) tomorrow. When I do return to Phnom Penh, I'll find another hotel.
The VISA problem is getting sorted out, sort of. My school will send the document to me. They already talked to FedEx and figured out how long it would take to get here - about 3 working days. Fine. They also talked to the embassy in Cambodia and were told that it takes only 2 days for the VISA processing here. Good. So I can get it all done in my last week here (they will have to send it next week).
Almost my entire day yesterday was spent trying to figure out the VISA situation. Ugh. What a waste of a day. I did manage to check out Wat Phnom around sunset. It was okay, but not as good as I had expected. The most interesting parts were the cats that were everywhere and the monkeys down the back side of the hill. As it was getting later in the day, there weren't as many people there, and the children that I have heard are usually there following people were not there. Only a few legless/handless/what ever mine victims sitting along the stairs up, asking for handouts.
Every where I go there are guys calling out asking if I need a moto or a tuktuk. A moto is just a motorbike with an extended seat meant for passengers. Generally, men sit normally, women sit sideways. No one wears helmets. They don't go all that fast, as it isn't really possible, with the number of vehicles on the streets and the fact that every intersection is unmarked, cars, tuktuks, motos, bicycles and pedestrians all going at will. Kinda fun, actually. A tuktuk is a little motorized carriage (like a motorbike with a trailer almost). There are also cyclos, which are bicycles with big seats on the front where the passenger(s) sits.
Yesterday I saw a little moto with a family of 5, all of the children looking under 5 years old. Kinda scary.
I had dinner at a fairly large restaurant along the river, about a block down from my hotel. I think it is called the Riverside Bistro. They have seating both inside and out. I sat outside near a little stage where a woman was playing a xylophone type instrument. My mango juice was quite nice, although not as nice as in Eygpt. The Khmer fried rice with chicken was very good. I sat there for a while. I was startled a couple of times, both by a rat. I jumped when it first ran under my table to the next table, and then back again (no one else seemed to notice, especially the girl whose feet it stopped at). Then a while later, I really jumped as it ran in again OVER MY FEET. And then back out again under my chair. I suppose it was nothing unusual there.
There was also a fairly large frog/toad that crawled out from under the wicker chair at the next table. Kinda cute, actually. It crawled out and then back under again. A while later, it crawled out again, across the ground, under my chair and then into the plants that were next to me (between me and the street).
When I got tired of sitting in the restaurant looking at my guide book, after stopping in at a net cafe to check my email and make a couple of phone calls, I decided to check out a little cafe/bar that was on the corner of my block. The Metro looks fairly posh. My Raspberry Mojito was nice, but a bit chunky. It had crushed raspberries, chopped lime, shredded mint leaves, some sort of raspberry liquor (I think), and white rum.
I had never sat in a bar alone before. Can't say I like it.

Chris' Halloween Story

Halloween Fun

Saturday night I went to a friend's for a Halloween party - Chris' Second Annual Halloween Party. Last year's party was great. This one was even better.
I missed the first bit. Chris' one room apartment was full when I got there. So many people. I only actually knew a handful of them. All kinds of costumes were present. The standard vampires, witches, pirates, etc. as well as many very creative and unique ones.Can you guess what they are?Signing the box.
The ENTIRE apartment was decorated. The walls were all covered in black and decorated with a variety of things. A lot of things were made with his friend's pictures or are referring to his friends in one way or another.One wall was a graveyard, with epitaphs of all of Chris' friends. Mine said "Laura/ It's the only home she could keep..."The ceiling had a giant spider, and a whole bunch of bats.The bathroom had decorations (including a skeleton in the shower)and even the washing machine was involved! On the lid it said, "The Washer of DOOM/ caution: NOT for the faint of heart.... or kidneys...."And it wouldn't be complete without a fridge full of Vodka Jello shots!
At midnight we all headed outsideto avoid causing problems with the building super due to noise levels. At one point along the way, we encountered a little grandmother. She laughed so much. (Koreans don't do Halloween). She loved the guy with the box of candy attached to his belt and even went back to him a second time for some more candy. SO funny. I don't think she got the point of that costume. When she saw the flasher with the banana in his underwear, well, she laughed even harder.One of the soldier trio telling us where to go.
Toy guns here look pretty much like real guns. At home that is illegal. If you walked around with one, or pulled one out of your pocket you'd likely get shot, even if you were a kid and just playing. Most of the toy guns here shoot the little plastic ball pellets.It is a bit of a walk to the park but no one was complaining. Once in the park, Chris made a speech and then told a Halloween story using all of his friends' names. He is always very creative. Then there were the awards for the costumes for which we had all voted for earlier on (Chris had made ballots for it)- best, worst, sexiest, least sexy, most thrown together in 10 minutes, most likely to turn the host on, most likely to get one arrested, most likely to scare the pants off a Korean. After that was finished, there were some hand held fireworks (some aimed in the wrong direction but no one was hurt).Once the party in the park started winding down (well, once everyone started to get TOO cold), we started heading back up to the apartment for some more partying. A bunch of people left at that point (too tired, too cold, had to go, etc), so the noise levels weren't as much of an issue.