Monday, September 5, 2011
Sunday, September 4, 2011
Almost There
Now Emily and I are at the Days Inn in Charleston, West Virginia eating pie and biscuits we picked up from a truck stop in eastern Kentucky. We really wanted to experience the South.
Saturday, September 3, 2011
Friday, September 2, 2011
Kirstin and Emily Do America
Thursday, August 25, 2011
Turkish Baths
Today Courtney and I made our own boat tour by taking commuter ferries from place to place and then we hit up the spice market where I bought enough herbal tea to last me for the next year at least. We then spent the afternoon at some Turksih baths, which was quite an experience.
The website has photos of models wrapped in towels lounging about in a sauna. Our experience differed a bit. When you enter the lobby you pay for the services you'd like and receive the corresponding tokens. We went with the traditional bath experience then added a clay facial mask. We were led to a locker room where we dressed in the black bikini bottoms provided and a towel-like wrap (notice I did not mention that we were provided with a bikini top). Then we made our way to the baths. We walked through a big wooden door to find a dozen or so topless women, few of which could be mistaken for a model, lying on a large round flat stone in the center of a room with many sinks around the edges. We laid out our towels on the warm stone, laid ourselves on our towels, and waited. It was hot and humid in the room so we started perspiring immediately, which I think is the part of the process.
After awhile a worker came over to me (you could distinguish some of the workers because they had a black bikini top, but mine did not) and had me follow her to another spot on the stone where I was told to lie face up. She then took what must have been a large brillo pad and rubbed my skin raw, then had me flip over and did the same thing to my backside. Then she dumps half a bucket of cold water on me, dumps the other half on herself, and rubs bubbles all over me. All over me. This part involved another flip, some more buckets of cold water, and a mini massage. She then led me to a sink on the edge of the room, had me sit, shampooed my hair, and dumped 10 more buckets of cold water on me to rinse me off. Then I was left to do my own thing. I lay on the warm stone for awhile and then when Courtney was finished we went into the jacuzzi for a bit.
When we'd had enough we went into the towel room where a mud mask was painted on our faces and we were led to the lounge area to wait for it to dry. The lounge area was cool and dry, filled with women wrapped in towels (the website wasn't completely misleading), and drinks were being served. After we each drank a bottle of water and our mask was dry we went back to the towel room to wash our mask off in the sink. However we were scolded and told that we must wash it off in the shower. By this time we had regretted not signing up for a massage and asked if we could do so then. After some dialogue back and forth between a number of workers we were led upstairs to the massage rooms. The massage was enjoyable and seemed completely unintrusive after what we had just gone through.
While in the bath it was so hard for me not to laugh. It reminded me of when my high school friends and I had all turned 18 and decided to go to an adult store just because we could and had to fight to not giggle because although everything about the experience was hilarious, the other people there meant serious business. (Tell me you and your friends did the same thing and that I'm not a total perv?) Once I was able to control my laughter and get used to being so close to another mostly naked stranger it turned into quite the relxing experience.
Wednesday, August 24, 2011
Istanbul
I have been pleasantly surprised to find that traveling in Turkey is quite easy. The people are friendly and many of them speak English. While dragging our suitcases through cobblestone streets to find our hotel no less than 10 people offered directions, completely unsolicited. The directions were such that it took all 10 sets to actually find the hotel, but it was nice to see how willing people were to help. With the people of Turkey determined to make sure Courtney and I have a pleasant trip and don't waste any time being lost, I'm sure it's going to be a great couple of days.
Istanbul is yet another amazing city. There are beautiful old buildings everywhere you look. Although it is a mostly Muslim country, it's not Muslim in the way Jordan and Egypt are. Women dressed in traditional clothing with everything covered make up the minority of women out in the streets here.
Here is the Blue Mosque. Even though it is still used as a mosque, visitors are allowed inside. I was excited because it was the first time I can think of that I have been inside a mosque.
Then there was the Hagia Sophia--the most spectacular church I have been inside. The amount of detail and beauty is incredible.
We've had a lot of fun just wandering and eating food from street vendors. Most notable are the doner kebabs and baklava in its many forms. Because it is during Ramadan, the streets are filled at night with people celebrating the fact that they can eat again. The festive spirit makes being out even more enjoyable.
Istanbul is yet another amazing city. There are beautiful old buildings everywhere you look. Although it is a mostly Muslim country, it's not Muslim in the way Jordan and Egypt are. Women dressed in traditional clothing with everything covered make up the minority of women out in the streets here.
Here is the Blue Mosque. Even though it is still used as a mosque, visitors are allowed inside. I was excited because it was the first time I can think of that I have been inside a mosque.
Then there was the Hagia Sophia--the most spectacular church I have been inside. The amount of detail and beauty is incredible.
We've had a lot of fun just wandering and eating food from street vendors. Most notable are the doner kebabs and baklava in its many forms. Because it is during Ramadan, the streets are filled at night with people celebrating the fact that they can eat again. The festive spirit makes being out even more enjoyable.Tuesday, August 23, 2011
Jerusalem, I'm Not Finished with You
My mom and Daniel headed home on Saturday and Courtney and I spent our last two days in Israel going into Jerusalem to see as much of that incredible city as possible. We signed up for several walking tours so we could get a history lesson along with secret passageways and rooftop views.
The other tourists on one of our tours were much more colorful (annoying) than the other tours--I'd say I was equally entertained by the other members of our group as I was by the tour itself. My favorite were probably the middle-aged balding Asian Computer Science professor and his beautiful mail-order Ukranian fiance that kept holding the group up to take pictures and buy fresh-squeezed orange juice. I'm not sure if they were both coming down with colds, but 3 glasses in four hours seemed to me a bit much. Probably the best moment of the tour was when we entered the room of the last supper and the tour guide acknowledged the bad smell, we all agreed, then went on with the tour. Suddenly, out of nowhere, the Italian lady said: "I know what that smell is: cat pee." Thank you for that. All of us were laughing so hard it took several minutes to compose ourselves and continue learning about the Holy City.
We took the bus to and from Jerusalem. I always feel so capable and proud of myself whenever I successfully navigate the public transport system of other countries. However, one morning while waiting for the bus a man came over and asked if we were headed to Jerusalem and told us to follow him. We were hesitant so he said "taxi" and we shook our heads, thinking we couldn't afford one, and he quoted a price equal to the bus fare. We still weren't sure about following a strange man to his van, but there were two other women who went with him so we decided to give it a try and hope for the best. The next bus didn't come for an hour, and we wanted to have as much time in Jerusalem as possible. There is a fine line between being safe and allowing adventure to happen. We arrived safely, but became less enthusiastic about our short cut to Jerusalem when the driver pulled out a cigarette.
It's hard to pick a favorite thing in Jerusalem, but just wandering the streets is so much fun. There are many churches and other monuments built for important Biblibal events. Even if those things didn't actually take place in the spot marked, seeing how touched people are by visiting those places makes them meaningful. Another highlight was Hezekiah's tunnels. We walked through a narrow, dark, wet passageway for a quarter of a mile--so much fun but definitely not for the clausterphobic.
Jerusalem is an amazing city with so much meaning. I have to come back some day for a longer visit. Now we are on to Istanbul for a few more days of adventure.
*Note: apparently I have been mispelling, and thus mispronouncing, Istanbul. I had thought there was an extra "n" in there. I discovered this mistake when I went to make hotel reservations. I really hate mistakes that make me seem illiterate.
The other tourists on one of our tours were much more colorful (annoying) than the other tours--I'd say I was equally entertained by the other members of our group as I was by the tour itself. My favorite were probably the middle-aged balding Asian Computer Science professor and his beautiful mail-order Ukranian fiance that kept holding the group up to take pictures and buy fresh-squeezed orange juice. I'm not sure if they were both coming down with colds, but 3 glasses in four hours seemed to me a bit much. Probably the best moment of the tour was when we entered the room of the last supper and the tour guide acknowledged the bad smell, we all agreed, then went on with the tour. Suddenly, out of nowhere, the Italian lady said: "I know what that smell is: cat pee." Thank you for that. All of us were laughing so hard it took several minutes to compose ourselves and continue learning about the Holy City.
We took the bus to and from Jerusalem. I always feel so capable and proud of myself whenever I successfully navigate the public transport system of other countries. However, one morning while waiting for the bus a man came over and asked if we were headed to Jerusalem and told us to follow him. We were hesitant so he said "taxi" and we shook our heads, thinking we couldn't afford one, and he quoted a price equal to the bus fare. We still weren't sure about following a strange man to his van, but there were two other women who went with him so we decided to give it a try and hope for the best. The next bus didn't come for an hour, and we wanted to have as much time in Jerusalem as possible. There is a fine line between being safe and allowing adventure to happen. We arrived safely, but became less enthusiastic about our short cut to Jerusalem when the driver pulled out a cigarette.
It's hard to pick a favorite thing in Jerusalem, but just wandering the streets is so much fun. There are many churches and other monuments built for important Biblibal events. Even if those things didn't actually take place in the spot marked, seeing how touched people are by visiting those places makes them meaningful. Another highlight was Hezekiah's tunnels. We walked through a narrow, dark, wet passageway for a quarter of a mile--so much fun but definitely not for the clausterphobic.
Jerusalem is an amazing city with so much meaning. I have to come back some day for a longer visit. Now we are on to Istanbul for a few more days of adventure.
*Note: apparently I have been mispelling, and thus mispronouncing, Istanbul. I had thought there was an extra "n" in there. I discovered this mistake when I went to make hotel reservations. I really hate mistakes that make me seem illiterate.
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