Day 40- Varna, Bulgaria

 

 

Today a small group of us decided to visit the various tourist sites around Varna. Our first stop was intended to be the aquarium. We followed the map closely but couldn’t find it anywhere. Rumor was it was like Petsmart so we kept walking to find the dolphinarium. Once again, we wandered for a long time and couldn’t find it at all. After a quick photo shoot and a run in with a crazy Bulgarian lady we decided to settle on the beach for the afternoon. I got to swim in the Black Sea which wasn’t as clean as I would have hoped, but still fun. As the sun started to set we walked back to the ship, stopping to peek in on the pro volleyball tournament going on nearby. I spent the evening at a bar on the beach with various SAS kids. Athena, Jon and I had a liter each of Tabour for only 3.50 Lev! There was tequila to celebrate Jess' birthday....again. We had to teach Craig the proper way to take a tequila shot, salt and lime included. We made sand angels and did cartwheels on the beach. When the creepy Australian started asking some girls inappropriate questions we figured it was time to head home.

 

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We were really spontaneous today and I liked it.

 

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If I don’t make it home it’s because a crazy Bulgarian lady cursed us because we didn’t have any money to give her.

 

Day 39- Varna, Bulgaria

So my streak of sunrises ended this morning when I didn’t hear the alarm. I woke up 30 minutes late and caught the tail end of the sky changing colors. It wasn’t a total disappointment but still a failure. We arrived outside the port of Varna, Bulgaria around noon yesterday but we just had to hang out till tonight around 7 pm. We got to use the tenders in the morning to get on land and explore the city. After breakfast Rudy, Andrew, Erik, Julie, Dan O., Shane, and I walked to the center of town, taking in the new and unique culture of Bulgaria. None of us know much about the country and this is the first time SAS has ever gone here.

 

We had lunch at Makalali Club on the beach. Julie and I shared a Marco Polo pizza and margaritas. Who knew that Varna was a resort town? It seems to be pretty popular for European tourists and has a nice beach. After lunch I went on the “Wonders of Bulgaria” trip with SAS. Our first stip was Aladzha Monastery. The monastery is a collection of limestone caves from the 13^th century. The monks who lived in the monastery were part of the Doctrine of Holy Light order. They values silence and stillness which is why they chose this isolated location for their monastery. We climbed around in the caves for a while then jumped back on the bus to head to Golden Sands, a major resort location. Golden Sans is a beach with several popular hotels, restaurants, bars, discos, and beach activities. We ran into a man advertising a restaurant who had never met and American before. I’m not sure if he was joking or not but he said he had only seen Americans on TV. He was so excited to meet us; it was like a little kid meeting his hero. After exploring Golden Sands and scoping out some evening activities, the tour took us to the Stone Forest. The Stone Forest was formed almost 50 million years ago when the area was actually an ocean. The pillars that make up the Stone Forest are made of clay and limestone that formed underwater like stalagmites/tites. There are many mythical stories connected to these pillars; about positive energy, luck etc. Upon returning to port after our tour, I shoveled down an appetizer at a local restaurant before jumping on another bus for an FDP for my education class.

 

Jenny took us to the Medical University of Varna to meet undergraduate students our age for a reception they students planned by themselves. We were warmly welcomed by about 30 students. They took us on a tour of their school where we visited the cadaver lab, the library, and a classroom. This university is a program that students attend right out of high school. So for 6 years, 18 to 24, they study medicine and then take a test to be a certified doctor in the EU. To be specialized in any area they spend time training under a doctor. It’s strange to think that people so close to my age are almost doctors. Outside, in the courtyard, we were served snacks and drinks while some professors played guitar and accordion and sang. After being entertained with their original music, the dj put on some traditional Bulgarian songs. One student asked if anyone would like to learn a traditional dance. I threw Jon’s hand in the air so he was pulled up to the front.  He dragged me up there with him and we joined hands with the Bulgarian students. The dance is sort of a conga line with stepping, grape-vining, and skipping. It was fairly easy to catch on and soon enough almost every SAS and Bulgarian student was dancing. I had an amazing time getting to know the students and exchanged some emails. Hopefully we will all keep in touch.

 

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Meeting people my age and talking to them like I talk to my friends from home was an amazing experience here in Bulgaria. I really wish SAS would organize opportunities like this to meet our peers in each country. Some people even made plans for swimming tomorrow with the students. I think being with people our age gives us a different perspective. Especially if we aren’t into meeting strangers, this field trip is a safe way to meet locals.

 

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I got cranky because I didn’t get dinner and I had been away from the boat for more than 12 hours today. I need a shower.

 

Day 36- Istanbul, Turkey

I understandably slept in this morning and headed out to the city after lunch on the ship. A group of us browsed the spice market until Anna and Meredith met up with us to go see Galata Tower. The tower is a short walk from the port and has a spectacular view of the city. However, I did not want to spend 10 lira to ride an elevator so only a few people went up and I just pretended that I went by looking at their photos. After the tower, we wandered around Taksim square. It has a nice, wide road with all sorts of shops on both sides. Along the way we found some musicians performing on the corner. We stopped and listened for a while and I really enjoyed their music. There was a drum, hammer doclimer, and guitar. I liked it so much I actually bought a c.d. from them.

 

We had dinner at a place called 360; higher than almost every building in the city it give a 360 degree view of the breath taking skyline. I would highly recommend this place to anyone visiting Istanbul. The food was great, definitely worth the money, and a great change of pace from ship food. After dinner I went with Jon, Jack, Athena, Whitney, Amanda, and Kara to a hooka bar to play checkers and enjoy our last night in Istanbul in a more low key way. We enjoyed listening to the call to prayer during the warm night. It’s becoming a normal and even expected daily occurrence that will be missed when we return home.

 

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Dinner was one of the most amazing experiences I’ve had so far and made me totally fall in love with this city.

 

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I thought I was all alone today because I slept too late, luckily everyone else did the same thing!

 

Day 35- Istanbul, Turkey

Today was the big day for going to the Grand Bazaar. Well rested and armed with Lira we set out across town. First stop, the spice market. Smaller than the Bazaar, this market specializes in spices, tea, Turkish delights, and other foods. There are also jewelry, souvenir, and clothing shops. After a brief stop there and for lunch, we finally arrived at the Grand Bazaar. Our huge group broke up and planned a meeting place and time. Erik, Brooke, Anna, Meredith, Shane, Rudy and I wandered through the labyrinth that is the Bazaar. We saw glass lamps, hand painted ceramics, embroidered cloth, traditional instruments, and exotic jewelry, among thousands of knick knacks and trinkets. We practiced out haggling and came out with some fantastic purchase. We lunched at Ambrosia Café in the Bazaar before more shopping and heading back to the ship.

 

I met up with Dan and Calvin who invited me to join them for a movie. A group of us jumped on the tram to the “movieplex” to see Harry Potter 6. The theater has assigned seating and no air conditioning. Also, there is an intermission halfway through the movie. When it ended at 11 pm we went back to port to go out for Jess’ (from South Carolina) 21^st birthday. Dan, Calvin, Jess, Katelyn, Lexi, Craig and I went to Taksim Square to find some dancing for southern belle Jess. Along the way we met up with Jenna, another Dan, and Stefan, the Bulgarian inter-port student. Jess must have had the most memorable 21^st as we arrived back at the ship as the sun was rising.

 

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I impressed myself with my ability to negotiate prices in the Bazaar. I’m a terrible liar and turn bright red but I managed to get some things for half the starting price!

 

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I had to explain to Cassie how to use the toilet at the movie theater. It is just a porcelain hole in the ground with a bucket to splash water in when you are finished. Can you imagine that you have to pay to pee in a hole?

 

Day 34- Istanbul, Turkey

This morning the girls (me, Sam, Logan, Brooke, Whitney, and Julie) got up early to go experience the traditional Turkish bath. We set off walking in the general direction, intending to ask for directions if there weren’t any clear signs. The bath, or hamam, we were looking for is called Çembalitas and is supposedly 300 years old. We found the two streets where the hamam was supposed to be situated but could not for the life of us find the door or a sign. We asked about five people and finally realized we had passed the entrance three time without noticing it. Once we found the hamam we chose our style bath. We went to the women’s area (men and women are strictly segregated) and changed into our towels. We had all resigned ourselves to the fact that we would be naked but once we went into the steam room we noticed everyone had matching panties on. We awkwardly crept back up to the locker room to get our undies when an attendant showed us the basket of one-size-fits-all black panties that everyone is supposed to wear. Thank goodness we figured that out, otherwise six awkward girls would be the only fully nude ones in the palce. Now that we were dressed appropriately, we could lay on the heated marble slab in the middle of the room to start sweating. Everyone laid together until, one by one, the attendants called us over for our bath.

 

First, we were splashed with a huge bucket of cool water which felt great in contrast to the warm marble. Then, the attendant scrubbed us all over with an exfoliating glove. I kept my eyes closed, but the other girls said they saw mounds of dead skin coming off their bodies. After the scrubbing, the attendant took a thin cloth full of soapy water and made piles of soap bubbles on my stomach. Then she lathered me up with the soap. She took me by the hand to a tap on the wall that flowed into a basin. She rinsed me with water from the basin and then washed my hair. Next, I sat in the pool in a room off the steam room. There was a cool pool and a Jacuzzi to alternate between. When I was ready, I went for my oil massage which was a full body massage and I mean from toes to fingers to scalp. At the end of the massage, the attendant woke me with “Lady…” which is the only English word I heard any of them saw. I went back to the marble slab and took a nap while the other girls finished their massages. After we were all relaxed, we dressed and headed back to the ship for lunch. The walk took a little longer than expected so we had to sprint the length of the ship to make it to the dining hall and then grab our food as they were trying to put it away.

 

We scarfed down our burgers, grabbed, Rudy, and ran to meet Sam and Logan to go on a boat tour of the Bosphorus. Tommy from California and Nikkie from Houston (she went to Memorial and kind of knows Drake etc.) joined us. We were glad to get a guy to come so we wouldn’t get ripped off. Tommy negotiated with a man named Rami to take us up the Bosphorus, over to Asia, and back again for 20 Lira each. We all squeezed on a tiny fishing boat and headed down the strait. Rami gave us a good history lesson and pointed out all the important sights. We crossed over to the Asian side of Istanbul for half an hour which gave us time to get a snack and take a quick stroll. When we got back on the boat, Tommy had acquired some raki, which is like ouzo. Rami was so excited he called the captain of the boat up to show us how to mix it properly with water. There were not enough cups for everyone to have some so the captain called his brother’s boat to meet up and give us some cups. To make the world a little smaller, on that boat was a girl who went to Logan’s high school! We all toasted to Logan’s ½ birthday (she also got gifts and a cake from her mom).

 

Once our boat adventure was over I rushed to shower before my FDP. For music we went to see a traditional Sufi Dervish ceremony, also known as semma. This ceremony is only performed by men and is a religious activity where they spin in circles while in a trance. One hand is lifted palm up while the other is palm down to create a vessel of the body. The love of God flows through the men and to other people through this act. We got to ask one of the men questions after the ceremony which really helped us understand better.

 

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I have now visited 4 continents!

 

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Raki is just as gross as ouzo, but it makes for some good stories when you’re traveling with a plump Turkish man! Also, my camera decided to delete all my photos from the boat trip. Big minus!

 

Day 33- Istanbul, Turkey

Early this morning we arrived in Istanbul, Turkey. Turkey is home to 73 million people, 99% of which are Suni Muslim. 13 million people live in Istanbul so the population is more than 3 times the size of Houston. Turkey is slightly larger than Texas and fairly similar in geography. There are 20 million Kurds in Turkey, making them the largest minority population. None of us could figure out where Kurds come from so if anyone knows please leave a comment below.

 

There are 20 thousand Jews who were expelled from Spain. They speak Ladino which is a form os Spanish. Four thousand people are Greek Orthodox and the patriarch of the church is in Istanbul. There are various rules for becoming the patriarch which are making it difficult to find a new one. I would describe them but they’re complicated and boring. Turkey has some crazy rules in their “secular democracy” which include it being illegal to criticize Ataturk or watch Youtube.

 

I signed up for the city orientation through SAS so we boarded the buses early this morning to visit all the popular sights. We first visited a local mosque where we learned proper mosque etiquette. It was an interesting experience because it was all quiet but people were just hanging out, chatting in the corner and children were running around chasing each other. We ate our boxed lunches in the park next to the mosque. As a side note, the ship packs weird lunches: a salami or bologna sandwich, 2 chicken legs, a hardboiled egg, a dessert bar, a piece of fruit, a juice box or Capri sun, and oreos. After lunch, our group made our way to Hagia Sofia, another mosque. It is one of the largest in Istanbul at a ridiculous 194 feet tall. It has 2 minarets where the call to worship is sung from. The Hagia Sofia’s two make the six of the Blue Mosque next door stand out on the skyline. After visiting these two amazing places of worship, we crossed the street to the Hippodrome, home to several ancient Egyptian monuments including an Egyptian obelisk. If I remember correctly, Constantine put this area together as a race track back in the day. Next we saw the Basilica Cistern which is an underground water storage area. It was created in ancient times and existed under the city of Istanbul for many years before being discovered. It is dark and damp, the ceiling held up by many columns. There is some water still there so there is a raised walkway. There are koi fish in the water along with several lira coins. There are two huge stones holding up some columns that have the face of Medusa on them. These add greatly to the eeriness of the cistern with the dripping water and dim lighting.

 

After dinner on the ship I headed to the bridge with Jon, Athena, Amanda, Whitney, and Jenna. The under part of the bridge is filled with ships, bars, and restaurants. We found a place with bean bags outside and lounged there with our sheesha. There are Christmas lights hanging from the bridge along with thousands of fishing lines from the men above who are fishing for anchovies to grill and serve on the street. Istanbul has such a different atmosphere that we are all enjoying so far. There are a hundred things I want to do and see here so we called it a night pretty early to get ready for our big day tomorrow.

 

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I saw Medusa and I survived.

 

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I missed seeing Anne Hathaway at the Blue Mosque.

 

Day 32- At Sea, Pre-port Istanbul

Today was a class day so there was not much going on. During pre-port we got a lot of information about Istanbul. Istanbul is going to mark a transition in our voyage away from the stereotypical European ports. Istanbul itself is actually built both in Europe and Asia so it is the only city in the world to be on 2 continents. It was originally called Byzantium, then Constantinople, and now Istanbul. Dean Zoll gave us a long talk about safety in Turkey, talking about covering ourselves since this is the first predominately Muslim country of many on our trip. We are advised to wear long sleeves, pants, and to cover our heads. Shoulders and knees should always be covered but in the mosques, clothing should go to the wrists and ankles for woman as well as a head covering. We were lectured avout public intoxication and the prevalence of date rape drugs. All in all, preport left us all pretty nervous about exploring Turkey. However, I’ve spoken to people who have visited frequently and who have lived there and only heard positive things. I’m excited to watch the sun rise over the Istanbul skyline tomorrow.

 

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Dia got flustered again tonight…here is why. (Please excuse the expletives, they were just too vital to leave out)

 

“Some students have gotten drugged, woken up naked in an alley, scared as shit.”- Nurse Stephanie

“And we all know how scary shit is.” – Dean Michael Smith

 

It took 10 minutes to get everyone to stop laughing, Dia was so flustered she couldn’t go on with her presentation then Dean Smith got out his handkerchief and she started laughing again because, really, who has a handkerchief?

 

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I had a test today and it was hard.