Istanbul, take two

Today was only a half day in port, so we did our best to make the most of our short day in Istanbul. We thought it best to go with a Celebrity sponsored excursion so we wouldn't miss the ship. The excursion was comprised of three parts: an hour and a half cruise down the Bosphorus Strait, a stop at a jewelry store (that sneaky cruise line!), and some time at the Spice Bazaar. We boarded the bus and our guide gave us an overview of the day. No one seemed thrilled about the jewelry store, but all were excited to stimulate the Turkish economy (again) at the Bazaar.

After a very short bus ride across the Galata Bridge, we boarded a smaller boat with other Celebrity passengers and prepared for our narrated sail along the Bosphorus. The cruise took us past our ship and we were finally able to get a good look at our flag! The cruise was uneventful and the narrator difficult to understand. Seriously, it was like listening to the teacher from Charlie Brown for the majority of the trip.


The strait was littered with fishermen eager to sell their catch to the restaurants below the bridge-talk about using fresh and local products! We have tons of pictures from the cruise, but of course can't remember what 90% actually are (or we never knew in the first place). A well known Turkish tale goes something like this:

A king (or sultan...not sure) was warned by a witch that on her eighteenth birthday, his daughter would be bitten by a snake and die. In order to ensure her safety, he had a tower built in the middle of the Strait so that it would be impossible for a snake to bite her. When she turned eighteen, the king was thrilled that the prophecy hadn't come true. So happy that he went to visit his daughter, celebratory basket of fruit in hand. The basket also happened to house a snake. It bit her and she died.

Sound familiar? I thought so! Well, believe it or not, this is the tower which coincides with the tale. Pretty crazy, huh? Unfortunately, neither of us can remember the name of the tower; sorry!


So, we're cruising along and I finally whisper in John's ear, "I don't want to go to the jewelry store." I know, music to every man's ears! His happy response was expected and he jumped at the opportunity. After talking with the guide, we determined it would be easy to separate fom the group after the cruise and meet at the Spice Bazaar. At one point John declared, "Under no circumstance will I go to that jewelry store!" This ended up being the quote of the day and we all used the starter, "Under no circumstance..." for the remainder of the day.

So, we made the short walk to the Bazaar with Denise, Fontaine, and Nick and had extra time to shop there. This certainly ended up being a fantastic idea, as it gave us time to stroll leisurely. (Envision an indoor farmer's market.) We even had time to explore a neighboring market less visited by tourists. The scene of the market enveloped us as we entered. Vendors beckoned us to visit their shops, while others played to our sense of smell and let their products speak for themselves. Mounds of fresh spices and teas packed crammed vendor stalls, and yet others were plastered with brightly colored ceramics. The scent of fresh baklava married nicely with frequent and kind offers of green apple tea. Samples of Turkish Delight every few steps made it seem as though we never set foot off the ship! We browsed in a few shops, and after about half an hour we made our way through the entire marketplace. This gave us the chance to compare prices and deide what we really wanted to purchase. But, it also gave us time to do something else.

Just outside the Spice Bazaar is another, much smaller market--the pet and plant market. We thought it would be interesting to check it out, to delve deeper into Turkish culture. Well, we did, and it was interesting to say the least! The first thing we laid eyes on was a group of large plastic jars filled about halfway with water...and eels...and leeches. As we meandered our way through the narrow walkways we came across fruit trees wrapped in burlap, ready for transport and roses in just about any color imaginable. The plants in the market were simply stunning! Unfortunately a large potion of the market was pets (or supplies for them). Many types of fish swam in aquariums, and we heard cats meowing and dogs barking from somewhere upstairs. Cages lined storefronts from cobblestone to ceiling with birds: ducks, peacocks, guinea hens... You name it, they had it! Still other outdoor cages housed bunnies, hamsters, puppies, and kittens. Totally made us miss Glory and we left soon thereafter. I know one thing...PETA would have a field day with that place and its' small, overcrowded cages. There was one good thing about this market. All of the vendors knew we were tourists, and so no one badgered us to buy their product. I guess customs isn't always bad! Anyway, back to the Spice Bazaar for the real shopping! Some purchases of note: tea, various spices, and of course, a big box of Turkish Delight. Thus ended our fun in Istanbul.

We hung out with Nick and Fontaine for the rest of the night. After a game of trivia (lost in sudden death) and a quick listen in on the a capella group onboard, we headed to dinner. The men were more than happy since cheese stuffed meatballs and filet mignon were on the menu. Yes, they each ordered both. We heard the a capella group again, then settled into the movie theatre for Bridesmaids. Absolutely hilarious! I guess that one can be removed fom the Netflix queue now. After a busy day, our heads hit our pillows hard. tomorrow will be another busy day. Thank you, Constantinople for the beautiful sights in your city. Here's hoping we'll be well rested and fully charged for our last day in Turkey!