Istanbul, Part Two

I am trying to think of some of the great things we did. Emily and took the first day and a half visiting the different mosques and touristy places. We visited the Blue Mosque, Hagia Sofia, Topkapi Palace, Maiden's Tower, the Obelisk, Grand Bazaar, Spice Bazaar, and everything along the way. We made friends with a Turkish man while watching a nightly light show at the Blue Mosque. He recommended places to eat, invited us to his friend's carpet shop, and answered some of our questions. We ate great Turkish food (a lot of lamb and eggplant), tea, and I (of course) indulged daily in Turkish coffee. I even broke down and ate Burger King twice. It was soooo good and I think it will hold me over for another year. I was sad to leave the place and am begin to plan for a second time. The people are extremely hospitable, in part because they hope to sell you something, but also because that is their culture. We ate at a restaurant that had a Whirling Dervish performing. Dervishes are dressed in white with big skirts and they spin with arms in the arm, calling to God. We took ferries to the Asian side of Istanbul and got a 360 degree view of the Forbidden City. Anyone want to go to Istanbul???