Day 3: Istanbul (part2)

We took the bus back to the hotel, napped, and awoke for a late dinner. We were on our own for this and so we wandered down the street in search of a good place to eat. We ran across another of the tour members who had already eaten and who said their dinner for two had cost 60TL (turkish lira) which they said seemed expensive but seemed at the time a reasonable price. Pleen and I eventually allowed one of the waiters on the sidewalk outside eating establishments to drag us to a table, pointing out items on the menu and saying "for you, only 8TL" when the amount listed below the picture was 11TL. Even the food can be bargained for I guess! Pleena nd I both ordered a lamb dish, and I also ordered a pomegranate juice. The juice came and looked fresh squeezed with pulpy bits and seeds. While the straw definitely looked as though someone had sipped my drink (we had a good, though nervous, laugh over this) I discarded said straw and the drink was delicious! Our lamb, which I guess had been cooked on a stick came with grilled pita bread, a tiny serving of fries, salad, rice, pickles, and sides of tzaziki and a red sauce with a hair in it, ha! Though ultimately tasty, some bits of meat seemed weird, fatty? so I skipped a few bites and left the salad, as our tour guide has warned us the tap water it may have been washed wiht may not immediately agree with us. The entire time we ate, our original waiter plus one other continued to stop by our table to ask how our meals were and to flirt endlessly and shamelessly with Pleen! Flattering, but kinf of exhausting. When we finished each of the waiters came by more then once to offer us tea, which we refused, and when we asked for the bill none came. Eventually, despite our multiple refusals, the brought tea. "a sample", "on the house" but also on the bill! Oh well, it was tasty! And served in very neat glasses; it would be nice to find similar ones to bring home as I think they might be the traditional thing.

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In Turkey, to a salesman, "no" seems to mean "try harder". After the cistern, while waiting for our group to assemble, we had been approached and flirted with by a couple of very friendly waiters who seemed determined that we should have drinks, at the very least, at their restaurant. It took some time, effort, and little white lies to extricate ourselves from them only for poor Pleen to spend the rest of our time waiting, seated by a nice fountain, declining the offer for a book of Istanbul. He worked himself down to a very good price! before offering it to her as a gift, "for a small price", hahaha! Despite telling him repeatedly that she was positive she didn't want it and wouldn't regret not getting it, I really want a book of Istanbul now, as I haven't been able to get books for the places we've visited like I did on our last europe trip. They've either been too expensive, or too big.

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Istanbul has cats like we've got pigeons! Eating the food dropped beneath tables, shooed by waiters, walking along sidewalks, fences, sleeping in the garsses. While they seem to like people, that are also... dirty!

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The streets and filled with men. There are noticably more men then women and even the poorest looking of them still seem to make the effort to dress nice, in at least a suit jacket! They exude confidence and will not drop their gaze when you meet it. The call to women from the streets any english they know, either to simply flirt, or to sell you anything. "Hello pretty mama", "Happy birthday", You're break my heart", "Lady Gaga!". Pleen and I had some good laughs. Istanbul could be a place to come simply for the confidence boost; it's hard not to feel beautiful!

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On the way back to the hotel we bought some baklava for a snack later, and visited another tour member's room to enjoy the amazing view! Pleen and I know that the baklava here is too amazing; back home it will never be nearly as good, it is as good as ruined. Our sleep then was sweetened sufficiently for pleasant dreams, our lips lightly honeyed.