Ciraca

Turkey, Turkey, Turkey. My traveling experience in Turkey reminds me of the first time I tried tea. I associated drinking tea with the finer things in life, or rather, refined taste-buds (and if anyone's taste buds were refined, they were going to be mine). I soooo soooo wanted to like tea, and drink it like the English do, pinky extended, handling fine china... possible biscotti? I very much did not like tea... AT ALL. I couldn't even get down more than one sip. So I opted out for predictable hot chocolate. Please don't get me wrong: The tea, is not Turkey- Turkey is beautiful. The tea, is my traveling experience in Turkey. I Sooo wanted to be that adventurous traveler, with my backpack, staying in remote locations, becoming one with the locals...possible visa? But while turkey is astoundingly colorful, energetic, and friendly...it is also INSANE (Istanbul) and I found myself missing the comfort of reliable hot chocolate, and ready to get home- While Turkey and Greece have everything that I condemned America for not having, after 2 weeks- there's no place like home(On a smaller note their lack of Mexican food could have never kept me alive for long). All in all my travel experience in Turkey, was one of the most educational and insightful moments in life.

Out of all the ruins I saw in Greece and Turkey, Ephesus, (located in Izmir, Turkey) where Paul was known to preach, and St. John rumored to have taken Mary, was the most incredible. If you ever have the chance go to Turkey, the four things you MUST do, are take a day trip to Ephesus, go to the Turkish bath houses in Istanbul, see the Hageia Sophia, and go to the spice bazaar. On Istanbul: I have never seen a city so vibrant and full of culture. There is ALWAYS something going on there- Chris kept saying that if we were Jim Carey in "YES MAN" we would have never slept- people are always inviting you to have Cay (pronounced CHAI) tea, take you around the town, join them for drinks, etc. It was incredible.

On the Spice Bazaar: I am proud to announce that I am still in the business of refining my taste-buds, and at the spice bazaar I purchased a few herbal teas, which I am going to force myself to like. I think all of the teas and spices in the whole world were in that little market- so I am bound to enjoy one of them.