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An Unexpected Stop
One of the best things about teaching overseas is that you meet people from all over the world, and if you’re lucky, somewhere along the line, your paths meet again. I had worked with Mel and Chris at the American School in Abuja, Nigeria and when the pandemic hit in 2020 everyone left abruptly, so proper goodbyes were not really possible. I remember seeing Mel in the hallway and being so sad that I was never going to see her again. She assured me that in the international teaching world, paths often cross again, so fast forward a couple years and here we are! Mel saw my post about Istanbul…
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Turkish Food and Drink
I am not the best person to discuss food, as my go to is usually what I am used to (my first Turkish meal was a margherita pizza!), but I thought people might enjoy seeing the different foods we encountered when in Istanbul.
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Takeaways from Istanbul
Every restaurant has a man standing outside who harasses you to try to get you to come eat at his restaurant. Never engage with a boat trip salesman on the street. You may end up in a carpet shop. There are way too many tourists!! Stray animals are treated really well here. It is a cultural belief that it is a community responsibility to take care of them so they let them just hang out wherever they want and there are random feeders and houses set out for them. And the dogs are huge. The men are beautiful! This is the place to come if you want a nose job…
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Galata Tower and the Whirling Dervishes
Galata Tower Originally built by Emperor Justinian, this tower was destroyed during the Fourth Crusade. What stands today was built in 1348, although it has had much damage caused by fires and storms throughout the years. The tower has been used as a lookout and a dungeon, and was even the jumping off point of a man who strapped on wings and supposedly ‘flew’ to Asia! Whirling Dervish ‘Sema’ Performance The Whirling Dervishes are members of the Sufi form of Islam. Whirling is a form of physical meditation in which the dervish is aiming to reach the source of all perfection.
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The Basilica Cistern and Topkapi Palace
There are a crap ton of people who visit Istanbul. I knew this, of course, but it was really highlighted for me when we went to visit these two popular sites. There were people everywhere and it was hard to get decent photos without Instagram photoshoots or other random wanderers getting in the way. I wish I had lived during the time of these places’ heyday so I could have experienced them as they were, not as an attraction to be ogled at by the masses, but it is what it is. These places were cool regardless, so enjoy! The Basilica Cistern Built in the 6th century by Emperor Justinian,…
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The Many Mosques of Istanbul
Hagia Sophia In short, the Hagia Sophia was originally built as a basilica for the Greek Orthodox Christian Church in 360 AD by the Byzantine Empire under the leadership of Emperor Constantius. It burned to the ground in 404 AD, was rebuilt and again burned to the ground during the Nika Revolts against Emperor Justinian I. Justinian ordered it to be completely rebuilt in 537 AD, and this is the structure that remains today. When Constantinople was conquered by the Ottomans in 1453, the city became Istanbul and the Hagia Sophia became a mosque, which is its purpose now. (Obviously I am skipping a lot of history here!) Outside the…
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First Stop, Istanbul
They say the third time is the charm. Kaitlyn and I had originally planned to go to Istanbul for a long weekend in April of 2020. We all know how the world got flipped upside down around that time, so had to cancel that trip. Then, we tried again in December of 2021 and, of course, I tested positive for Covid in the pre-flight testing, so couldn’t go then either. So it became a no-brainer that Istanbul had to be a stop on this trip. Because we were leaving in October, and just looking geographically at the most obvious route, we figured Istanbul would still be warmish which put it…
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Money, Money, Money
Coming from the US where it is very easy to hit up an ATM and get cash any time you need it, you will find that this can be much more difficult when traveling abroad. I have had experiences in East Africa where it was impossible to find an ATM that would accept my US bank cards (or my Nigerian one for that matter) and then were also very picky about the USD that they would accept. It is my recommendation that you are sure to have a decent amount of cash with you, but check that it is absolutely pristine! Many of the vendors in foreign countries will not…
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What to pack for a six month trip…
As I begin this journey, one of the most constant stressors has been deciding what the heck to pack that is going to last at least six months, be good for multiple climate zones and fit into one carry one back pack. With some tips from Rick Steves, the list below is what I managed to come up with. It is by no means perfect and I am sure I am going to have to do some shopping along the way, but it is a good starter reference for anyone who thinks they might try to do a journey like this one. Note: Even though I have been told I…
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Welcome!
Follow me as I take a trip around the world. I will head to Istanbul on October 4 and from there, things are up in the air! The destinations are known, but the dates are not. Check back to see where I am now!