Travel Tips for the Fabulously Frugal

2015 has been good to me. I got to visit 5 countries, made some great new friends, and was able to put away a little money for a rainy day. I also spent a lot of money, so my goal for the new year is to be better about where and how I spend my money. Here are my 3 4 tips for saving some money and not blowing the budget while traveling:

1. Opt for a seat in the back of the plane

When you check your bags in (p.s. don't be one of those jerks that brings a whole suitcase on as your carry on, but more on that later) ask the gate agent if there are any empty rows available that they can book you in. Since most people prefer to sit at the front of the plane, the back of the plane usually has a few rows of empty, unloved seats. You can also check this yourself if you check in online, but the gate agent can prevent anyone else from booking seats beside you. Once you've taken off, kick your shoes off and stretch out across all four seats! Business class space for the economy class price. People may give you dirty looks, but hey, that's what eye masks are for, blocking the haters out ;)

2. Bring your own snacks

Everyone knows that airports and hotels usually overcharge you for snacks and drinks, so why not bring your own? I always try to book hotels that have breakfast included, but for those mid-day munchies, I like to pack my own snacks from home. Stocking up on Kind or granola bars, dried fruit, nuts, popcorn, and teas will make sure that you snack healthy while you're away and stick to your budget for food. I also like to take an empty water bottle with me so that I can stay hydrated. S'well makes a metal water bottle that keeps whatever you put inside cold for up to 24 hours without refrigeration.

3. Befriend a local

If you don't already have friends or family that live in the country you're visiting the next best thing is to befriend a local person. They'll be able to help you navigate the city, find authentic local food, and help you to save money by avoiding tourist traps. When I was in Istanbul, my local friend took me to a restaurant I would have never gone to on my own, that had amazing baklava and turkish coffee, and also talked to taxi drivers to help get me to where I wanted to go quickly and inexpensively. In Tanzania, my local friend saved me a ton of money buying souvenirs by speaking for me and negotiating prices. Like I've said before, people in other countries hear my American accent and think I'm rich, so having a local person to inquire about pricing for me was a big money saver.

4. Turn off your wifi and cellular data and still use Google Maps to navigate your way around a foreign city

I found this one out by accident but it has helped me out so many times and saved me a ton on data roaming charges. Chances are your hotel will at least have free wifi in the lobby. Before heading out for your day of exploring, search for wherever it is you want to go and click to begin navigation. Once you leave the hotel you'll lose the wifi signal and you'll get a notification that your data is not working but good ole Google Maps will continue to navigate you to your destination, even if you have wifi and cellular data turned off. If you really get into a pinch and need to navigate your way to another location but have no wifi, you can briefly turn on your cellular data and roaming to get Google Maps started and then turn it back off once you're on your way, it'll still work the same. You're welcome!

And finally, not a money saving tip but a time saving one. Try to be the last person to check in for your flight and close to the last person to board the plane. You won't be stuck sitting in your seat on the plane waiting for everyone to board, your luggage will be put on last and therefore be the first to be taken off, and you'll be able to easily see those empty rows of seats that are just waiting for you to nap on. Plus, if you're not one of those jerks that brings a whole suitcase on as your carry on, you'll be able to quickly maneuver your way off the plane and power walk (feel the burn!) to customs. Also, since I'm off on a tangent, keep your fashion accessories to a minimum (no belts, coins, bobby pins, shoes with laces) and your time at security will be a breeze.

My Thoughts on Egypt

This year for National Day we had a full five days off from school (thank you Sweet Baby Jesus in your Golden Fleece Diapers!) and since I had already had the whole National Day experience, complete with camel racing, an air show and the insanity that is the car parade down the Corniche last year, I decided to go away. My curiosities led me to the great city of Cairo, Egypt, and while it didn't disappoint I wish it had been...more.

Since this would be my first trip to the African continent I had high hopes for my experience while there. I guess I expected it to be more welcoming and friendly, especially towards another person of color, but I definitely felt a sense of otherness while there. In my short time there it was pretty clear that Egyptians don't consider themselves African. In the museum, I referred to something as being African and a woman quickly corrected me, saying it was Egyptian. In another experience, as I was walking down the street (with a tour guide) past a group of teenaged kids, one of them yelled out "African", which confused me. Was he calling me African? I was the only 'black' person on the street but technically he was the African, not me. I'm still confused about that.

The other thing that turned me off about Cairo was that I constantly felt like I was being taken advantage of. Maybe I'm just paranoid. Or maybe it's a symptom of being in a country that has a lot of poverty and instability. Maybe it's just a tourist problem. I'm not sure. In a lot of the shops that I went into, the salesmen would aggressively go into their sales pitches and then suggest that I pay some absurd amount for a little trinket and then get offended when I'd decline. I usually offer about half of what they're asking and then meet somewhere in the middle. After successfully (I think) haggling with one store owner, he said that I couldn't be American, I had to be Indian from the way that I bargained. I think it was a compliment.

Anyway, on to the adventures!

First on the itinerary was a visit to Saqqara which is a burial ground for the ancient city of Memphis. As we drove there on a country road that we shared with horses and donkeys pulling carts of fruits and vegetables, I was surprised to see the lush greenery and farms that led right up to the burial site, which was the complete opposite.

After Saqqara, we went to visit a papyrus shop in Cairo. Papyrus and Lotus Flowers are two of the main plants that grow in Egypt. Both have several different uses and can be found in most artifacts and hieroglyphics. The gentleman at the papyrus shop did a short demonstration for me on how papyrus plants are turned into scrolls which can then be painted or drawn on.

from this...

...to this

The shop sold reproductions of all kinds of famous art, and even some that glowed in the dark.  There were literally hundreds to choose from, it was so hard to narrow it down to just a few to buy. 

Right next door to the papyrus shop there was a perfumery that sold all kinds of oils. I was treated to a private demonstration to test and smell all of the different scents, of which papyrus and lotus flower were the most popular. The salesman of course heard my American accent and tried to sell overcharge me everything in the shop. After I agreed to buy two small bottles, he took me to another area to pay and when we returned another worker had already poured and packaged my oils. This didn't sit well with me because I had no way of knowing that they actually put what they said was in the bottles, so I kindly asked them to do it again in front of me. He wasn't happy about it but he'll get over it.

If that wasn't a busy enough day, I also went to see the pyramids and Sphynx in the afternoon. I rode a camel through the streets of Cairo and had a guide on horseback to lead me up to the pyramids. It was...quite an experience! Most of the ride was uphill and my camel and the horse didn't really seem to like each other, which was a little scary. At one point the horse nearly threw the guide off, which didn't make me or my camel too happy. But I powered through my fears and made it to the top.

weee!!!

The next day, we set off to see the Citadel, which I could have done without. I don't really remember too much about it except that it had a mosque and Mohamed Ali, not the boxing legend, is buried there, and my tour guide took the time to sit me down and tell me all about the perils of dating Egyptian men. Good thing I have no plans on doing that.

After that we went to Khan el-Khalili market which is like a large outdoor flea market. You can buy anything from jewelry to souvenirs to bedroom linens there, and haggling is expected. I got some nice gifts for my friends but I wish I had gotten more.

My last stop of the day was the Museum of Egyptian Antiquities. 

Ta dah!

After passing through security, you're on your way to exploring the artifacts from several different dynasties. I happened to be visiting at the right time because tourists were allowed to take pictures of all of the exhibits. Score!

papyrus scrolls

Horus and Isis

one of many jewelry pieces

ancient tomb

Ramses

The museum was definitely my favorite part of the trip. I'm a nature nerd but I'm also kind of a history nerd too. I find it so intriguing to think about how many of the places we know and visit today were also frequented by people hundreds or thousands of years ago. Seeing all of the exhibits made that feeling all the more real for me. It also made me curious to learn more and sparked some questioning about religion that I'll save for another time.

To wrap up my day I hit up the spa in the hotel. It was too cold outside to go in the pool but the hotel had a spa in the basement that had a sauna, steam room, and hot tub. I wish I had thought to use them before my last day there.

And that was my trip to Egypt! I'm not sure if I would go back to Cairo again, but I definitely want to go to Luxor and Aswan to see the other third of Egyptian history that I missed, and Sharm El Sheikh strictly for relaxing purposes. That'll have to wait though, I'm going to Tanzania in 6 days! Hopefully I'll get the African experience I'm looking for there :)

October, Revisited

If September was the month of relaxation and change, October was definitely the month for throwing myself full speed into the action packed life of a teacher.  My students finally seemed to be getting into the routine of things, but things seemed to keep being added to my never ending list of things to do. A teacher's work is really never done *sigh*

Nevertheless, I managed to squeeze in some r&r thanks to a long weekend for the Islamic New Year.

Just Do It

 Even though I don't typically like to go to the same place twice, the price was right to go back to Sri Lanka and give another part of the island a try. This time I stayed away from locals on mopeds and men who like to hold hands in vans ;)

I spent most of my time by the pool fighting off naps reading and relaxing. That's actually the only thing I did and it was amazing...right up until some bug made a feast of my ankles and I had an allergic reaction. I've never been so itchy or swollen in my life! But thanks to the liberal pharmaceutical practices of the GCC, I was able to buy some meds in the airport on my way home.

I'll spare you the pictures of my swollen toes and ankles, just trust that it was bad.
I did manage to take this beautiful picture of the sky just before a thunderstorm (yay!) on the day that I left.

On to other adventures.

Did you know that NYU had a campus in Abu Dhabi? Neither did I up until about a month ago, but they do! They have a pretty active arts center and I was able to attend a performance of the Nile Project at the end of the month.

The Nile Project consists of several musicians from the Nile region that perform using different instruments from their countries. The show was a beautiful mix of sounds, you could just feel the energy in the air the whole night. What I loved about it was the way that it brought together people from different places, not just from the African continent, but also a variety of people from all over the world in the audience.

I'm not really a dancer but it was definitely hard not to twerk in public that day. Dave Chapelle was right, black people really can't resist the sound of drums.

On a more serious note, one thing about me that I've noticed has changed since moving abroad is that I've developed more of an interest in learning about Africa, the countries, the people, the culture, the history, and more specifically, my own history and roots.  

After getting over the initial culture shock of moving abroad, you'll notice the immense sense of pride people from other countries feel and how that ties into their culture and interactions with others. It really is interesting to see. Like, I'm an American, and yes, to some degree I'm proud to be American, but I don't go around claiming it or wearing it on my sleeve so to speak. For me, growing up in America, I feel like "American" is only part of my identity, I wasn't given the opportunity to really learn about my history and the culture that goes along with it and have it be an ongoing part of my life. There are, obviously, several reasons for that, and not really very much I can do about it now other than to start educating myself. What makes me sad is that there are and probably will continue to be millions of children and young adults in the same situation for years to come. 

I'm only one  person but I guess every journey first begins with a single step.

It's About That Time

Is it possible to feel nostalgic for a feeling? Like a deep longing for a time or feeling that you once had, not a particular thing but something bigger yet more...abstract? 

For the past week or so I've had the feeling that I was missing something but couldn't quite put my finger on what it was. It felt like I should be doing something but I didn't know what. Then I got the urge to bake a turkey. And make soup. And bake caramel apple poke cakes. Alright, maybe I was just hungry but cooking and eating all those things, don't judge me, only got me a little closer to identifying that feeling.

It wasn't until I was sitting in a cafe drinking a latte and reading an article from the newspaper back home about fall foliage that I was able to put a finger on what I had been missing, fall! Normally, at home the month of September means three things: going back to school, my birthday, and cooler weather. It's a time of change that I really look forward to. There are certain things that you can only do during the fall. Apple picking, watching the leaves change, trading summer clothes for sweaters and boots, turning off the ac and opening windows, wearing darker colors, drinking hot chocolate...all of those are like my favorite things. There is nothing like going for an afternoon drive through the hills and valleys of central New York with nothing but sunshine and shades of red, yellow, and orange to guide you. The smell of fires burning, the slight chill in the air, an A&W rootbeer float in my belly. I'm sounding like quite the fat girl in this post but you can't deny that those things all sound great.

But since there are no apple trees, pumpkin patches, A&W rootbeer, or deciduous forests in Abu Dhabi, and the average low temperature for this week is 82, what is a girl to do? Well, I'm pretty good at making lemonade out of lemons so I decided to plan a trip to Europe to experience winter :) I'm feeling like Amsterdam or Milan are due to be graced by my presence very soon.

In the meantime, I'm going to enjoy these fall foliage pictures that I found on google because I'm a nerd like that.

33 and Still Learning

God is still working on me.

I mean, I think I do pretty well on a day to day but there are still some things I could use some work on. Like my patience. I do a pretty good job of keeping up a calm exterior most of the time but when things don't go according to plan I'm like a ball of nerves on the inside. Call me crazy but I like being in control of the things that happen to and around me. Well, God had plans for me to exercise patience for my birthday, and now having gone through it I can say I'm glad He did.

Here's how it all happened.

I made a promise to myself on my last birthday that this one would be better, so I began planning for it two months in advance. Spending your birthday in an empty apartment, with no cake, candles, or ice cream, all alone and crying, thousands of miles away from anyone or thing you love really makes one determined not to have that happen again. So I made plans to go some place where I could do all the things I love; mainly eating good food, relaxing on the beach, and if I could squeeze in some time with animals a giraffe, all the better.

After some searching, I found a small island right off the coast of Abu Dhabi that had all 3 of those things! Sir Bani Yas island was established as a nature reserve a few decades ago by Sheikh Zayed bin Sultan al Nahyan and is home to several animals that were previously close to extinction. You can read more about the island here.

So I planned a nice two day weekend there for my birthday, which was timed perfectly to fall on the weekend right after school started, when I would absolutely need a nice relaxing break. That's where my patience work began. It started with my date running late for our ride and flight to the airport, patience test #1. We actually made it there on time, only to wait 3 hours to be told that the flight was cancelled because of a sandstorm. Patience test #2.

Not gonna lie, in all the confusion of flights being cancelled and trying to find my luggage that had been checked, I did cry in the bathroom a little bit, but at that point it was not my birthday yet. Thank God for having another person there to keep me calm and help think things through clearly. Understandably, everyone was upset at the lack of communication from the airline and several other people were also celebrating their birthdays. What a way to start a new year of life.

I have had the worst luck at airports this year. I hope that is a trend that does not continue.

I really wanted to go home and cry some more in my bed, but we decided to share a taxi with another couple to get to the ferry that would take us to the island. Two hours later, we made it. Not the best road trip I've ever taken, but it was definitely worth it.

Look at that view! I imagine this might be what heaven looks like. After such a stressful day this view was more than welcome, and the staff at the resort made it even better. They were so friendly and accommodating and really attended to every need we had, starting with booking reservations for dinner. I forgot to take any pictures, but we ate at the hotel's Arabic food restaurant and I had what was probably the best chicken soup of my life.

The next day was my birthday and we spent it by the pool, right after we had a huge breakfast at the international buffet. This was another meal that was probably one of the best in my life. Most hotels have pretty plain, predictable breakfasts but this one had all of my favorites, including hash browns, made to order omelets, a pastry bar, fresh fruit and watermelon juice.

Then we headed over to the pool to enjoy a few hours of sunshine and ocean views. I've said before how much I love the beach, and even though we didn't actually go in it, it was still so relaxing to hear the waves crashing and birds chirping.

I could get used to this

That night we had dinner at another of the hotel's restaurants, but once again I forgot to take any pictures. I guess my memories will have to suffice :)

On Saturday, we filled up on more hash browns and watermelon juice and then went on a safari since my only requirement of the weekend was that I get to see a giraffe. Sir Bani Yas has a nature reserve that is home to thousands of animals, so we arranged for a wildlife ride through the park. Our guide was a nice lady who told us all about the history of the island and the animals there. On our first stop to look at some sand gazelles I noticed a giraffe hiding by some trees and knew it was going to be a good trip.

Sand gazelles having breakfast

Sheep trying to stay cool

About halfway through our ride the guide asked if we wanted to take some selfies with a giraffe and parked the car and let us get out. She didn't really tell us where the giraffe would be, so we were kind of just walking along and all of a sudden there was this huge animal standing quietly by a tree.

Only a tiny bit intimidating! They kind of just stand there peacefully, which is about all you can really do in that kind of heat. I'm still a little in shock that I was so close to my favorite animal. Mark that off my bucket list!!! I really wanted to hug them but it would've been more like me hugging their kneecaps and them possibly kicking me. 

Our last stop was to look for one of the islands cheetahs. There are five, but we only were able to see one that they had in a separate area for his yearly medical exams. His name was Cuba.

Finally it was time to go back to the hotel to wait for our afternoon flight, so we decided to spend it by the pool (and I tried not to worry about our flight being cancelled again and another 2 hour taxi ride).

Luckily our flight wasn't cancelled and after a short 20 minutes in the air we were back in Abu Dhabi and not so ready to start the work week.

All in all I couldn't have asked for a better birthday and I hope all my future birthdays are just as amazing, insha'allah :)

"Bermuda, Jamaica...ooh I wanna take ya"

Eleven days into my summer vacation I needed a vacation. Not that I had been doing anything strenuous or mentally taxing, but I just needed some me time. If you're an introvert you know how important it is to have time to yourself to recharge. Since I know myself so well, I had already planned myself a trip to Bermuda months ago.

6 am flights are not the business. 4 hour layovers in Newark are also not the business, but once I landed in Bermuda all that was behind me. Storm clouds were in front of me, but that was okay because I hadn't seen (legitimate) rain in about a year. So off I set with a friendly taxi driver to find my home for the next few days.

My hotel was a small apartment complex that was converted into a hotel. It had a real home-y feel to it and the staff were all helpful and friendly. My room also had a full kitchen so that I could cook for myself, which helped me to save some money because Bermuda is expensive! My first full day there I woke up to the sound of rain and the forecast said it would rain all day, but I decided to go into town and do some exploring anyway.

I actually really enjoy taking public transportation in foreign countries. It lets you see the city without having the pressure of having to watch the road or follow directions, and you get to see the local people and learn a little bit about how they live. On this particular day, I took the bus into Hamilton which is like the town center. It's a small city but it has the usual movie theater, grocery store, restaurants and a small shopping center. After looking around the mall for a bit I decided to have lunch at a little restaurant called Lit. 

The next day I woke up to a beautifully sunshiny day and immediately hustled myself to the beach to take advantage of it. I took the bus again, and luckily it wasn't too far from my hotel but I spent a little bit of time walking in the wrong direction before I righted myself. I was prepared for the long walk down a nondescript road because I had read about it online, and thankfully the homeowners near the beach had put up signs directing people in the right direction.

I could not have prepared myself for that view. Now I see why Elbow Beach is listed as a must see.

Most of Bermuda's beaches have soft, pink sand. It doesn't really look like it from the pictures, but if you stand in the water and look back at the shore it looks more pink. I spent the better part of the day splashing in the water and reading a book and subsequently getting a few shades darker and a little sunburnt.

The next day I woke up and it was sunny again, so I thought it would be a good idea to venture out to one of the other beaches on the island while I could. Tobacco Bay beach is a lot smaller than the other beaches, and it doesn't have the signature pink sand, but it came highly recommended as a great place for snorkeling. 

The beach has a small club/restaurant attached to it that sells food and rents snorkels to tourists. I tried snorkeling, but it wasn't really for me. I don't like being that close to fish that I'm not acquainted with.  It started to sprinkle while I was doing it, so I took that as my cue to move on to my next adventure.

Since I was on public transportation that meant a 10 - 15 minute walk back uphill to St. George's and the bus stop. Unfortunately for me, it started to rain about halfway there, so I walked and looked quickly.   St. George's is a UNESCO heritage site because it is the oldest surviving English town in the new world. I read a story in one of the museums about a slave ship that docked into Bermuda due to bad weather and needing repairs. The captain told the slaves onboard that they could either be set free to live there or remain on the ship and continue on to America and certain slavery. All but one woman and her five children chose freedom in Bermuda.

After my walk along the African Diaspora heritage trail, it was still raining heavily but I decided that since I was already wet I might as well get off the bus and explore the town some more. I wound up stopping in The Swizzle Inn for a burger and their signature drink, the Rum Swizzle.  It's kind of like a rum punch and it comes in a large pitcher that you can get about 3 - 4 drinks out of.  Needless to say, I was feeling pretty good when I left there.

So good in fact, that I thought it would be a good idea to go and visit a cave. I was definitely tipsy and getting to the entrance required a walk up a steep hill and then 83 steps down some slippery steps into the cave but I'm proud to say I didn't fall down at all.  

If you're ever in Bermuda I would highly recommend a visit to Crystal Cave. The tour guides were all really nice and funny and it really is amazing to see.

On my final full day I decided to venture off the beaten path. The lady at the front desk of my hotel had told me about a secluded beach that was even better than Elbow Beach, but way less crowded. The beach didn't have a name and neither did the street that would take me to it, but I wasn't gonna let that stop me. I grabbed a bottle of water and a book and let my intuition and lead the way, it did not disappoint.

I walked down another long, nondescript road not knowing what was at the end, and then down all those stairs, to find beautiful pink sand, turquoise water, and absolutely no one on the beach. Jackpot!

The beach really is my happy place. It makes my heart smile and I feel at peace. I really could stay at the beach all day long and be perfectly content. Unfortunately, that was not what God had planned for me because these storm clouds rolled in fast and furious. I got a pretty decent picture of them before they opened up poured.

People always ask me how I can travel alone to foreign places. It's really not all that bad to me, mostly because as I said, I'm an introvert and I like my me time. But I think there's a difference between being alone and being lonely.  You can be in a room full of people and feel alone.  I can't say I ever really feel lonely, but I do sometimes wish that I had someone to share the experiences with. Part of the fun of having certain experiences is being able to look back on them fondly and reminisce with loved ones, which is kind of hard to do when said friends weren't there to experience it. So I'm vowing that my next trip will be one that I can share with one of my loved ones, inshallah ;)

Istanbul Recap

Things I dislike about Istanbul: taxi drivers and rude service workers

Things I like about Istanbul: hills, trees, and greenery, oh my! the mixing of old and new architecture, the street vendors, the laid back attitude

My trip to Istanbul began with a short flight and layover in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia. That was...an experience. I knew that Saudi Arabia was much more conservative than the UAE, so I made sure to wear long, loose fitting pants, and a t-shirt, and cover my hair. Even still, I felt almost immediately out of place. It was the first time that I really felt like the only foreigner, I was the only person on my flight not wearing an abaya. It was also the middle of Ramadan when I traveled, so even though food was made available on the plane, not many people ate it, but the flight attendants did give everyone a small box of food (to take away) to break their fast after the sun set. Another thing that was new for me was that before takeoff there was a recorded prayer that was played on each flight to bless the plane and our journey.

When I arrived in Istanbul it was almost 9pm but the sun hadn't set yet, which was really confusing and disorienting to me. It was nice, though, because I could still see some of the city as the taxi took me to my hotel. All I could think of was how different it looked from Abu Dhabi. The amount of hills and valleys and different terrain was really different from the flatness of home. My hotel happened to be at the top of a big hill that I was afraid the little taxi wouldn't make it up. Here's the view from my hotel room:

night

day

Istanbul is a city with a lot of history. It was so interesting to walk around certain places and think of how they were around and used by people hundreds of years ago. My hotel offered a shuttle to Taksim Square, which is like the center of the city where they have lots of hotels, restaurants, and vendors on the street selling food, knick knacks, and clothes, so I took it one morning to go sightseeing.

Taksim Square from the street

Taksim Square from a smoke deck

From Taksim Square I took one of those Big Bus Tours that goes around the city picking up and dropping off people at different tourist spots. It was a nice way to see the city and take a break from all that walking.

look at all those trees!

The bus took me to Sultanahmet Square which is where the Blue Mosque, Hagia Sophia, and Topkapi Palace are. I couldn't go to Hagia Sophia because it's closed on Mondays, but I got to see the Blue Mosque and also walked through the Arasta Bazaar. I really enjoyed the bazaar and since I went early in the day there weren't too many people there, so I could take my time and browse, but that also meant that the store owners could really focus on trying to get me into their stores. 

small park in front of the Blue Mosque

I don't know why there are never any female store owners or workers. I think I'd like that a lot better. Most store owners, if they pay you any attention, start off by asking where you're from, and I hate it because if you say America they tend to assume that you have a lot of money and will try to get you to buy the most expensive thing in their store. In my travels I have noticed the difference in treatment of people with American passports and people from other places. It is definitely advantageous to be an American but I don't like to put it on display, so I try to speak very little. I think on future trips I will say I'm Canadian. 

Arasta Bazaar

Walking through the bazaar I noticed a lot of fabric stores that had beautifully made tapestries and clothes and such. I wandered into one that had a kitty resting on the pillows for sale outside. Cats are everywhere in Istanbul, they kind of just roam freely and people in the neighborhoods take care of them. So I was talking to this kitty and rubbing its tummy when the owner came out and offered to buy me a cup of tea at the restaurant next to his store. It was very hot outside but he assured me that hot tea would be a good idea. He was kind of right. It was good tea.

this little restaurant was built into hollowed walls and was so charming

the view from the back garden terrace of the restaurant, that's the Blue Mosque in back

So I wound up buying some pillow covers from him with the promise that I would come back later and buy him some tea because he gave me a deal. I didn't. I also bought some perfume and paintings from other shops in the bazaar. On my way back to the main square another (persistent) shop owner invited me into his store to look at his jewelry designs and have some Turkish coffee. Turkish coffee is delicious and I love it! I started talking with the store owner and learned that he had lived in Kuwait for a while, so we exchanged numbers because I like having a local person that I can ask questions of if I need to.

After touring Sultanahmet Square for a while I hopped back on the Big Bus to finish the tour and got to see some of the Asian side of Istanbul. Although I didn't see much it seemed like the Asian side was much more laid back and quiet than the European side.

Asia in front of me, Europe behind me

The next day I had an adventure trying to get to the aquarium. It's pretty well publicized that Turkey is home to the 2nd largest aquarium in the world, but its less publicized that there are actually two aquariums in Istanbul. So when I got in the taxi and told him to take me to the aquarium, I naturally assumed he would take me to the 2nd largest aquarium in the world. He didn't. That's when the store owner with local knowledge came in handy for telling the taxi driver who didn't speak english that he took me to the wrong place. Sixty lira and a long ride later I was at the right aquarium, located conveniently inside a huge mall with a Lego Land and Ikea attached. 

lego giraffe 

say cheese!

I loved the aquarium and the 83 meter long tunnel that was home to sting rays, sharks, and other fish. I think this sting ray took a liking to me because it followed me around as I walked through its' home.

I spent my last day in Istanbul having traditional Turkish food for lunch and lots of baklava, and then went to have a Turkish bath at Aga Hamami before my flight home. Aga Hamami was constructed in 1454 and has been open to the public since 1923. I had one in Abu Dhabi before that was decent, but I wanted to have the real experience and Aga Hamami did not disappoint. 

After walking in what seemed like a huge circle up and then down a big hill, I finally found the place and was given a towel and shower shoes to change into and told to put my swimsuit on. One of the workers then showed me into a marble room with a large marble slab in the middle that was warmed from below so that you can relax on it before your bath. The room is a common room, so there are other people there but everyone pretty much keeps to themselves. There are two sinks on each wall that you use to douse yourself with water before your bath. I was a little confused about how to do it and get the water temperature right, and apparently I wasn't moving fast enough because the guy filled up a pan with water and splashed it on me. Then, once you're good and wet, you go into the steam room to wait for your turn to be bathed. The whole place is heated by wood fires that burn hotter than gas, but even though it is hot it is still very relaxing. When it's your turn, a nice older lady calls you into a private room to be scrubbed with a loofah and bathed with black soap. After all my spa experiences in Abu Dhabi I've gotten more comfortable with being naked around strangers, and this woman was apparently super comfortable because all she had on were some bikini bottoms. All I could say was, "do you, boo". The last step of the experience is being wrapped in a soft towel and taken to the waiting area to drink apple tea at your leisure. I had paid extra for an oil massage, so I did that as well. The Turkish bath was by far one of my most favorite experiences and I definitely plan to do it again since I have a 5 hour layover on my flight back home to Abu Dhabi.