Other experiences: I went back to my favorite hamam – Cemberlitas. I was scrubbed, cleaned, slapped around a little, and in the end, my skin was so soft and smooth. Really, the pain is worth the results. The port felt so safe and the students I saw had such a good time. The shopping for many was incredible – Taksim Square was the place to be. And the transportation system – loved the trams and buses – made everything run smoothly. One of the funniest memories I had was when 8 of us had to get into the tram which was more crowded than a Tokyo train during Friday, rush hour. I don’t know how we did it but we just made our way and ended up squashed in, some of us in uncomfortable positions. Finally, I was moved by the spirituality of the people we saw in Istanbul. The call to prayer sounded beautiful – some of them were haunting and melodic. The way in which the mosques would fill up 5 times a day as a normal part of their everyday life looked so powerful. From a distance, I saw men performing their ablutions (washing of the feet, hands, face) as part of the preparation to pray. It was quite an experience to be there and be allowed to share in their sacred space.
Turkey was a great place to visit. We hope to go again and visit other cities as well. There is so much to see and do there and not enough time. My only regret is to my inability to engage the political situation in that country during my visit. I have mixed emotions being there and thinking of their lack of acknowledgement of the Armenian Genocide. I also have mixed emotions about what is happening to the Kurdish population. It amazes me how we can be on this voyage, learn so much about the places we are visiting, and yet sometimes, hardly be able to learn or engage anything at all.
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