Ain't Nothing but a Wee Stroll in the Park

So after months of hard training and team effort to push each other to our limits, I finished the Edinburgh Tough Mudder. What I didn't know about this lovely race is that it is a HALF marathon and obstacles. When I signed up I thought, very naively, that this was a short 10 km run with obstacles. I was wrong - just under a half marathon with obstacles. Tough Mudder was created by the US Special Forces for the purposes of basic military training camp then it got popular and they commercialized it. My friend, Lis from Calgary noticed this in about February and asked if I wanted to do it. I didn't take much thought to it and signed up. Goals for training are always welcomed. Over the next couple of weeks, I convinced a few more law school friends going to the castle to join in so that we could have a solid team. In the end three of us trained together for three months. The other two decided last minute to join which was fine. Tough Mudder sent us a training program to do - hilarious but oh so necessary. It was an hour and a half program that ran 12 minute straight programs of cardio, arm strength, or leg strength with three minute breaks in between sets. I can now do man push ups, burpee, wall sits, and skipping for three solid minutes. Running in Kingston was actually nice to train for but I didn't train enough for the Mudder to be running full tilt the entire time. Kingston does not have enough trail running for that to be possible.

We came to Edinburgh on Friday to get settled and carb-load. It felt like the day before competitions - not too much walking, a little bit of shopping, and a whole lot of pasta and chicken. Saturday was an early morning. We got up at 5 to paint our faces, warm up, and head out on public transit to Dalkeith where the race was taking place. We got there and it was incredible to see. There teams upon teams dressed up in team shirts or costumes. After spray pairing numerous Canadian flags in ourselves we joined in the collective warm up (think step class like). The atmosphere was a little like what I imagine a football locker room to be - a lot of chanting, groaning, and war cries. Before we eve got to the start line you had to jump over an 8 foot wall, which I am proud to say I did without help. Always good to get muddy before you even start the race - why else would they call it Tough Mudder? They make you chant once you get over the wall to get into the spirit of the race. The entire race is ran in about 8 inches of mud that they create specifically for this race. My runners were trashed at the end. Our first obstacle was an army crawl in the mud with barbed wire above us - key to this was keeping your bum down and sprawling. Some of the memorable obstacles were climbing through pipeline in pitch black, climbing up a 30 foot wall by rope only, jumping into an ice bath then swimming 40m in it, being electrocuted a couple of times, and the entire mile of hip deep mud. We got electorshocked twice - you had to army crawl the first time through this 50m course then run the second one. Half the team ran together which made it 100x worse, this is the only time that team work did not pay off. I ran alone after seeing our guy hit the ground in pain because the girls with him got hit. The worst one by far was swimming backwards with only your face above water because you were in a cage. I hate small spaces and that just about made me cry... Might have made me cry, don't know and will never admit it either way. A lot of the course was grit to get yourself through the obstacle or the running. Running in mud is harder than it looks, your feet stick and they slide and its not like you can just power through on straight aways. The one nice thing about Tough Mudder is that you do everything as a team because you have to, which makes it a lot easier than a normal half marathon. There is no way you can sheer climb a rope without someone holding the bottom or even get yourself up to climb over a 20 foot wall without a little bit of help.

Our team was pretty good besides one girl who whined and gave up and ruined that team spirit. Fair enough you hurt but you do not give up in the middle of no where because you are muddy. We all scraped our knees and elbows and other body parts hurt but you do not give up and whinge about it. I have more bruises and scraps than is imaginable but totally worth it. I would totally do it again but I would just run a little bit more prior to. My muscles this morning are on fire. Everything burns.

AFN

Castle (aka Herstmonceux Castle, Hailsham, East Sussex, England)

By the end of the 12th Century, the family at the manor house at Herste had considerable status. Written accounts mention a lady called Idonea de Herste, who married a Norman nobleman named Ingelram de Monceux. Around this time, the manor began to be called the 'Herste of the Monceux’; a name that eventually became Herstmonceux. Essentially, the cast was reclaimed by Henry VIII from the Fiennes family until the time of Elizabeth I. Seventeenth century England was rife with uncertainty and social unrest, yet the owners of Herstmonceux appear to have prospered, carrying out renovations and even were able to avoid the extremes of the 1640s when civil war gripped the country. In 1933 Sir Paul Latham purchased the castle and continued the process of reconstruction, completing the remodelling of the northern half of the castle. Extensive work was also undertaken on the gardens and grounds, with the addition of a tennis court, a swimming pool, extensive plantings and the excavation and flooding of the moat. Further changes to the castle came during WWII when it for a brief time housed the Hearts of Oak insurance company which needed a place where its’ records would be safe from Germany’s Blitz on London. While Herstmonceux Castle did not see any serious action, it still felt the effects of the war and was on numerous occasions strafed by German planes. An RAF camp, part of RAF Wartling, was established on the estate and a large air-raid shelter was constructed immediately south-west of the drawbridge. In 1946 Sir Paul Latham sold Herstmonceux Castle to the Admiralty, which established it as the new home of the Royal Greenwich Observatory. From the early 1950s until 1989 Herstmonceux Castle remained a centre of scientific research and home to one of the world’s leading astronomical organizations. However, "light pollution” from the nearby city of Eastbourne, along with other factors, combined to make staying at Herstmonceux impractical and in 1989 the RGO was moved to Cambridge. The castle was sold to developers who planned to turn it into a hotel and golf resort. The idea was opposed by a group of local residents who formed 'The Society for the Protection of Herstmonceux Castle'. After a lengthy battle the castle and estate were saved from the developers. In 1993 the Castle was purchased by Drs. Alfred and Isabel Bader and donated to Queen’s University, with the intent to establish it as a centre of international education. Queen’s International Study Centre was born, and in 1994, after extensive renovations to transform bedrooms into offices and work areas into classrooms, the first students arrived. Since that time the Bader International Study Centre has continued to grow and today welcomes students from around the globe. (See Herstmonceux Castle website)

In other news, caste life is awful. It is British boarding school food on a timed schedule (8, noon, and 5). Typical meals are slop, stew, and potatoes. It means a whole lot of spinach salads for all meals of the day. I appreciate meals outside of the castle and raw crunchy vegetables a little bit more now.

The photos below are the castle and the set of girls at the castle. The "bros" are an interesting crew for sure. Nothing much else is to tell about the castle - we hang out in classrooms or the pub on campus. It is a tame lifestyle that is very moderated and scheduled. 

Ibiza, Spain

Hello all,

Elisabeth, Alyssa, and myself found last minute flights to Ibiza to get away for the weekend. Ibiza is Europe's version of Vegas without the shows, or gambling, or things to do other than party. Oh well. The first day we got there was quite tame. The girls found Sangria at a small bar on the beach. I had the most delicious milk shake that was devoured in under four minutes. Castle food is brutal and revolting. We walked around Sant Antonio until we found a beach and just laid down for a couple of hours. Albeit, that only lasted until dinner time when we found a tapas place. The group decided to go to a day club to see the Ibiza party scene in a tame manner. The Ocean Beach Club was incredible. We watched Steve Aoki play live which I guess from other people is a major deal ad should have been more than the 20 Euro cover we paid. The club had a pool on the inside of it, which was hilarious to watch all of the people deal with and maneuver around. Of course we met several lawyers and had some great chats about how we should change our minds and work in London. English lawyers, for the most part, are regulated in their hours per week. We went for a quick bite to eat at a local place then out to the Cafe Mambo to rap up the night. I cannot believe that people do a day club, mid night club, then a superclub. The clubs in Ibiza close at 6 in the morning. We called it a night around midnight which was super tame according to the rest of the castle crew. I am not a partier nor will it ever be my thing. The rest of the weekend was spent on a lovely beach in Sant Antonio reading Commercial Arbitration and International Trade Law. Lis got one of the best burns I have seen in a while. It appeared to have given her wings (cue Red Bull joke).

As a whole, Brody would love Ibiza and the rest of the world should just pass. It is a constant whomping of awful dubstep music and a lot of drunken English people.

AFN

Castle!

I am finally at the Herstmonceaux Castle (also known as the Bader Institute) in England. This will be home for the next two months. My room has a lovely view of the gardens but has an awful wind problem making the windows rattle. I will just sleep with ear plugs in for the next couple weeks. The food so far is awful but that was expected - means I will just hopefully lose weight. Today was actually pretty sunny for a couple of hours. The gym is small but functional.

AFN

Athens, Greece

Athens was a sauntering day. We woke up at 9 am after a late arrival at 2 in the morning to the hotel. Athens charges you double in a cab between the hours of 12-5am. Expensive taxi... We did the Parthenon, Acropolis, Temple of Athena Nike, New Acropolis Museum, Agora, Agora Museum, hiked to the top of the Perithen Temple thing, saw the Olympic Stadium, and walked to the Parliament buildings. Athens is a city you only have to do once. We powered walked at a very slow pace. Athens can be done in six hours for sure in the low season. Nothing was super busy but the Acropolis was filled with small school children. I could describe all that is Athens but nothing is out of the ordinary or spectacular that you could not have seen in a photo. You should see it all for yourself though one day.

However, the more exciting part is that there was car bombings and riots going on in Athens the day we were there. They shut down the Acropolis and the Museum just after we finished eating lunch there. Giant SWAT teams, military, and police surrounded both locations that are directly across from each other. Surprisingly, they did not clear the streets around the locales though. It was a sketchy seedy feeling in the city after this all occurred. They would not tell us what was going on and one SWAT member suggested that we get on the train to the airport before they shut those down and we sure did what we were told to do. You typically do not ignore SWAT instructions lightly.

(Christina and myself with the Acropolis in the background)

Santorini, Greece

Our hotel included breakfast so after a late wake up at 1030 to mozy along down to breakfast. Thy have us traditional Greek yoghurt with honey, an apple, some delicious cake, an omelet, and some type of cheese toast thing. I could only bring myself to eat yoghurt, apple, and cake with coffee. Eggs are just not my thing. However, I have fallen in love with taziki. It is amazing over pasta, bread, or even just on a chip. We started Santorini by renting a quad to maneuver ourselves around this island. It is just this little 80cc thing. Nothing special and not fast at all. The speed isn't a bad thing since both Christina and I have a thing for speed and reckless fun in motorized vehicles. It's great to have someone with as much of a lead foot as you to travel with. We drove to Kokkivn (red sand beach) for our first stop. It is a hike and a half down to this dark red beach. It is strange to see red sand in a place like this. It is that red brilliant rock like Kauai but turned into sand mixed with the volcanic black sand. All morning was spent lazing on this beach. The water is too cold to swim. I think it's glacial still. Sunscreen was my new best friend. It was a savior to not be burnt. We then hiked back out of this beach in flip flops to the quad. We then sped along the highway to Perissa. A delicious little hole in the wall called Grandmas Place was lunch. I have never seen such big pita wraps in my life. Amazing local vegetables with chicken and taziki sause. We then meandered down to the black sand beach. It was colder than the morning with the wind but we toughed it out. The next adventure was getting back to Oia, where we are staying. After getting mildly lost, the quad bit the dust. The battery died. We got a local to call the rental company to come get us. After a Greek 5 minutes or a solid half hour, they delivered us  a new quad in the middle of nowhere Santorini. Getting back to the hotel meant nap time. Sun sleeps are the best. We went for dinner at this amazing Italian place with a pelican type name.

The next day we toured around Oia and Fira just to see what they are like. Both are major tourist traps. Not a fan of the cities but the beaches are incredible. Dinner was back at the Pelican place because it was so incredible. I would highly recommend it again.

Tomorrow we are doing a boat tour to the volcano then heading on a late ferry to Athens. Our boat tour took us from the Old Port to the Volcano then to the "hot springs". We did just the three hour tour because we had an evening ferry to Athens to catch. We took the cable car down because our public transport bus from Oia to Fira was late. I shouldn't have been surprised because it is Greece but I was a little shocked. On the road to Fira, the bus driver got so angry at another bus driver that almost scraped our bus and it was priceless. The walk down is a solid half hour and a hike and a half. The tour was interesting I guess. Something to do if you have not seen Hawaii before in my opinion. It takes you to the volcano, which is dormant active. The entire island is black lava rock and random active heat spouts. It smells like sulfur that kind of gave me a headache due to its strength. The view from the top is spectacular though of the entire group of Santorini islands. The boat then took us to the "hot springs" at a balmy 20'C. I personally think jumping into sea water that is 8'C to swim to a grossly dark brown "hot spring" is not sanitary. I did not get off the boat for that excursion nor did Christina. The weather was glorious and warm.

Our ferry was three hours late due to boat maintenance issues. No one informs you of when the ferry is to come nor why it was not there on time until it gets there. We arrived in Athens at 1 am as such.

AFN

Kos, Greece

Today was a slow day. We had our last traditional Turkish breakfast - olives, cheese, bread, tomatoe, cucumber, and Nutella. I am glad to be done these heavy bread breakfasts. Off to the ferry we went but the cabby had no clue and way over charged us to get to the ferry port. What can you do when you don't speak the language? We got on our 20 minute ferry to Kos, Greece after passing through the most lax security I have ever gone through for border control.

Kos was tame and pissing rain all morning. We decided to rent bikes and biked around to some beach 15 km away from the main city. It was nice to see a sand beach for once again. We biked a total of 30 km today in the poring rain. Lunch was McDonalds because that's what Christina was craving. We just lazed around all afternoon really until our night ferry to Santorini. I am so ruined out. I can't see any more for a while until Athens. Dinner was Italian because nothing Greek looked appealing today.

Bodrum... Again

Today was our last day in Turkey. We woke up early at 8 this morning to have an amazing breakfast. For once it was western - fruit, cereal, and toast with Nutella. Instant coffee has grown on me over the last week. Turkish coffee kinda knocks your socks off and is super thick. Turkish tea is quite good but not as caffeinated as I like my drinks. I am so tired of Turkish food. No more kebabs for me for a good couple of months, if ever.

We set off to see tombs carved into the mountains just east of Kas in Cyaneae or Kyaneai in Turkish. All things here have both an English name and a Turkish name. Quite strange that it just isn't all in Turkish. This town was the most important roman town between Myra and Kas. To get to this acropolis was an adventure. It is along a dirt gravel road that is just barely big enough to fit one car. It is four kilometres into the bush basically. It is the only non sign posted place we visited. There is as a sarcophagus carved into the mountain side. We got a little lost trying to find the place by a about a half hour on these terrifying narrow roads. We did not see a single house or car or sign if life he entire time. Slightly concerning. Upon arriving at the actual site we hopped out of the car and started to hike to this monument. About five minutes in to the hike we discovered a fresh dug grave that shouldn't have been there at an official tourist site. Between Christina and I, our spidey senses were just ringing so we decided to turn back to the car - read basically ran back to the car. This just felt super death trap like. It wasn't a tourist destination that was highly traversed. I have never felt so uncomfortable in the silence ever. Sometimes you just have to trust your gut.

The drive from Kas to Bodrum was supposed to be six hours... It took three. I don't think either christina or myself know how to follow a speed limit when there is no expectation to follow it. We stopped for a break in Patara. It is an 18 km beach of white sand for turtle breeding. Given that it was blustering wind we did not stay long. The drive was easy and a lot of fun. Taking hair puns turns at 90km/hour is a riot. You do not have to follow the lanes or even signal. It is like a game to drive. I would recommend a car to do turkey. It makes life so much easier and you can take the off beaten tracks to go see something new.

We made it to Bodrum before dinner time after basically leaving Kas at noon after our little detour to Kyaneai. Returned the car to the airport on fumes. They gave us an empty car so we returned it the way it came to us. Taking public transport, be proud because neither one of us speaks a lick of Turkish, back to Bodrum was actually quite successful. Our public bus driver got us to the centre of Bodrum. We took it pretty easy here - walked around the harbour, had an Italian dinner. And come back to pack our bags for Greece tomorrow!

Final thoughts on Turkey:
- the men are diverse. There are two extremes - the older men who look at you like you should be in the house doing women work and be fully covered up and the younger generation who are creepy in their own manner. They are hilarious and hit on you, follow you around, lulls are the worst pant to wear ever here, and just constantly whistle/cat call. They'd have game though if you were stupid/innocent enough to fall for it. I haven't seen enough women around to comment on it. Not even the younger generations are out to see them.
- I would recommend Turkey. I like the southern trip significantly more than Istanbul but that said, you need to do Istanbul. I am glad that I did this with modestly no fear. Driving was a game and you always had to be on the lookout. Pansyions are incredible for the price and quality you get. We stayed in places with a king and a double with breakfast, wifi, and parking for about $20-30 a per a night. Istanbul seemed stupid expensive for what we got at $55 a night. However, I didn't book that one and it came as a recommendation from a friend who lived in Turkey for exchange. Turkey is diverse and you don't see the same thing really, besides ruins, twice. For a military run country, you do not notice the police or military presence. They love Antaruk - he is everywhere and people even get his signature tattooed on themselves. The flag is about as common as a Starbucks or McDonald's at home. You look and see one everywhere even in the back window of cars.
- the spice bazaar in Istanbul will be my favourite memory of this part of the trip. A lovely gentlemen of vertically challenged stature had us laughing for a good portion of an hour. The photos and putting this into words does not do it justice.
- the nights are not as safe feeling as the days. Nights are downright unsafe to be walking alone as females. Don't do it. We only did once and learned our lesson with the stalking. Daytime feels like the classic walking around any city to be honest.
- waiters constantly bring food to your table that you didn't order then make you pay for it. You just refuse it when it comes and then they don't charge you for it. Not that dinner is expensive, meals cost us about $8-20 a person for an appy and main with water. You won't find much else but Turkish food though. Italian was extremely rare and there are no other options. You could eat cheaper if you had street food but I put my foot down on that front.
- the prayers are timetable. They happened every day in all cities at 5 am, noon, 5 pm, 9 ish pm, and midnight. They occur over loud speaker regardless of the time of day. I will be glad to not hear them when I am in Greece.

Pumukkale and Antayla and Kas, Turkey

Hello all,

I drove from Ephesus to Pumukkale on a highway similar to the Rodgers Pass for three hours. It is actually quite easy to drive here. They are always shocked and take a double look that you are a woman driver but we have had no issues on that front yet. Speed limits on their super highways are 140 km/hour. I am in love with them. They are perfectly maintained pavement and significantly better than the highways at home. We got a tiny bit lost trying to find the actual site of the baths and ended up in Sarahroy. Surprisingly we got directions out of a man who spoke no English and obviously we speak no more Turkish than thank you. The site are these  water formations that have collected into being these ice blue pools on the side of a hill in the middle of Turkey. Amazing color and should be googled to see photos. There were tons of Asian your buses dropping off heards of them with their cameras. It was a neat natural wonder to see these pools made of some sort of calcite holding crystal blue water that naturally flowed through it. We climbed the two km down and up in bare feet. Ice cream was our reward at the top again. The top is set upon an Heliopolis. Ruins are ruins after a couple of day of them.

The drive from Pumukkale to Antalya was slow. Our only driver to follow the speed limit drove. We had a set of lovely gentlemen in a car pass us on the right then slow down and pass us on the left several times. We eventually figured out they were creeping hard. The men here sure have game but it borders a fine line of creepy. I have never been so stared at blatantly without makeup and basically covered up from head to toe. They are not used to women drivers. Everyone gives a double take. So far we have seen only three women drivers on the roads. Dinner was Burger King because we couldn't find a McDonald and wanted to get on the road.  The scenery reminds me of  Nee Zealand with its lush green forests. The surprising part is seeing hills made of marble and them mining it. The dirt here is red. It is a strange combination to see dark green shrubbery with red dirt.  Three hours later we got to Antayla.

(All above are Efes or Ephesus)


Antayla reminds me of Cabo San Lucas in the wealthy area but Kelowna in the rest. We drove through these minuscule roads to get to our villa. At some points we legitimately had to close the side mirrors to get through. Our villa was a quaint place that included breakfast called the Sabah Villas in Old Town Kaladsi. The old town is surrounded by giant ruins of walls. It was different for sure. Antayla is not flat nor easy to navigate. The next day we set out by public transport bus to Lara beach to spend a day near the ocean. I put on sunscreen but I guess not enough. I got a little burnt. Not as bad as Christina who four days later is still a lobster but still burnt. We had a quick lunch at their version of Tim Hortons because we got lost on our way back from the beach by about an hours walk. A good afternoons siesta was completed by the three of us. It was Christina's birthday so we woke up, got all dolled up in tanks and jeans because dresses felt a little too revealing, and went out for a nice dinner at Paradise. For a yoghurt dip with bread, an entire plate of garlic shrimp, a steak, an entire fish fillet, and dessert it set us back a whopping $65 CAD. Big spenders. Our restaurant overlooked the Harbour. The waiter was super friendly until he got very creepy and asked if he and the chef could come out with us. Obviously, we said we were just going to bed. We started at the Club Alley, an outdoor night club. It started to pour so we left and went to the roadhouse. It appears that I can find a roadhouse in many different locales. The Roadhouse had a Turk pop band playing. It was hilarious that we knew none of the words but still danced our heats out until 3 in the morning. The band and a lot of people found us hilarious. People don't typically dance I guess in Turkey. We cleared some of the tables to dance. I didn't think twice about it. Christina had a great birthday.

Today we woke up late at 9 am to get a move on to Kas. Sierra decided to not come with us to Greece and went on her own way. To each their own. Turkey is not a county that I would be travelling alone without common sense. It's not a country to be super friendly in but she is well travelled so I hope it is okay. People make their own choices. I drove to Kas as Christina was a little out of commission. It was all along the Turquoise Coast with hairpin turns for 2 solid hours. It was a four and a bit drive but we finally got our McDonalds. I have never hit 30km/hour and been scared that it am going too fast. I got a little car sunburnt today from that drive. Upon getting to Kas we found an ocean front restaurant and had brunch. Ice cream is a staple of this trip I've decided. We hiked to the top of the city to see the views of Kas and Greece. One of the Greek islands is only a  10 minute boat ride away I guess. Kas is the dive hub  of the Middle East. It looked amazing but I don't trust the equipment wihthout further research so we just meandered around the city. Saw another ruin theatre. Attempted to find a beach but my idea of a beach and their idea is totally different. Pebbled beaches are not beaches. The water here is a stunning ice blue color with a hint of the color from Kalamellka. Tonight was an early one. We have run constantly for the last week.

I am looking forward to Greece and just relaxing tomorrow. We have a 7 hour drive tomorrow then a ferry to Kos, Greece. It will be good weather hopefully for the drive.

AFN

Bodrum and Ephesus, Turkey

Today we caught a 6 am flight out of Istanbul to Bodrum. Our cab driver to the airport was insane.  No regard for speed limits, stop signs, or even lights. Red doesn't mean stop here. It is insane. Organized chaos or something like that. The flight was uneventful besides the fact that we were the only females on the flight besides the stewardesses. It is a male country here. Getting to Bodrum! we picked up the car we have rented for the next five days to cover more of Turkey. It is easy to drive here if you are aggressive with a lead foot. I love driving here.

Bodrum is a quaint little port city that typically hosts the ferries to Greece. We will return here on the 5th to go to Kos, Greece. Driving around too pre-book our ferry tickets, we found an adorable little cafe on the sea/ocean/whatever for breakfast. They barely spoke English but a lot of pointing worked to get ourselves breakfast. Turkish pancakes are not breakfast food for anyone who decides to go to turkey. They are a mix between a crepe and a grilled cheese sandwich. Coffee here will knock your socks off it is so strong. You only need one a day else your stomach will burn a hole in them.

It pissed rain for part of the drive but nothing stopped us. The two hour drive from Bodrum to Ephesus was painless and filled with law school gossip. Upon arriving in Ephesus we dropped our bags at the Boomerang Bungalows. It is an amazing hotel run by this Australian Turk couple. It is clean and nice and super welcoming. Then we immediately walked to the ruins, which are part of the seven old wonders of the world. Incredible architecture that has been around since about 92 AD. It is in the process of being restored by the Amerindians. We walked the entire 8 km stretch both up and down it. My feet are burning from all of the walking. My nike step counter says I have done 67 km of walking since I left Canada. I believe it.

Ephesus is a bunch of ruins that we could have dine then headed off to Pumukkale and stayed the night there but we decided to keep it tame today.

Dinner was freshly chosen from the market across the street then cooked by our hotel owners for us. For a stir fry with baby corn, bamboo, Broccoli, red peppers, and chicken with orange juice and a bottle of water - it cost $7 total. Delicious and fresh. Tonight is an early night because we are driving to Pumukkale then to Antayla tomorrow. It will be amazing to sit in hot pools for a while the. Sit on the beach for a couple of days this trip so far has been very go go go. All of the history and ruins is done as of tomorrow until May 5 when we go to Santorini, Greece.

AFN

Istanbul, Turkey

A couple of girlfriends and I set out to the land of Turkish delight and mosques for the break between 1L and summer at the castle. It was a tremendous feat to finish exams on Thursday then pack my entire apartment on Friday then leave the country on Saturday morning at 5 AM. I wouldn't do it again.  Significantly too much stress but I have survived.

From Kingston to Toronto to Heathrwi by plane then by coach to Gatwick stayed overnight in Gatwick. At Gatwick, I plugged in my phone and electro-shocked myself. It actually hurts a ton to do that. My phone is fine. The castle came and got our luggage from the hotel in Gatwick which was amazing. Means we can travel with a little 35L backpack. Gatwick to Istanbul was the longest flight I have never slept on after barely sleeping the night before. At this point in the trip I have had about 6 hours of sleep. Nothing significant to be travelling across the world in. Brutal to be nice to those travelling with you.

Istanbul is a city that resides in both Europe and Asia. Old istanbul is in Europe and is obviously Roman influenced. The new Istanbul is in Asia and has feels of everything. As a city it is crowded and there are very few to no females on the roads ever. It is a definite Muslin country. No tank tops or shorts allowed outside. Mosques required full coverage of women skin. The men are blankly staring, cat calling, and permanently making you feel creeped out.

Upon arriving in Istanbul, we attempted to get through passport control. The IST airport is incredibly busy, no one speaks English, and they move people from one line to the other. We got through in under an hour which they tell us is amazing timing. I can believe it. The first thing we did upon getting to our hostel was to go eat. Food here is the classic kebab and rice or pita things. A lot of yoghurt and dill dip for bread as well. Not my cup if tea but I am slowly learning to eat it. We ventured out to the Aya Sofia square to see it and the Blue Mosque from the outside at night. Old Istanbul is super hilly and paved in cobble stone. Cars and buses do not stop for you to walk across the street and there is no cross walks either. The first night we went to bed to the sound of prayers at midnight.

Upon awaking to the 5 am prayers, we set out for breakfast. Turkey apparently has veggies, bread, some sort of fruit, and I think  it is cheese but I am not sure, and honey or Nutella for breakfast. Weird. We did the Blue Mosque, Bizentine Cistern, Topkapi Palace, Grand Bazaar, Spice bazaar, Hippodrome, and the Turkish baths the next day. It was pissing ran so everything was not busy. The Blue Mosque is pretty but like all other mosques really. I wouldn't recommend it as a top 5 in Istanbul. The cisterns are amazing. They are these underground aqueducts that were only found recently to exist. The history is amazing and dates back got the 17th century. The Ottomans imported water from 19km away and stored it under the city. Amazing infrastructure and incredible detail on the marble pillars. There's a mysteriously two headed Medusa statute in this completely out of place with a detailed history I am sure of. The palace is not spectacular besides the views of Asian Istanbul.  The harem is located within this palace and I found the history amazing. Interestingly the harem was protected by Black Eunuchs. There is no windows in the harem besides in the elite harem room. It makes you feel very caged in. I am sure it was not a great life. We stumbled upon the grand bazaar by accident. Sierra read the map to go to the spice bazaar wrong. It is that classic money grab bargaining for lamps, Turkish delight, and other trinkets. The spice bazaar was an amazing site. It is the only place in Istanbul that smelled good. They sell all sorts of spices and teas. I bought a few teas and spice for Dad. The hippodrome is three random stolen Egyptian spears/statutes. I'm sure it was a big deal to steal and transport in one piece but feels very out of place. The hippodrome backs right onto the Blue Mosque. All of these sites were in a 5km range. Nothing is far from each other. It is like the old city was built on top of each other. The most amazing part of the day was having a Turkish bath. They strip you, soap you, wash and exfoliate everything, then wash your hair for you. We went to the oldest turkish bath in Istanbul. I also had an olive oil massage which I believe was well over due. Having a Turkish bath by a large large large women is very entertaining. My girl sang to me. The other two girls with me theirs didn't. We had Indian for dinner which was revolting but whatever. You travel with people and can't have it your way all the time.

Today we did Aya Sofya, Taksim Square, and a boat cruise on the Borphous. Aya Sofya is my favorite mosque. It was originally Christian church from 6500 BC until 400 AD. Multiple crosses have been painted over and other Christian figures were tiled into the roof. Due to the age of the building the painting by the Muslims has started to wear off so you can see both the Christian and Muslim works in the same space. It is the largest inside space I have ever seen. It only opened to the public in 2011. It is sad as they restore it that they are just repainting the Muslim things and not the Christian. It makes sense but is a little sad. One of the girls I am traveling with has zero street smarts. We all went into H&M to check out the clothes. Upon not finding us after one go through of the store, she decided to leave on her own and walk in Istanbul alone. I have never been so pissed in my life. You do not leave the group. You wait outside. It is a city where women are not equals and it is known for its missing persons/sex trade. Taksim square is where all of the riots are occurred this year. I can see how it gets violent quickly. The police were already setting up barricades for International Workers Day on May 1. I guess it becomes a bloodbath with riots and protests on that day in Istanbul in this square. I am so glad we are out of this city tomorrow. We did a boat cruise to see both the Europe and Asian side of Istanbul by water. Pretty but damn cold on the water after sunset. Dinner was uneventful at a pasta place. Have packed up the hostel for our 6 am flight to Bodrum tomorrow.

AFN

Date a Girl who Travels - http://stephabroad.com/date-girl-travels/

I think that this article is amazing and true (see below). Plus, I might be trying to justify traveling again.

Date a Girl who Travels

She is the one with the sun kissed skin and lightly scattered freckles. A sense of wellness radiates around her, paired with plump healthy skin and a twinkle in her eye.

Date a girl who travels. She is less materialistic. She doesn’t dote on possessions but rather treasured experiences. Expensive presents are unnecessary, rather give her photographs she can have with her at all times. She can see those that live with less, recognize the small fortunes of happiness.

Date a girl who travels for somewhere is always home. She values her time there and relishes hearing about normalcy even if it’s not long before her feet start to itch again. She is proud of her hometown for it is a new city for someone else to explore.

Date a girl who travels. She is the hardest workingwoman you will know. She will most likely hold down 2 or 3 jobs to fund her adventures. Not to mention an entrepreneur turning her travels into an income source. She is smart and knows that these days many employees find international travel favorable in future candidates.

Date a girl who travels for you will always been pleasantly surprised.  She navigates unknown cities with a great sense of direction but also enjoys the spontaneity of getting lost.

Date a girl who travels. After many missed flights, wrong turns, delays, bad street food and bad restrooms to deposit said food, she is easy going and adaptable. She is prepared for bumps in the road literally and metaphorically. Life throws curve balls and she smacks them right out of the park.

Date a girl who travels because she is supportive and understanding. She is conscious you may not ever be as travel orientated as her but she will always be fun, take what life has to offer and help you do the same. As a bonus she will put up with snoring and farting because she has shared a 20 bunk hostel room.

Date a girl who travels as she engages with worldly company learning the history, culture and behaviors of societies, which is sure to impress the parents. She is use to befriending strangers, thriving at conversation. She will always be open to meeting new people and impress at your work social engagements.

Date a girl who travels. She is independent, smart and strong. She will always be self-sufficient; never needy. She doesn’t believe in stage five clingers. She knows the rewards of good budgets and saving her money. She learns the ins and outs of how people live and has the kind of street smarts that will spot the sketchy looking guy a mile away before he pulls a “distract and go” scam.

Next time join her. Travel bonds you.