We left training camp this Wednesday, and took a ten hour flight to Istanbul, where we spent the night. However, since we had an almost 14 hour layover, we managed to get a free tour of Istanbul! More than that, it was a boat tour that included dinner. After resting in the airport for a little bit (and getting some overpriced but delicious coffee), our group headed toward the desk. We took so many twists and turns that the airport seemed to spiral and distort, becoming a maze of shops, gates, and hungry travelers. Luckily, we managed to get to the desk we needed to, and signed up for the tour.

We took a half hour bus ride into the city harbor, where we then boarded the boat. From there, we got a water tour of Istanbul, which isn’t Constantinople, by the way. It was a beautiful tour, and the city was splendid at night. The sheer size of it with all the lights was breathtaking to say the least. I’ll attach a picture or two at the end of this post to show just how great it was. After that, we walked through the crowded, lively markets and had dinner in a small restaurant. It was… unique. I enjoyed it, but it was very different than anything I’ve ever had before. The falafel was good, but the yogurt drink tasted like greek yogurt with a lot of salt and the dessert had an almost soggy taste, but the rest was tasty. The best part though was, of course, that it was free.

Our group, exhausted from our flight and busy night, then fell asleep on the bus ride back. Alas, our sleep was cut short as we soon arrived once again at the airport and had to face the ever-present menace of security. Eventually we got to a gate we could sleep at, and set up sleeping pads or grabbed sleeping bags, trying to get what little sleep we could before our 5:50 wake up time. Unable to sleep, a couple friends and I wandered the airport, and got some food. I got Popeyes, which tasted okay, but very different from the U.S.. Finally tired, I fell asleep for several hours, making the most of the chairs I claimed as a bed. Soon, we would be in Greece….