Thus far, things have been marred by the intense case of jetlag that has been slapping me around. I didn't sleep for about 24 hours during the travel over, and I've been waking up at strange hours, unable to go back to sleep. Last night, though, I walked about 8 miles along the Bosphorus, gazing at Asia across the river, and that wore me out enough to get a lot of sleep. The part of the city I saw last night was very Euro, but also very unique. There were lots of people fishing, watching movies on their yachts, shooting BB guns at balloons floating in the water, arguing, making out, staring at me, selling jewelry, drinking next to stray dogs, etc.
After my walk I decided to get a beer and a nargileh (hookah) in the neighborhood at the bottom of the hill that we live on top of. Our neighborhood is called Hisarustu, and there's an enormously steep road that leads down to the river, and that neighborhood is called Bebek. There's a hookah bar with a huge outdoor patio in the middle of the street at the bottom of the hill, so I went there. THe only beer I could have was "Meeler", which translates in English to Miller Genuine Draft. But it came with a lemon.....
So I just sat there puffing away on apple tobacco and sipping my Meeler, listening to the absurd collection of American pop music coming from the place's speakers. Choice cuts:
--"Without Love" by the Doobie Bros
--"Mr. Jones" by Counting Crows
--"Jump Around" by House of Pain
--"Save Tonight" by Eagle-Eye Cherry (totally uncalled for)
Photos:
My feline friend who lives outside our dorm. Here he is hunting a bug in the ivy. There are cats EVERYWHERE in the city, just chillin'. Dogs too.
The bottom of the hill leading into Bebek. This street is full of gorgeous houses and apartment buildings, with mysterious dark passages covered in ivy. Not a bad place to live.
Me trying to take a picture of one of the stray cats on the street pictured above.
Up in the lab (Istanbul office).
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