Yes, Please. Istanbul.

Istanbul! Oh, Istanbul.  I love you! Your charm, your hustle, your sights, your people, your tourists, everything. I love how crowded it is and everyone is saying Yes, please, come in. Yes, please, taxi. Yes, please, carpets.  I love it! I am not sure why and I am not sure if it was just the mood I was in but I love it.

In Istanbul, we stayed with Parksie but since it was his baj-illionth time in Istanbul he opted out of the touristy sites.  Even though I went to them all last year, I couldnt let Dee go in alone.  So we went to Topkapi Palace, the Blue Mosque, and the Aya Sofia.  All beautiful, all amazing.

Good memory-
We decided to go to Topkapi Palace and knowing our timing, instead of getting there at 9 or 10 when we wanted to, we rolled up around 100.  Really good timing... not hot at all! The line to get the ticket was ridiculously long and no one really knew why it was taking so long. Some people were having to show ID and some werent.  It wasnt a tourist vs. local thing either and we never really got the answer.  Anyhow, while we are waiting in the sun, Dee and I start losing our mind. I am pretty sure we were dehydrated beyond the point of making sense.  A woman behind us was patiently waiting and not really talking with us or anything. Half way through the line and about ten minutes out of the shade, her husband came and swapped out of line with her. We didnt really pay attention because Dee and I were both doing that as well.  She would stand in the shade for two minutes and then I would.  One time when Danya was coming out of the sun and I was going in to the shade, the husband put his foot in front and said, no, no, out. Then he cracked a smile.  From there until we bought our tickets, we laughed the entire time.  Laughing so much our sides hurt and we were crying.  The three of us kept making jokes about what they were doing and the other people who were getting annoyed in the line.  People around us were laughing as well. It was a great memory and makes the statement, misery loves company that truer in a great way.  I love that memory and still laugh at it.

I am so proud of myself though, I didnt buy one scarf while in Istanbul. I did, however, buy a Turkish towel because I needed a towel, so why not. Plus I love them!

That was basically Istanbul. It was every bit as wonderful as it was last year! We flew from Istanbul to Sri Lanka with a day layover in Dubai... not really my style. While we were in Istanbul, I met a guy that works at an International School there. We talked about working overseas and if he enjoyed his job. He taught for a few years in the Carolinas and said he never would go back to teaching in America.  He sort of solidified my desire to work at an International School. He talked about working in the UAE and said he made pretty good money there. Not that I am in it for the money, but it would be nice to pay down school loans. However, after being in Dubai for a day, I know I will not be working there. Not my cup of tea, mainly because everything seemed so fake. Yuck.

Now on to Sri Lanka...