New city and new beginning. After our Gallipoli adventure/disaster (ok it was interesting but so boring) we need something new and exciting. A city of about 10 million seemed just the ticket. So we headed towards a small located 100m up the hill. Upon arrival I stood amazed at how not small it was and then turn and see this other massive one 100m away. Intuition kicked in and told I was standing between the Blue Mosque and Aya Sophia. I quickly dug into my bad, grabbed the camera and started snapping. I figure I already look like a tourist with my white skin and blazing blue/green/grey eyes so I may as well be looking like a total tourist. Although at least I would look like a stupid tourist as well and could be ignored. Ignored, speaking of which I looked around for my two trustee companions loyal as puppy dogs they are always at my side never not beside, "Guys?.... Guys…. Seriously… Stop playing guys…" I got a few Americans look at me and laugh the worst insult, "Guys…?" Screw them I thought, they can leave me all alone, I will have fun without them. More fun that they could imagine having, I could go where I wanted be free like a bird without those girls holding me back. So I trumbled miserably along, not enjoying it, before I finally found them amount the throngs. I casually strolled up to them pretending not notice, "Oh hey guys you seen the stuff over there?", as I waved in some direction I imagined had something exciting (ie monkey butlers, midgets etc), "It was great, so you're lining up to get in, nice I didn’t have to line up because you have been waiting here" I didn’t add 'like suckers'. So inside we went and it was quite cool, but strange at how different it was from Christian churches. Nothing in there but mats on the floor and lights suspended from the ceiling Next stop was Aya Sophia where Hannah was a touch moody so decided to wait outside while Ariane and I explored. It was bloody expensive so I was imagining a lavish palace with monkey butlers peeling me grapes and midgets fanning my ankles so I was quite dismayed when not even regular monkeys greeted me or normal size people tending to my needs. It was quite cool but not worth the price. We exited into the sun figuring Hannah could not have possibly been waiting 45minutes for us so heading back to the Hostel. She wasn’t there so we thought we would take a short wander through the streets. Short wander and then got hungry and couldn’t find anywhere so in the maze of streets we got deeper and deeper until 2hrs later I found a kebab shop. The ones which are everywhere except where we had been walking for the last 2hrs that is. Stumbled into the Grand Bazaar, didn’t look so grand but then again it was closed being Sunday and all. So I took Ariane on an extended 3hr tour of Instanbul. Finally stumbled back late afternoon to be greeted by a surprisingly upbeat Hannah. "I've been looking for you. I waited 3hrs for you". We looked at each other, "Oops… I guess." Looked down kicked some pebbles. "I am so bored guys, let go explore". Ariane and I stare exhaustedly at each other and reply very guiltily, "Umm well you see here Hannah, while searching for you as well.. errmmm uumm.. we became quite exhausted" A few quiet coughs, silence. "Ok we'll go for a beer." Thank god for beers for forgiveness. Poor girl. All she wanted was to go for a run and get some exercise. She didn’t seem to find our adventures as amusing as us, like the American man walking along booming loudly, "Go way. Why are you all bothering me, I don’t want to buy anything" while cooling his hot brow with a big fat wad of American dollars
(no joke!). Or at the 3 kids trying to steal this bag off a lady and her husband. So we laughed at her stories which weren’t exciting just because we felt sorry for her.