To Turkey and Beyond: Catching up

Sorry for the extended hiatus, it's been a busy couple of weeks! As many of you probably know, my mom came out here to visit, and between classes, dance rehearsals, and commuting to her hotel I never quite found time to update. So let me fill you in:

The first weekend Mom was in town we did a lot of hanging out-- finding cafes, getting her orientated and able to navigate Istanbul by herself. She's got a lot of great stories from the week when she went to museums and things by herself; she even had a traditional meal with a Turkish family, something I have yet to do here.

On Thursday, I skipped school and we went off to Bodrum, which literally means "basement" in Turkish-- it's in the south of the country, on the Mediterranean coast. It's a gorgeous area-- rolling hills and long stretches of beaches. We spent a lot of time walking around (including the time we got lost and wandered for almost two hours before giving in and finding a cab).

We also took a ferry to Kos, a nearby Greek island. After all, we've got to fill up our passports! The town of Kos is pretty, but very cute and small enough to walk around in. We also had the chance to visit an old Byzantine castle that was completely overgrown with wildflowers-- completely gorgeous against the backdrop of the Mediterranean. Other highlights include seeing an enormous old tree Hippocrates supposedly taught under, taking the mini train (think second-rate amusement park) around town, and sticking our toes in the chilly ocean.

All in all it was a fantastic week! Here are some pictures, and expect more detailed stories in the near future.