Return to Istanbul...

Yesterday was a wonderful day. This is my favorite part of traveling, when you start to get a feel for the city and begin to know your way around. Our group split up, and it was nice to go around and feel like we blended in at least a little bit instead of being the big crowd of oblivious Americans. We went around to an archeological museum with artifacts dating back to the 3rd century AD, which was a fun way to learn about the history of the region. We also stopped by the famous open-air Ladies Market, but the only thing we got was fried dough (which was delicious, incidentally). I also had my first McDonald's trip outside of the US, which was cliched but delicious.

Today will be more walking and wandering, maybe more museums and coffee shops. Then another night bus, so I should get back to campus by 9 am, in time for my 12:30 class. Wish me luck on the quiz I have this afternoon!

Da, Merci

So far Bulgaria has been fantastic. Sofia's quite a walking city (we've been discouraged from using public transit due to pickpockets), and we spent all yesterday jut going around seeing the sights, from cathedrals to open-air antique markets. Good stuff. I think it would have been tough since I was working on so few hours of sleep but fortunately everyone else was in the same boat so we took it kind of easy.

One of the best things about being here is walking around and seeing all the Cyrillic script on the signs. Even though I've been in Turkey for a month, I still sometimes feel like I don't know much Turkish. Being in Sofia, however, has led me to appreciate how much I can say. In Bulgarian, I can say da (yes) and merci (which isn't even Bulgarian but is commonly used for "thank you"). But it's been funny to try to communicate with Bulgarians and say evet (Turkish for yes) before anything else. The language part of my brain is so confused!

Off to breakfast now, getting ready for another big day!

Bulgaria!

Hey everyone, just wanted to update really quickly and let you know that I'm in Sofia! The bus ride was pretty nice, only 8 hours and much more comfortable than an airplane. And I got a new stamp on my passport, though it's not very pretty. But still, filling up those pages!

We didn't get TOO lost on the way to the hostel. I don't think any of us had realized the implications of going to a country where we literally don't speak a single word of the language. It's difficult for us to even read it, since it's in Cyrillic script! But we got some directions and a tram ticket with some heavy miming and made it here.

This is my first trip to a hostel, and I know I'm spoiled. It's very welcoming here, lots of travelers of all ages. As soon as we got in, the hostel staff gave us maps and told us all the must-sees of Sofia. And the hostel is right in the city center, so we shouldn't have to figure out public transportation, which is fantastic. We also get free breakfast and dinner, linens, use of the common room... all for about $15 a night. Fantastic.

I'll update when I can, but just wanted to let you know that I'm safe and excited to be here!

My first trip "beyond Turkey"

So this weekend I'm taking a big adventure to exotic Sofia, Bulgaria! A bunch of my friends and I got together and decided to make a weekend of it-- we're taking a bus out tonight and leaving Sunday night, with Friday and Saturday nights in a hostel near downtown. Supposedly it's pretty cheap to get around there, and it'll be my first trip to the European Union! Hooray!

Unfortunately I probably won't be able to post during the trip, but get ready for awesome pictures and stories next week!

In other news, we had afternoon classes off due to snow-- I had a snowball fight and taught my friend from Florida how to build a snowman. Definitely a good trade off.

Snow Day!

It's been pretty cold ever since I've been here, but the past couple of days have been the coldest yet. It actually snowed a little yesterday with even more today; enough that my afternoon Turkish class got canceled! I guess Turkey is in the same situation as the South with very little snow-removal equipment. And the university is on top of a hill-- think San Francisco steep-- which makes it difficult to get to campus when it's icy. This is especially true since the bus drivers don't seem to know the definition of the word "slow." It's bad enough on clear days, but I didn't dare try it today.

But some of my professors have been saying this is probably the last snowstorm we'll get. Does that mean it's almost spring?

Best Promotion Ever

Today is International Women's Day, a bigger deal in Turkey than in the US. In fact, it's such a big deal that the grocery store on campus had a buy one, get one free sale for chocolate bars. Yes please!

Lucky me...

Every culture has a good luck charm, whether it be a four-leafed clover, horseshoe, or wishbone, there's always some kind of tangible way to ward off evil. In Turkey, it's the color blue, specifically blue eyes. People buy beads and wall hangings with a pretty abstract-looking blue eye on them which is supposed to protect one from the influence of the evil eye. (People with natural blue eyes, like yours truly, are thought to be naturally protected. Awesome.) These days the blue beads seem to be more of a tourist attraction than anything, but you can still find them on busses, houses, even the occasional necklace. And I got one on a safety pin in Cappadocia for free, so of course I pinned it to my purse. After all, it can't hurt!

Here are some samples of the charms I saw in Cappadocia-- there were a couple of trees covered in them!