Istanbul......Whoa

I actually slept on the plane. I was out for about 6.5 hours. I woke up to the sound of the breakfast cart approaching. Perfect timing. Ozgur can't sleep leaning over so that left me 3 seats to stretch across. Thanks buddy. I watched the plane descend on Istanbul through the plane cam as I gulped a breakfast consisting of scrambled eggs, fruit and coffee. Oh, and more cheese. I can live like this. But the view of Istanbul made me almost choke on my food. Whoa. The runways begins where the water ends! I am dilirious and groggy and stoked all at the same time. I don't know if I should squeel or cry. So i decided to gawk instead. When I left the plane I met up with more members of our tour group. Most weren't as lucky as me re: sleeping arrangements, but they were equally as excited. The police officer at the visa station was overly flirty but I was too taken by my surroundings to even notice. Then we met Orhan, our tour guide. He has the goofiest and most contagious smile you have ever seen. He also scares the pee out of me. We boarded to tour bus to travel to our hotel when I noticed that it was completely silent in the midst of 30 teachers, a rarity, because we are all so overwhelmed by everything around us. Awe struck. In a short 20 minute drive, we see the walls protecting Constantinople, the Blue Mosque, the Sea of Marmara, Hagia Sophia, and finally our final destination, Hotel Arcadia, which overlooks all of thos sights from its steep location. I can't even find the words right now.

Blog Playlist: Hysteria by Muse; The Garden by Mirah; Warmth of the Sand by Dashboard Confessional

Factoid: There are more ancient ruins in Turkey than in Greece and Italy combined.