Capital of my one state world

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Who wants to live with one foot in hell just for the sake of nostalgia? Our time is forever now! ~Alice Childress

The friends I have met have departed, now it's just me and my backpack in Istanbul. I am having tea on the boat bringing me back to Asia. I can help myself, but being sad. For the first time in 50 months I am thinking about home. Will my friend be happy to see me again? Alto I love traveling by myself, I am not much of a solitary. I don't do well alone.

As soon as I am having a foot outside the boat two guys jump in front of me. Someone alone with a big backpack is some sort of fresh meat over here. The same guys have been offering me a tour on the Bosphorus every day this week. I keep walking telling myself it is not impolite to not answer when you are already said no 20 times. Istanbul is a beautiful city. A bit like London, Rome or Paris, you could live here all your life and there will always be a new street to walk on or a new cafe to try. There is an addicting buzz surrounding the city. Every neighborhood have their own center and atmosphere. I am now waiting for the bus to my host apartment. He will be checking out of work early today to take me to the black sea. We want to get there by sunset. I will be leaving for London tomorrow morning.

The bus ride is quite nice today. Two young women are sitting in front of me. The bus is so full like always that we find ourselves a bit closer that we should be. After five or ten minutes, they ask me a question is Turkish. They start laughing and after they exchanged one or two shy look at each other, they ask me in English where I am from. I answer them I am from Canada and that they are lucky to live in such a beautiful country. We talk for fifteen minutes and I have to excuse myself and rush when I realised I am about to miss my stop.

My host is waiting for me inside the apartment ready to leave. He rides a classy new BMW from the year. The air conditioning is always full on and he always complains about the traffic. Being stuck on the Bosphorus bridge every day for a considerable amount of time is for me, a good reason to be an angry driver. Istanbul is packed with car all day long. You will have a hard time finding a parking spot at two in the morning.

As soon as has we made it across the bridge, the atmosphere cool down. He is more relax and he is speaking more. He is talking about his ex-wife and of his work. We are sharing political ideas and I am trying to convince him on how beautiful his country is. I have not seen as much as I wanted of Turkey, but it is worth the crazy tourist visa charges upon entrance. Marmaris was only a small resort town, but the boat ride between Rhodes and it was pretty and the bus ride on the coast to Istanbul was awesome. I will remember getting on the boat on the Sea of Marmaris all my life. It was on one of those really foggy morning who make you think of Scotland. We could not see 10 meters in front of you, but you feel there was something very special around. It is one of those moments that you need to live to understand or imagine. Istanbul, the queen, is what people told me in the last four years. STUNNING!

Alphonse de Lamartine says: If one had, but a single glance to give the world, one should gaze on Istanbul. Napoleon Bonaparte says that if the Earth was a single state, Istanbul would be its capital. I will not fake Istanbul is my favorite city. For me, it is not like Paris, it is not as beautiful at night as it is during the day. It does not have simplicity and the complexity of London. That being said, Istanbul is the death end of the western world. It is where the east starts. Ayah Sofia is one of the truly building. Istanbul is full of architectural masterpieces, but this one surpasses the rest due to its innovative form, historical importance and astonish beauty. The interior make you dream. The bazaar district is bringing you back to the Ottoman empire. So much to see, so much to do..ahh

We are sitting on top of his car looking at the sun go down and sooner that I realise I am at the airport saying goodbye to Turkey and Good morning England.

Nick

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