Let The Rabbit Read Your Fortune

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As I'm writing this, I'm sitting on a rooftop patio overlooking the Bosphorous Strait. Rusty cargo ships crawl through the water as storm clouds follow them. Bob Marley is singing “No Woman No Cry” in the background. The hostel owner smokes a cigarette and tickles her daughter who giggles and shrieks. But first let's back up by looking at my first few days in Istanbul.

My flight from Edmonton to Chicago was beautiful; the guy next to me moved so I had two seats to myself. There was no turbulence. The flight felt short and sweet. When we flew over Chicago at night, the city lights and traffic looked like neon veins coursing through some colossal black creature. Then the lightening began. We just touched down when the storm started. By the time I made it through the United States' fortress of security/customs, the lightening was so frequent it looked like strobe lights at the bar. The rain assaulted the gate's windows as I, and other worried travelers, looked outside. Certain that I was going to be dying soon, I decided to eat my last meal: a greasy donair, a bag of ruffles chips, and a cup of yogurt.

When we finally took off, the turbulence was so bad that several people threw up. Then, because of the growing smell of vomit, other people threw up too. The flight attendant tried in vain to cover up the smell with some kind of spray. Eventually we passed through the storm and we all breathed easier. For the rest of the flight, a young overweight Turkish man overflowed onto my seat. I should've asked Turkish Airlines for a fifty percent discount because I only used half the seat.

Eventually I made it into Istanbul. I took the tram through the downtown into Sultanahmet, the oldest part of Istanbul with the city's top attractions: the Blue Mosque, Aya Sophia, and Topkapi Palace. Looking out the tram's windows, I could see a blurry collage of donair shops, taxi cabs, run-down apartments with clothes hanging from laundry lines, posters for Guess jeans, and men and women sliding in and out of traffic, trying to catch the tram. In front of me, a little girl in a pink shirt and matching pig tails started picking her nose and pressed her face against the window.

I arrived in Sultanahmet around eight o'clock in the middle of Ramadan festivities. Tired and disorientated, I walked through crowds of wide-eyed tourists taking photos of the glowing Aya Sophia, and Turkish families breaking their fast with picnics, full of kebabs, rice and sweets like cotton candy. The smell of corn of the cob filled my nose. A young street vendor shouted “Ice cream, ice cream, ice cream!” as another shot this neon-blue parachute toy into the air. I watched it float down beside the Dervish Cafe, a tacky, touristy cafe with Sufi dancing. There was even a fortune teller with a sign saying, “Let the Rabbit Read Your Fortune.” As the name suggests, a rabbit picks a tiny piece of colored paper from dozens of others. Then the man reads the piece of paper/your fortune. Psychic rabbits aside, I eventually found my hostel through the labyrinth of hotels and restaurants, ate some food, and went for an early bed.

The next day I spent exploring Sultanahmet. Thanks to jet lag, I was up around six-thirty, which was perfect because the tourist hordes were still either sleeping or dining in their four star hotels. I'll be honest, I think the outside of the Aya Sophia is hideous. It looks like a giant, aging red pimple made of Lego blocks. The inside, however, really is incredible. Even after seeing St.Peter's Basilica in Rome, I was still taken aback by the interior. The inside is huge and cavernous. The sounds of footsteps and hushed voices echo throughout the dome and off the black Arabic signs. It's hard to believe but this church was built in the 6th century by the Byzantines, hundreds of years before the great churches and cathedrals of Europe were to be built. The highlight for me, though, was seeing the exquisite mosaics of Jesus and Mary.

After Aya Sophia, I went to the Basilica Cistern, an underground water storage facility which reminded me of the Mines of Moria from Lord of the Rings. Eerie red lights illuminated column after column as fish swim in the water. At the end there are two giant sculptures of Medusa's head. I have no idea why they're there, but they're cool and only added to the place's atmosphere.

Enough about old ruins, I'm sure you're wondering what Turkey and Istanbul is like. What are the people like? What's the culture like? Well, to sound cliché, Turkey is an interesting mix. On the one hand there are glitzy designer boutiques for women, while on the other hand there are traditional women wearing burqas and going to mosque. Most of the young men wear jeans and have cell phones, only instead of Western ring tones, they have Turkish songs. Turkey isn't totally Westernized though, but it's not entirely Middle Eastern. Some parts of the city are posh, while others are decrepit, with stray cats and dogs strolling through abandoned buildings and construction sites. It's as if half the city is falling apart and the other half is trying to be like Europe or America. But, it seems the Turks are taking it all in stride, which I like. Life gave them lemons, and they're making lemonade.

The people are genuinely friendly, especially if you try to speak Turkish. Just saying a simple thank you can make even the most tourist-jaded convenience store clerk smile. Even the hawkers are nice and full of humor. One man, who tried to quietly persuade me to eat in his restaurant, laughed and called me a cowboy after looking at my hat; another called me Micheal Jackson and even did one of his moves for me.

Not only am I here for Ramadan, I'm also here for a pivotal event in Turkey's history. On September 12th, the country will have a referendum on its constitution, which will change the balance of power away from the military and judicial elite. Everywhere I've walked in Istanbul, I've seen posters and advertisements saying “Evet!” (Yes). Sometimes I'll see black graffiti saying “Hayir!” (No) covering them. Supporters say it will bring the country closer to the European Union, increasing Turkey's chances of joining the Euro. Others say it will give the government too much power. It's complicated and confusing, just like Turkey, and I've barely scratched the surface. I don't know what the referendum will mean for Turkey's future, but I do know of a certain, psychic rabbit...

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Comments

[Lindsey]

Amazing!
Alex your photography is amazing! I can't wait to hear more about your adventures! :)

[Courtney]

Hi Alex!
Sounds like a good trip so far! Hahah I love that you had to sit next to a man that took up one and a half seats! How is the food there? Did you get to eat Turkish Delight yet?