Think I got that one mixed up, but no time to look it up for sure. I went to Istanbul for a week. It was great. But before that, I had an opportunity to host 5 scouts from England for a weekend. They were young adults, aged 18-24. One of the projects they have is to go to a different country and learn all about the culture and customs, then, when they return to England, they give a report about the country. Obviously, these young men and women chose Macedonia. They traveled first from Skopje, then to Gevgelija, Strumica, Kochani, then to Veles for a weekend, before setting off to Bitola and Ohrid. Basically, it was my job to show them a good time around Veles. Admittedly, this was a pretty easy assignment. If there is one thing this experience taught me, its that the English are more polite than Americans. For example, I was cooking eggs one morning for them and I was setting the table. Before I set my own plate, I went back to mind the eggs for a minute when one of them asked "Aren't you going to have any?" I assure you, an American would not have cared. But, the coups de gras was after one of them took a shower, he said to me "I cleaned your bathroom...", which in and of itself is like the nicest thing anyone has ever done for me. I've never had anyone ever spontaneously clean my bathroom. But, that's not even the nicest part. Because if I complete the quote, he actually said to me "I cleaned your bathroom. Is that alright?" I nearly shat myself when he phrased it in such a manner. Yes. It is alright. But, thanks for confirming first. Kidding aside, I had an absolute blast with them during the weekend. Best of luck, guys!
Here they are at the bus station, getting ready to leave for Prilep and Bitola.
So, back to Istanbul. We took a 12 hour bus ride from Skopje to Istanbul. That was a long ride, but I've dealt with worse. Our hostel was in the historic district, approximately 5 minutes from the Blue Mosque and the Hagia Sofia. I'll give the usual testimony of how beautiful the city is. It really is. Especially because the Muslims really go all out on their mosques. And, its not just the Blue Mosque and the Hagia Sofia (which was originally a church in the first place). But, even the run of the mill mosques are impressive structures. Anyway, if you're considering going, definitely see the Blue Mosque, the Hagia Sofia (they are like right across from each other), the Topkapi Palace, the Grand Bazaar, and - I'll say it - the Museum of Islamic Science (I posted pics on facebook, so I'll decline to put them here). All great places. We also went to the Prince's Islands via ferry which were just south of Istanbul. Fun day of beaches and sun there, even if the beach itself is rocky (and excruciating to walk on).
Best story of Istanbul is on our last night, we went out to the "New Part" of the city, where all the night clubs and stuff are. First off, a beer at one of these clubs cost like 5 or 6 Euro, which is truly outstandingly high. But anyway, we were walking around when a really drunk guy broke a glass beer bottle at our feet. He and I made eye contact and then he chased after me looking for a fight. He threw a punch that glanced my right ear before the crowd subdued him. Truly a cherished memory.
