ISTANBUL...WHERE EUROPE MEETSD ASIA
We arrived in Istanbul around 4 PM and I went to see the whirling Dervishes. And what a sight it was! It was like everything was done in slow-motion. The musicians came out and then the dervishes. There was a lot of ritual; musicians started playing and three of the dervishes started their turning and turning and turning and turning. It was truly a mesmerizing site. Took about an hour and it was strange but at the end it was total silence because we were told it was a religious ceremony so you don't applaud.
I had the traditional Turkish tea--sweet and delicious! Going back to the ship it was nice to see Istanbul all lit up at night. Tomorrow it's a full day in the city.
Up bright and early, ready to explore Istanbul. It was crazy. Hundreds of people heading off to work. Ferries running across the Bosphorus Strait, 5 or 6 going each way....it was wild!
We headed over to the Blue Mosque (built in the early 1600s). The line was very long, even though it was only 9:30a.m. but it moved quickly. There were certain restrictions that had to be followed....shoulders and knees covered (they were handing out blue paper wraps to the ladies) and shoes had to be removed (bags were supplied). I was curious to see what they would say about my boot....well, they solved the problem. They wrapped several shoe bags around the boot and I was allowed to go in. 
The inside was huge with rounded light fixtures all over. There are over 20,000 ceramic tiles on the walls and over 200 stained glass windows. The floor is covered with carpets. The dome is 141 feet high. When the mosque was being built the sultan wanted it bigger than the one in Hagia Sophia, but it couldn't be done.
Afterwards, we headed over to the Hagia. Most impressive. Unlike the mosque, we were able to walk all around in the Hagia. Originally built in the 400s, it was destroyed and then rebuilt in 537. For 900 years Hagia Sophia had been the center of Orthodox Christianity until 1453 when the city was taken over by Ottomans. 500 years following the conquest of Muslims, it became a jewel for the Muslim world and as the grand mosque of the sultans.In 1935, Hagia Sophia was converted into a museum . The dome has a diameter of over 101 feet and a height of 160 feet.
Our next stop brought us to a local restaurant for lunch. I am not a lamb lover, but the Turks really know how to cook it. After stuffing ourselves, we headed out and took the tram to Taksim Square. And then it was on to the Grand Bazaar.
WHAT A CRAZY PLACE!!!! EmaRou (one of the dance hosts) was with me. He was worried that we wouldn't know how to get out! It went on forever. There was a long major thoroughfare and then every 20 feet or so, there were 'side streets'. With over 4,000 shops, it would take several days to cover it all and we only had two hours.
When we first went in it was all jewelry. EmaRou was looking for something for his girlfriend and kept bargaining with the owner trying to get him to come down. After about 20 minutes it was starting to get embarrassing...I took my cane and wrapped it around his arm and started tugging at him. Finally, he got her a pair of earrings.
I wanted to go down one of the side streets and he was worried that we'd get lost. Little did he know he was with the shopper extraordinaire! I found a hooka for my son. I thought that it was for tobacco, but the 'tobacco' is fruit infused. I wish we could have had more time, but I'll hit it the next time I'm in Turkey.
Back to the ship for dinner. We'll be sailing through the Bosphorus Strait tonight on our way to Romania.
