Visiting the islands
Today Brianna and I woke up at 6:00am and walked the streets of Kusadasi, Turkey. The shops weren't open yet since it wasn't quite 8:00am. The empty streets were eerie. There were stray cats and dogs and birds were humming and cooing as a schoolkid shuffled past quickly and quietly on the way to school. Brianna and I found a muslim Mosque where a sign told visitors the protocol and dress code in order to enter. I can't even describe how fantastic it was just standing there so early in the morning.
I bought some new sandals for 25 000 000 lira (about 13,00 euro), three crystal roses (which are supposed to be very traditional in Turkey, a crystal bird bath thing with little jewels for the water, and a crystal chess set for my dad. The lady at the Crystal Shop gave us hot glasses of what they called, "Apple Tea". I think that it is just warmed apple juice ... except green apple. It was delicious! After the Crystal Shop, we headed down more bazaars where three men at a time would persuade us into their shops.
One man got me to try on a leather jacket (I'm not a fan) which he started at 330,00 euro but ended at 100,00 euro. I said I'd think about it and then he made it 90 euro. I still said I'd think about it and that I'd take a walk and come back (of course I never did go back!). Oh man, that guy was a HUGE Elvis fan. He said his name was Ricardo Presely, and I said, "Oh like Elvis!" which triggered him to flip out his cell phone which had an Elvis desktop wallpaper. He then said, "My girlfriend doesn't like it because look," and he showed us all his Elvis pictures in his wallet, "Elvis's phone number before girlfriend's." He also showed us his Elvis Preseley official fan-club card and started dancing like Elvis and talking like him. Humourous indeed.
By this time, the rest of the shops were open and people began flooding the streets. We decided that we liked it better when it was quiet so Brianna and I started to make our way back through town on our way to the ship. One thing I've learned on this trip is to not make eye-contact with anyone. In Canada, it's just natural to make eye-contact ... but here, if you look at someone, they zero in on you and you'll never get rid of them. In Turkey, it was even worse. I didn't look at anyone when I was walking through the streets yet a guy about my age (maybe a little older) called out to me, "May I kiss you once?!" ... To which I replied, "No." "Please? -no- Please? -no- Please? -no- Please?" .. Then I just kept walking without responding. I continued to stroll closer to the ship when another man said, "Hello sweetheart, how are you?" At first it was a little flattering because you're not used to it in Canada. Now it's just plain irritating.
Anyway, it's 11:15am now and I can hear Sean in the next cabin over so I'm going to go and say Hi.
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Patmos:
It's 6:40pm now and I have just returned from the island of Patmos. It was a quaint village and it had the Monastery of the Apocolypse ("With a name like that," Scott announced, "How can you not go and see it?") which resided on the top of a mountain. To take a taxi it was roughly 20 euro and an approximate fifteen-minute drive. For that price, and that long of a walk, I passed. I could see it from the bottom anyway. I think Teena put it best, "I guess it only really has meaning if you're religous. Otherwise it's just a building."
On the boat that brought us back to The Emerald, I met two American women from California. They had been to Victoria, B.C. before and they both said that they loved it. I can't see how they wouldn't ... Brianna and I have dinner reservations for two tonight so I'm going to go and get ready.
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Oh man, our dinner was amazing! I didn't know our reservations were in V.I.P seating. We got our own little hall with the rest of our tour group where no one smoked and it was nice and quiet for once. Our waiter, Dan, made me a rose out of a paper napkin and then showed me how he did it. He also said, "Tomorrow, I make you carnation."
The food came so quickly and was so good. The waiters kept asking Brianna and I if we were sisters and after we said that we were just friends, two Filipino waiters said, "We're brothers." Then there was a long pause as we all nodded since neither Brianna nor I could see the resemblence. "Different mothers," he continued. *Long silence* "Oh," I said finally, "So you're half-brothers." "Yes," he replied. *Longer silence* Then the other said with a big grin, "And different fathers!" We all laughed at that and they both walked away laughing.
Well, medieval Rhodes tomorrow! Good night.
I bought some new sandals for 25 000 000 lira (about 13,00 euro), three crystal roses (which are supposed to be very traditional in Turkey, a crystal bird bath thing with little jewels for the water, and a crystal chess set for my dad. The lady at the Crystal Shop gave us hot glasses of what they called, "Apple Tea". I think that it is just warmed apple juice ... except green apple. It was delicious! After the Crystal Shop, we headed down more bazaars where three men at a time would persuade us into their shops.
One man got me to try on a leather jacket (I'm not a fan) which he started at 330,00 euro but ended at 100,00 euro. I said I'd think about it and then he made it 90 euro. I still said I'd think about it and that I'd take a walk and come back (of course I never did go back!). Oh man, that guy was a HUGE Elvis fan. He said his name was Ricardo Presely, and I said, "Oh like Elvis!" which triggered him to flip out his cell phone which had an Elvis desktop wallpaper. He then said, "My girlfriend doesn't like it because look," and he showed us all his Elvis pictures in his wallet, "Elvis's phone number before girlfriend's." He also showed us his Elvis Preseley official fan-club card and started dancing like Elvis and talking like him. Humourous indeed.
By this time, the rest of the shops were open and people began flooding the streets. We decided that we liked it better when it was quiet so Brianna and I started to make our way back through town on our way to the ship. One thing I've learned on this trip is to not make eye-contact with anyone. In Canada, it's just natural to make eye-contact ... but here, if you look at someone, they zero in on you and you'll never get rid of them. In Turkey, it was even worse. I didn't look at anyone when I was walking through the streets yet a guy about my age (maybe a little older) called out to me, "May I kiss you once?!" ... To which I replied, "No." "Please? -no- Please? -no- Please? -no- Please?" .. Then I just kept walking without responding. I continued to stroll closer to the ship when another man said, "Hello sweetheart, how are you?" At first it was a little flattering because you're not used to it in Canada. Now it's just plain irritating.
Anyway, it's 11:15am now and I can hear Sean in the next cabin over so I'm going to go and say Hi.
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Patmos:
It's 6:40pm now and I have just returned from the island of Patmos. It was a quaint village and it had the Monastery of the Apocolypse ("With a name like that," Scott announced, "How can you not go and see it?") which resided on the top of a mountain. To take a taxi it was roughly 20 euro and an approximate fifteen-minute drive. For that price, and that long of a walk, I passed. I could see it from the bottom anyway. I think Teena put it best, "I guess it only really has meaning if you're religous. Otherwise it's just a building."
On the boat that brought us back to The Emerald, I met two American women from California. They had been to Victoria, B.C. before and they both said that they loved it. I can't see how they wouldn't ... Brianna and I have dinner reservations for two tonight so I'm going to go and get ready.
------
Oh man, our dinner was amazing! I didn't know our reservations were in V.I.P seating. We got our own little hall with the rest of our tour group where no one smoked and it was nice and quiet for once. Our waiter, Dan, made me a rose out of a paper napkin and then showed me how he did it. He also said, "Tomorrow, I make you carnation."
The food came so quickly and was so good. The waiters kept asking Brianna and I if we were sisters and after we said that we were just friends, two Filipino waiters said, "We're brothers." Then there was a long pause as we all nodded since neither Brianna nor I could see the resemblence. "Different mothers," he continued. *Long silence* "Oh," I said finally, "So you're half-brothers." "Yes," he replied. *Longer silence* Then the other said with a big grin, "And different fathers!" We all laughed at that and they both walked away laughing.
Well, medieval Rhodes tomorrow! Good night.