and this is what Istanbul was like

[kattahj]

So, now that I'm home - even if "home" means my parents' place where I read lots of books and can't decide if I'm more uncomfortable with or without a bandage - and have read up on most old LJ posts, I guess it's time to talk more extensively about Istanbul

Comments

[lilacsigil]

The trip sounds amazing (with an obvious exception for your knee - your accident makes me shudder)! Byzantine history and art is fascinating, and I'd love to have the chance to see some of it first-hand. I understand what you mean about the ambivalence of being an observer at a religious ceremony, even if it is a performance. Were the Dervishes all male?

And what kind of cats were they? Were they like the white, chunky-chested Turkish Vans, or more of a moggie mix?

[kattahj]

Byzantine history and art is fascinating, and I'd love to have the chance to see some of it first-hand.

It sure made me feel like a savage from the North, I can tell you! There's so much history in Istanbul that you can cut it with a knife. :-)

Were the Dervishes all male?

All the six whirlers were male (and some of them quite hot too - bad Katta, bad!) but the orchestra director was a woman. According to Dad, there are female dervishes both in mixed orders and all-female ones.

And what kind of cats were they? Were they like the white, chunky-chested Turkish Vans, or more of a moggie mix?

They were mostly regular cats - European shorthair of various colours - though some of them were longhaired or for other reasons looked like mixes. One resembled a Russian Blue. Though a few were ragged or dirty, most were well-groomed, with beautiful triangular faces.

[st_aurafina]

Oh, your poor knee! I cringed in sympathy when I got to the bit with your injury. But, wow, it sounds like an amazing trip. (Were you not allowed to touch the cats because of rabies?)

[kattahj]

Oh, your poor knee! I cringed in sympathy when I got to the bit with your injury.

It didn't really hurt much after the first few minutes, and still doesn't - it's just very wobbly. But thanks. :-)

(Were you not allowed to touch the cats because of rabies?)

Partly rabies, I suppose, mostly just germs in general. While the cats are remarkably well-kept, they DO eat garbage, and I suspect it's rather like petting a pigeon (if a pigeon would allow it). I was sorely tempted in several cases, though!

[linaxcq]

Trip sound like great fun, I'm ded jealous! I'm sorry about your knee but even more sorry about where you got injured. I hate those little holes in the ground, hopefully it was atleast resenably clean.

[kattahj]

Yeah, it was clean, though of course I had to wash my clothes afterwards. In a way, it had been better if it had just been an area behind a bush - tiles are so slippery! Still, it was the only place that didn't have a WC, and I suppose for skirt-wearers it's not so bad.

[hibernate]

I dislocated my knee once too, it's not much fun. Well, it is kind of cool, but rather inconvenient. Hopefully you'll heal quickly!

Your trip sounds amazing! I'm dead jealous. Looking forward to the pictures.

[kattahj]

I didn't actually dislocate it, it just felt that way. It's bruised, and possibly the meniscus is hurt (the area was too bruised for the doctor to feel properly), but it could have been a lot worse.

Which was a point I most definitely realized when I went home and in quick succession heard about my sister-in-law busting her knee on a ski trip, my aunt needing a knee replacement, and an aquaintance losing his entire lower right leg. WTF is up with this week, leg-wise?

Your trip sounds amazing! I'm dead jealous. Looking forward to the pictures.

I'll hound mom about putting them in. :-) Thanks for being interested! I half feared people would find this horribly self-absorbed.

[kattahj]

Thanks! I think the worst bit is being away from my cat for most of the day... and my home computer...

Hopefully my mom will get the pics ready soon.