Woken at 5.15am by the Mullah's call to prayer - lasts a minute (I hope he had a good night's sleep). Read, drop off to sleep and wake up after 8. Very good breakfast; long, free internet session whilst Tina does washing (aren't these gender roles great!).
Around midday take a taxi to Spice Market. Buy Helen rose tea - beautiful little purple roses. Taxi to Topkapi Palace - lie in the shade eating fresh nuts we bought at the market. It's a lovely relaxing time.
Crap lunch - you would think the Turks could make a good Turkish kebab but, no. Chips in it for godness sake!!
We find post office to send postcards and tea to Helen. We negotiate security at door (airport style screening) and a guard redirects us to the post office - a tiny room underground, very hot and full of people. We stand there for a bout 10 minutes. Tina suggests we might be on the wrong side of the room so we go to the other side and stand some more. I notice that everyone who comes in is getting a ticket out of a machine behind us. We ask someone who pushes one of many buttons and we get a ticket. We stand some more. Sweat is pouring off me. I make the point that none of the people around us has letters. Tina suggests I go back to our original place. This turns out to be an inspired move as I do my helpless puppy look and a man behind the counter motions me to come over. He speaks English and is very helpful! Postcards are quickly dealt with but now we need an envelope to post to tea to Helen. We have to leave the post office and go upstairs where we are rescued by a lovely man who speaks English and seems important. We quickly get an envelope and go back down to the post office where we bye-pass all the ticket and waiting stuff and head straight of the helpful man behind the counter. I have no idea whether Helen will get the tea - the envelope was not a strong one and there was no customs declaration.
We sleep, have a crap meal (Tina's especially - she described the main as a child's meal) but nice Kapadockya read wine. More internet and an early night - early start tomorrow.
Thursday, April 23, 2009
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