Thursday 23 April

A relaxing morning: great breakfast (we both like a good breakfast!), internet, laundry, recharging various batteries.

We set out early afternoon for lunch and Topkapi Palace. The other day we went into the grounds and relaxed. Today we will pay and explore. We go by taxi and it seemed a very roundabout route but only cost 8 lira ie very cheap. Remember that number - 8 lira.

It was 11 degrees C at 2pm when we had lunch ie it is COLD! Sunny but cold wind off the water.

It is a children's holiday today so the place is crammed with them as well as more and more groups of young NZers and Assies arriving for Gallipoli. They are very noisy.

Tina loved Topkapi Palace - beautiful ceilings, tiles, decoration and historical items eg dresses, jewels, helmets, swords and a HUGE diamond. Nice time.

Came out and wanted a taxi but there was a fight going on between who we presume were two taxi drivers which then escalated into fighting between the original man and a third. Shouting, pushing and open hand slapping.

We finally get a taxi; Tina has to remind him to start the meter; it's a shorter, more direct trip but comes to 27 lira!!!! Tina gave him 10. He screwed it up and threw it on the ground shouting to us to get out, which we did hurredly. A rip-off artist.

At 6pm we met the 8 others in our tour group (6 Americans and 2 Canadians) and our tour guide (Barcin Taran - with a squiggle under the c; said to call him Barch). He warned us about various things including catching a taxi from ouside the Topkapi Palace!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Light dinner (soup and salad - excellent), rang Kirsten (waking her up) and to sleep nice and early. The dinner featured a waiter who stepped right out of Fawlty Towers - he would be Basil's son. He had us in fits of laughter as he was a hair's breadth away from chaos and confusion. His facial guestures, gesticulations, rapid fire Turkish and racing around the dining area were very amusing. Free entertainmnet!