I managed to sleep for over 12 hours last night and that meant that I missed global studies. I made it for the last 15 minutes and it was one of the extremely boring guest lecturers again.
 
Then was time for drawing where we worked on a much darker picture. It was much harder but I learned a bit more about how to work with perspective.
 
During Religious Studies we watched a movie for part of it and then went on with the Unit on Christianity. I think I was in too much of a zone from the rockiness of the ship to really know what we learned about. I was able to take all the notes that she put up though.
 
After class I went up to the pool bar to have lunch because the food at the dining hall looked really gross. The chicken pesto pizza at the pool bar is my new favorite and it sure is tasty.
 
After I did the same thing as I did before. Become a zombie and watch movies. It was very relaxing and I was able to catch up on my blog from my time in Turkey.
 
We had our pre-port meeting tonight and I packed up for my trip in Egypt. After that I laid in bed to watch some more TV and relax before my exciting adventure ahead. I can’t wait for tomorrow!!!!

I woke up for breakfast this morning and enjoyed my food while doing the reading for my class. I was able to get most of the reading done which was a good start to the 2 class days that we have before Egypt.
 
Then it was time for global studies which was quite boring. The lectures seem to have gotten more boring since the midterm, which makes it really hard to pay attention to.
 
I then had my drawing class which was actually good today. I was able to make a really nice drawing of the acropolis. I think it is my best drawing that I have done thus far.
 
After that I raced to lunch to scarf down some food before religious studies. They had Chinese food at lunch today and it was pretty good.
 
Religious Studies was not very interesting, but we started the chapter on Christianity. It was interesting to start looking at it from a non-bias point of view.
 
After class was over I went back to my room to watch TV for a few hours before dinner. I was pretty out of it and unable to do homework.
 
After dinner we had a sea meeting, the first one since we crossed the Atlantic. We played a fun game and then had ice cream sundaes. We also signed up for the Sea Olympics. I’m going to be doing mashed potato sculpting and Hawaiian bowling. We then came up with a chant for our sea as well.
 
Finally I made my way to bed and passed out right away!

Today was an amazing last day in Turkey.
 
I woke up this morning, got dressed for the day, and ate some breakfast. Then I made my way down to the bus and loaded on. It was a lucky day for me because a lot of people didn’t show up for the trip. That meant that I got both seats in my row to myself. I ended up sleeping almost the entire ride to the Ballikaya region. It was a 2 hour drive and it was a lovely nap.
 
When we finally arrived we got out of the bus and got our boxed lunches. I needed to use the restroom and went to the building that had the restroom in it. This was my first experience using a squat toilet which was interesting to say the least. Not my favorite…
 
We then were lead by a local guide through the area. We hiked along a stream. It was very green in the area and covered in shrubs and trees. There were a lot of farms along the way full of all sorts to fruits and vegetables. We then ran into a boy who was herding goats. There were about 30 goats and they seemed to be very surprised by so many humans. The stood there and stared at us as we stared at them. We also had 2 dogs following us the entire hike.
 
We worked our way across a few stream crossings and up some hills. Eventually we made it to a large pool of water with a small waterfall. The water looked very refreshing until we saw water snakes in the water. Me and a few others climbed to the top of the waterfall to enjoy our lunches. It was fun to be able to see all of the other people in the group from above.
 
After we finished lunch we gathered as a group to listen to the biology teacher talk about the fauna and flora of Turkey and the Ballikaya region.
 
We then hiked back to the bus using a shortcut which was a straight uphill climb. We were able to see more of the valley and the amazing limestone rock formations.
 
The ride back was spent sleeping as well. It seemed to go by much faster than the ride back. When we got back to the ship me and a few girls walked over to Starbucks to enjoy a frapachino before the voyage to Egypt.
 
I got back to the ship and turned in my passport. I then took a shower and called my family to share my adventures with them. When we left the port, I headed up to the deck with a lot of people and watched us leave the port as the sun set. I got a good amount of pictures of the sun setting behind the Hagia Sofia and the Blue Mosque.
 
Finally I made my way back to my room to head to bed for the night.
 
Turkey was a really amazing country and I hope to come back and share it with my family some day!

Today was a wonderful day in Istanbul.
 
Today Lindsay and I decided to stick together and hang out. We started by sleeping in this morning. It was much needed after a busy time in Cappadocia. After we got dressed, we headed out for our adventure.
 
We started out by making our way to the Spice Bazaar by way of the tram. The tram system here is very easy to use and it comes quite often. When we got off we walked around a large stand that was outside of the tram station. There were a few booths selling different goods. Lindsay and I both decided to buy some bracelets from this one stand.
 
After that we walked into the bazaar and started walking through it. I stopped at a booth and got a really good deal on a large array of spices with a spice grinder and an array of teas with a tea set. After that we continued to walk around and I found a small set of spices to give to my dad. We finished walking around the bazaar and walked back to the tram to head to the Grand Bazaar.
 
We passed by a woman who was selling bird seed to feed to the pigeons. She was a million years old and was sweeping the seeds off of her stand. I think she was a tad bit crazy.
 
We made our way to the Grand Bazaar and began the adventure of such a crazy place. It was overwhelming even just to look at. There are over 60 isles and 4000 booths. And to make it even more confusing, a lot of them sell the same things so it starts to all look the same.
 
We began walking around for awhile and then decided to find a place to eat lunch. We found a small café to eat at and had fresh lemonade and pasta. They were very kind men that worked there and gave us free Turkish coffee and a Turkish delight to snack on. Then they also gave us free water and then asked to take pictures with us. So we have pictures with the workers of the restaurant.
 
After lunch it was time to start shopping. We walked around for hours and I finally got what I wanted to get. I got a knock off shirt for my brother and a lamp for my parents. And then I got a few candle holders for myself.
 
Then it was time to go to a Turkish bath. We took the tram and got off to see a Turkish bath right next to the tram stop. We walked in and decided to get the luxury package and a clay mask. It totaled about $75 and was well worth it. They have it separated by gender so we were led into the area for women. From there they gave us underwear to wear and a towel to put on and a locker to put all of our belongings in. From there you move into a large room made out of marble with a huge ventilated dome. Then you make your way to one of the women working. She lays you down and washes your body scrubbing off all of the dead skin. Then the clean you off with buckets of water and then give you a soapy massage. Then they wash your hair and send you to the pool and Jacuzzi. You get to hang out there for as long as you please and then move to another room to get a fresh dry towel. You then wait till they are ready to give you your oil massage. It was a very busy day that day. Normally you will be in a room with about 5 other girls getting a massage. But because it was so busy, I was taken upstairs to a private massage room where I was given my massage and clay mask. It was very relaxing and there was a window open in the room so I heard the call to prayer while I was getting my massage. Then you get to shower and get dressed.
 
It was a very enjoyable experience and I highly recommend to anyone going to Turkey to do a Turkish bath.
 
Lindsay and I then made our way back to the ship to shower once more and get ready to go out for the evening. We decided to go to the Galata Tower to see the city and have dinner there. The Galata Tower is one of the oldest towers in the world and was built in 528 as a lighthouse. It was then reconstructed in 1348 as the “Christ Tower”. The external diameter of the tower at its base is 16.45 meters, the inside diameter is 8.95 meters. At the base the thickness is 3.75 meters and at the top it is 20cm. The tower is also 61 meters tall. It gives the most amazing 360̊̊ view of the city.
 
After walking around the balcony of the tower we went inside to have a fancy meal. They gave us an appetizer tray followed by another appetizer. Then a salad and then the main course. And finally a dessert tray with tons of fruit. During dinner there was a number of different performances that went on. There was a sultan with his women, a belly dancer, other dancers, a knife thrower, other dancers, and another belly dancer, and finally a male singer. The whole show was very entertaining and at one point Lindsay was pulled up on stage to be fed fruit by the sultan and then to dance on the stage. The singer at the end was great because he knew songs in almost every language that was spoken in the room. On each table was a flag representing the nationality of the people at the table. We had a lovely American flag on our table. There were people from Brazil, Italy, Jordan, Australia, Sweden, Denmark, and the UK. He sang a number of songs and introduced many of the people in the room to the entire room. The whole ordeal didn’t end until midnight! Before we made our way back to the ship (which was only a 10 minute walk from the tower) we went back out on to the balcony and I took pictures of the skyline of Istanbul all lit up at night. It was an amazing sight.
 
We walked back to the ship with no problems at all and headed straight back to the room to get ready to sleep for the night. I was able to call my family and chat with my mom for a bit before going to sleep for the night. It’s very sad that there is only one day left in this amazing country!

Today was an eventful day in Cappadocia.
 
I woke up this morning around 5:30 to finish getting packed and ready for the day. I made it to the union around 6 to eat the “continental breakfast” which was juice and pastries. We waited for a while so everyone could get checked in and to make sure that everyone had their passports. There was one girl who never showed up and she really missed out.
 
Once everyone was ready, we boarded the buses and made our way to the airport. The airport security in Turkey is interesting. They make you go through security before you check in for your flight and then again after you check in. It took awhile for the leader to check in all 80 of us. They then handed back out our passports and boarding passes. We had about an hour and a half left before the flight so we just relaxed and had some food at the café. There was free Wi-Fi in the airport so I was able to chat with a few of my friends online.
 
We finally boarded the plane and it seemed as though we took up most of the plane. We actually did occupy over half of the seats on the plane. It was an hour long flight, but I slept almost the whole flight. I woke up for the last few minutes, and thought I was going to pass out it was so hot on the plane. I was very happy when it landed.
 
Our huge group was greeted at the airport by 2 people who took us to our buses where we loaded up and left on our adventure. It was another hour drive to the Cappadocia region, so I fell asleep again.
 
To explain what Cappadocia is, imagine a region transformed from a blazing inferno into a flourishing village. Cappadocia, or “Land of Well-Bred Horses,” began with the eruption of two volcanoes, Erciyes Dagi and Melendiz Dagi. When hot ash was dispersed over the terrain, it created a thick layer of soft, porous stone called tuff. The wealthy
believed it to be barren land, but the poor saw a means of survival and a miracle of nature. The indigenous people used crude tools to carve sturdy homes out of this pliable substance. Eventually they carved churches, schools and an entire village. To escape persecution, the Christians also built underground cities.
 WNevsehir, the wealthy center of Cappadocia, is the provincial capital and largest town in the region. The landscape of Nevsehir resembles the surface of the moon.
 
Our first stop was at the underground city of Kaymakliı, where Christians hid during times of persecution. It was basically a huge cave city. They carved a city underground 8 levels deep. We were able to go down 4 levels (we couldn’t go farther than that because the caves still connected to areas in town that lead to people’s houses).
 
I absolutely love caves so this was an amazingly fun time for me. It even smelled like caves, hollow air. There were areas that were meant to be stables, kitchens, churches, bedrooms, and so on. We spent a good amount of time underground exploring before making our way outside. We then had a bit of free time to stop at the shops nearby. I got a few souvenirs including a small hand drum.
        We then made our way to a city to stop and have lunch (at 3:30 in the afternoon). Me and a friend of mine, Marsha, decided to wander town and find a place to eat together. We stopped at a place that looked like it had some good food and low prices. We sat on small cushions on the ground at a small metal table. We both decided to order traditional Cappadocian food. It was a beef stew that was cooked in a ceramic pot. They brought the pots to the table and broke them open with a machete. It was very unique and very tasty. They also gave us bread and rice to eat along with it.
 
Once we were done eating we loaded back on to the bus and worked our way through the region stopping to take pictures along the way. We stopped at numerous great panoramic spots to take some magical pictures.
 
After a few more hours we made our way to the hotel which was very nice. We were assigned roommate based on our last names. My roommates name was Courtney Brown and she went to UC Davis. We were able to talk about the city and some of the people who went to my high school that she was friends with. It was pretty strange how that ended up but was nice to have something in common.
 
Then we went to dinner in restaurant downstairs. It was a huge buffet that was absolutely amazing. It was one of the biggest buffets that I have ever been to. The desert bar was crazy big as well. There were at least 3 cakes there to eat. We all enjoyed our dinner and then made our way back to the buses to head to the whirling dervish ceremony.
 
We went to a very old building and then watched the ceremony. It was a bunch of men spinning around in circles. They would do it fast enough and long enough that they would go into a trance.
 
After the ceremony they gave us some tea to enjoy. We finally made it back to the hotel to go to bed around 11:30. It took me about an hour to fall asleep.
 
It think it was because it was such an amazing day!

Today was an eventful day in Cappadocia.
 
I woke up this morning around 5:30 to finish getting packed and ready for the day. I made it to the union around 6 to eat the “continental breakfast” which was juice and pastries. We waited for a while so everyone could get checked in and to make sure that everyone had their passports. There was one girl who never showed up and she really missed out.
 
Once everyone was ready, we boarded the buses and made our way to the airport. The airport security in Turkey is interesting. They make you go through security before you check in for your flight and then again after you check in. It took awhile for the leader to check in all 80 of us. They then handed back out our passports and boarding passes. We had about an hour and a half left before the flight so we just relaxed and had some food at the café. There was free Wi-Fi in the airport so I was able to chat with a few of my friends online.
 
We finally boarded the plane and it seemed as though we took up most of the plane. We actually did occupy over half of the seats on the plane. It was an hour long flight, but I slept almost the whole flight. I woke up for the last few minutes, and thought I was going to pass out it was so hot on the plane. I was very happy when it landed.
 
Our huge group was greeted at the airport by 2 people who took us to our buses where we loaded up and left on our adventure. It was another hour drive to the Cappadocia region, so I fell asleep again.
 
To explain what Cappadocia is, imagine a region transformed from a blazing inferno into a flourishing village. Cappadocia, or “Land of Well-Bred Horses,” began with the eruption of two volcanoes, Erciyes Dagi and Melendiz Dagi. When hot ash was dispersed over the terrain, it created a thick layer of soft, porous stone called tuff. The wealthy
believed it to be barren land, but the poor saw a means of survival and a miracle of nature. The indigenous people used crude tools to carve sturdy homes out of this pliable substance. Eventually they carved churches, schools and an entire village. To escape persecution, the Christians also built underground cities.
 WNevsehir, the wealthy center of Cappadocia, is the provincial capital and largest town in the region. The landscape of Nevsehir resembles the surface of the moon.
 
Our first stop was at the underground city of Kaymakliı, where Christians hid during times of persecution. It was basically a huge cave city. They carved a city underground 8 levels deep. We were able to go down 4 levels (we couldn’t go farther than that because the caves still connected to areas in town that lead to people’s houses).
 
I absolutely love caves so this was an amazingly fun time for me. It even smelled like caves, hollow air. There were areas that were meant to be stables, kitchens, churches, bedrooms, and so on. We spent a good amount of time underground exploring before making our way outside. We then had a bit of free time to stop at the shops nearby. I got a few souvenirs including a small hand drum.
        We then made our way to a city to stop and have lunch (at 3:30 in the afternoon). Me and a friend of mine, Marsha, decided to wander town and find a place to eat together. We stopped at a place that looked like it had some good food and low prices. We sat on small cushions on the ground at a small metal table. We both decided to order traditional Cappadocian food. It was a beef stew that was cooked in a ceramic pot. They brought the pots to the table and broke them open with a machete. It was very unique and very tasty. They also gave us bread and rice to eat along with it.
 
Once we were done eating we loaded back on to the bus and worked our way through the region stopping to take pictures along the way. We stopped at numerous great panoramic spots to take some magical pictures.
 
After a few more hours we made our way to the hotel which was very nice. We were assigned roommate based on our last names. My roommates name was Courtney Brown and she went to UC Davis. We were able to talk about the city and some of the people who went to my high school that she was friends with. It was pretty strange how that ended up but was nice to have something in common.
 
Then we went to dinner in restaurant downstairs. It was a huge buffet that was absolutely amazing. It was one of the biggest buffets that I have ever been to. The desert bar was crazy big as well. There were at least 3 cakes there to eat. We all enjoyed our dinner and then made our way back to the buses to head to the whirling dervish ceremony.
 
We went to a very old building and then watched the ceremony. It was a bunch of men spinning around in circles. They would do it fast enough and long enough that they would go into a trance.
 
After the ceremony they gave us some tea to enjoy. We finally made it back to the hotel to go to bed around 11:30. It took me about an hour to fall asleep.
 
It think it was because it was such an amazing day!

Today was an amazing first day in Turkey.
 
I woke up early this morning to watch the sun rise. It was a very unique sunrise and it was very humid outside. So humid that my lens on my camera fogged up for about 20 minutes. I stayed out to watch the pilot board the ship and as we pulled into port. We made our way past the Hagia Sofia and the Blue Mosque which was really amazing to see from afar.

Then I went to eat breakfast, and then went back to my room and went back to sleep. We had our standard mandatory diplomatic briefing this morning, but I ended up sleeping through the entire thing. I did not have anywhere to be today until 11am so I made the decision to sleep in till 10.
 
I finally woke up and got dressed for the day. I worked my way down to the bus and boarded for a full day of city orientation. The description is as follows:
        Drive through the streets of ancient Pera (Latin Quarter) and Taksim Square. Then cross the Golden Horn over the Ataturk Bridge to the old town. View the city walls dating back to the fourth century, which were destroyed during the conquest in 1453, and the Roman Aqueduct of Valens from the second century. Tour the Sehzade Mosque, which was designed by architect Mimar Sinan. As chief architect of the palace, Sinan designed more than 360 structures. The Sehzade Mosque represents his mature style and the first grand mosque he created. Then take a break to eat lunch. Next, visit the Byzantine Cistern and the Hagia Sophia. Then, visit the Blue Mosque with its unique configuration of six minarets and blue tiled interior. Walk by the Hippodrome and view the Serpentine Column and the Theodosius Column, both of which were brought from Egypt in the fourth century. Then return to the bus and back to the ship.
 
We drove around for about an hour viewing the entire city. Our first stop was the Sehzade Mosque. I really enjoyed going into the mosque. It was the first mosque that I have ever visited and was a truly unique experience. It was also not full of tourists, other than all of us SAS students. I like that you have to take off your shoes before entering. It was very nice to run my toes through the soft Turkish rugs. We stayed for a good amount of time before moving outside to enjoy our boxed lunches. They are some of the worst lunches possible, but it’s nice to sit around and meet new people. We also took a picture will all of the females in my group with our head scarves on.
We then got back on the bus and work our way over to the area where the Hagia Sofia and Blue Mosque are located. First we went into the Byzantine Cistern Basilica. This is a truly unique place, like nothing I have ever seen before. It is an underground basilica. There are numerous pillars and paths to walk on all surrounded by water. In the water there are fish swimming around, some small, and some are the biggest fish I have ever seen. There is one pillar with a small round hole in it. It is said that if you are able to put your thumb into the pillar and rotate it in a complete circle, an angel will grant you one wish. I did it and now hope that my wish will come true. I can’t tell you what it is because then it won’t come true. At the end of the basilica there were 2 pillars with medusa heads on them. One head was sideways and the other was upside down. They were actually pretty scary to look at.
 
We then made our way to the Hagia Sofia which was once a church, then a mosque, and now is a museum. It was very large and had many different parts to it. It is a pretty cool thing to see and be able to say I have been to. I wrote my SAS admissions essay on the Hagia Sofia. I’m going to include it because it was surprisingly accurate.
        “I just spend the day in the Hagia Sophia in Istanbul, Turkey. The architecture of this building is unbelievable. It is the most beautiful building. And the dome. I cant even believe that I was able to stand there, look up, and admire how vast and how much light is let in. I can see how it took so long to build it. I also cannot believe the religious history of this building. Starting as the largest cathedral in the world, then turned into a beautiful and one of the most principal mosques of the area, and finally turned into a museum.
        The Hagia Sophia was considered a monument during both the Byzantine and Ottoman Empires. It is now considered a world heritage site.
        Throughout the ages, cultures have been based around religion. Many cultures today are still based around religion. Last fall when I was thinking about studying abroad, I couldn’t decide what culture I wanted to experience. I found out about the Semester at Sea program and know that it was exactly what I needed to really enhance my global perspective.
        Being born and raised in California I have always been exposed to a number of different cultures. But until this journey, I never had never studied the way that the cultures interact and work together to form a cohesive society.
        I have been able to spend my days exploring so many different cultures and religions. My classes have also broadened my opinions about many cultures. It is amazing that one day I am on a ship learning about a culture and the next day I am in a city experiencing the culture first hand.
        This program is more than I could have ever imagined. I feel like it has made me a global citizen and prepared me for an increasingly globalized world.
                Can’t wait to see what is in store for me tomorrow."
 
We then worked our way to the Blue Mosque which is just across the park. I don’t know much about why the Mosque is famous, but it was a true sight to see. There are 6 minarets on the structure and a huge interior.
After seeing the mosque we went and viewed what was left of the Hippodrome and the pillars from Egypt. After that we worked our way back to the bus. Somehow we managed to lose our professor while walking to the bus and ended up leaving her in the city on her own. She was able to make it back to the ship eventually, but when I talked to her the following day she told me it was quite an adventure.
 
When we finally got back to the bus I showered and ate dinner. Then I packed up my stuff for my trip the next day and got in bed early for the early morning tomorrow.
 

Today was Turkey day!
It was actually not an exciting day at all. However, we didn’t have class, so that is always nice. I was able to sleep in this morning which is very relaxing. I missed breakfast in the dining hall as a result. I went to my pedicure which was much needed. It was very relaxing and made my feet nice and smooth.
 
I decided it would be a good day to try out the breakfast that they have at the pool deck, and it turned out to be quite good. I had a croissant with eggs and cheese, but they make an omelet and put it in the middle of the croissant.
 
We then had a mandatory lecture to watch today. It was regarding the culture in Turkey. I thought that it was going to be boring, but it ended up being interesting. She gave us a lot of good information regarding behaviors, the culture, and even food.
 
I then decided that I would so some homework. The only homework that I had to do was sketching, so I got to work on some of my drawings. I’ve come up with a good way to do the drawings that seems to be making it a little easier for me. I print out the picture that I’m going to use in black and white and then tape it on to the page next to the drawing. It works because it’s in black and white, and we sketch only in black and white. I’m able to figure out value a lot better. It seems as though I am making some progress with my drawings.
 
After working on that for awhile I got bored and decided it was time to become a zombie. I popped in a movie and relaxed in bed for a few hours.
After dinner, we had a mandatory pre-port lecture just like always. They told us what to expect safety wise and informed us that we would have to carry our passports with us at all times. That’s always a little scary, but since I am not an idiot, I don’t have to worry too much.
 
I went to bed early for my exciting day to follow!