I did one of the most incredible things today. I got a Turkish bath! My roommates and I went together as a roomie bonding day. The entire experience of getting a Turkish bath was fabulous. The package we decided on had a bath and an oil massage. When we first arrived, we were directed to a locker room, where they gave us a pair of underwear to change into and a towel. We were taken into the bath room, which was so neat. The air was like a sauna. The ceiling was a dome, and light was pouring into the dimly lit room through star shaped cut outs. It was beautiful. They had us lie down on a marble platform, where we were given our bath. It is a very strange concept to have someone else bathing you, but it was the most relaxing and refreshing experience. They even washed our hair. After the bath itself, we got to go into an even dimmer room and relax in a pool of hot water, which was nice for a while, but eventually the hot air and the hot water was too much. We went back out into the waiting area until we were called for our oil massages, which was fantastic. I haven't had a real massage in 3 years. It felt so good to have some of my tension worked out. We got to shower after the massage and wash the oil off. They had refreshments for us while we relaxed after the whole experience before we changed back into our clothes. I had the absolute best time. Getting a Turkish bath is on the list of "1,000 Things to Do Before You Die," and now I can definitely see why. The particular bathhouse that we went to has been opporating since the 1500's! The whole practice of the baths is so rich in Turkish culture and history. This will definitely go down as one of my top ten experiences on SAS.
After our bath, we headed to the Grand Bazaar, where once again I bought about a million things that I probably don't need. I got some more gifts for others, which I am excited about, including a few more things for my parents. Another experience of my day will go down in my top ten list. Kendra and I went into a pashmina store, and we stayed and talked to the guy who owned it for two hours. He was the most intelligent, hard-working, friendly person I have ever met. We had the most amazing discussion about the differences between America and Turkey, the cultures, the attitudes, the impressions we have of one another, what it is like to be in each other's shoes, politics, hopes, dreams, the future, etc. It was absolutely wonderful. It's amazing the things you can learn when you take the time to get to know the locals in these countries. Our conversation with this young man was probably the best conversation I've had in my life. Like I've said before, moments like this one are the reasons why I am here. I would elaborate much more on the conversation, but it is 3:00am, and I am trying to stay awake long enough to finish this update.
Today marks the first day of Ramadan, which is very important in the Muslim faith. I need to learn more about what exactly it represents, but everyday for a month they fast during the day, and then once the sun goes down they celebrate. I think it is really great that we were in Turkey for the beginning of such an important holiday. Kendra and I tried to be very conscious throughout the entire day not to eat or drink in front of the locals who could not consume anything.
We we went out for dinner in our last night in Istanbul. I shared a grilled chicken kebob (how do you spell that?) with my friend Jeff, and it was delicious. So good. After dinner we went to a hookah bar and talked for hours. It was great.
I am literally falling asleep as I write this (but I wanted to make sure I updated today), so I apologize for how poorly constructed this post is, and I really need to get to sleep for the night. I have a field program tomorrow called "Palaces of Istanbul and the Asiatic Side." I'm going to Asia!!! So cool!!
Goodnight, Turkey!
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