Every time we skype with someone, they always ask, "Is that honking I hear?" Why yes. It is. There is always honking happening in Istanbul. Cars, buses, mini-buses, motorcycles. Everyone honks. It could mean, "Hey. Get out of my way." or "Hey. Do you need a ride?" or even "Hey. Good to see you." And it happens well into the early hours of the morning. We do not even notice it anymore. Its just the soundtrack of our current lives.
Friday, Mary Margaret and I visited Haydarpasa Hospital again. We were able to go to the Internal Medicine floor and speak with one of the doctors. He let us "round" on some patients and asked us some medication questions via our translator, Eli (we answered all of his questions correctly - Dr. Brown and Dr. Hoover would have been so proud). We went to see one elderly man who was in the hospital for pneumonia and heart failure. The doctor told the patient that Mary Margaret and I were American pharmacists, and we had come all the way to Istanbul to see him. The patient started to tear up and thanked us in Turkish and even told us he loved us. It was extremely humbling to see such gratitude paid to two little girls from West Tennessee.
Also, we have made two friends at the mini-bus pick-up lot. They recognize us now and know we need to be on a bus headed towards Validebag, so they always put us in the correct line. Yesterday, one of the gentlemen even put us at the front of the line, so he knew we could get on and find a seat, instead of having to stand. Even strangers are taking really good care of us here!
Today, you guessed it, sightseeing. We went to Dolmabahce Palace and then the Mosque of Suleyman the Magnificent. It has been an incredible day today. We wore short sleeve shirts the entire day and tried to catch some rays!
Next weekend, Mary Margaret and I are taking a plane to Izmir, Turkey to visit the ancient ruins of Ephesus. We will be staying with a friend, Gozde, who we met when she visited Memphis from Marmara University about a year ago . We are so excited to walk the same streets as people we have read about in the book of Ephesians. What an amazing opportunity, and we feel incredibly blessed!
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| Dolmabahce Palace from the ferry ride |
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| Dolmabahce Palace - pretty swanky digs |
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| We think they were taking wedding pictures in front of the palace? (Bridesmaid in the back) |
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| Not a bad view from your back porch |
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| Mosque of Suleyman the Magnificent |
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| I am really obsessed with the ceiling decorations in the places we have visited |
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| Mary Margaret inside the Mosque of Suleyman the Magnificent. |
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| We are surrounded by picturesque views. |
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| A beautiful day for sightseeing. |
Love,
Brooke
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