Into the Black Sea.

We arrived in Bulgaria yesterday, the bus ride was only 6 hours long, the guy at the travel place was wrong. 6 hours of driving and one hour at the Bulgarian border. You can only bring two packs of cigarettes into the country at a time, and there were a couple people who had cartons of them. Because of these people we had to get off of the bus and open our bags because the gaurds at secutiry suspected that we were all smuggling cigarettes into their counrty (we may be some of the only people in this country who don't smoke). I don't know if they are only allowed to bring two packs because they don't sell cigarettes in Bulgaria, I haven't seen any for sale, and if the people bring more they will sell them, or what the reason is for the limit.

On the bus we met the nicest lady from Bulgaria, I can't remember what her name was. She works more where in Turkey, in a hotel selling her art, along with her husband. She had the weekend off, so this was her second bus ride to go back to Bulgaria. She had some paperwork to do and she is going to visit her daughter in Sophia. A long way to travel for just four days at home.

We thought that there wouldn't be any food on the bus, but they served us, water, coffee and tea, and icecream. The bus was almost full, there were only a couple of empty seats. The road was good in Turkey, but once we crossed into Bulgaria, it was very bumpy. In some places on the main highway, they have dug up patches to fix potholes, but have never come back to fill them in. From the bus station we had to take a taxi to the airpor to pick up our rental car.

There are alot of rental car companies in the Burgas airport, one of the only three airports in the whole counrty. We got our car, a smallish dark blue KIA, and set of for Nesebar, which is only a half an hour away. The drive was good and when we arrived in Nesebar, we found a place to stay, we are going to be here for another night tonight. I have a real bed this time not a cot on the floor. In the room next to us last night they had a bit of a party, but I fell asleep anyways because I was so tired.

We are going to go into old Nesebar today, and visit some of the churh ruins, most of the old churches have been turned into art gallerys now, but they are still nice to look at.

Write again soon,

Love Laura

Just another 10 hours folks.

Tomorrrow we leave Istanbul and go to Bourgas. The bus leaves at 9am and the ourney is 10 hours long. The actual drive is not as long, but we stop for two hours at customs. We have our tickets and confirmed seats and we will be on our way, tomorrow.

This morning we got us a liittle earlier than usual, ate breakfast and then went out. First we tried to go the Hagia Sophia mosque, but it is closed on Mondays. We did a little shopping, we found the nicest store that sells lamps and glass dishes. We are going to go back there when we come back from Bulgaria, we don't want to carry glass around and havve it broken.

We took the tram in the opposite direction that we have in the last couple of days, We decided to get out at a stop that had a museum, but the museum was just a collection of panoramic pictures of Turkey's past. There was nothing else there to see or do, but we did visit the gardens of a cemetary. There were beautiful flowering trees there, with purple and orange flowers.

We came back on the tram, and tried to find the Museum of Archaeology, but it was up a hill, it was about 2 o'clock and we wanted to have lunch. We had really good food at a cafe called Montana's. I had pasta, mum and dad had traditional Turkish dishes. Then we went to the Palace of Topkapi. It was really huge, with collections of clothes and jewelry. In one area there was a gigantic diamond, 86 carats, which was found in a city dump. A peddeler bought is for three spoons. When they found out that is was an actual diamond, it was summoned to the palace, where it was first made into a ring and then into a decoration for a turban. It was beautiful. We looked around there for a while, and now we are back at our hotel, packing and waiting to go and see the whirling dervishes at 8.

I don't know when we will have internet again, but when we do I will post some more.

Love Laura

Along the Straight-Away

We were wrong, the bridge that we went over yesterday did not take us to Asia. That bridge only took us to the other side of the river. The bridge that actually goes to Asia is much larger and more organized. But to get to Asia today, we took the tram and a ferry. Which was quite great, even though the other side looked exactly the same.

This morning when we got up, we ate breakfast and then went to the Blue Mosque. All three of us were given wrap around skirts to wear, and Mum and I were given shawls to cover our shoulders. Inside of the mosque is was quite impressive. The line up outside was even greater. The beginning of the line was an old doorwas, it then went around the corner and then half of the length of the mosque. It then went up a set or stair and around another corner, then through a low tunnel, Dad had to duck his head. After taking our shoes off and putting them in bags, we entered the mosque. There were about three tour groups in the mosque, so it was a little packed. We took alot of pictures and it was very cool.

We went for a walk behind the mosque towards the Hippodrome, but we didn't go in. Instead we went to the cistern. When we joined the short line outside, we had no idea what it was going to be like, there were no pictures, only a sign that said Cistern. Once we went down the stairs we saw what is was all about, the seiling was really high, and the columns supporting it were huge. It was dark, so we didn't get that many pictures, but we did get some good ones. In one end of the cistern there were two carvings of Medusa, they ere amazing. There was also a strange group of hanging sculptures.

This afternoon we went for a boat cruise of the Bosphorous, about an hour and a half, no stops. We had to wait on the boat for about forty-five minutes for it to leave. All ove the hills there are huge Turkish flags flying in the wind, you can see them from a long ways away.

This evening we took a ferry over to the Asian side of Istanbul, we walked around a market, selling all sorts of food. We had chicken and lamb in a three story little restaurant, it was very good. When it was time for us to go home, we took the ferry, but we went to the wrong stop so we had to walk for a while. We caught the tram back to the Blue Mosque, and walked from there to out hotel. We are sitting up on the high terrace of our hotel, in the distance we can see the fireworks, celebrating somethine. It is the 4th of July today, but nobody here is celebrating.

Post again soon.

Love, Laura

Around the First Bend.

So, today was our first day in Turkey, and it isn't even over yet!!! We came back to our hotel about an hour and a half ago, so that we could have a rest. Mum and I both had a shower, and we are all ready to go again. Well, sort of, mum and dad are having a nap. We will go out in about a half hour, to have dinner and see some more great things.

This morning, we got up and got ready to go out. We had breakfast on the high terracce of our hotel, the rooftop. There were olives, yogurt, fruit, juice, coffee, tea and buns with jams. I tried some of the rose jam, it was very good. There was also chocolate spread, not like nutella, it was very good. I didn't have any of the olives, but by the end of this trip I am going to force myself to like them. They have very good tea here, but it is very bitter and strong, you need quite a bit of sugar. While we were eating, we met a woman, from Vancouver, who was travelling in Turkey with her family. They have been here since the beginning of June, and are leaving tomorrow. The fly to Chicago so that they don't have to get up at one in the morning for the flight.

We went and visited a burial place. There were all sorts of big and little tombs inside, with atrifacts in glass cases. To go in, women had to put on a head scarf, and mum and I had to put on long skirts, you have to be covered to the ankle. We got very warm in the scarves. It was very ornately decorated.

We went from there to the Grand Bazaar, where we did a little shopping, not alot, but we got some cool things. We didn't get lost, because one of the shop keepers gave us a map of the bazaar. I finally bought myself a pocketwatch, something that I have wanted for a very long time. After the bazaar, we went and bought some Turkish delight, which is very good, but VERY sweet. We mum and dad had a fish sandwich. After that we went and got a cob of corn, and a chicken sandwich. Now, it seems like all we do is eat.

Over the brigde we went into Aisa, on the tram. It was jam paced with people until one stop, where, about 50% of the people got off of the tram. On the other side of the river, we walked through a fish market, and around the boating supply section of the market. We walked back across the bridge, and saw all of the people fishing. They all had little buckets filled with sardines and other little fish. there are two levels to the bridge, the top being the roadway and sidewalk, and the bottom is full of restaurants and a walkway. We looked around down there, but suprisingly, didn't eat. We went into a mosque, mum and I styed in the court yard while dad went in and looked around. Mum sat in the shade, I did as well, but in a dfferent spot, and wrote in the journal that I am keeping for our trip.

Outside the mosque, there were people selling feed for the birds, there was more bird feed than there were birds to feed. Behind the mosque there was the spice market. In the road leading into the market there were pet shops and plant shops. There were all sorts of pets, animals are very well cared far here, even the stray cats are fed and taken care of. They were selling dogs and cats, chickens, turtles and leeches. Inside of the spice market, everybody was selling a bit of the same thing. We bought some teas and then we left, we were tired.

We took the tram back to the Blue Mosque, which is near our hotel, and found a corner store. We bought some water and sunflower seeds and came back to our hotel.

And now, I am sitting here, having a couple pieces of Turkish delight. Mum and Dad are up now, and we are going out for dinner. Post again soon.

Love Laura

And They've Passed the Starting Gate!!!!!

Well, we landed in Turkey this afternoon, luckily. When we got up yesterday and looked outside, at the rainy Vancouvver sky, we had no idea what we were going to do f0r the morning, so, we went to Ikea. Always a good choice. We had $1 breakfasts and then looked around, with no luck in our search for a new kitchen table. When we left Ikea we went for a little drive through Vancouver, and into the UBC campus. We went and looked at the pools and visited the student union building. Because it was Canada day, everything was closed, but there were still people wandering around. After that we headed for the airport.

When we checked in, we got our seats all the way to Istanbul. We exchanged some money into Euros and then went through security. Whenever we go on summer holidays, we always seem to leave on Canada day. The airport was a little empty yesterday, partly because it was Canada day, and partly because it was mid-week, not many people travelling.

When we got to our gate, our flight was delayed for about a hour, meaning that we might not make our connection, because we only had an hour and a half between flights. We charged up our computers, and boarded the plane. We have never flown Lufthansa, but it was nice. The flight was about nine and a half hours long. I watched some TV and a movie and then tried to sleep. Eventually I did fall asleep, but kept getting jolted awake because of the turbulance. The washrooms in the plane, were down a set of stairs, and there were five stall-rooms. There was also a drinking fountain.

I woke up just before we were to have breakfast, hashbrowns and an omlete I didn't eat, I couldn't tell if I was nasuous or hungry. When we landed, about 45 minutes late, we basically ran off of the plane, through sewcurity and to our gate, where they were just getting ready to board. The only problem was, that we have emailed our hotel in Istanbul, where we were staying, to tell them that we didn't need to be picked up because we would not be on that flight. We sis make the flight, and then we had no ride.

We called the hotel when we arrived in Istanbul, but they said that their driver wouldn't be able to come and pick us up for a long time. We took a cab. We had arrived right during rush hour traffic, and the roads were packed. It took us about 45 minutes to reach our hotel, costing 30 liras. Our hotel, The Grand Peninsula Hotel, is very nice. We have a fridga, and lots of places to hide things.

We went and eandered around the little streets around our hotel. We ate some almonds, some corn, a wrap thing and a folded peice of naan style bread with feta cheese inside, on a benjch just outside of the Blue Mosque. After that we came back to our hotel, where we are now, just getting ready to go to bed. I have no idea what we are going to do tomorrow, but I know that we are going to have fun.

Love Laura

Ready, Set........GO!!!!!

We are about to leave. Our flight from Terrace leaves in about two hours and then we will officially be on vacation. Lucky is looking quite upset, she knows that we are leaving. I hope that we have a wonderful time, talk soon.

Love Laura