The only bad thing about this day was that it was to be our last one in Turkey, as we were to fly back home the next day.  Actually, another bad thing was that we had to have our luggage outside our door by 6:30 a.m. that morning before breakfast, which was considerably earlier than most mornings.  But all 40 of us must have, because we departed Ankara on time, or close to it, headed back to Istanbul.  We’d come full circle, so to speak, starting in Istanbul, then traveling south on the Aegean coast, across to central Turkey, then to its capital city, and now back to Istanbul.  We’d seen a lot of wondrous sights in our ten days, and we had one day remaining.

As we headed back to Istanbul, I reflected on the trip and our 38 tour-mates.  Dave and I greatly enjoyed them.  Our group represented 14 different states, with 15 of us living in California and 14 of us living in an east coast state.  We were 26 women and 14 men (no children or teenagers), and we had a variety of ages, ethnic groups and personalities represented.  And we all got along amazingly well for a week and a half.

Known as the Spice Market, but actually named the Egyptian Bazaar, this marketplace was built in 1660 and was financed by duties on Egyptian imports.  For centuries, spices were the only thing sold here, but now, along with the spices, vendors offer fish, nuts, cheeses, jewelry, shawls, shoes and even belly dancing outfits.  (We did buy one of the latter for our nine-year granddaughter, but bought it earlier on the tour.) 

I don’t exactly know how to describe our time at the Spice Market, but colorful, chaotic and crushed is a start.  Our taste buds got a glorious workout sampling spices, and we chose three to bring home to friends who love to cook.  Our eyes darted from one brightly colored stall to another, at the same time we were trying to stay together (‘twasn’t easy, and we weren’t always successful).  Our bodies were jostled and bumped, and our feet were stepped upon.  Our noses were overwhelmed by the odors of fish, cheeses, and the sweet scent of spices, at the same time our ears were being assaulted by the din of the crowd and the aggressive shopkeepers vying for our lira.  In short, we loved it.  Though at times, it was a tad scary making our way through that huge mass of humanity.
 

After that “only-in-Istanbul” experience, we followed the other end of the tram line walking back to the hotel where we’d stayed the first two nights of the trip.  (That tram line in Istanbul was like the yellow brick road in the Wizard of Oz for us ‘cause we knew it would lead back us back to our hotel.)  Meri had said that our luggage would be waiting in the lobby, and that we should go to the front desk to get our room key.  Arriving at the desk, the counter man asked if we wanted a room with one or two beds.  Dave said, “One.”  That’s when the counterman’s eyes sparkled as he said, “Then you will have the bridal suite.  It is the only room left with one bed.”  As the bellman escorted us, and took our luggage onto the elevator, he said, “It is a very special room.”

And it was.  It was a corner room on the top floor (actually there looked to be a small rooftop lounge directly above us, which is likely open in the summer).  There were two doors (one from each side) leading onto the balcony, and we had a view of the Topkapi Palace grounds, as well as minarets and mosques not far away.  Finding a jacuzzi in the bathroom and wine in the mini-bar, we proceeded to enjoy both before taking a bit of a nap (well, it was the bridal suite) before dressing for our farewell dinner, which was included in our Gate 1 tour.

At 7 p.m. we all met in the lobby to attend our farewell dinner and were bussed to a neighborhood that is known for its seafood restaurants.  We walked a block or so to the restaurant, and that night we sat at a table for four with Joyce and Steve, Dave’s tennis buddy when we lodged on the Aegean shore in Kusadasi.  Good company, good food, and later some traditional Turkish music.  Just coming back from the women’s room and finding a musician between me and our table, I felt I had little choice but to dance a few steps.  With my arms held somewhat outstretched, elbows pointed to the floor, hands upward and swaying, I gave it my rhythmic best.  I only danced a few seconds because I saw Lynn reaching for her camera, and I wanted no recorded evidence of my “going local” in Istanbul.  Later, others danced, too; so, maybe I broke the ice for some.  I think Dmitri outdid everyone on the floor that night, but another tour-mate thought I had the best moves. Her opinion I, of course, will always treasure.

After dinner, walking along en route to our bus, Cynthia said something that struck me as quite apt in summarizing our 11 days/nights in Turkey.  She said, “They shouldn’t call this tour ‘Affordable Turkey.’  They should call it ‘Priceless Turkey’ because that’s what we got.”  That says a great deal coming from her because she has toured Egypt, Italy, and Greece, and I don’t know where else.  She has been a life-long “student” of ancient societies.

Back in the hotel lobby, many hugs were exchanged as we said our good-byes to our tour-mates.  We and two others had to leave on the 3:30 a.m. shuttle to the airport; so, we didn’t stay up that night and reminisce, which would have been great fun.  I was most envious of Gloria and Dan because their daughter had arrived that day, and they were going to have more days to explore Istanbul.

We were impressed that someone from the hotel accompanied us and two others to the airport the next morning at 3:30 a.m. for our 5:55 a.m. flight, and made sure that each of us made it through the check-in and were headed to the correct gate.  I don’t think we’ve ever had that kind of service in a foreign city before.  The first hour in Turkey I’d received a present of two tiny tea glasses.  Our last hour in Turkey, we had an escort guiding us through the airport.  I told you they were warm-hearted, gracious people—we felt that from the first hour to the last.

On board the plane, I looked over our 11-day itinerary and relived, in my mind, many of the moments of wonder and delight during our time in Turkey.  How do you pick favorites from a trip filled with over-the-top sights?  Was it seeing the Blue Mosque floodlighted at night looking quite mystical with its cascading domes and six minarets against the night sky?  Or maybe our dinner atop that boutique hotel in “new” Istanbul viewing “old” Istanbul’s mosques/minarets and a palace all aglow with the river reflections across the Golden Horn against an ebony sky?  Was it climbing the hilltop at Pergamum and knowing it was Alexander’s ideal for a Greek city?  Or tracing the different civilizations at Troy and remembering Homer’s The Illiad?  Maybe it was walking the Marble Way at Ephesus and imagining, really feeling in your bones, what daily life might have been like there.  Perhaps it was walking along the long trail through the Necropolis at Hieropolis and seeing the brilliant red poppies blooming in this ancient cemetery, after having just seen people swimming in a pool amidst toppled ancient columns.  Maybe it was … 

I can’t choose.  I think Cynthia said it best.  “This entire trip was priceless!”