We arrived in Istanbul yesterday after a 36 hour trip. We were pleasantly surprised by the improved quality of food (but not quantity on Swiss Air!) since we were last travelling the world. We also really enjoyed 'on demand' movies and tv programming on personal screens. It certainly made the flights seem quicker. Unfortunately the airports weren’t so exciting. Dazz got a bit arty with this photo of our reflections in the window at Hong Kong.We don’t seem to have had any jet lag – staying up until about 10pm last night and sleeping right through, and it’s almost 10pm again tonight. We must have had just the right combination of sleep, movies, tv and caffeine!
This afternoon we went for a walk through the local twice-weekly markets. The ‘pazar’ is a highlight of Turkish life. Great fruit and veg – most of it under $3/kilo. We were offered tastings of apricots, pears, melons and plums – amazingly sweet. We’ve jumped straight back into having yoghurt with every meal and had ayran last night (a salty, watered down yoghurt drink).
Our first assignments for the semester are due tomorrow, so we’ll be busy beavers over the next few weeks, juggling marking with visiting friends, not to mention walking along the Bosphorus and taking photos…
