Istanbul: Day Three

We didn’t have much planned for our last day together.  That’s why we stayed up talking all night long.  We missed the breakfast but grabbed some coffee instead.  We took our time getting ready in our rooms.  I made sure I started packing my things since I had decided I was going to go to the airport tonight.  I had a 4am flight back to Paris.  From there I was going to fly out at 12pm back to Chicago.  That was the best option for me when I booked these flights.  My friends were leaving at 2pm the next day.  

Today the Grand Bazaar was on the agenda.  I knew I wanted to pick up a few souvenirs for my mom and for myself.  We grew hungry since we didn’t eat yet and I decided a fish sandwich was going to be the best choice for me.  I wanted to try some local cuisine and a fish sandwich around the port area was what kept coming up in my searches.  I was too curious not to try!  My friends found a restaurant and I walked over to a fish stand and ordered my sandwich.  The man preparing it added paprika and lemon juice.  To my surprise, the fish was very meaty and filling.  For 7 turkish lire I would definitely recommend it!

We found the Grand Bazaar, and yes, this place was HUGE!  They were selling everything imaginable.  I found a trivet for my mom since she uses them a lot, and found some cay tea to bring back to the States.   I kept walking around to look for something for my male co-workers, but in my opinion, everything seemed too girlie.  I even tried to find some souvenir socks, but kept finding regular black trouser socks instead.  In the end I got them both a can opener with the Turkish flag on it.  Oh well; what can you do?

My friends wanted to go back to the Spice Bazaar.  This part was confusing because I wasn’t sure what else they had in mind.

We rode back the other direction on the tram and headed to the Spice Bazaar.  We stuck around until it closed.  Beforehand, we had made arrangements with the concierge to have a pickup at the hotel by 7:45pm.  They were going to take me to the airport, and unfortunately it was the last drop off for the evening.  We got back to the hotel in time for my ride.  I said bye to my friends and their parents.  They were going to freshen up and head out to dinner.  I wish I could have joined them.

Just like I expected, the caravan had to pick up other passengers at different hotels.  This part took almost an hour.  It wasn’t explained to me at the time but at least I wasn’t in a hurry.  It also gave me a chance to see different neighborhoods since we mostly stayed in the Old Town neighborhood.

In the end, I got to the airport close to 10pm and once it hit midnight, I checked in and decided to kill some time at a café and use their plugs to charge my phone.  I completely knocked out on my flight and landed safely in Paris after 6am.  There I killed some more time by messaging my friend in Italy.  I even got a chance to enjoy one last chocolate filling muffin before I boarded my flight home.  I wish I could find those muffins in Chicago!  They are delicious!

Istanbul: Day Two

My friends woke me up at 1am.  By the time I headed back to my hotel they were already boarding their flight.  And just like I warned them, it took them a while to get out of the airport.  They found a  driver and hired him to drive to the city.  It didn’t take them 2 hours like it did for me, but there probably wasn’t much traffic at that time.  I was so happy to see them!

We caught up for a bit and knocked out around 3am.  The hotel’s complimentary breakfast was going to be served from 7-10am.  I woke up around 8ish and headed up to the rooftop to see what they had to offer.  I ran into their parents who have a room across from us.  We all sat together and discussed their trip in Italy.  Eventually we decided to wake up the sisters so they wouldn’t miss out on breakfast.  They finally came up and joined us.

The weather was acting up.  At first it seemed the sun was trying to peek out but the clouds started to roll in.  I also noticed that it wasn’t as warm as it was the day before.  We decided to get things moving and got back to our rooms to shower up and get ready.  First up was the Hagia Sophia Museum.

We walked over down the street from our hotel and I showed them the restaurant I had dined in.  We made our way over to the plaza and noticed how many people were already up and roaming around.  Luckily, most of the sites are near each other.  We found our spot in line and proceeded to wait.  It seemed to be moving quickly, but we waited close to 40 minutes.  As the afternoon got later and later we noticed the line was noticely longer than when we had first waited.  As we got closer the crowd seemed more aggressive.  It got to the point that there were some shoving around, but it settled once we all made our way inside.  I think people didn’t want to lose their groups, but it did get hectic for a bit.

The Hagia Sophia is massive, and once we were inside we had more space to move around.  For the most part, the building itself was detailed more on the dome ceilings and low chandeliers.  We found the infamous Hagia Sophia cats napping over by the fenced area.  They didn’t seem to mind all of the commotion.

We walked around and admired the 2^nd floor when we decided to move along to the Blue Mosque.  We headed outside and found the main entrance.  My friends’ parents wanted to pray so they walked over to the area to rinse their feet.  My girlfriend convinced me to stay in line with her and not go in the visitor’s line, but in the end everyone met in the same area once inside.

Me and my friends stayed at the visitor side while their parents prayed at the other end.  For the most part, the carpet in the Blue Mosque was rich and plush.  Although in person the lighting was not as bright, my iphone did capture the blue tiles inside.  It was a lovely experience and one I will remember in the years to come.

Afterwards, we grew hungry.  We passed by the café I had dined the night before and decided to have lunch there as well.  My friends loved the food and we even made a friend with the local cat.  We figured we still had time to hit one more spot.

We went back to our rooms to freshen up and headed out to find the Spice Bazaar.  This time, we needed to take the tram and that was an obstacle itself.  Luckily, someone explained to us where to purchase our metro cards and how to use the machine.  For the most part, people were very helpful to us.  We jumped on the packed tram and headed to our stop.

It wasn’t too bad of a ride.  But with all of the people walking around, we knew we our chances of getting there quicker were better off on the tram.  We slowly got familiar with the new area, and my friends’ family wanted some Turkish delights.  They stopped at a café to rest up before we all made our way to the Spice Bazaar.

Upon entering we had to go through a security check point, but once inside we decided to part ways.  Her parents wanted spices and I wanted to look around.  My friends were looking for souvenirs to bring back to their family.  The Spice Bazaar was a great place to find interesting goodies.  They even plastic sealed their spices!

We stayed there until it closed and then made our way back to the tram station.  We had a funny moment not knowing that some trams operated at both sides.  We witnessed a tram come to a complete stop, and then the driver got off and walked to the other end to jump on and drive the opposite direction.  

We decided to stick around our neighborhood off of the hotel to check out that local bazaar.  We found a wonderful store selling Turkish lamps and I knew right away I wanted one for my place.  It took us a while to find the combinations we wanted since they were all so beautiful.  

We walked over to our hotel, but my friend grew hungry again and went to a local restaurant nearby and picked up some food.  We stayed up talking most of the night and made some wonderful memories.  I miss them now that I’m thinking about them...

Istanbul: Day One

I ended up taking an uber at 4:30am.  I arrived at Charles De Gaulle airport around 5am.  My flight was at 8am, but boarding time was at 7am.  It was very confusing, but needless to say, I felt better getting there earlier than later.  Once I boarded, I took a nap right away.  I knew I had to get some sleep since I was going to land in Istanbul at 12pm.  I still hadn’t figured out how to get to my hotel yet.

I was out of it once we landed.  Since they had transferred flights to the new airport, I noticed right away how long it was taking us to get to our gate.  Our pilot even reminded us that he had not taken off the remove-your-seat-belt sign.  Passengers got back to their seat and waited.  And waited.  And waited.  At first I felt the pilot was riding down the runway, but it took another 40 minutes until he pulled into our gate!  How big was this airport???

Well, it was HUGE.  Once we got off, it looked like a marathon race.  Passengers were walking quickly to get to passport control, but after they realized how much walking was going on, they slowed down their pace.  We must have passed at least 10 walking terminals until we reached check point.  Luckily, that line wasn’t too bad.

Since I had my carry-on luggage with me, my only concern was trying to find a place to exchange my euros so I wouldn’t have to do it outside of the airport.  The cashier took my bills, and once she asked for my passport, she looked at me and smiled and said, “America.”  I smiled back at her and realized my nerves went away.

My friends whom I was meeting later in the evening were messaging me.  They were still roaming around Naples.  I told them I landed safely, but needed to have some coffee so I could wake up and figure out how to get out of there.  According to google maps, there was a bus that would take me to Istanbul.  It was going to take 2 hours!  I was hoping that wasn’t true, but unfortunately they were right.  By the time I figured out where the ticket booth was to catch this bus, it was nearing 3pm!

I was worried when I boarded the bus since I almost got on the wrong one.  I was too busy following where everyone else was going, but the bus driver assured me I was on the right bus.  Once the bus filled up, he was all set to go.  Unfortunately, they were not going exactly according to schedule.

As we rode into the city, I took the opportunity to look out the window to check my surroundings.  Once we got into the city, I felt a little bit better.  But then I realized the traffic started to back up.  That’s when I looked into the horizon full of buildings after buildings.  Istanbul is HUGE!!  I realized how populated it was.  Sure enough, we got stuck in traffic, and the rest of the ride was bumper-to-bumper traffic.

I noticed palm trees and figured we were getting closer to the tourist part of Istanbul.  I ended up missing my stop.  I should have asked the bus driver but I knew something was up once the majority of people got off a stop.  He reassured me he will drop me off the next stop, but it was towards the port area.  A German lady tried to help me once we got off together and told me to head back to where I was supposed to get off.  I walked along the water front and noticed all the families enjoying the weather.  At this time, the temperature was nearing 80 degrees.

I felt I was way off course, but I knew I was going the right way.  My friends were now making their way to Naples airport, but were surprised I hadn’t gotten to the hotel yet.  After 30 minutes of walking I noticed a building up a hill that had a spike peeking out from the trees.  I felt it was the Blue Mosque.  I knew I was almost there.

I saw some tourists walking around and asked if I was near the Blue Mosque.  I had to go up the hill (a nightmare with my luggage) but the cabs wouldn’t take me up the narrow road.  Apparently, they were not allowed to go into the Old Town.  Only the large charter buses got inside.  I kept walking.

Of course, once I got inside the neighborhood, it took me another 20 minutes to find my hotel.  This area was heavily populated with back to back hotels.  A sweet old man came up to me after he found me standing in front of his hotel and asked if I was lost.  He took the number of my hotel and called on his cell phone to find the exact location.  So far everyone was super sweet to me.

I FINALLY found my hotel.  I was exhausted.  It was now 5:30pm.  I had landed in Istanbul at

12pm and it almost took me 6 hours to get to my hotel.  Unbelievable.  I messaged my friends and told them I was safe.  They’re flight was going to be delayed, but only for 20 minutes.  I ended up knocking out for a bit.  I slept for about 40 minutes, but wanted to have some dinner since by now I was starving.  I jumped in the shower and got ready.  When I checked in, the concierge told me people in Istanbul have dinner around 7 or 8pm.  I knew I didn’t want to walk around by myself too late.

I walked down the street off my hotel and found a Bazaar.  One particular restaurant looked lively, so I settled in there.  They had live music playing.  People seemed to be enjoying themselves.  Others were ordering hookahs for their tables.  I think I found the right spot!

The waiter was very friendly and I ordered the most delicious kabobs I’ve ever had in my life!  At one point a whirling deverish dancer came out and twirled for the audience.  I had to pinch myself!  My first night in Istanbul was magical and I was loving it!

Night Market at Fullerton Beach

After my trip I jump started with work.  During the weekend I did my usual errands.  My friend wanted to catch up with me so I met up with her in Lincoln Park.  There was a Night Market taking place by the theater at the lake near Fullerton beach.  It was a hot weekend so I wore a strapless dress and flat espadrilles so I wouldn’t be uncomfortable with the heat.  This was the first time I attended Night Market which was sponsored by the Chicago Tribune.  They had food, games and a live dj playing top 40.  There was even a seating area in front of the skyline.  It was nice seeing my friend.  We walked back to her apartment and chilled out before heading to the Happy Camper in Old Town.  Some of her friends were meeting up at for a birthday party.  I’ve never been so I tagged along.  I liked the fact we didn’t stay out too late.  I wasn’t ready to paint the town red…

Hot Mix 5 house party!

With softball during the week, I've noticed how time flies so quickly!  My birthday is coming up this weekend and I don't have any plans!  It falls on Father's Day Sunday, so I wasn't planning on doing anything special but spending it with family.  The past couple of years, my birthday was surrounded by so much sadness.  It wasn't by choice, trust me!  Sometimes I felt guilty to celebrate because of the things that were happening around me. 
But that's life.  You can't help what goes on.  Now more than ever, with the incidents involving Orlando in general (shooting of The Voice's singer Christina Grimmie; the mass shooting of Pulse Nightclub; 2 year old toddler at Walt Disney Resort), it's difficult to celebrate again.  I rather be with my friends and family who I love dearly and reflect on the fact I made it to another year of life.
If there's anything that these incidents have proven to me is tomorrow is never guaranteed.
With that in mind, I would like to reflect on last weekend.  I was going to celebrate a friend's birthday at the Hot Mix 5 house party at Mc Cormick Place.  I knew it was an all day event, so I figured I'll get some chores done first.  It was a very HOT Saturday, which is why I chose to preserve my energy for the evening.  I snuck in a workout, showered up, when one of my friends suggested to meet up at the Wells Street Art Festival in Old Town.  She initially said to meet around 4pm.  Seemed doable to me.  Off I went to Old Town!



My kind of cats!  lol

The Wells Street Art Festival is located on Wells between North Avenue and Division.  It's one of the most popular neighborhood festivals Chicago has to offer.  With over 200 artists displaying their work of eclectic art, you'll be sure to find some eye-catching handiwork.  I always have a good time, so I didn't want to miss this opportunity to go with my friends.  But once I arrived, the time changed to meeting up around 5pm.  I still had some time to kill before heading to the birthday celebration, so I was fine with the time change.  But then it changed again.  I knew this was too good to be true.  I walked around and checked out the band at O'Brien's while sipping on white wine.  BIG MISTAKE.
It was brutally HOT, and the sun would not give.  The temperature reached 95 degrees that day.  I had another glass of wine and that's when it hit me.  I felt dizzy.  I knew I had to eat something before I headed to the birthday party.  The first food vendor I could find had a big hot pretzel.  I quickly bought it and found a spot to eat when I noticed a woman drop her drink.  She fainted while sitting down against a wall.  Her boyfriend yelled out, "Someone call 911!"  It was terrifying.  Lucky she came too right away and didn't know what had happened to her.  It scared a lot of people around us, but it also reminded us how not to take the heat unlikely.  Once my friends arrived I had to go.  Go figure.  I took the time to talk to them for a bit before I saw how late it was getting.  I couldn't stay any longer.
I cabbed it to Mc Cormick Place and found my friends.  This was a massive event.  Over 60 different djs/ singers on 6 stages.  It had started from 12pm and was going to end at midnight!  I'm glad I arrived late because I was worn out with the heat already.  Me and my friends danced the rest of the night non stop!  Chicago's history with house music stems back to the late 70s.  In the early 1980s, Chicago radio jocks The Hot Mix 5, and club DJs Ron Hardy and Frankie Knuckles played various styles of dance music, including older disco records.  I've always loved dance music growing up so it was refreshing to be around a crowd that appreciated this influential sound.  It brought back so many memories for me and my friends.  

Me and the birthday girl!  She's a Gemini too...

Julian Jumpin Perez of B96

Imagine my horror the next day when I woke up to the news of the Orlando shootings of Pulse nightclub.  These people were doing the same thing as me and my friends the night before, just enjoying themselves.  I cannot understand the darkness that surrounds a person like this.  My heart breaks for so many senseless terrorism acts surrounding our daily lives.  It's not a world I recognize anymore.  Peace within each other; as well as other nations should be enforced constantly.  We have only one planet to care for.  We need to take care of everyone in it.

Do what works for YOU!

During the first Saturday of the year, my friends wanted to catch up for a bit.  The holidays were officially over, and getting together seemed like the ideal thing to do.  The past 2 weeks were all about family.  I agreed to meet up because I always felt that your friends are your second family, (and sometimes they just "get" you).  Of course it fell apart quickly, and not everyone made it out as they promised to.  We originally met up at Old Town at Benchmark, a upscale sports bar.  College football was on tv and the crowd seemed pretty excited.  It's not my thing, but sometimes you have to go with the flow if you want to get out of the house. 
Once we realized our group was going to stay small, we made the most of it and caught up with one another.  At one point we decided to break up and head our own way.  I figured since I made the trip out in the first place, I would quickly checkout Y bar.   It's a pretty known fact that the weekend after the holidays it's dead EVERYWHERE from retail shops to the nightlife industry.  I saw some friends and then we all decided to head next door to Shay.  I was beat, but did make a promise to myself not to step out again unless we're celebrating something.  Going out for the sake of drinking and spending money is not on my list of things to do for 2016.
The following day was Sunday and the friends that did not make it out before wanted to hang out now.  I made my way over to Wicker Park for some Sunday Funday action, but again, the scene was dead.  I felt we kept "looking" for some action.  This did not appeal to me at all since I was on the verge of paying off my huge debt.  I realized I had to make a decision on what I was trying to accomplish for myself.  Unfortunately, I've reached the point where I'm bored of the scene and rather be at home drinking a glass of wine and reading my Italian work book.  It's all fun and games but when you have different financial goals than everyone else, you have to figure out what works for you.  Yes we did "catch up" but it seemed that we could have saved this for another time.  I knew right away that I wanted to do things differently this year. 
At the end of the day, you need to take care of yourself FIRST.  It may not be easy.  You can catch up with friends over the phone.  It's cheaper.  Me and my co-worker friends decided to follow up a savings plan to help us reach our goals for 2016.  I'm excited I have a little team going with this.  I think it will push us to strive as a group.

Unfortunately, not too many people out and about.  Check out the background!  lol