ISTANBUL

 The next stop on our trip was Istanbul.  We flew out on EgyptAir again and had a good flight.  One thing that is interesting... on ALL of our flights were served food.  Some of the short flights with Aegean Air we were just given a snack bar with water, but on our longer (2-3 hour flights) each time we were served a full-on meal.  That is not something that happens in the US.  It was kinda nice...

So after arriving in Istanbul we took a taxi to our hotel; Delta Hotels By Marriott Kagithane.  It was a bit of a drive from the main part of the city, but we were able to get around ok with UBERs.  After arriving at our hotel we thought we would try a Turkish Bath.  We packed up a little bag and grabbed another taxi to get to a different hotel that had the bath.  Let me tell you it was a really interesting experience.  I wasn't quite sure how to dress down for the experience but luckily a woman came into the dressing room to cue me in.  Wrapped in a towel, I met Rick in the Sauna for about 15 minutes to soften the skin.  Next we were escorted into "the bath room" where we were told to lay on the marble table.  Rick laid one way and I laid the other.  We each had our own lady to wash us down.  First, they completely soaked us in hot water.  Then my lady gave me the best shampoo I have ever recieved.  After that we were exfoliated all over and then came the bubbles and soap.  I'm not sure what kind of bubbles they used but they gathered the bubbles in a long plastic bag and poured them all over our bodies.  Next they used a big bar of soap to clean our bodies....pretty much everywhere except for the privates...all though they did get in the nooks and crannies of our upper legs.  Anyway, I might have been just a little uncomfortable but it did feel like they were thorough.  Afterward came a nice rinsing with the wonderful hot water.  Glorious!  After the washing we were able to get a soda and sit in the pool area and relax.  Well, that was our Turkish Bath experience!

                            Here we are outside of the hotel where we got our Turkish Bath.

...and in the spa area

After our bath we found a cute pub just down the street and had some good grub and then back to the hotel for the night.

The next morning we headed to church.  It was English speaking, and it felt so good to be with the Saints!

That afternoon we took a tour.  Our first stop was Istanbul's famous Blue Mosque.

It was very beautiful inside.  It is called the Blue Mosque for the blue hue that is on the walls.

It was very large and had beautiful tile on the walls.

This is the mosque from the outside.

Our next stop was the Hagia Sophia Mosque.

Through the ages it went from being a Christian church to a Muslim Mosque.

They were calling for prayer as we walked in, so we were able to watch the people worshipping.

The Imam was leading the prayers with singing.

Women must cover their hair.

Because this church was first a Christian church it had remnants of old mosaics of Jesus.  The Muslims of course, don't believe in Jesus Christ as the Savior, but they do believe in Him as a great prophet, so they did not destroy the mosaics but only covered them with sheets.  

We got to see them from the higher level and behind the sheets.

Our guide...

Our last stop was the Basilica Cistern.  It is an underground water system from the Greco Roman period.  The water used to fill the whole place.  It was really cool to walk around a see all of the columns that were brought out of Greece to make the cistern.  It was just really fascinating to see. Man, the more I see of these ancient structures the more I realize that the ancient people had GREAT engineering skills.

Again, to get a glimpse of their life would be so interesting.

A couple of Medusa heads were used in the building, as well.

Each morning we had a nice buffet breakfast at our hotel.

The next morning we got to go to the biggest market in the whole world!  The Turkish bazaar!

It was really fun.  We learned about rug making from a vendor and got to see the famous Turkish lamps that I just love.  Rick wanted to buy some Turkish towels but we ended up not getting any.  We did buy a beautiful hand painted plate and pitcher from one vendor.  They are super beautiful and will go nicely in our hutch.

While perusing the shops we ran across these ladies tucked away in a little stall just next to a restaurant.

They were making something called Gozlemes, which is a flat bread filled with different fillings.  We ordered a cheese filled one and really loved it.  We were able to sit right next to them as they kept making more and more.  They were a delight to watch!

Outside the Turkish Bazaar I found an ice cream cart.  I had been wanting a Magnum ice cream bar for a couple of days, so I splurged.  I love those things!

That afternoon/evening we had a boat cruise on the Bosphorus River planned.  Unfortunately, it was really bad weather, so the cruise was not as pleasant as one would hope.  Even through the rain we were able to see a few buildings on the shore.  I wished I could have stayed out on the deck the whole time but it was freezing!!

The Bosphorus cruise was our last hurrah in Istanbul.  We quite enjoyed our time in that big city!

CAIRO

We got up early on the 23rd to catch our flight back to Athens.  We were able to get there in plenty of time, but our next flight on Egyptian Air was a couple of hours late.  Our flight went smoothly.  As we arrived in Cairo our guide was able to greet us as we got in and get us through immigration quite quickly.  We arrived at the Renaissance Cairo Mirage Hotel in New Cairo close to the airport.  Thankfully, we were upgraded to a suite and felt happy to get to our room after a long day of travel.  We ordered some room service and just enjoyed relaxing in our room that evening.

The next morning we started out with an amazing buffet.  Afterward we went on an excursion to see the sights of Cairo.  Mohammed was our driver and we really enjoyed talking with him.  It's funny how people in Cairo drive....right down the middle of the lane!  Not always but a lot of the time.  Google mentioned how Egyptians drive...kinda like a school of fish flowing through the water...and that's really  how it is.

We drove into Old Town Cairo and met up with our guide for the day, Reham.

She took us through the Old Town, and we walked through a few ancient Christian churches and a Jewish Synagogue.  Here are some pictures...

It was cool to see all of the ancient relics.  

I mean...these books...

This one was interesting as it claimed to be a hiding place for Mary and Joseph and the baby Jesus.

                      The legend goes that they hid in this basement where there was fresh water.

Our next stop was the Citadel Mosque.

It was a HUGE mosque and very beautiful.

This is in the courtyard where women would wash themselves before entering the mosque.

The inside was very beautiful.

Next we stopped at an essential oil shop where we were given samples of lots of different types of oils.  Some for healing, some for smelling good (perfumy), and some that were citrisy.  We ended up buying some orange, Frankinsence, Myrrh, and one that is the base of Calvin Klein One.  It was an overall good experience.

Next door was the Golden Eagle Papyrus.  This was a cool place because we were able to see how papyrus was made.  The demonstration was really neat and it was good to see actually how strong the papyrus is and how it could last for centuries.

                                                                This is a papyrus plant.

Pictures on papyrus

Next was our stop at the Pyramids of Giza.

It was really great to be able to see these iconic ancient buildings that we only have ever seen in books!

...And of course, we had the camel experience... 

The Sphinx was totally cool!

It would be amazing to get a glimpse into even one day of how the ancient Egyptians lived.

That evening we came back to the Giza side of Cairo for a dinner cruise on the Nile.

The food was really good but the entertainment got a little crazy!  And loud!

After the belly dancers came out we stepped outside and just watched the shoreline of Giza and Cairo...much better view.

It was a really great evening!

This was our kind driver, Mohammed.

The next morning we enjoyed some donwntime at the hotel.  

It had a beautiful pool to swim in and I loved relaxing with my book!

For the afternoon, we took a taxi into town to do some shopping at the Cairo Market.

There were a lot of people and a lot of vendors trying to get us into their shops.

One vendor even asked Rick, "How can I take your money from you quickly"?

Rick got a good kick out of that.

We bought a couple of things...a bell and a hat...and I found the cutest pair of linen pants to purchase.  The vendor started at $75 and I told him I would only spend $15 dollars on them.  He eventually relented and I was happy with my purchase!

There was some interesting street food.

Me in my new linen pants.

I LOVE them!