Turkish Delight...

I just got back from a full day out in Istanbul. It was a fabulous day and okay night. I spent the day in the grand bazaar with friends. We lost one along the way because he needed to get something to eat. Oh well. I went to the Blue Mosque again and went through this with my castmates and then we headed to the spice market. This was fine and all, but I wanted to get back to Taksim Square to do some real shopping. My shopping experience at the grand bazaar was a bit overwhelming. I eyed some things that I could spend money on, but I was haggled if I lingered too long deciding whether or not to buy it. The shop keepers got over zealous and started asking me impersonal questions like where I was from to start meaningless conversation in order to get me to buy on a personal level. I hate that tactic and find it extremely annoying so I leave the area. I was through with the bazaar in about an hour and we planned for two. I made the most of it though looking at the things surrounding the bazaar and snapping photos. I left my friends at the spice market and headed on my way on a single cab fare to Taksim. I love it there. I love seeing the young people and getting the hip vibe radiating from the area. It's practically a walking fashion show as you walk down the street of fashionable places and cafes. The locals are dressed in style with the fashionable hairdos and all. I went in a bunch of stores, but only managed to purchase one new shirt. I guess that's good for the ole pocket book. Nothing really stood out at me and said to buy it. I was pretty close to the ship and closer than I ever thought. As I walked the entire length of the strip I came upon a cool Bohemian area where there were tons of music shops. This led into a corridor that led right out onto the same street the bridge from old town ends on. I was right there by the ship and all these times I had been taking cabs to and from Taksim. Crazy!! I hung out for a bit on board and caught some eats before heading out again for the evening. We were all heading somewhere. I was hoping for the hip and trendy Taksim Square again, but we ended up going to the Blue Mosque area since the cabbie took us to this restaurant his friend owned. Oh well. We sat at this cool place with couches close to the ground, stretched out, and ordered a few beers. I didn't drink the beers, but I ordered some Turkish coffee and Baileys. Someone asked for a water pipe with apple flavoring so I decided to partake on it. I never smoked one before and when in Turkey, I thought I'd try it. Well, it was quite interesting. It wasn't like smoking at all. I took a deep inhale and I felt the smoke entering my lungs (much like smoking marijuana). I held back the cough and slowly exhaled the smoke. It was fun and it gave me a small buzz. It didn't seem as harsh as smoking menthol either and there was a tint of apple flavoring after. A sweet flavor. It was nice. We stayed there for a while acting obnoxious and entertaining the locals with our loudness. It wasn't the evening I was hoping for with the concerts in the park I heard and the local trendy cafes over by Taksim, but it was good company. We left there for a scenic view of the Blue Mosque and the Ayia Sophia Mosque right on the coastline. It was a terrace view from atop one of the close by buildings and very stunning. Tired and exhausted from a long day of walking and socializing, I returned to the ship. It's the Black Sea for a while including Russia, Romania, Ukraine, and Bulgaria.