Bosphorus Bridge & New Years

Today we crossed into the Asian side of Istanbul by going across the Bosphorus. On new years, fireworks are shot of the bridge at midnight. I am also planning to wake up at 7 AM to see the Times Square celebration.

I also saw "Mission Impossible: Ghost Protocol" in a movie theater. It was in English with Turkish subtitles. There was a portion of the movie set in Russia, where the characters were speaking Russian. Normally, there would be English subtitles for the Russian, but the subtitles were in Turkish, causing some problems.

I also had a very good hamburger, straying even further from my normal vegetarianism :). It was encased in a soft roll and flavored with a mildly spicy tomato sauce.

This is Eli from Adventures in Istanbul, signing off and saying happy new year!

Video:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_UXUhywV8pw

Pictures:

Cappadocia

I promised it and here it is! Cappadocia! Let's begin.

After the 1 hour plane ride from Istanbul, we arrived in a very small airport. We had been expecting to rent a BMW for the day but all they had was a Hyundai. It wasn't the best start to the day, but it got better! The people in Turkey are not the best drivers ever, which caused many problems. We had a GPS that probably saved our lives. We nicknamed it Lucy because it had a British accent. We nearly hit a tractor, a few people, a Coca-Cola truck, and at least three cars.

We started at Gorëme, a series of caves turned into churches. It was amazing.

Video:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=z5EdExP1uFo&feature=youtube_gdata_player

Then we moved on to Kaymakli, an underground city built in the 6th and 7th century by Byzantine Christians to be used in times of war to hide. Three-thousand people lived in the cave. It was amazing to see how they lived and how the people where divided in to social classes.

This is Eli from Adventures in Istanbul, signing off.

PS: Nathan is not cooler than me. Come on, no catch-phrase! He is not "chill" at all. Eli #1.

Pictures:

Chora museum

Hi, it's Nathan, Eli's cooler older brother (don't believe me, ask his teachers). Today my sister, my mother and I went to the chora museum, formally known as the church of the savior in chora, while Eli and my father stayed at the flat and did awesome local activities. The former church, built in the 14th century, is done in the Byzantine style. That means fantastic mosaics, great biblical art, and dome based architecture. Although it is a way away from the main part of Istanbul, and it has a small and unimposing exterior; the chora church bosts some of the most impressive and well preserved mosaics and paintings in all Istanbul and is very much worth a visit. After our visit at the church we took a cab to the grand bazaar and bought some presents for everyone back in the US. I personally would recommoned chora to anyone who enjoys history or art.

This is nathan from adventures in istanbul, refusing to come up with a catchphrase.

Editors Note By Eli: Nathan is not actually cooler than Eli. Just doing some fact-checking!

Cappadocia: You'll Have To Wait Until Tomorrow

We have just had a day trip to Cappadocia. It was amazing, but I just returned and I need to go to sleep. I will post the video below, but you'll have to wait until tomorrow for details and pictures.

Video:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=z5EdExP1uFo

Nathan's History Minute!

Click on the link below to see my brother Nathan describe the history of Istanbul and Turkey. Enjoy!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WQ5WviJnPbI

Archaeology, Cistern, and Spice

Today we visited the Archaeology Museum and saw many tombs, we went to the Cistern, an underground water storage center that is thousands of years old, and we went to the Spice Market, where we bought many spices and a beautiful light.

We also got some amazing fresh pomegranate juice from a street vendor.

We got many pictures and videos and we will continue to tomorrow when take a day-trip to Cappadocia, an underground cave-city. Stay tuned for the posts about that, even though I won't be able to post until very late.

Videos:

Cistern:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7B5Y-ONNC6g&feature=youtube_gdata_player

Photos:

Hagia Sophia, Grand Bazaar, and Blue Mosque

Today we went to the Hagia Sophia, a beautiful mosque built around 500 A.D., The Grand Bazaar, a huge shopping market, and The Blue Mosque, an amazingly beautiful mosque from the 1600's.

We had at least one funny, scary, or interesting experience during our visit to each of them.

On our way to Hagia Sophia, we got lost and a man gave us directions that turned out to be wrong and we got even more lost and had to take a taxi.

At the Grand Bazaar we had somewhat of an argument with a rude salesman.

And at The Blue Mosque we lost my brother for about five minutes and we got very worried.

Videos:

Hagia Sophia:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-fnZ_7YsSyU&feature=youtube_gdata_player

Grand Bazaar:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ON-aPuilZ88&feature=youtube_gdata_player

Topkapi Palace

Today we went to the Topkapi Palace

Video:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OEHanplI8ek&feature=youtube_gdata_player

Pictures:

Trouble Sleeping

Here in Istanbul it is currently 3:00 AM. Why am I awake? Good Question! I do not know why I am awake but I think my sleep-system is thrown off. There is not much to do in this apartment that will not wake people up.
This is Eli from Adventures in Istanbul (yawn) signing off!

Past Two Days...

We have done a lot in the last two days and I have not had much time to post so here is what has happened in the last days...

In the first picture Nathan is sleeping in a Café, not texting.

Videos:

Airport:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=e4HR085faP0&feature=youtube_gdata_player

Airplane:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jo7LVcrx2MM&feature=youtube_gdata_player

Apartment:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hmg6fQqGpFc&feature=youtube_gdata_player

More to come soon!

This is Eli from Adventures in Istanbul, signing off!

22 Hours Without Sleep...

Up until an hour ago, I had not slept in 22 hours in an effort to stop jetlag. Sorry for the lack of posts in the last day. I am currently in the apartmnt. There is lots to come! Stay subscribed and check back! This is Eli for Adventures in Istanbul... Signing off.

30 Minutes To Istanbul...

Lets Go!

Pre-Vacation Jitters

Check Back Tomorrow For The Airport, The Flight, The Arrival, and Me Being Very Sleepy!

Full Disclaimer

I am certainly getting excited for the trip. Unfortunately I have a bad habit of having trouble falling asleep the night before an event. (You would not like to be in my house the night before my speech for the student body election) I am already beginning to pack up, and trying to make sure I do not forget something this time, even thought it seems somewhat impossible. For the duration of the trip, I will not have a laptop computer. All posts will be done from my various mobile devices. Full disclaimer, these pictures are not going to be works of art. They will certainly capture what is going on at the moment, though. Furthermore, when I post it will most likely be late at night after a day out and I will be tired, so my posts might have a few typos, even though I am a grammar freak. This is Eli from Adventures in Istanbul, Signing Off.

Welcome

Welcome To Adventures In Istanbul

Adventures in Istanbul follows the our family through Istanbul, Turkey with insider information, daily vlogs, and exclusive interviews. Welcome To Adventures in Istanbul.