one white guy

I’m only a few days back in Uganda and my sweating self already longs for Istanbul’s winter chill again. After skipping a few American winters, I wasn’t quite prepared for a Turkish one, but even that was overcome with the adventure of my trip. Ten days, three brothers, lots to see and no agenda. It was awesome.

Honestly, you could probably see most of the main sites in Istanbul in two days; the city is very accessible and the attractions are close. With nine days there, my brothers and I got a much more thorough tour. Each day was its own adventure, but here are the highlights of what we saw and did in Turkey:

Aya Sofya: I must have seen a photo of the Aya Sofya (Hagia Sophia) in middle school or something, because I remember wanting to visit for the longest time. It was almost surreal living just a few minutes’ walk away and standing outside its gate within an hour of landing in Turkey. Sofya had me at hello. On our tour, it was just as grand and staggering as I’d always imagined. It’s incredible to think how old it is and how many people have visited and worshiped there, staring up at the same intricate mosaics and immense domed ceilings. Bucket list: checked. Read the rest of this entry »