Istanbul, day 2

Onno and Noelle at the garden of our hotel

Aya Sophia

We had to downgrade our ambitious for day 2 as Thijs woke up feeling and looking worse than yesterday. Time to act, as 5 days of stomach pain and frequent bathroom-visits was taking his toll.
I let him sleep through breakfast and Onno joined me for a cup of coffee downstairs. I asked for a clinic recommendation the hotel reception and thanks to Mr.GPS, we found our way straight in one try. It took us about 20 minutes, at least 10 of them for leaving the labyrinth in the Old Center (with one-way streets and narrow/blocked roads).
As it was Sunday, traffic was slow and it wasn't busy in the hospital.
The hospital looked very well equipped an staff spoke enough English to explain themselves.
As was to be expected, Thijs was dehydrated and an IV was suggested. Obviously, Thijs opted for the more simple suggestion and asked for the bottle of water (which was flavoured by the nasty ORS powder).
Blood- and sample test were done within 50 minutes and it seemed Thijs has been fighting a big bug. We left the hospital with 4 prescriptions, had some trouble to find a pharmacy which was open on Sunday but we were back in the hotel by 3 pm.


I took the kids for a stroll and a drink outside and did not manage to convince Onno and Noelle to visit the Blue Mosque.
"I will do it when I grow up and like boring stuff like that." Onno promissed, so today he officially made this commitment: He will, indeed, once in his lifetime return to Istanbul, visit the Blue Mosque and send me a postcard with the text: "Been there, done that!"

The walk in the streets, looking for some gifts for Niels and his girlfriend was just as boring as was expected (I can't beat the silly computer games they're doing in their spare time). I returned to the hotel around 5 to find Thijs still sleeping.
The Blue Mosque, which I can see from our bedroom window was still waiting for us, so when Thijs woke up, we did another attempt. (yesterday we were send off as prayer just started).
The line wasn't that bad and we patiently moved with the huge crowd. Although I really liked to have been in the Blue Mosque, looking around, watching people was more amusing and entertaining.
To my incredible surprise, many women, inappropriately dressed act surprised as their entry is denied (after passing big signs in 6 languages explaining them how they should dress respectfully). Women with hot pants, big boobs in sexy decolletes and uncovered hair are offered blue pieces of cloth to cover themselves. They are so excited about their new outfit, they spend most of the time taking pictures of themselves ignorant about the (local) praying women on the carpet.

We left the mosque within 10 minutes; I had seen enough.

We went shopping for gifts and one of those lovely Ottoman mosaic lamps. Since my eye fell on them, sold in a store in Bahrain, I was determined to buy one in Istanbul before leaving Turkey.
Although Thijs looked and felt horrible, both of us hoped to succeed in purchasing this piece as it would fit our other Arabic pieces of furniture in our new home. It took us at least 1 hour, Turkish coffee, tea, lot's of small talk and some negiotiating, but we did purchase a lovely gift for ourselves.

A big box is now waiting in our car and will join us during the last days of our journey.

We wonder were we will put the kids tomorrow when we continue our ride back home...

M.