Istanbul-
People are nice in Istanbul. Really nice. Thank goodness, as our trip into Istanbul was eventful. The bus stopped at the border at 2 AM, at which point we were herded out of the bus and kept outside for 45 minutes. Cold, tired, not really understanding why it took so long, we waited outside of the bus. Finally, the amazing driver/owner of the bus company came over and explained that the waiting outside was routine, and that as soon as we were back on the bus we would be served warm tea and water. 3 hours later we pull into Istanbul. The owner of the bus company refused to let us leave the office before we had another cup of tea, a pastry, and a chance to wash our faces and freshen up. What hospitality!
Around 7 we walked through town, past the Hagia Sofia and the Blue Mosque (actually a little too far past them as we got lost for about an hour), then eventually wound up at our hostel. We were exhausted, but did not expect to be able to rest until the official check in time at noon. The attendant, seeing that we were walking as if we hadn't slept all night, checked us in 4 hours early and gave us sheets to make up two recently vacated beds. We didn't even pay for the beds right away- the attendant just wanted us to be able to rest after a long night of traveling. After sleeping a few hours we wandered out to find an ATM to get some Turkish Lira, then continued on to the Grand Bazaar.
The Grand Bazaar is overwhelming. That might be an understatement. It is loud, huge, colorful, friendly, dirty, and confusing all at once. Scott and I walked straight through it, stopping at one or two stalls, then walked out the other end. We just were not prepared for it yet. Walking out of the Grand Bazaar, we walked down to the port and found a boat tour of the Bosphorus. The tour took about 2 hours, and was fantastic. The only downside was that in that huge rocking boat there was only one toilet- and it consisted of a hole in the ship that led down to the water. Terrified of squatting, only to lose my footing and fall into the hole, I spent the last 30 minutes of the trip convincing myself that I could wait until we got back to shore to use the facilities. Luckily for all involved, we made it to shore without any unpleasant incidents.We napped again back at the hostel, then headed out for dinner at this awesome little restaurant near our hostel.
The next few days were a blur of good food, islands, old churches and mosques, markets and shopping. We started every day on the rooftop terrace at our hostel, where we ate a buffet of fresh vegetables, cheeses and yogurts. We visited the Princes' Islands, which are a series of islands along the Asian side of Istanbul. Hiking to the top of the one of the islands, we had a view of almost the entirety of one of the coastlines of Istanbul. What a huge city!
We also visited the Hagia Sofia (how could we not?). From the outside one can see how large it is, but it's only upon entering that a visitor can see how lavish it is. It's interesting to see the mix of Christian and Muslim influences on the Hagia Sofia, and the only way to truly appreciate its grandeur is to visit it.
In addition to the Hagia Sofia, we walked through the Blue Mosque. Other people told us that the Blue Mosque rivals the Hagia Sofia in many respects, and they certainly have their similarities. The Blue Mosque, as one would expect, is much better maintained than the Hagia Sophia because it is still a working Mosque. There are intricate blue designs on the walls, and most of the floor is cordoned off from the general public so as to allow prayer. Almost all women who visited covered their hair, though I was surprised to see a few who ignored the rules. It seemed a little disrespectful.
We visited, and ate from, the Fish Market, the Spice Bazaar, and the street foods. All were just incredible. Some of the best food from our trip came from Istanbul!
From Istanbul we took an overnight bus to Thessaloniki.
Thessaloniki-
We spent a night in Thessaloniki before and after our week in Halkidiki. Thessaloniki is a beach city and the second largest city in Greece. We did not do anything particularly touristy in Thessaloniki other than go to movies, but we liked the city overall. We spent a lot of time hanging out in the pedestrian area that lead down to the waterfront, but we were too tired to really go out at night. There was a pedestrian street that led down to the waterfront, so we grabbed a drink at one of the waterfront bars one night, but for the most part we just walked around. The nightlife was pretty amazing though, based on the little we did see.
Halkidiki-
Scott's family was kind enough to set us up with a week at a resort in Neos Marmaras, Halkidiki. Not having a car, we were at a loss as to how we would actually get to the resort. I emailed one of the hospitality representatives asking if she had any suggestions, but she wrote back saying our best bet was to take a taxi from Thessaloniki if we didn't have a car. I guess most resorts expect their guests to drive to the hotel. Luckily, there is a bus company which, catering to the staff at the resort, drops passengers off at the front gate. We bought our tickets, then the next day we took a hot, humid, 3 hours bus out to the resort. We were dropped off at the front gates, then walked the mile into the hotel. We walked into the lobby with our dirty backpacks, sack of food, and sweaty faces. We were definitely not the resort's standard clientele.
After checking into our huge hotel room, we headed down to the beach. The beaches in Greece are mostly pebble beaches, as opposed to the sand beaches we have in California, and it was nowhere near as pleasant to walk along the pebbles as it is to walk along the sand. The Mediterranean is much warmer than the Pacific, and swimming in it is much nicer than swimming in the Pacific. Our resort provided towels and beds next to the waves, so we spent many afternoons soaking in the sun.
In addition to the beaches, our hotel had two huge swimming pools. One of them was a standard lap pool and the other looked like an oasis. There were two or three pools connected by rivers that flowed under bridges connecting the hotel to the beach. The pools were filled with salt water, which was a little odd, but the water was clean.
The resort was very nice, especially since it was not high season and it was not filled to the brim. We spent 3-4 days hanging out around the beach and the pool, then finally ventured out to the town of Neos Marmaras.
Neos Marmaras is a small town that seems to be supported primarily by tourists. There are tons of restaurants, charter boats, hotels and bed and breakfasts. We ate at two amazing restaurants, both specializing in grilled foods. We ate a delicious grilled eggplant, grilled pork, grilled feta cheese, and grilled zucchini. We also tried various greek salads and desserts. After we'd porked out, we walked back along the coast to the resort, or we'd sit out on the sand enjoying the sun. If anyone is looking for a nice and relaxing place to spend a week on the coast, Neos Marmaras (or any of the other little towns of Halkidiki) would be a great place to go! There's great food, nice people, and warm beaches.
From Halkidiki we returned to Thessaloniki, then took a train down to Athens.
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