-Turkey Update-
November 17, 1999 - November 21, 1999

	We were all exhausted after our 33 hour whirlwind tour of Egypt, so the next day we had a TBA day which is a day where we don't have classes. I had planned to get a lot of homework done, but they showed movies onthe TVs in our cabins all day, so I watched about 4 movies. In the evening the crew put on a talent show for us. We saw a lot of talent that night and had some good laughs as they performed choreographed dances, singing, and other skits and musical numbers.
	The night before we arrived in Turkey, Kelly came into my room and played the guitar while I wrote letters and wrote in my journal. Then he sang a little goodnight song for me before I went to bed. Our ship docked right in front of the Azerbaijan Airlines building in Istanbul, Turkey. Kelly has a special place in his heart for Azerbaijan, so I had to take this picture.
	Turkey was definitely one of the most exciting ports to sail into; the most scenery by far! I got up early and went to the observation deck in the bow of the ship with Kelly his two roommates Sean and Trevor to watch our Istanbul approach. I think I was one of the only people who missed the several dolphin sightings in the Red Sea prior to reaching Egypt, but on our way into Istanbul I sighted two dolphins swimming off in the distance. It made my voyage!
	I took a ferry ride down the Bosperus to observe the coastal processes for my Oceanography class. The boat went past this fountain, Topkapi Palace, and several of the many mosques in Istanbul. We had a similar view of these sights on the ship coming into Istanbul approaching the Golden Horn. The Blue Mosque is on the right. It is marked by its six minarets on the outside.
	The best view of our Great White Mother (the ship) that I had the entire trip was from the ferry going down the Bosperus. We looked down into the water and saw a thin milky film under the surface. A closer look revealed it to be a layer of jellyfish of varying sizes. The jellyfish are a sign that the Bosperus is dangerously polluted.
	Dead fish smell badly in Turkey; pigeons like the smell of dead fish. Oh yeah, pigeons also like to poop!
	We went to a Whirling Dervish ceremony at a mosque in Istanbul. They greeted us with juice poured from this large jug carried on this man's back. The Whirling Dervishes go through a very meaningful ceremony of instrumental music, chanting, and singing. They get their "whirling" name because at times they spin around with one hand above their head and their right arm held out with the palm facing up. They spun around for about 10 minutes at one point and stopped completely composed. I was amazed that someone didn't go stumbling off in the wrong direction or fall flat on their face!
	Shane and I stumbled upon this underground cistern as we were walking around Istanbul trying to find the Grand Bazaar. Centuries ago this cistern used to hold the cities entire water supply. Some of the columns have carvings in them of tears, Medusa, or other designs.
	The spice market, or Egyptian Bazaar, sold any type of spice or tea you could imagine, and various other fruits and nuts. My favorite and cheapest meal in Turkey was a sandwich of meat shaved off a big slab rotating on a pole. I could get a sandwich of shaved meat and a drink for $1.
	The oldest Marching Band in the world is the Turkish Jannisary Band. I had the opportunity to see this band perform their traditional music in traditional costumes.