Finding the Superdorm

It took me all morning to try and figure out how to get to Boğaziçi University, and I left the hostel at noon to find it. Jonas was still sleeping.

Apparently I was to have filled out and signed some housing contract months ago, and Duke was to send them to the school. Of course, I didn't give them the contract, so I received an email in Belarus with the contract attached. I told Duke I would mail it from Kiev, but didn't (whoops!) so now that I'm in Istanbul in person, I decided to go drop it off.

I took the T1 Tramvay to Kabataş and asked around for which bus would take me to Boğaziçi. Finding no English speakers, I had to just repeat the name of the university over and over until I found bus 43R. I did not know how to pay for the bus, so the driver had me sit in front and pay in cash to someone who swiped their card a second time for me. Only 1.75 Turkish Lira.

I got to the university stop at 1. I didn't find the Superdorm (where I'll be living soon) until 2:30. I foolishly assumed the dorm would be on the grounds of the university class buildings and all the other dorms. I was sorely mistaken.

After wandering the main grounds, amongst the stray (but tame) dogs and cats for a while, I found an unlocked wifi network and discovered that the Superdorm was far from me. I left the main campus and walked down a road for several minutes.

Having found what I assumed was the Superdorm, I had to find my way in. The entire building is fenced in, with barbed wire topping the whole thing. I circled the building completely, and came up empty. Oh,  by the way, it was snowing this whole time.

I finally found the entrance, which was through the main gate to the Boğaziçi sports field and tucked behind another building. So much for sitting right on top of the Bosporus (though main campus does, and the view was breathtaking!).

I got bus 43R back to Kabataş, then the T1 again to Çemberlitaş. Walked through the doors of the hostel just before 3:30, after 3.5 hours of cold exposure. It was time for some hot chocolate.

At 5:30, Jonas and I ventured outside for some breakfast. We bumped into some Canadians on our way out, a guy and his girlfriend Holly and their friend Rochelle. They were headed for food as well, so we went with them to a place called Home Made, which we found just following the T1 tracks from Çhemberlitaş towards Hagia Sofia, past it and on the right.

The food was delicious, as were the desserts. I had a little gooey cake thing that was topped with pistachio dust.. But without the pistachios. It had chewing gum in it... So cool. Also had a lamb stew. A bit pricey, but we got free fig desserts, free tea, and free hummus and pita, so I think we got our money's worth.

We walked back after a leisurely meal and arrived back around 8:30. Jonas relaxed, and the three Canadians and I headed to a hookah bar at 9. We turned left at Çemberlitaş and walked along the tracks until we found a little passageway on the right filled with Turks smoking.

We got peach hookah for 13TL, about $6.5. The Canadians head out in the morning, early, so they paid to get rid of their extra cash.

We smoked for a long time, and headed back into the cold around 11:30.

Exhausted. Sleep.