Last-Minute Touring

We journeyed in the morning to Mustafapaşa, an old Greek town. Did some exploring. So much blue. Everything was blue. Stopped in a place called Merkez Pastanesi for a pastry. The only thing without pistachio was rice pudding. It was to die for. Jake and Elliot both, after giving me a lecture about how they hate rice pudding, loved it.

Next we hit up a carpet gallery in Güreme, where we got a tour and learned about how carpets are made, how they're designed, and how they're sold. We also got a first-hand look at how silk is unravelled and rolled, and at some very, very expensive carpets. One 100% silk carpet was selling for $156,000. Another for £700,000. Our tour guide for the shop, a fifth generation carpet man, insisted we walk on all of them barefoot. It was glorious.

Our next stop was Avanos, a small town where we visited a ceramics shop, though it was more of a factory and tourist trap. Unlike the Whirling Dervishes, who only perform for tourists with the hopes of inspiring one of us to join their ranks, and who don't charge for the show, the ceramics shop had making, firing, painting, and especially selling ceramics to tours and tourists down to a science. I myself even bought a small bowl for keys and change, though I got the one on sale for 12TL, not the expensive ones.

We walked over the Red River, which had swollen up in the recent weather. It's the longest river in Turkey. Just had to mention it.

Next we dined at a small cooperative restaurant called Avanos Kadın Girişimciler Kooperatifi, where we had delicious home-cooked food from local women who were kind enough to feed us.

Then to the airport. We said our goodbyes to Sevim (though we'll see her again on our next excursion during Spring Break in April). We weren't delayed long, but managed to fly from Aksaray back to Istanbul with relative speed. It was an hour-long flight, and then another 40 minutes or so in the ban back to the dorm.

We were all exhausted. But Isabelle convinced me to join a small group (Laika, Savannah, Isabelle, and Sean) to find the AC Milan vs. Arsenal game. We didn't find it until after the half, around 10:30, at Taps, the American bar. AC Milan destroyed Arsenal 4-0, so we didn't stay for the whole game.

We cabbed back to the Superdorm and went our separate ways for bed. But I lost my keys. I think they're back at Taps but I'll check tomorrow. Either way, I had to get the security guards to let me into the room.

Asleep by 2.