BR --> SA

At the moment, I am quite literally dizzy with exhaustion, given my draining transatlantic travels and the incessant, immediate “go, go, go” attitude of our South Africa country coordinator. So, this will be a rather shorter post, but hopefully I cover enough in the next few paragraphs to encompass my current excitement, disappointment, confusion, and longing.

On Monday, I woke up late and lounged around the hotel until lunchtime, at which point I dropped off ten more postcards at the nearby post office (be on the lookout!!!). We gathered for a quick intro session on South Africa and then hopped on a bus to head to the airport.

While it felt ridiculous that we were leaving four whole hours before our plane's departure, we ended up having only twenty minutes to scarf down a quick dinner before boarding. Upon finding our seats, we realized that our program had been interspersed with the professional South African men's soccer team. It was exciting, I suppose, but they kept messing with me when I was trying to read my book, so that wasn't too fun. Our in-flight entertainment system was completely broken on this flight, so we made a bit of a ruckus due to our boredom. We were yelled at multiple times by our flight attendants (and I mean yelled), and at one point they turned on the seatbelt sign due to "turbulence" but I'm pretty sure it was just because they wanted us to stop congregating with one another.

I only got about 2-3 hours of sleep on this "red-eye" and was utterly delirious coming into Johannesburg. Due to South Africa's customs system, we had to go through customs, collect our baggage, re-check our bags, and go through security once again to make our connecting flight to Cape Town. It was a little bit too close for comfort, and I was pretty positive we were going to miss it, but I got another stamp and we got on the plane, so things worked out.

We landed in Cape Town around noon and proceeded to another bus that would take us to a look-out point over the city. While on the ride from the Sao Paulo airport to the city center, I remember being absolutely overjoyed, practically euphoric, at all of the sights and newness. I didn't really feel that this afternoon, and it worried me for a few reasons.

1) I've been looking forward to visiting South Africa for years. It has always been one of my top travel destinations, and I expected to feel some sense of fulfillment upon reaching this country I've dreamed about for so long.

2) It's a new country!!! I love to travel!!! Why am I not stoked out of my mind???!

And perhaps most disconcerting of all,

3) Shouldn't I feel some sense of returning home? According to some DNA tests taken by my family recently, I am almost a quarter West African. I thought that touching down in the continent that served as home to a quarter of my ancestors would feel comforting or revelationary. But I just feel tired and confused and lost. It doesn't seem familiar in the way that New Orleans did when I went there a few years ago, and I sort of expected it would.

BUT, I'm trying to cut myself some slack. So, rebuttals to my three anxieties.

1) I have only been lucid in Cape Town daylight for about two hours. Plus, I've always dreamed of going on a safari or something, not necessarily staying in a city. So, I have to give myself some time to explore and grow to appreciate this other part of South Africa.

2) I'm exhausted. I have been travelling for about fourteen straight hours, and I have been living out of a suitcase for almost three months now. (Actually, including Costa Rica, it'll be three straight months in three days.) This is my last country before home, and as excited as I am to be in this incredible, thought-provoking, wonderful place, it's hard to be ecstatic when in the back of my mind I"m counting down the hours to my flight to JFK. 

3) Perhaps it was foolish of me to even think this in the first place. But I've struggled with my identity so much on this program and in life, and I've felt rejected by people that I consider peers, and perhaps I was just hoping that the land itself would accept me in a way that would mitigate all of the turned backs and disbelieving glares. Maybe I was attempting to misplace a burden on a continent that I instead will have to deal with personally and internally. And maybe it's like going to Toronto when you have Aztec ancestors and expecting to feel connected to the location. I guess I won't really know until I get to know South Africa and until I get the opportunity to travel to West Africa.

So, as I'm dealing with all of this psychological and emotional trauma, our director is chattering away, taking us up to a mountain to go on a short "walk" and listen to a half-hour talk about the city in the windy, dreary weather. We were absolutely not having it, to be honest.

But not to worry!!! We got TWO WHOLE HOURS to rest before our hour-long safety talk and twenty-minute dinner that was--wait for it--Indian food.

I can't even talk about it.

In every other country, we've been given at least a day to recover from jetlag and culture shock, and in some cases, three days go by before our first class. But not here. We have NINE HOURS of class tomorrow before moving into our first homestay. 

I feel like I'm gonna vomit. No, actually. I'm so tired that it's turned into nausea and I think I may pass out. Hopefully I don't roll off my top bunk...

Anyway. I'm looking forward to getting to know the city, and I'm hoping that my feelings of disappointment and lethargy are simply symptoms of my insane need to get to sleep.

If I go to sleep at this minute, Ill get about nine hours--so, I'm gonna conk out. 

Good night friends.

With love, from South Africa,

Aubs

PS--I will have extremely limited WiFi here most likely, so posts may have to come in weekly clumps of three to four posts!!

Cultural Weekend and a Sobering Monday

Gosh, have I truly only been here in Brazil for a week? It feels like forever in the best possible way. I've enjoyed numerous encounters with the culture of this city; I've savored the food and the people; I've learned about the history, the art, and the problems of the city; and I've come to appreciate the beautiful, compassionate, lively, whole-heartedly wonderful spirit of Paulistas.

Saturday night, Samantha and I met five other friends for a soccer game!! Attend a soccer game in Brazil... What an experience to check off the bucket list. We cheered for the Corinthians, a Sao Paulo-based team, as they played against someone else (don't remember their name) with the colors red and green. In a hilarious and slightly frightening intro to the craziness that is Brazilian futbol, an armed and armoured cop (of which there were plenty at the game) warned Sally that she could not sit on the Corinthians side. This was because her dress was almost sort of dark forest green and would potentially get her beat up--even though she was literally wearing a Corinthians flag as a cape. Upon showing the cop her flag, he very hesitantly gave her the go-ahead.

what did we get ourselves into

Despite the slightly nerve-wracking beginning to our futbol experience, it was literally one of theeee most fun games to which I've ever been!!!

Vai Corinthians!!!

potentially spent more time looking at the camera than at the field

I couldn't really figure out which team I was supposed to cheer for, so at every moment of potential scoring, I had to constantly inquire,

because I REALLY didn't want to get beaten up.

Our team ended up winning two minutes into overtime 1-0, which was SO cool. Our ride on the metro home was impressively smooth, easy, and efficient. I fell in love with another part of Brazil on that fantastic subway. That's how dorky/nerdy my affection for this country is.

me to Brazil

Sam and I woke up super late on Sunday, relaxed and content. Sally met up with us to walk to a cool museum called the Museum of Image and Sound. It was about thirty minutes away, and we walked through a beautiful neighborhood on a beautiful day. It was lovely.

me frolicking down the street

The museum ended up having limited opportunities for non-Portuguese speakers, but Sam and I did well enough with our rudimentary Spanish to understand some of the exhibits' descriptions. We wandered into a random outdoor market next door to admire some stunning craftsmanship, including turquoise jewelry, azul vases, and wildly revolting seats made of actual fur and hooves (eep). We then decided to walk about a half hour more to a really sick street art location, but by this point I thought I was dying of hunger, so my hangry walk was more like--

A heaping cone of gelato cheered me right up, though. 

We strolled through this cemetery with graves dating back to birth-dates of 1885, which fascinated me. Cemeteries really intrigue me, and something about examining the names and years on graves saddens me (because death) and gives hope to me (because there is power and compassion in sparing a few moments to recognize another's life, even if he or she has died long ago). 

From the cemetery, in which we had to deftly avoid embracing couples, we arrived at Beco do Batman, an incredible alleyway full of graffiti.

black and white

color!!!

my favorite piece of artwork in the alley

Sally, Sam, and I really enjoyed gazing at the gorgeous works and taking tons of pictures.

(It's getting late, and I'm getting excited, so I'm gonna speed this up)

From the alley, Sally and I took a taxi to Angelica's Grill, an all-you-can-eat churrascaria, which is like a barbecue place. Have you ever seen Bridesmaids?

 

This scene takes place at a churrascaria. LUCKILY, our night did not end in--

But we did stuff ourselves with tons of incredible meats and salads and cheese. Our excitement every time that a new meat arrived at our table--

literally

Cracked up our servers, and they legit began to mock us every time they passed our table. They'd say "oh my god!!!" and "yay!!!!" in super exaggerated American accents in a really high, girly voice.

It was too funny to be angry; plus, we were, like, really really excited.

Sally returned to my house and we booked the sickest spring break EVER. Five days at one of the best beach locations in the world/one of the Wonders of the World, then two and a half days at one of the Natural Wonders of the World, all for under $500. I mean like yeah, sounds good to me.

It legit took two hours to book this sh*t though, because the airline website was a fiasco.

However, after numerous attempts of trying to convince a computer system that I am not in fact Brazilian and that yes I do have a valid zipcode and a few moments of--

I  booked tickets for myself, Sally, and Jenn. WAHOO.

This morning was Monday morning, which, even in South America, is

BUT the prospect of Neighborhood Day definitely brightened the idea of Monday. I ended up being sorted into a group with tons of my favorite people and we visited the neighborhood of Bom Retiro, a site in Sao Paulo known for its immigration, culture, and its identity as a cracolandia--or literally, a "land of crack."

Yes, crack. Like, crack cocaine.

We were treated to the delightful views of people literally smoking crack cocaine in broad daylight, only feet away from armed police officers. I have never before in my life been in a place or situation like that. It was shocking and a little scary and really uncomfortable. But, it's important to see these things, to get a glimpse of what daily life can look like for some people, to understand the disastrous problems and addictions rotting out society. Perhaps the most alarming sight was the high school literally around the corner from the drug-trafficking site. It actually sickened me to hear from our guide that "the first two times" trying crack cocaine in school bathrooms are free--they hook young children and ruin their lives. Well, assist in ruining their lives--I'm not going to disregard personal agency in this case. But still. Breathtaking in a bad way.

Towards evening, as we prepared to head back home, a few group members decided they wanted to speak to some policemen in cracolandia about the cops' inactivity and hands-off approach. Our guide heavily warned against it, saying she thought it was an extremely terrible idea for us to return to the area.

My thought process: hmmm... a native warning us against chatting with potentially corrupt policemen in an area riddled with drug addicts at dark in a country in which I do not speak the language nor understand cultural norms nor have internet.

Their thought process: it'll be fine!!!!

So, as the majority of the group made plans to venture back into crack land, I pulled a--

and took a subway back home. They returned safely but I remain happy with my safe, boring, vanilla decision.

Tonight at dinner, I downed a few cups of coffee, anticipating a long night of reading class assignments and writing this blog. I sat in bed, multi-tasking (aka watching Fuller House and Eat, Pray, Love, surfing Buzzfeed, chatting with Sam, and writing a thing or two down in my notebook), and, for the first time on this program, I felt so... college. Hyped on coffee after 9 PM, discussing current events and our days with a roommate, finishing classwork, unwinding to some Netflix... It felt familiar, It felt comfortable. It felt like home. And, after months of feeling alien and lonely and overwhelmed and upset, "home" (even if it's about twenty degrees warmer with slightly more chance of contracting a deadly mosquito-born disease) feels nice. It feels good.

I am honestly happier than I've been in the past two months--the weather, the excitement of the city, my deepening friendships, my ability to contact my family, my anticipation for the dozens of fun activities coming up.... They are all invigorating and refreshing and rejuvenating me. I feel like a new and improved Aubs. God, I am so happy.

Thankful beyond words,
Aubrey

Trans-Atlantic Travel

Wow. After twenty-four hours of consecutive travel--made up of one international flight, a four-hour layover, and a sixteen-hour transcontinental flight--I am in BRAZIL!!

Sunday was full of packing, preparation for departure, and a final gluttony for Indian food. Sally and I had a heartfelt goodbye with our host mother, who cried upon our presentation of some goodbye gifts. I did not realize until the sharp pang that hit me when I stopped outside the door of my host mom's house that India had stolen a little piece of my heart when I wasn't paying attention. There are things that I definitely am happy to escape--the pollution, the trash in the streets, the death-defying rides in rickshaws--but I will miss some things. The kindness, inquisitiveness, and generosity of the people. The dazzling, vibrant markets at which I spent all of my money. The sensoral stimulation of color and sound and smell. It's sad to leave behind.

There are also obviously things that will haunt me probably forever. The poverty; the corruption; the animal neglect. It's only now that I can compartmentalize India, that I can say, "I was there," that I'm starting to realize I've just begun to process the things I saw and heard and experienced. I'm just beginning to grapple with the problems and the differences... It will take me months, potentially years, to actually understand what I went through. Kind of crazy to recognize.

Our flight left at 4:30 AM on Monday, Indian time. I had a few minor mishaps, including the security officer stamping my ticket incorrectly and me having to exit the security line in order to rectify the mistake (only me. Nobody else.), but I mean my travel was relatively smooth considering my usual hassles.

We flew to Dubai, United Arab Emirates, and waited for about four hours for our 16-hour flight (!!!) to Sao Paulo.

I don't think I realized how freaking long that is until we were six hours (aka my normal flight length from school back home) into the journey and I realized that we still weren't halfway. Yikes.

But, after three movies, fitful naps, two meals, a few games of Sudoku, screenings of "Black-ish" and "Friends," and lots of complaining--WE ARRIVED.

Some first impressions after a month in India/a full day's worth (literally 24 hours) of travelling/a 40-minute bus ride in the dark to my hotel:

--lots of green, thank GOD! So many trees, so much foliage, so lovely
--international chains and music!!! walking through the duty-free part of the airport was like a dream. MAC, Victoria's Secret, etc. etc. and lots of pop music that I'd missed oh so much.
--traffic laws: people stop at stoplights. Novel concept.
--a language I can almost understand: my rudimentary knowledge of Spanish just might be enough to allow me to limp through this Portuguese country with very minimal disasters.
--amazing food. Breakfast included no less than twelve (twelve) different kinds of bread. I tried nine of them. Beach bod, here I come!!!
--WATER. Funny, considering Brazil is in a drought right now, but water was actually the first thing I noticed. Rainy skies, flowing rivers, humidity... My hair hates it, but I love it.

This post is practically unintelligible, probably because my concept of time has been mitigated by my flouncing through time zones (is it 11 AM? Or PM? I couldn't tell you) and my continued awe at my travels. The fact that I'm studying abroad in three different continents, that I'm in the Southern Hemisphere for the first time ever, and that I'm legitimately travelling the world with some of the most intelligent, exciting, adventurous, and wonderful people I've ever met boggles my mind.

Today, I'll be getting assigned to a new host family and settling into a new house; eating more Brazilian food aka steak hopefully; and getting acquainted to the city that will be my classroom, playground, and home for the next month. STOKED AS CAN BE!!!

Adeus por agora (Goodbye for now),
Aubrey!

Strays, Sultans, and Scarves on My Head: Days 3 and 4

I resumed my journey through Istanbul Sunday morning at 6 AM. We woke up at the break of dawn in order to make it to the Hagia Sophia Mosque right at opening. My best friend from back home, who's travelled through Istanbul, told me that nothing in the world compares to standing under the golden domes before the loud rush of tourists. And boy, was she right.

But first--I had to make a friend.

HEY THERE, BUD.

Hundreds of stray cats and dogs roam the streets of Istanbul. They're often very friendly and well-fed, as bowls of dry pet food and of water line the corners of the streets. It's so cute--it's like the city of Istanbul has its own pets (: But back to the mosque:

WOAH.

All alone... Humbling experience

Beautiful, right? The Hagia Sophia used to be a church in the Byzantine time but was converted into a mosque in the Ottoman period. I enjoyed sitting on the marble steps soaking in the history and the two religions that have graced these halls.

Next up--the Basilica Cistern. This underground water source provided the fresh water for dozens of wells around the city. It was a cavern right out of Indiana Jones, and it was probably my favorite place in Istanbul!

Catfish swimming around the columns!

Me and the columns! Woo!

Medusa statue on which a column rested. The Medusa head was purposely turned sideways as a symbol of Christianity's victory and quashing of the pagan Roman religion. Cool!

After the Cistern was a trip to a Turkish bath. No pictures of that, since it was a spa, but wow--it was like being transported back in time! My two friends are I were the only non-Turks in the bath, and there were only, like, three other girls under the age of 50 in the bath. It was so relaxing and so exotic. I adored the soothing massages and the steaming water to loosen my tense muscles. Highly recommend this experience to all! There was also something beautiful about this calm and quiet gathering of women. Most women walk around Turkey covered at least in headscarves and often with hijabs. It must be so freeing to release one's body from the folds of fabric in the warm, affectionate, and comfortable atmosphere of the bath. 

We made our way back to our hostel using public transportation--boy, what an experience. I stood on a crowded subway and felt people pressing in on all sides of me. Then--I kid you not--I felt somebody CUPPING my BUTT. 

Oh HELLLLLLL NO! 

I turned around in shock and saw this pathetic middle-aged man hastily pulling his hand away. I smacked him and said "Don't you DARE," then gave him my most withering look of disgust. He tried to look innocent, but he probably wasn't used to women calling him out--they don't have much of that firey Creole spice in Turkey. And the worst part? His 7 year old daughter was hanging onto his waist the whole time!!! I was revolted. How can a father of a young daughter grope a teenage woman in front of her?!!! As you might guess--not my most favorite of male-female interactions I've encountered thus far. But I think I taught this guy not to mess.

Anyways, that night, my friends and I explored the suburbs of our hostel with a few Scottish girls we met. We find a nice pizza place that took FOREVER in getting our food. We had terrible service and were barely paid attention to. Probably because the waiter's salary don't depend even the slightest on tips. So there's one benefit to the American custom--waiters and waitresses have smiles on their faces!

We went to sleep, then woke up the next morning after some sleeping in. We decided to explore some of the lesser known mosques away from the touristy parts of the city, and we found some absolute gems, my favorite being the Rustem Pasha Mosque.

Stunning

The walls are blue and white, meant to represent the reach of the heavens. The carpets were red to represent the earth. I felt close to the same peace and calm in this church that I'd experienced in Christ's jail. I really did love this mosque! 

We then visited Suleymayine Mosque, which is said to rival the Blue Mosque.

I loved the grandeur of this mosque. It was heavenly. My friend and I, though, both felt a similar severe disillusionment when we saw the grand emptiness of the main mosque as the men prayed--and a woman in a back cell wearing full hijab praying even further from the main altar than the tourists were. It left our stomachs in knots for reasons we later articulated. If nothing else, this culture of a combined religion and state inspired incredible conversations about culture, religion, sexism, human rights, and God with the other girls I was with.

From the mosques, we visited the best silversmith in the world as well as a man whose family has melted gold into jewelry for the last few centuries.

Standing in front of the silversmith shop

What a guy!

Melting the gold!

From these two shops, we headed back to the hostel to change into some nice slothes and walk to the Harvard Networking Night in Istanbul. The view was stunning--

artsyyyy

--and the drinks were flowing. At least, until the Istanbul Club president left--then the bills came out to all of the recent graduates and alumni. LOL. Classic Harvard, I've gotta say. One of the incredible alumni, whom my friend and I had been talking to for about a half hour, covered our frappuccinos, so we were pretty stoked. We stopped at a beautiful chocolate place where we continued to discuss our opinions and beliefs. By the time we returned to our hostel, it was about 11 PM. We headed to the airport shuttle, which dropped us off at our airport around 1 in the morning. Since we had to check in for our flight around 4... We decided to sleep in the airport!! Felt just like the movie The Terminal.

Hehehe. 

We made it to a Starbucks on the top floor and flopped out on the couches. Our dear friend Ahmed watched out for us as he cleaned the Starbucks area. We slept for about 2 hours then sat there in slightly delusional exhaustion. We made it onto our plane and crashed for the hours it took to get back to Israel. After a few hours, I arrived back at my home. It was so exciting to walk up the steps and open the door. I started gushing right away to my host mother, who said the whole family had missed me--probably not as much as I missed them!! And when I finally walked into my room--I started crying!!! It was bittersweet, I think. Slightly bitter, because all I wanted to do was speak with my mom and dad. But incredibly sweet, because I felt like I was home. After three weeks here, this house on Nordau Street has become my home. How lucky am I?!

If you can believe it--my four day trip cost me less than $200 including my hostel and souvenirs. The flight was $167. It's amazing how cheap this vacation was! I plan on spending the next day and a half catching up on sleep--and on the show The Americans! I love you all!

Happy to be Home,

Aubrey Noelle

How Many Words Are A Thousand Pictures Worth?--Day 2

All pictures with little descriptions tonight, because it's impossible to use simple words to articulate the beauty of this city!

Trying to scout out a good photo place near Topkapi Palace, but candid photos turn out best anyway!

Our first view of Topkapi Palace!

The Council of Ministers. They met in this building til the 19th century!

Imperial Hall, where the women of the court (including the sultan's favorite concubines) would gather and hold company. 

When the site for Byzantium (aka modern day Istanbul) was being chosen, the seeking men were told by an oracle to look for the land "across from the land of the blind." Well, when they came across this beautiful harbor with this view, they realized that the tiny little town across the harbor HAD to be for the blind--not that they'd ever actually verify!

Lunch with a view!

Because when you see a tree with a hole in it, what else are you gonna do?

You can see the Blue Mosque in the background!

Split capture photo: me and the ceilings of the Blue Mosque. It might sound strange, but I think the mosque looks better in pictures than in person!

No shoes allowed in the mosque. Off they go--good thing I got them halfway shined yesterday! (;

A kind and welcoming sign in the mosque. We sat in the Islam Information Center for about 20 minutes learning the basics. 

Onto the ferry for a cruise through the Bosphorous Strait!

Going around sunset was a good idea!

Turkish baklava--yum!

The name of this bakery/restaurant is NOLA Istanbul. I know that in Tel Aviv, there is a NOLA bakery that takes its inspiration from New Orleans pastries! I loved seeing the NOLA bakery here, but it definitely made me a little homesick for some pralines! (Hint: NOLA=New Orleans LouisianA)

And finally--you can drop me in any city in any country around the globe, and I will ALWAYS find the dog!!!

Not Pictured:

Grand Bazaar and Egyptian Spice Bazaar, where I actually successfully haggled for some souvenirs and gifts!

Numerous backstreets that showed off the residential life and hidden, non-touristy parts of Istanbul

And, the Hagia Sophia--because we wake up at 6 AM tomorrow to ensure we are the first ones there at opening!

Excited beyond belief--but definitely missing home,

Bittersweet Aubrey 

ISTANBUL! Day 1

Oh my gosh. SUCH an exhausting day of travel. But it turned into a beautiful night of exploring by the end!

I woke up around 5 to make my way to the airport for my 11 AM flight. Tragic, right? But I'd been told numerous times to get to an Israeli airport 3 hours early to ensure time for security clearance. I soon found out why.

So I took my public transportation to get to the airport, and in true Aubs travel form, I got there 4 hours early. Seriously, this happens all the time.

I go into the first terminal I see, thinking that it might be my flight--and I get bombarded with questions by a suspicious airport agent.

"Why are you here? Who are you with? What's their last name? Where are you going? Why are you going? Where are you from?"

My sincere reaction

I was about to cry. Which was not helping my whole not-a-terrorist thing.

And then--after all that--it turned out I was in the wrong terminal.

Lord help me.

"Why are you in this terminal??? Who told you to come here??? Why are you so early???"

AHHHH IM SORRY, I SWEAR IM JUST PUNCTUAL AND ON TIME, IM NOT A BAD PERSON, PLEASE DONT ARREST ME. 

I think my sincere panic and remorse convinced them of my innocence, so I was free to make my way to the correct terminal.

But that wasn't the end.

After more questioning, there was the searching of my bags. As in they emptied the entire backpack and tested every item for bomb residue?

"You sure read a lot, don't you?" said the TSA officer after seeing my three books for my three-day trip. Yeah, I guess you could say that.

Then there was the passport control booth to get out. Then the exit visa check. And finally, I was at my gate!!--two hours early.

The flight was uneventful--except for the airline charging me for coffee, ugh--and Turkey customs only took like 1 hour--as unopposed to 30 minutes, since I literally chose the longest line.

We (my two fellow interns and I) jumped on a shuttle with 6 other people to get into Istanbul more quickly than through public transportation--except it took THREE. FREAKING. HOURS.

Get me outtttt. But finally--FINALLY--we were at our beautiful hostel ready to explore!!

We saw some beautiful sights, made some friends (aka a nice Turkish fisherman) and some enemies (aka a shoe shined that tried to con us then persisted to grope us when we refused to pay-- uh uh, oh no, Sabrinas daughter was NOT standing for that. He got a firm talking-to, a finger wag, and no money.) We explored the books and cranniers of the harbor, and tomorrow we plan on being total tourists!! From here, I'll let the pictures do the talking:

Beautiful Istanbul street--a mix of European and Asian. 

So happy to be eating dinner after 9 hours of starvation!!!

Making friends with the wild animals of Turkey. Named this cat Pacific, because, of course, I have to name every creature I encounter. 

Crossing from Asia to Europe--and staying in the same city!

My first ever Turkish delight--in Turkey!

Our nice dessert spread

Watching the sun set

This Turkish fisherman saw me taking pics of the water and offered to let me hold his line. I convinced him to join in the pic with me. He was stoked about it.

A stunning mosque light display right as the sun set. 

It was a wonderful night that started off our trip perfectly. So excited to see where the next few days take me and my friends!!

From Turkey with Love,

Aubs