My last day here so I went up for breakfast early to check the weather (my room doesn't have a window) The sun is shining and the clouds are starting to break up.
There are 2700 mosques in Istanbul and I only have about 2660 to go so I thought I would check out a couple when I was out. I was headed to the Egyptian spice market to get some supplies for tomorrow and have lunch. I walked about a km to Bayazit Sq and the sky was black as so I turned around and came home for my raincoat and umbrella. By the time I got them it was raining and it ****** all morning. I still went out and went to the wrong mosque. It didn't really matter cosw I found a small one nearby that was pretty cool. I think I could design a mosque now. They are all the same. Big courtyard in front with ablutions kiosk in the middle, lots of domes, the bigger the better then chuck in some tiles and stained glass windows.
The spice market went well. I got a feed of the free samples of locum (Turkish delight) turns out you cant heat too much cos you start to feel sick. I bought 1kg of fruit and nuts for tomorrow cos I don't know what we are going to be able to get.
This arvo I went to find the mosque I missed this morning. The Suleymaniye mosque which is more than a mosque it is a complex. There is a school, soup kitchen, madressa some tombs and various other buildings. Suleymaniye is buried up there with a couple of his wives and kids. While I was out just walking around the dodgy parts of Istanbul I bought dinner. I got a kebab, again and an Ayram (a kind of yogurt drink) for $2. I looked at a jacket for 35lira to keep me warm tomorrow but I didn't want to carry it so I turned him down.
I came home fairly early to pack to go at 6.30 in the morning and thought I would check the weather for tomorrow. The net says between 2 and 6 for the min and 14 for the max but sunny. I went back out to buy the jacket but couldn't find the street. I was at the mercy of the sharks at the markets. I turned down a guy at 60lira then thought better of it. When I went back he was gone. I was getting desperate then I spotted another one and bargained hard as he was closing and got it for 50lira. So I have tracky dacks to go under my jeans, new jacket, scarves and gloves to keep me warm...I hope.
Im on the bus tomorrow to Anzac cove, overnite stay then I am going to try to get them to drop me off at Eceabat so I can cross the Dardanelles to Canakkale. (shana karlie)