The atmosphere was electric, crowded to twice capacity the tiny outdoor amphitheatre struggling to hold the jostling crowds. It was Ramahanza, sun had set, the fast had just broken and it was time to celebrate. Little homeless kids where crawling down between spectators feet selling water to anyone who was unfortunate enough to meet their gaze.

I'd stumbled across the spectacle a few minutes earlier a few minutes earlier and been propelled into its vortex without choice. Now hedged in music blaring I starred on in astonishment as the whirling Derwish took to the stage spinning in fananza. Like human spinning tops the rotated and rotated making the frenzied crowded a combination of sea and dizzy. Amazing!

After spending 7 hours chilling in the sun on a Bosporus Cruise, feet hanging out an open boarding gate with the only sound the wind blowing over my face this was a world apart.

We had broken our own fast an hour before, desperately trying to respect the local Muslims culture despite causing strange looks why these westerners where sitting staring at their food. It was like clockwork. Sun set, 12minutes to the second where followed (thanks to our Iranian friends handy iPhone app) and then the Sulayman mosque call to prayer erupted signalling it was time to eat. We tore into our citrus dates downed our water and ripped apart the Peda in unison with 15million Muslims throughout Turkey.