Gallipoli, Turkey

Fortunately my last day in Istanbul was not a debacle. I was able to wander around the Hagia Sophia, the Blue Mosque, and some outdoor markets without being hassled too much. (To avoid sexual harassment it is a good idea to wear sunglasses, a wedding ring, headphones, and an extremely unpleasant look on your face. Of course it also helps to pretend you do not speak English and examine the pavement intently, thus avoiding the potential of any eye contact.)

The next day I had to get up early to catch the Fez bus to Gallipoli. The Fez bus is a hop-on/hop-off bus service catering to the slightly younger, slightly poorer crowd. They help you out with a lot of your planning (e.g. arrange accommodation, daytrips, and/or tours). I must confess I was looking forward to hopping on, primarily to shove as much responsibility as possible unto somebody else. I know it's not a very grownup thing to say, but it's true. I just get tired of planning everything; sometimes there are too many choices to muddle through. I decided not to tour the battlefields of Gallipoli. I had been throughout the In Flanders Field museum, and I had seen the remnants of some WWI trenches. To be honest, I didn't want to hear more about the futility and tragedy of the war. It just makes me feel slightly helpless because there is nothing I can do to reverse the course of history. I opted to spend my time in town, sitting on a pier reading. In Gallipoli, there was one adorable and extremely intelligent stray dog that followed me around the whole time. Somehow the little fellow conned me into buying him two kebabs. I was very sad to leave him behind because I really really wanted to adopt him. However, I was cheered by the fact that he seemed rather healthy and well fed, especially for a stray. In fact, he looked and acted like Mr. Dog (of the Little Golden Book series), or the dog who belonged to himself. So this brings me up to date, sort of. I'm about three days behind on postings. I'll try to get one more out tomorrow. Hope you are having an absolutely lovely morning/afternoon/evening.