Day Twelve

Today the cruise ship was scheduled to arrive at Izmir at 2pm! So in the morning we had some free time to get things done such as writing postcards, a bit of sunbathing and some emailing. The ship arrived early and we were able to wander the town at our leisure, because we hadn't booked any activities for the day.

First we went to a little shisha bar by the sea. I didn't indulge because I want my Contiki cough to get better sooner rather than later. So instead I had a nice hot Turkish apple tea which helped my throat a bit.

We decided to walk into the centre of the city instead of getting a taxi or taking a ride on a horse and carriage. It was a fairly long walk but it was beside the churning waters of the Bosphorus so it was very windy, which offset the heat. This is where we observed the worst of the Turkish men who seemed to very much enjoy the effect the wind had on our skirts.

We arrived into town in about 40 minutes walk, and arrived at the main square where there was a beautiful little acting mosque. It was just about prayer time and we saw men outside the mosque washing their elbows and knees and face from golden taps and sinks.

We wandered into the main bazaar where there were many shops, but they were very modern and not the traditional type of Turkish wares that I like best. Likely because it was a local place and not catering to what tourists want. But the girls loved going into all the gold shops, since gold was fairly cheap in Izmir compared to Istanbul. I didn't buy much because not a lot took my fancy. It was just nice to wander amongst locals instead of tour groups.

Before walking back to the ship we had a bite to eat, and I had possibly the best cheese sandwich I have ever eaten, and more hot apple tea. After a while the call to prayer sounded and a whole bunch of men jumped up and ran for the mosque.

So today was a bit different because we didn't really see the sights of Izmir, we just chilled and wandered the place. I'm absolutely sure there is way more to see in Izmir that we missed, but our stopovers in Turkey are short enough (i.e. day trips) to warrant another, fuller visit later on.

We hadn't been doing much partying on the ship because we've all been sick, but that night we made an effort and went to karaoke in the ship disco. My throat was still troubling me so I didn't sing, but I was fine watching drunk people make fools of themselves. Two cocktails and I was basically asleep, so I retired to bed.

I don't think I've described our cabin in the ship. It's an inside cabin with no window, which is perfectly fine by me because I opted to pay less for it. You just have to turn all the lights on in the morning to trick yourself into understanding that the sun has come up. It's very small, I would say snug. But its smallness is good because it motivates you to get up and out to explore rather than staying in bed.

Tomorrow we're on Mykonos for the day! I also have an excursion planned for the island of Delos - very exciting.

Day Ten

Today was our travel day from Athens to Istanbul! Our big group split off into two little groups in the morning and we headed to our cruise ship, the M/S Louis Cristal, at 10 in the morning. It's the first time I've ever been on a cruise ship so I was pretty nervous about becoming seasick but so far it hasn't been too bad.

That morning, however, I was incredibly hungover from the night before so the boat felt like it was swaying more than it should have been. We organised all our optional activities early on in the day and had a clear schedule on the ship to do whatever we wanted because it would take 24 hours to get from Athens to Istanbul by sea. So we decided to first have a nice lunch at the buffet dining room, sort out our on-board accounts and have a look at the shops, do a bit of internetting, and then have a look outside. After a while we decided to get some sunbaking done and I fell asleep immediately, but thankfully had the presence of mind to turn over after a while so both my sides have a fairly even tan.

By the end of the day I was feeling really queasy with a combination of a persistent hangover and the first time of staying on a ship for an extended period of time. So I stayed with the Contiki group at the ship disco (totally naff but fun) for a little while before I started falling asleep on my feet. Then I went to bed, fell asleep as soon as my head hit the pillow, and woke up at 5am still fully dressed and without having brushed my teeth. I felt as if it were the first day in Rome and I was extremely jetlagged again. Thankfully my new roommate is just as deep a sleeper as my old one so I was able to get dressed and brush my teeth without waking her up.

So that day was a bit of a "nothing" day but at least I now know what it's like to be hungover on a cruise ship.

Istanbul tomorrow!