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SEP

24

2001

the next day we left for southern turkey. when we woke up, we had breakfast. the night before my first turkish dinner, now i experience my first turkish breakfast. i am filled with vacation euphoria. everything i do, everything i see, everything i hear, is a new experience. for most of the year i live a mundane existence, but for the two weeks i take for my vacation, i feel alive, i feel life has so much to offer and i am just experiencing the tip of the iceberg. we sort of lounged around after breakfast for a little bit, then we all went to the mall directly behind where they lived. turkish mall! just like an american mall, except when pass through a metal detector before you enter and you're allowed to smoke. all the stores you'd expect to find in an american mall you can find here in this multileveled shopping emporium. on the top floor of the mall is a movie theatre, showing american movies that are at least a few months old. there was even a dunkin' donut coffee shop. i travel all the way to instanbul to find a staple of new england culture. irony! we had lunch in the mall, some italian restaurant. i come all the way to turkey to eat italian. irony! it was about this time that ayse started to get sort of sick. after the mall we went back home to grab our travel luggage and ayse's father drove everyone to the airport while another hired driver transported our bags in a separate car. ayse started to get worse, and even threw up into a plastic bag. despite all the commotion, i was very happy sitting in the back of the suv, enjoying the scenery, staring at the people in the cars and buses who stared me back.

when we got to the airport i had some problems with the metal detector. apparently i forgot some coins stowed away in my pockets and kept on setting off the alarm. one of the guards patted me down but i was disappointed when he didn't check the area between my legs. if you're going to give me a pat down, at least do a thorough job! i might look harmless, but sir, i assure you, i am not! when it came time to board the plane (ayse was in the bathroom somewhere puking besides her mother), a bus came by to pick us up and drove us to the plane. before they allowed anyone to board the plane, they lined up all the suitcases and we had to point to our pieces of luggage. i guess it's for security reasons, make sure they are no unattended bombs going onboard, but it's a good system, because i know for certain that my luggage is going on the plane with me.

the plane ride took but an hour. flipdown lcd screens dotted the cabin. ayse sat with her parents, peacefully sleeping after throwing up some more on the plane. the stewardesses of turkish airline were all very attractive, i was very impressed. i highly recommend turkish air the next time you travel. when we arrived at the airport, ayse's father hailed two taxis and we drove about an hour to the port town of gocek, where our sailboat was waiting for us. we snaked through narrow windy mountain roads before arriving at our destination, a large marina packed with sailboats. we met up with our captain and our two crew members, who took us onto the boat, gave us a tour, and showed us to our cabins. we had dinner on the boat. because it was already dark, we weren't going to head out until the next morning. after dinner, i went with ayse and her parents back onto the surface, where there were a lot of shops and markets selling everything from food to snorkeling equipment to souvenirs like rugs and postcards.

that night was my first night ever sleeping on a boat. the rocking was disorienting at first, but soon it became somewhat soothing and i fell asleep with my portholes opened (don't!), a nice gentle seabreeze blowing into my cabin.

SEP

24

2001