National TV Appearance in Turkey

Watch the Mehtap TV episode with Art and Essay student and teacher winners!

http://www.kure.tv/User/VideoWatch.aspx?ID=56474

Although our adventure is near an end, we will never forget all the amazing experiences we had in Turkey and all of the new kindred spirits we discovered where West meets East.

Kucukoglu Et Pazari - where we cooked our meat and vegetables on a coal brazier and made our own tea with a metal semavor.

Ali Omer, Sarabrynn, Atakan, and Kasan, our guides, ROCK the fortress of Rumelij!!!!

Linda, Danny, and Laurie on top of Cimeli fortress.

The group with a view of the Bosphorus bridge behind.

The group enjoys a boat tour of the Bosphorus.

The beginning of the boat tour leaving the Golden Horn.

Kim, Melissa, Lindsey, Carson, and Olivia enjoy their Ortokoy speciality potatoes and fresh fruit in the Ortokoy district. Kim :-D

Tiffany, Crystal, and Nicole haggled for great bargains in the spice market. Kim :-D

Members of the group in Eminonu Square prepare for shopping at the spice bizarre.

A surprise visit to Bursa!

The group had a busy but fruitful day. We woke up early to catch a ferry to Bursa, Turkey's 4th-largest city and the first capital of the Ottoman Empire. Mr. Celik arranged this special day for us as a surprise, which even included the municipality government of Bursa graciously hosting us by having two of its officials tell us about the city as we toured it. We arrived in Bursa in time for a mid-morning breakfast before visiting the city municipality's historic headquarters, now used mainly in ceremonies, and Ulu Cami, a very historically important mosque in the city center. We then gave everyone some shopping time in the bazaar of Bursa, which featured, in addition to everyday Turkish goods, a plethora of scarves and fabrics. As the end of the Silk Road, Bursa is known for these fabrics. We then saw an old art studio building before having lunch at a kebap restaurant that overlooked the city in its valley, surrounded by mountains.

After a ferry ride back to Istanbul, everyone got just over 2 hours in the Grand Bazaar- their first major, much-awaited shopping excursion. Students and teachers bought everything from scarves to trinkets for themselves and family and friends. As they compared their bounty on the bus, we headed to dinner, where two generous host families made huge, delicious meals for our groups. We are now back at the hotel and gearing up for tomorrow's plans, which will include a visit to Taksim and a boat tour of the Bosphorous. Iyi geceler (good night)!

- Sarabrynn

Shopping in the Istanbul Grand Bazaar Kim :-D

A panoramic view of islands in the Sea of Marmara

Dinner at Erol's house in Istanbul - Tuba smiles with the group.

Sarabrynn, Molly, Crystal, and Nicole on the balcony of the historic municipality Building in Bursa.

An early morning Istanbul ferry ride to Bursa.

An amazing lunch with Ali Omer's mother, father, and close family members highlighted our second day in Izmir!

The group in front of the historic clock tower on the seaside of Izmir. Kim :-D

Strolling along the Izmir bay in the center of the city of Izmir, Lindsey, Kim, local aide and student Rustam, take in the sights and sounds of the seaside. and Danny