Thursday, February 3

Travel Log Thursday: The Very First

 
Welcome to Travel Log Thursday where we share a small tidbit from some place we have traveled, while reading books.

My first entered into the Travel Log is to Istanbul, Turkey.  I got there by the ship Stea de Mare while reading Cybele's Secret(my review).
Turkey
"The noise was overpowering--folk calling out to advertise their wares, donkeys braying, cart wheels rumbling on the stones of the street--as if the place could barely contain its bustling human traffic. I had heard that more than three hundred thousand people lived in Istanbul, most of them Turkish. Here in the trading district of Galata, the faces I saw around me were more of a mixture. Turbans mingled with the looser headdresses of southern regions, merchants' velvet hats went side by side with the skullcaps of Jews. The crowd was almost exclusively male."
Now here is some detail from one on my many activities while on my short stay in Turkey.  This particular activity was the crossing of a bridge over a massive seemingly endless chasm.  Who wants to go bungee jumping when this is an available activity.
"Then I was on the shaky structure, stepping from one narrow, weathered plank to the next, my teeth clenched with terror, my whole body drenched in nervous sweat as the bridge began to bounce and sway under my weight."
 Here is a bit about one of the people, Stoyan, I met on my journey.

"He stood head and shoulders over the others Father had interviewed and was, quite frankly, the most intimidating-looking young man I had seen in my life. His eyes were of an unusual yellowish green shade and had an intensity that suggested he was poised to attack. His face was broad, with well-defined cheekbones and a strong jaw, and his complexion was winter-pale. A jagged scar ran from the outer corner of his right eye down to his chin. His dark hair was thick and wayward; an attempt to discipline it into a plait had not been entirely successful. He was of athletic build, the shoulders broad, the arms bulging with muscle. He wore loose trousers under a long white shirt with an embroidered waistcoat over it. A broad sashlike belt held an assortment of knives, and there was a curved sword in a scabbard on his back."
That in a nutshell is my first impression of this fine young man, but we sure spent a lot of time together on this trip and I learned much more about him.


Where have you been off too lately?

Oh, and don't forget to link up your post.
Later,
I am off for another adventure.