Finally a cool place! We’re in Istanbul and after all the hellish train experiences we’re finally here! We got in at around 8:30am yesterday and started walking to the “Orient Youth Hostel” when we saw all these police running towards the bus/ trolly [sic] thing all grabbing their guns. So since we were about 30 feet away we decided to watch. About 50 pigs surrounded the car and about 20 jumped in. It was so cool to see about 100+ people put their arms in the air while pigs searched for a terrorist figure. No luck. So we left.

A man offered us an apartment with 2 rooms and a shower so we thought “what the hell” so we went there and slept for a long time. Woke up around 8:30pm and hit Burger King for a change. Called my parents last night- everything’s fine there. People are very strange here- they all make strange faces and gestures to you. It’s hard to make sure you don’t look suspicious because you take the chance of the police taking you down.

Well, today we woke up early and came to the Orient YH because the other place didn’t have hot water (go figure). No problem- there’s always cool people to talk to here. It’s nice and cheap here too- $5.00 a night to stay, Marlboro smokes for .90¢, cheap smokes for .33¢ (about), Coke for .33¢, museums for $1.00, breakfast (omelette [sic], bread, jam, and coffee) for under $2.00. It was so cool to take out $100.00 and receive 5,000,000 Turkish lira. That’s 5 bills saying 1,000,000! Cool! C’est genial! C’est monstre cool! (My new word).

This place is so beautiful with its architecture and churches for the muslims. They worship 5 times a day with hymns flowing throughout the city all day.

(Exchange rate= $1.00 to 45,000 Turk Lira)