The nomadic week

I've been living like a nomad with my one backpack for the past week.  Last friday, the people I was staying with got sick with a highly contagious bacteria that has continued to spread to different people we know.  I've stayed in three different places and have two outfits, one blue shirt and one black shirt.  It's been quite the week.

Not because of that though - it's been quite the week because I have met many new families with children from Syria.  I have seen little bright and shining faces running around and have heard various stories of what it means to seek a better future.

I also spent three days of this week in a kitchen where I continued the basic cutting skills that I was taught in Bolivia - cooking in other cultures seems to be a theme that I do enjoy.  We cooked for over 200 one day!  That's a record for me.  I hope to cook in India too.

We are currently in finals week (MY LAST ONE), so this post will be less words and more photos.  I am including photos from a trip that we took to Cappadocia, an ancient city, a few weeks ago and then just random everyday life here.  Including some photos from the bazaar which is currently happening below me.

Lord willing, on Monday I will travel to Greece to learn more about work with refugees there and then will continue on to Germany and Switzerland to visit friends and family!  It will be a short stay in each place, but I am so grateful.  Turns out that flights from Turkey are extremely cheap, and my measly savings can afford these joy filled gifts.  I don't think I realized how significant it was that I could share a room with Claudia and Sharon during my last few months in California because those savings can now be used to visit friends and family!

Crossing the bosphorus at night is gorgeous

this morning when I stepped outside, the bazaar was happening

crossing the bosphorus 

Cappadocia - see the holes?  Those are entrances to where people lived in the BC times!!!!

A castle 

These are churches - people are lined up to enter in.  Inside are beautiful murals, we weren't allowed to take photos.  Persecuted Christians sought hiding in this area during the Roman Empire

There were indications of the Christians that used to live here with crosses

This was a door, the caves had trap doors that could close off in case of intruders

We were inside a HUGE cave that could host 5,000 people.  Crazy tunnels underground

Inside one of the rock houses (above ground one)

Over the land - Claudia pose attempt - it will get better, wait till India! ;)

Inside the cave - we went so deep by ourselves and shut off the light to sit in pitch dark

Syrian Refugee Children

On the ferry :)

My first Persian meal with friends from Iran - so delicious and like nothing I have tried before

Visiting the town where some refugee friends live

coming into Istanbul at night - the little lights are the ships in the water.  Ships in the night!  Got so excited.

Tourist part of town

English time

Another area that friends live in

I have slowly gotten to know the kids from this family as their mother gives me arabic lessons 

Roaming the streets and looking for a cake - I really enjoyed spending time with these kids 

Walking in the street, woman like to walk with their arms intertwined and I love it.  I need to get braver at taking photos - so many interesting things to see.