Today, the Global Scholars set off to explore the Bosphorus on a ferry. After getting up bright and early, we met at the Eminönü Docks which are right across from the dorms we've been staying in. Once we boarded and found some seats, we set off, bouncing from stop to stop on each side of the Bosphorus. The views were incredible. We saw some beautiful houses on the coastline as well as some historical sights and castles. It was amazing to be out on the blue water (some of the bluest I've seen in person) and to see almost the entire city of Istanbul from a distance.
After rounding off the hour and a half up the Bosphorus, we stopped at a little town called Anadolu Kavagi and had a bite to eat - I had some amazing seafood (mussels, calamari, AND sea bass) for the equivalent of 12 USD. Even one of our vegetarians was tempted into trying some! It was delicious and coincidentally the first time I ate a fish that still had a face on it. Looking the fish in the face as I ate it was certainly a new experience, but overall one I would try again.
The town was a nice change from the hustle and bustle of Istanbul. It was good to get out of the city, and although the area was still pretty touristy, seeing the suburbs of Istanbul was an interesting experience. The town looked more like one would expect a town in a "developing" country would look like. It really showed how quickly the city of Istanbul has been growing and developing! After we finished eating, some of us explored the town while the rest headed up to a nearby castle. I stuck around town to do some shopping and ended up getting some ice cream with some of the other Global Scholars. Turkish ice cream has nothing on Italian gelato, but that doesn't mean I'd turn it down either! After we finished, we regrouped with the rest of our group and got back on the boat for another beautiful ride, but this time back to our dorms. All in all, it was a great, relaxing day - a perfect mixture of cruising on the river and eating great food.
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