10:54 a.m. - 01.18.2004
Budapest vs. Istanbul
A. and I have been talking about taking a trip on my spring break, which is at the end of March. First there was talk of London to stay with a friend of mine, mostly because airfare was really cheap, I haven't seen the friend in years and we'd have a free place to stay. Then there was talk of Amsterdam because of cheap air fare and well, duh, it's Amsterdam. I've never been there and looked forward to a week or so of lounging about in the coffee houses. However, things took a lovely turn yesterday when we were babbling on the phone. I had been mulling over the idea of going back to Turkey. Now anyone who read my old diary knows how much fun I had in Turkey last January & February. It was bloody fantastic. We were rock stars. We traveled all over Turkey and were completely enchanted by how beautiful the country is and how cool the people were. Turkey officially replaced Morocco as my favorite place I've traveled to, which is no small feat because Morocco was amazing and I really look forward to going back someday. (I'm full of adjectives today, have you noticed?)
We both expressed our want to go back to Turkey and just spend the 7 or 8 days in Istanbul to see some of the things we missed the first time around. We spent a lot of time traveling to different regions in a typically American need to "see it all." We did a good job, we saw lots of things I didn't even know about before we got there. But, I would like to check into a place in Istanbul and just stay there for the whole time we're there, have a real 'home base', and just explore. There are a bunch of people I'd like to see again (like Enver, if he's not still on the Iraqi border translating for American troops...I hope hope hope he's not still doing that). I want to go back to that drum and bass club, SoHo, and just stay until it closes, I want to go to the spice bazaar, I want to go on a boat up the Bosphorus...
But while we were on the phone A. was looking at cheap flights and saw one to Budapest for like $360 roundtrip. Amesterdam is around $300 right now and London is even less, Istanbul was about $560. So we got kind of jazzed up about Budapest, I've never been and have heard great things about it. Being that I have nothing to do out here at my parent's house I went to the local Borders bookstore to look at travel books. I spent a good hour looking at Budapest books and taking notes but then I was drawn to the Istanbul books. Looking at the pictures I just knew that's where I wanted to go. Even if we have to pay a little more for airfare to Istanbul (and then there's that $100 visa Americans have to get, no, I'm not complaining, I understand why we have to) it's worth it to me. There is such an exciting quality of "otherness" that draws me to Turkey, a curiousity that can't be satisfied.
When I got home I found a round trip to Istanbul for $498 and I read in a budget travel mag that you can ususally Priceline for 20% below the lowest published rate. So, maybe we can get a flight for around $400 and then with the $100 for the visa, that's only $500. Well, I don't mean "only $500" because I'm broke as hell and will be counting on my financial aid from school that I should be using for my rent and not for travel, but travel is generally my number one money priority. I'd rather do with less most of the year to take a good trip. It's my greatest pleasure (especially since I'm living like a nun these days).
I haven't talked to A. again since the Budapest vs. Istanbul talk, but I emailed her. Something tells me she'll be unable to resist the Turk allure! Woo-hoo! Well, if we can get it all worked out, that is.
I feel like I really need a good trip after the shit storm I've endured this year. Most of the time I feel more joyous and I want to experience Istanbul with these new eyes.
Oh, and P.S., I had a sex dream last night for the first time in a really long time and I'm pretty sure I was in Istanbul. Foreshadowing, methinks? Heh. But seriously, I should have said yes to that three-way with those two beautiful Turkish men in Istanbul last year. I've been kicking myself ever since...
