Saturday, January 7, 2012

the sound of the sea



After rescuing my bag from a near solo-trip to Finland, I came home to Istanbul this frigid morning to discover my apartment had transformed itself into an icebox. No electricity, no heat, no hot water. I decided to visit my mum— she's got coffee and a hot shower, which I so desperately need. Having travelled for thirteen or fourteen hours, and after fiercely negotiating with an apathetic man muttering into a walkie-talkie, to please just have one more look for my missing bag, I am ready to crawl into a bed. My body is sore and my mind is dull, but I have these lovely pictures to remind me of pretty days in the warmth, when the sound of the sea washed away worry, and the act of getting from Ho Chi Minh City to Istanbul was a very distant thought.



I'll write more when I locate my brain, which I suspect is somewhere over Pakistan.

8 comments:

barbara said...

Welcome home! Love the sand pictures, I too could feel the warmth! Snow here in Ontario!

szaza said...

Thank you, Barbara— ooh do stay warm there!

Matilda said...

Welcome home. The photos are lovely. What is the georgeous blue you are wearing? I eagerly await your impressions of Vietnam Nam.

Unknown said...

happy new year and lovely picts

Petra said...

a very *happy new year* for you and all your family @Szaza and welcome back home! :-)

szaza said...

Thank you, Carol! The skirt is something I resisted for a long time, forgot about, then saw again many months later at a discounted price. It is a Turkish design made in Nepal, and a wonderful travel companion!

Happy New Year, Lila! Thank you :)

And a very happy New Year to you too, Petra! I hope 2012 brings you much happiness and success. Thank you!

Matilda said...

Thanks for the description of the magnificent blue. Would love to see more of the skirt! And fashion on your travels. What is Turkish style?

szaza said...

Hmm... Turkish fashion varies.
You have conservative Islamic ladies who wear hijabs, or head scarves, and they can go anywhere from very plain and sombre to bright and colourful. You also have the ladies in miniskirts and the latest fashion trends. Generally speaking, the thing I notice most about Turkish women is their hair— oh goodness how my limp, stringy hair longs to have the body and shine of a Turkish woman's locks!

Winter is not the best time to see Turkish street fashion in full force, but I can get some photos together for a fashion post. I think it would be rather interesting, as people who have never been to Istanbul generally have no idea what to expect here. Mind you, Istanbul is not representative of the entire nation, much like New York City or LA are nothing like a tiny town in West Virginia— but like NYC, you do get a wonderful mix of people here.

Turkish male fashion is pretty interesting too, and the men can get quite manicured— one of my Turkish friends even confided that many men here shave their armpits!