Walking along the Bosporus

 
Dear Reader,

Istanbul, to say the least, is incredible. Upon my arrival on Thursday, I was awe struck by the landscape and sheer size of the city. Istanbul dwarfs even Athens. Sitting at the front of the bus, I could see no end of the city even at the top of one its seven hills. There seemed to be no end to the minarets and red roofs until we reached Boğaziçi University, which buttresses the Bosporus strait and offers a wonderful view of the Asiatic side of the city and beyond.

Not this clean anymore...

 I rested very little from Thursday through Saturday. If I was not sleeping, I usually walking or participating in the orientation process. Even when we could rest I chose to explore the city on my own. I limped into my room last night with seven blisters on my feet. Unfortunately, my orientation group stopped very little. So, dear reader, the monuments and minarets of Sultanahmet will be posted here when I have the opportunity to appreciate the wonder of ancient Constantinople. I spent today mostly reading around campus and in open air cafes.

I was also constantly drinking water. Or beer.

Although not in the heart of Istanbul, Boğaziçi University is urban. There are three campuses situated along one kilometer of road. I live on the western extremity of the west campus, while most of my classes are at the main campus about 600 meters to the east. As I will have to deal with city traffic, I won’t be able to sleep walk to class like at DePauw. Luckily, my first class does not begin until 11:00 am.

The walk to the main campus is very pleasant. The first half of the commute takes me past cafes and restaurants offering everything from iskander to Adana kebabı, and, of course, cheeseburgers as well. Grocery stores and other small shops offer many conveniences. It’s nice not having to go to Walmart for a change. The next half of my commute takes me through a very beautiful part of campus that is full of trees and wonderful views of the Bosporus strait. I will allow the photos to speak for themselves.

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