Viagra, Spices and Water Pipes

Viagra, Spices and Water Pipes

We slept in again this morning getting a late start. It appears we are on a European schedule of late nights and late mornings. I love the idea of eating at 10 pm since Istanbul is alive with people and music at this time. The joyful noise of partying seems to abate about 3 am.  





Today we decide to walk under the Galata Bridge rather than take the tram. The day before we walked home on the upper bridge roadway where we had seen many fisherman and even little children (all males) fishing and indicating success with their buckets full of wiggling fish. 

One elderly Turk winked at me and asked me to take his picture showing me his mustache and carefully pruning it into the right position.  



I wondered if these men were fishing for fun, or some extra cash, or picking up women. This time as we walk under the bridge we see scores of fishing lines and every few moments one is pulled up with a wiggling mackerel on it. At one point I saw a pail go up that seemed to be filled with some little fish. Anchovies?  Seth wonders if they pull too hard or the winds blow if the lines will snag us.  It is a beautiful view from this level across the Bospherous with many ferries filled with tourists zigzagging to and fro (like the mackerels) with the backdrop of mosques set against the blue skyline.  

There are many restaurants on this level selling fish sandwiches that consist of fresh French bread with an entire fried fish inside.  Well maybe the head has been removed.  We stop for one of these and of course a Turkish coffee that according to John is not up to his standard.  He believes it is powdered Nescafe and therefore offers it to me.

 

Today we decide to head for the Spice market because Seth tells us we did not see the full market yesterday. Everyone is up for this but I think one of us is after some natural Viagra. Indeed we discovered we had only barely smelled the Spice market previously and what I see today exceeds anything I expected. I would actually just like to spend the entire day here taking photographs. The colors and exotic ambience is intoxicating even without the energizing Viagra. Apparently this market was built 350 years ago to promote the spice trade and it still essentially serves the same purpose, as there are lots of locals here as well as tourists. 

I first notice dozens of stores selling all varieties of Turkish delight (also labelled as viagra) and each one allows you to sample various varieties. I try a few and decide I really like the version that is made with pomegranates and pistachios. Thus I buy a pound hoping it will improve my cognitive functioning. Who’s worried about sex at this age? 

Huge slabs of turkish delight cut according to size wanted 

The fresh roasted nuts look fantastic and there is a version of every kind of dried fruit that you can possibly imagine. 

Nuts 

I decide I like this market much better than the Grand Bazaar and hope to come back with a girl friend to take a cooking course so I know what to do with the spices. I see I can spend a small fortune for the saffron but hesitate to buy it since my cooking is so simple and unadventurous.
  

Saffron

We go on to view dried vegetables, green peppers and natural sponges hanging from the walls and tables full of colored olive oil soaps designed to keep your skin from aging. 

Soaps 

I see one vendor demonstrating how to make dolma-stuffing eggplants with rice and raisins. Then there are sacks of green powder that I find out is henna traditionally used for skin care and also needed by women to stain the palms of their hands before they get married. There are multiple herbal teas, which advertize their ability to keep you calm and relaxed. It seems that for generations and regardless of culture people have been trying to stay young, relaxed and energized. 


As we leave the market we stop to satisfy John’s coffee needs because he finds a shop that has an espresso machine and he is sure he will not be getting Nescafe. He orders a triple espresso and Seth and I order Moroccan herbal tea that is delicious.  Where can I find this tea in the market?

Next Seth takes us to a very old mosque, which he had seen the previous day and thought we should also see. It is called Rustem Pasa Mosque but only gets one star in our tour book whereas Spice market got two stars. However, I think the Spice market should get three stars and I am beginning to learn not to treat the guide book as infallible. This 16^th century mosque was also designed by Sinan (who designed Suleyman Mosque my favorite one) and is located above the old market. It looks dilapidated outside but when you enter you are overwhelmed by a barrage of wall-to-wall Iznik blue tiles which are simply awesome. I take many pictures and want to return to the market to buy some tiles.

Now Seth and I head for the Istanbul Archaeological Museum while John goes to the Topkapi Palace because we tell him he mustn’t miss the Harem or the tulips. The sarcophagi collection carved from marble and in seemingly near perfect condition stuns Seth and me. 

Alexander Sarcophagus is the star exhibition and I believe this museum was built to house this 4^th century BC sarcophagus. The scenes of battle and hunting in marble relief are really beyond belief and you can imagine them charging into the room with you. 

I also liked the scarphagus of mourning women. These women were professional mourners who were hired to cry and wail at funerals. These women’s gestures and emotions also seemed realistic and life like.

Farewell Scene 

In addition, I was also mesmerized by the Roman portraits (330 BC-1^st century) and find I am always drawn to faces more than landscapes.  I click away taking dozens of digital pictures. 

Hermaphordite 

Ethebe Athlete

Alexandra the Great

Athenea

What is interesting about these sculptures is that they are not idealized beauties but present real looking people with real emotions. Both Seth and I really enjoyed this underrated but impressive museum. It is simple, elegant and presented in chronological order and seemed to integrate a lot of the things we had seen in Istanbul so this was the right time to see this historical syntheses on our trip.

Seth and I head to a quaint lounging type restaurant on the street nearby to wait for John and we order tea and a water pipe (aka hookah). I have never tried a water pipe and but obviously Seth has had much experience as I observe his perfectly rounded smoke holes.  

Apparently these water pipes are not filled with marijuana but with low-nicotine tobacco leaves mixed with molasses and dried fruit or herbs. Apparently this fruit-infused tobacco contains zero to very little nicotine, is not addictive and provides no buzz. The tobacco you inhale is cooled by water and filtered allowing you to breathe it deeply. There is one hose connected to a metal body and we each get our own personal, plastic mouthpiece.  Seth models the correct behavior and I take a try. I inhale and blow out smoke but nothing emerges except my choking.  I realize there is a technique to this skill. Seth explains how to curl my tongue, frame my mouth opening, use my jaw muscle and tells me to breath in deeply. I try again…and can only laugh at my ineptness. 

John arrives and takes a turn. Since he used to be a pipe smoker I expect he will be quite skilled, however he cannot produce smoke rings either.  In background of this restaurant is music by the Beattles and Elvis.. memories of the 60’s flood back and we talk of those days.  Actually after awhile I confess I do feel a bit buzzed… hmmm… what was in this tobacco?