and i did go out that night. around the corner to TNT bar where they had a live band. a school holiday so not many people around. pretty interesting range of music - the first song i heard was "perhaps, perhaps,perhaps" by Cake...but in Turkish. definitely odd. so i just hung out. tasted raki for the first time. the worst tasting drink i can imagine - i am obviously not a fan of aniseed. so i didnt finish it and went to bed around 12:30. up way to early to get on a bus to istanbul.

hours later arrived, got a free dolmus ride into sultanhamet - the center of the old town- and checked into the interyouth hostel that is across the street from Aya Sofia. crazy city. Spent a good amount of time wandering around in the afternoon and have NEVER had so many people just start talking to me. almost all are of course trying to sell something. but it is really driving me nuts that you cant go down a street without people from the shops asking where you are from and wont you come in for some tea? got me very on edge last night but i am getting better at telling them to leave me the heck alone or just ignoring them. last night went out to taxim square in the new town. definitely the center of the nightlife. a great place to people watch. went to a bar with a pretty good band and not too expensive cover - drank beforehand of course. stayed until about 3am. here in istanbul the party does go all night long. i bet it is pretty awesome in the summer time. at any rate a taxi back and to bed very tired like.

this morning woke up and walked back up to taxim square - maybe 45min away? across the golden horn. and walked down the hill via the main pedestrian street. lots of people out just walking as today is still the festival of kaban bayrami. found some pretty cool covered marketplaces and cafes to wander in. eventually made it back to sultanahmet and did another circuit of the blue mosque, the hippodrome, and aya sofia. i think there is a mosque on nearly every corner here in istabul. makes it very creepy at the call to prayer times. all the different calls echoing in the streets and sounding so strange and foreign. istanbul is definitely a cool city however. lots to do...