WHAT AN EXPERIENCE!!! Visiting the Grand Bazaar in Istanbul was an experience I wont soon forget. The endlessly repetitious invitations from ambitious shopkeepers ... ... the sprawling maze of hallways full of gold & silver, silk & cotton, sweets & spices, and MUCH more ... ... the seemingly ridiculous starting prices on many items that saw a 40% drop in price within the few seconds it took us to walk by ... ... the whole experience was both captivating and exhausting. Im excited about a few good buys ... and even more excited to see a renewed level of energy in my dear AC who, thankfully, felt better and was able to join me for both the cruise on the Bosphorus and our bizarre bazaar adventure :). My highlight moment of the day, however, came at the end of our last dinner together ... it was a huge laugh out loud so hard it made me cry moment when my cousin spoke four simple words - just as we had heard them a few days prior in a classic 90s pop tune on the radio - How bazaar? How bazaar? OR How bizarre? How bizarre?. With her Aussie accent, they both sound almost the same and both meanings worked perfectly ... which set me off like a giggling BOMB that exploded in the restaurant. I was beside myself with the most uncontrollable bout of laughter I can recall for a LONG time. I almost felt I had to apologize to the other restaurant patrons and serving staff as my unbridled laughter reverberated through the room ... and it felt wonderful and bitter sweet all at the same time. Within mere hours, I was bidding my beautiful cousin Sladana farewell with a big hug as I set off for Ataturk airport and left her to pack for her seaside retreat to Oludeniz. This post is meant just for her and I - another journal entry - to remember the precious time we shared. The laughter I bellowed yesterday is now replaced with emotional tears that has the flight crew aboard this Airbus looking a bit concerned as I am soaring at about 11,000 metres somewhere over the Arctic Ocean en route back to Toronto. I wish my memory was as good as my ACs. While I will undoubtedly forget many of the moments we shared, what I will not forget is what she said to me that night at dinner ... That the most precious gift we can give is the one that can never be replaced - the one that is gone forever (except in our memories and our photos) - the gift of our time. Having almost two weeks together - exploring the amazing riches, cultural treasures and natural wonders that Turkey has to offer - is definitely the highlight trip of my life, so far. This gift of time IS precious and I am already looking forward to the next time we can share more special moments together in another amazing part of the world! (...perhaps Ill finally lure her onto a cruise ship and do Alaska) :) As a fresh well of tears blurs my vision with this post coming to an end, I know that of ALL the things I have to be grateful for, my amazing Australian Cousin (aka AC) is one of the things I am MOST grateful for. I could go on and on ... but this post should come to an end. The good news is that - as long as we are alive - our love and care for each other will never end. I LOVE YOU AC!!! Take good care of yourself ... you truly deserve the best! :)
Posted on: Fri, 26 Sep 2014 17:01:12 +0000
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