High and (oh so) Low

Istanbul, Turkey

If I recall correctly, foreshadowing has been discussed once or twice on this Weblog.

The strange monster hits again.

I last left you with a brief yet descriptive note: the Turkey Trots were in full effect here in Istanbul. If only it had stopped there. As the "sayings" go here, the turkey has trotted for miles now and the Sultan has had full revenge. Yes, Sarah and I are still quite sick.

The fevers have subsided, but we are now thoroughly dehydrated and (I for one) ready to get out of this place. The city really is a marvelous place to visit, if not for the disaster health effects we have suffered just for being here. And this after we have been quite careful about what we eat and drink (only cooked vegetables and bottled water).

Despite these past few days of misery, we have mustered up a bit of energy to slowly see some of the city sights. And two nights ago for a brief few hours, we were able to completely forget about our sickness.

Charmoin and Crawford Tatum, good friends from Auburn, put me in touch with one of their friends from Turkey. If only I knew what we were getting into when I agreed to meet up with Emin for dinner. Emin is a delightful ball of energy. He reminded Sarah of the Turkish version of Thomas Farmer, and he reminded me of a mix between Willie Elias and Farmer. Witty, full of passion, genuine. Emin is flat out "fun to be around."

I spoke with Emin on the phone and asked him how I would know who he was when we met up at 6 PM on Monday night. "Oh, you'll know," Emin explained. And he couldn't have been more right. We were standing in front of our hostel when a taxi came tearing around the corner. Out pops a cheerful, shaved head Turkish guy in a sharp suit, shouting "Andy" and giving me a handshake and hug. A delightful first impression.

Emin whisked us away and between cell phone calls with US traders, he gave us a run down of the city. The traffic was terrible, so we went straight to dinner. I can't do the dinner justice in my description. We had a four-course meal at a very nice restaurant on the Bosphorous River, which separates the European side of Istanbul from the Asian side. From one of the best views of the city, we had calamari, fresh fish from the Bosphorous, traditional Turkish desserts and coffee, the strong national alcohol called Raki, and a lot more.

The food was excellent, but the company was even better. Once again, keep in mind that Sarah and I are both sick at this point. Hours earlier in the day we had wanted nothing more than a warm bath and a couch and TV for a movie marathon. Yet Emin really did make us forget about our sick stomachs (even if I had to go to the WC a few times during supper). Looking back, it amazes me that one personality can truly provide a temporary medicine.

It was definitely the "high" of what mostly has been an oh-so "low" time in Turkey.