The M1

I got the opportunity to head off base last week. Nick was off work and watched the girls and I went with a few of the other OSI spouses and we went to the M1. The M1 is like the mall. There are many food court like restaurants and a couple of sit down places. There is also movie theater that place movies in English with Turkish subtitles (I thought that was a little ironic...) There were plenty of American store in there. There were stores like Nike, Adidas, Levis, and Dockers, to name a few. We didn't go in any of those stores, but I was told that everything is very expensive in the American stores. We did go into a store (I can't remember the name of it) that was like a Home Depot. They had hardware, gardening supplies, plants, some carpets, and other trinkets. We also went into a store called the Real (ree-al). It was comparable to a Super Target or Super Walmart. They had a little of everything. The had great produce (the produce on base is horrible!! I was convinced that the twins wouldn't get bananas until we got back to the states because the ones there are always brown or black) and mounds of spices. They also had a great bakery. The clothes and things were the same but with a European flair. They also had some Turkish candies that I would like to try. We also went into a pottery/glass store. They had some beautiful chai sets and beautiful place settings and blown glass vases. In the upstairs is was a special room that had some very exquisite authentic looking hand painted plates and glass artwork and vases. The upstairs was a little more expensive (about 80-300 Lira for one item, about 50-200 U.S. Dollars), but the downstairs prices weren't too bad. On the outside of the mall around the perimeter, there were some fruit/vegetable stands set up in the middle of no where.

On the drive there, the city is dirty. There are buildings, like apartment buildings, 20-25 stories high and the are everywhere. I don't think I saw one house that didn't look abandoned. The road conditions weren't bad, but the driving here is INSANE!! I expected it to be like this, but it is crazy to see it first hand. Two lane roads are usually four-five lane roads and stop lights are optional. It is every man for themselves on the road. You also have to be careful of people jetting out in front of you. There are people walking everywhere. There are also a lot of tractors, bicycle carts, motorcycles, buses, and even livestock roaming the streets and highways in the city. Mt friend, Bianca, took the twins and I to get our stroller on Monday and there was a flock of about 60 sheep on the side of the side of the road.

On our drive throughout the city, we did pass the largest mosque (Muslim church) in Turkey. It was built in the last ten years and it is beautiful!! We hope to take a tour of it in the next month. Also off the road way, there is a bridge over a small river (which runs by the mosque too). The bridge is a pedestrian bridge now, but it dates back to Roman times when it was built.

Anyways...that is it for now and we will have more details of our upcoming adventures soon!!