Istanbul

Istanbul was an amazing city. The people there were really nice, the museums were amazing, and the mosques in the city are beautiful. The Ayia Sophia is one of the most impressive buildings I have ever been in. The Grand Bazar is more like an event then a shopping center. There are so many sights, sounds, colors, and smells when you enter that at first it is rather disorienting. However, the feeling dosen't last long and is quickly replaced by a sense of adventure (sort of like being in an Indiana Jones film) as you walk through the maze of shops. The last thing you have to do in Instanbul is to cross a bridge to Asia. I hear that it's the only city to be in two continents.

Greecester

During our Easter break a group of us from ESI headed down to Greece. We had an amazing time. We aslo had a very tired time. We sleep in a hostel 2 of the 5 nights we were in Greece. The other nights were spent sleeping in an airport and the floor of a boat. The sceneary in Greece was amazing. Almost everywhere we went we could see both the sea and the mountains. I loved it. My faviorite places were probably Delphi or Cape Sunion. I also just really enjoyed walking through the markets of Athens. The last day we were in Athens we had a sort of contest to see who could buy the tackiest souviner under 3 euoro. It was really fun. I spent Easter on Crete. I was on a sort of pier looking out into the sea. Pretty good place to read the Bible and reflect on life. Seeing all the sights in Greece I was amazed by two things: 1) That people could build such beautiful and amazing buildings 2,500 years ago. 2) How everything fades.

"mighty indeed are the marks and monuments of our empire we have left. Future ages will wonder at us, as the present age wonders at us now..." --Thucydides from The Peloponnesian War

(L to R) Minoan palace in Crete. The Geecester crew at Delphi.

Top Row (L to R): Me in front of the Oracle at Delphi. Temple of Zeus in Athens. It was the largest temple in Athens.

Middle Row: Me by the temple of Poseidon at Cape Sunion. Temple of Hephaestus in the Agora.

Bottom Row: Picture of me in front of the Parthanon.