jayjayandjay

That water looks cold, even in mid-summer, ah now you’ll not see wee nessie in the day as she’s shy. Best to try at night and mind those annoying midges. Better still go up to sky and get away from the tourists and then over to Iona, there’s beauty there.

Spent my first two hours (it felt longer) at Istanbul airport looking for my luggage which luckily I spotted on a trolley that was just passing me. Had no way of getting to hotel but as I was coming out of arrivals was met by someone who said they’d take me for 60 lire. Well it was 11.p.m and i’d been travelling since 7.a.m. I wasn’t about to argue. The drive into Istanbul was memorable as finally I had arrived, i’d done it and with the window down I could smell the exotic air. It was midnight when I reached the hotel and I was happy i’d paid the extra for four star accomodation. I fell asleep and was rudely awakened at 4.a.m by what seemed like wailing all over the city…. ah, I thought I really am somewhere different and that’s why I chose Istanbul. The call to prayer… is five times a day and something you quickly get used to even for a lapsed catholic like me.

I met this girl while on a boat trip down the bospherous in Istanbul and she suggested I visit Iran. She gave me her name and address (she’s married) and said she would help me out when I visited. Hey, like I was minding my own business and looking out to sea at the time but then that’s life! Should I go I wonder?

Here I am a year later and i’ve been to Iran and met up with the person who invited me and her family. Iranians are (on the whole) very freindly and can’t do enough to help so that was a nice surprise. I really didn’t get to grips with the place in six days I was there, there just wasn’t the time. I met a girl and i’m not even sure if she’s married though she has a three year old boy. My feelings are mixed and i’m also aware that having not been in a relaitionship for a long time I have to be cool. No worries, i’m thousands of miles away. I can’t understand why I don’t just fall in love with the girl next door, it would be so much easier. Even the first girl I went out with it wasn’t straight forward as she had a two year old boy. So do I go back? Yes, once i’ve had time to reconcile the romantic in me with the reality of the situation. Even if there’s no big romance I want to look up friends and and visit Shiraz and Kish island.