a postcard from the moon & two stars
After a years of work/study and no play, I finally treated myself to a small holiday back to my home away for home - Turkey. It had been ten years so I was more than longing to return, I was frothing. With my flight booking skills, I managed to make trip twice as fun and finally made it to Morocco (after a failed attempt in 2004). I had been dreaming for this day.
In a nutshell, Turkiye.... was everything and more that I love and miss. Istanbul the only place on earth I ball my eyes out arriving and leaving, I'm sure the lady next to me on the flight in thought I was a total weirdo. In Istanbul I took a break from the lens, which now in hindsight I wish I had not, but I was well and truly exhausted and just wanted to chill. Morocco I went with purpose and wanted to shoot the sh*t out of it, I was prepped, I was excited... i was READY. I ATE some stupid unpeeled fruit and i got deathly ill for the rest of the trip (and some time home as well). HOW CLEVER AM I! :(
So friends, this was sadly not the most exciting adventure to share picture wise but I do have some stories to share in person.... I hope you at least enjoy these few landscapes from Istanbul, and a semi concious stream from Fez that I managed to capture in just a couple hours before I bought my ticket to hell and back.
I guess will just have to go back next year. To be continued......
Istanbul, Turkey
My favorite place I have ever lived, Cihangir hood in Istanbul. I spent many many mornings camped out on one of those balconies right up the top of the hill, watching the large ships move peacefully along the winter grey Bosporus, as the chatter of the seagulls broke the dull city hum. Then as the light seeped over the horizon kissing the landscape with light, so came the gentle voice far off in the distance - its more than just a song, it is multi-sensory experience. You hear it, you feel it... and one minaret soon infects the next, and soon it reaches you in this overwhelming chaotic yet divine cacophony of sounds that fills the heart with peace. To this day this was the most 'still' I have been.
Rainy morning in my old hood. I stayed at the Cihangir Otel which was close to my old apartment just so I could take all this in again.... nostalgia to the max.
Afternoon spring storms roll over Istanbul dragging the golden hour behind it. (That seagull gets me every time I look at this)
Living surrounded by water I have realized is the only places I exist in a calm and peaceful state. My favorite part here was commuting over water, I never got anywhere near as stressed out as I do on buses and trains when I/they are late. I mean, what else can you do but just take in the fresh air and scenery? Ok sure if you insist....
Pink dominated the sky most nights, and I loved how the blue sea was tinted with pink as well. Here you see the European continent just hanging on the left of the image, and the lit Bosphorus Bridge reaches over to the asian continent.
This was the first time I have been to Istanbul in Spring, previous four times were in fall/winter, I had NO IDEA on what I was missing out on. Almost every perfect day was met with some quick electrical storms in the evening which made for the most spectacular sunsets. Ok i did push the viceral elements to the edge here, but it's hard to get the camera to truley see what the eye sees.
Seni özledim istanbul... till we meet again.
Fez, Morocco
