Istanbul...The city of 3 million moustaches

So after a few border stops at Bulgaria (shitty small stamps) I had to wait more then 2 hours at the Turkish border and they were checking everybody's bags for alcohol or tabaco. With help of my fellow turkish buspassengers I got send the right way to the hostel I was planning to stay in, Big Apple hostel in Sultanameth.

Istanbul is a real great city, where the west and middle east come together. The city has many mosques and some churches aswell, 5 times a day the muslims pray and the speakers on the mosques are sending the prays all a cross Istanbul, which is not really that bad actually; it doesn't wake me up at 5 in the morning.

Here at the hostel where I have been staying now for 5 days I have met some really nice people from all over the globe. I have been visiting some real nice attractions like Aya Sofia and the Blue Mosque with a few backpackers I have been hanging out with. Alex from Wales, Beth and Oli from Canada and Ozzie Dave; really cool guys and at night smoking many waterpipes and drinking turkish beers in the Beanbags (zitzakken) on the roof terrace of our hostel with an amazing view over the river Bosphorus (the river that splits Europe and Asia) and the Blue Mosque in the back. The last few days 2 fellow Dutchies adding to the bunch and my Yoga teacher Gavin from England/South Africa.

Yoga?!?.... Yeah Joost has gone spiritual. I did a small personal course with Gavin of 6 times an hour to learn the basics. I do it mainly because of releasing tension/stress and becoming mentally stronger. Not that I have any stress here but the last years I have created an interest for it and hearing from people that it's really working for them.

I find it really interresting and Gavin is a real good teacher, I plan to practise it further on my own. Saturday bought some nice stuff at the Grand Bazaar like a new cap and shorts and some bananatabaco for the waterpipes and practised my bargain skills at the over 4000 shops.

Eating many kebabs and really experience the Turkish lifestyle here in Istanbul, life is good here and really worth it working so many hours the last 5 months.

Yesterday been walking allot to reach the Dutch consulate to get an recommendation letter which I need to apply for a visa for Syria. Even had a clean shave for it but still had to pay 48 lira (about 24 euro) just to get a letter which says; 'Yeah Joost Copray is a good boy may he enter Syria please'. Bought a busticket to Olympos for tonight (the 31st) to chill out in some treehouses they have there. Got up early today because I had to be at the Syria consulate before 11 oclock to apply for my visa (30 euro), at the moment I'm waiting (and updating this blog) to get my passport back at around 15:00. I really hope I get in because I heard some spectacular stories about Syria. This trip I will skip Lebanon because of the mess the country is in right now, really ashame because Lebanon has some great sights I want to visit. After Syria I will move to Jordan and then to the holy land to visit some friends.

Thanks for the nice reactions on my blog and hope you are all well. The photos are from me standing infront of the Blue Mosque and a photo of some Bananatabaco.