We woke up and started with breakfast. There were eggs, bread, different kinds of meat and cheeses, as well as different vegetables!!! After breakfast, we got on the bus to head over to Hagia Sofia for our first mosque tour! We were able to get head coverings for going into the mosque and as we walked in, we took our shoes off. Our tour guide explained the images on the walls, the history of the building, and what it was used for. Next, we walked over to the Blue Mosque and got to see all of the pretty blue tile on the walls. There were 22,000 blue tiles and 200 windows built in the building. After the Blue Mosque, we went to see important structures that were gifted from the Egyptians and were 2,500 years old. After that we got to go to Arasta Bazaar, which is a long strip of different stores! There were spices, jewelry, clothes, Turkish delights, purses, scarfs, towels, etc. Then we had lunch at a nice restaurant where we had grilled chicken, rice, vegetables, and bread! Once we ate, we got on the bus to go to our match at Eczacibasi Sport Hall. We went through warmups and stretches with them and then some hitting lines before we started playing. We played four sets and split them, 2-2. Once we were done playing and taking pictures with the team, they made dinner for us and we got to sit down and talk with the team! Some of them knew English so we were able to communicate some! We made a lot of new friends and didn’t want to leave! We eventually got back on the bus and got to our hotel to plan for tomorrow. Then some of us wanted to try their restaurants that made desserts so we went to a place called Mendels and got some delicious desserts to end our day!
- #3 Andelyn Simkins
