Ok im a little behind, but here goes nothing =9

    Ok January started out as usually as any month except for the fact that I WENT TO ISTANBUL TURKEY. I live In Izmir if I didnt mention that earlier, and this month I took a trip to Istanbul a major city in Turkey. The month started out when I was hanging out with my friends oh yea and I have a Turkish class every Saturday to help us all learn Turkish. I can say I love Turkey and everything about it, but theres one problem...too much English...it doesnt make learning Turkish any easier. But hey after I become fluent in Turkish ill try to move on to Arabic and see if I cant master a new alphabet .

    Anyway After I departed from Izmir me and the other exchange students rode in a train. The clicking of the tracts and the roar of the wistle reminded me of home. What I saw out of the ordinary was a garden of olive trees to my right when I peared out of the window of the train. I read stories about the mountain of olives with the lusious olive trees but I never actually see them until now (Thanks Rotary). When the train stoped we got on a tour bus and from their we headed straight to Istanbul, but on the way we stoped somewhere...The Trojan Horse. We saw the tourist site with the trojan horse I have plenty of Pictures that I will send after this report. In that area we read alot and was tought alot about the Greeks and the Trojans, I can say I have see more in 6 months than millions of people have seen in 6 years.
 

    After the Trojan horse we headed to a Turkish grave site were some of the Turkish solders were buried, they were called "The men who answered the call of duty". It was quite a site next to the ocean with the mountains in the background on top of the mountains was a fort built by the Turks to defend against Greek attacks. After the Graves we went to the Fort walls on top of the mountains and explored the mountian side as well as the antique cannons that the Turks used to fend off Greek solders. Even though according to the history the tacticts that were used at the time resulted in falure . The strategy was to fend of the enemies at the top of the mountain, but somehow the Greeks were able to break through the line of defense.
   

 When that was done we boarded the tour bus and headed to Istanbul...finaly at 7:30 we reached our hotel in Istanbul then ate. Not to complain but the hotels I in the other exchange students slept in were not in very good condition. The walls were cracked there was mold (that made me sick) and it was supposed to be 4 star (i couldnt imagine anything less ). The sites on the other hand were wonderful when we were in Istanbul we saw the biggest mosque and the prototype that wasnt too bad but somehow was considered a constructional falure. But both of these were the grand mosques in which many of the Turks in Istanbul united to pray. Expecialy on holidays such as Ramidan or Byram the Turkish christmas it was very interesting . And within the mosques we saw many paintings of Jesus Christ and his deciples expecialy "The Last Supper" Im methodist so that was an extrodinary site for me.
 

    There were also many markets in Istanbul such as the grand market, the spice market, the many markets on the mountains as well. There were plenty of night clubs to go around as well it may not seem like much, but the streets of Istanbul get DANGEROUS at night. When the clock strikes 12:00 at the latest you eather have to be at your house or a club. Istanbul was indeed a fabulous city it wasnt as modern as izmir, but it was a city full of life and history Im hoping I can go back before I return to America.

    After we saw as much of Istanbul as we could we departed for ankara and at the time it was snowing as well ohhh we had fun then. When the tour bus stopped we were able to go outside explore the mountain and play in the snow. Everybody made snowballs and threw them at each other and also made snowmen. Luckily for Rotary I was able to get plenty of pictures to share when Im done downloading them ill send them right away. For the night we all stayed in downtown Ankara and the hotel there was even worse, but we still had alot of fun everyone play games then went to sleep...

    In the morning we went to a place...one of the most precious places to the Turkish people...a place that write the whole history of the countries development from Otoman to Turk. THE MOSOLIUM OF ATATURK man...I didnt get enough pictures of that place it was amazing. The mosolium of Ataturk was the very site where ataturk was buried after his death. Ill share some of my photos later, but after the trip we all went to a shopping center in Ankara were we at the end said all of our goodbies...sad. Afterward we all headed back to Izmir on the train and relaxed for a while after all the traveling.

That about all for now! Thanks for everything Rotary!Ill see you all in four months!

Aaron