sea day/Istanbul

September 17, 2013: Istanbul day 1
Today was half a sea day for us of course, I got to sleep in, then went to breakfast and hung out in Club HAL with Megan for half of her morning shift. I had the afternoon shift and Megan hung out with me for a bit during that. It was a small group, so not bad at all, and they all left around 3:30 because parents wanted to get them ready because it looked like we were arriving a bit early. I got to change, and Megan met me at my room not long after we docked so we could go out in Istanbul together. She was absolutely amazed by everything she saw; I’m still amazed by Istanbul. We walked down the coast to the bridge that leads to the Spice Market and Grand Bazaar. We didn’t go to the Bazaar today, we got to the bridge, then turned around and started walking back to the ship. We stopped at a restaurant, got some “Turkish pancakes” (basically quesadillas), coke, and wifi. It was nice just sitting, snacking, and talking to friends back home. I had to get back for work though, so we left and made our way back to the ship. I got changed and to work just in time. It was movie night, so I started “The Princess and the Frog.” Megan came up to join me after a while, and we watched “Great Mouse Detective.” Still none of the kids came, so around 10, we went downstairs for pizza before moving in to the Loft and watched the start of the new “Alice in Wonderland.” None of the teens came, so we left after 11, too tired to stay much later and finish the movie. It was fun sharing both of our shifts, especially since it was movie night and that would be very lonely to work alone.