The Hagia Sophia was... wow. Just fantastic. Also, HUGE. Like, I almost felt agoraphobic, it was that big. Beautiful architecture, huge mosaics, wonderful stained glass, and just wow. Also? Big. Very impressive, though unfortunately I can't put many details here. Anh did this thing called the sweating column, you stick your thumb in and if it comes out wet your wish will come true. Kind of goofy. I waited outside for a long time, people-watched, the group didn't know I was outside (I told Anh and Brenna), eventually they found me and we moved on.

The Blue Mosque was closed for prayers, we waited about 15 minutes and then it opened. Very impressive as well, though the chains hanging from the ceiling make photos difficult. The center chain has some ostrich eggs on a triangle near the top, which is kind of neat. They have a little Islam information center near the back which seemed remarkably welcoming, “there is no compulsion to religion,” though I didn't end up going in. Seemed alright though.

Pizza for lunch. Had a sausage and green pepper deal, gave all my olives to others, ate some of Anh's margherita and some of Kanako's mushroom too. From there we got some time to wander the city. I came back to the hotel trying to drop my camera off, but the guy thought he didn't have the key. (He did). I'm glad though, because when I went to the park I actually got some cool pictures. There's a NICE park en route to the Hagia Sophia, free and open. I walked a bit, semi-stalked this couple near my age trying to figure out their nationality, definitely American or English but not sure which. I was going to let them be but the guy was finding all the cool birds, so I was following him to get pictures of the birds. Lots of stuff here, not just crows and little seed-eaters but also big herons and... of all things, bright green parakeets. They seem really out of place but there they are, in great numbers. Also a fair number of cats, of course, lots of museums I couldn't afford to go into, and a pretty globe with just a small piece of map outside of the museum of Science and Technology in Islam.

Nate eventually caught up with me, we walked a bit, left the park, went down towards the docks, walked some more, ended up back by the milestone and this big Egyptian obelisk near the Hagia Sophia. He bought this candy thing, kind of like taffy-texture rock candy, Anh Kanako and I had had them earlier. They take a stick and roll it so the candy wraps around it, and it's five different flavors all rolled one after the other. It's DELICIOUS. I want it in the states almost about as I want tuktuks/auto rickshaws. So we had that, walked some more, ended up back at the hotel, chilled a bit. Had an Efes with John, Swaffie, Matt and Caitlin, listened to some music, dinner. Good dinner, so many courses, so many desserts, so good.