Olivier and Guillaume with a surprise farewell!!

Tonight, Guillaume and Olivier took it upon themselves to put out the trip with a big bang! Words cannot describe...

So how was Istanbul?? Interviews.....

Day six-Rumeli Fortress and the other side of Istanbul.

Today we visited the Rumeli Fortress opposite the Sea of Marmara. We took a tram to a bus station. After arriving at the station there were no buses to our destination! Fortunately there was a fleet of taxis awaiting our departure! We spent 45 minutes trying not to slip on the narrow staircases! After a a beautiful experience at the Rumeli Fortress we were told to leave because some students were having a snowball competition of the highest mark on the wall. We were reminded that it was a tranquil museum and that the wall was under strict preservation!
Once we left the fort, we boarded a ferry and to our surprise we were handed sealed envelopes contains broken maps and a note! Our task was to locate a restaurant from the docks. Sadly Ishaan's GPS decided not to work and his group faced a slow start. In the end, we all found the restaurant and tucking in to a well deserved lunch!

Hard negotiating at the Bazaar by Felix and his team!

Treasure hunting....

Interviewing people in the blue mosque in many languages!

DSB Mumbai team

Not forgetting our friends who are spending project week exploring Mumbai..... Visit their page at:

DSBdiscovermumbai.blogspot.com

Day five-blue mosque, Hagia Sofia, cisterns and bazaar!

Day five...What a day! Today we took part in a sight-seeing marathon! First up was the Blue Mosque. Trying not to slip on the marble steps leading up to the grand mosque. Inside the mosque, after getting over the magnificence of it, we started to interview people in groups about their impressions of Istanbul and the Mosque itself. We created some quick sketches of the windows and made our way to the Aya Sophia. With numb feet we followed our tour guide around the museum which was formerly a mosque and church. Trying to retain facts we wished for a warm sanctuary. Lunch at a restaurant was exactly what we needed. The Cisterns and the Grand Bazaar awaited.
At the Cisterns, which was Nick's speciality, we admired the capacity and size of it. The medusa heads were the main highlight. The fish also kept us entertained. Ms Furtado's group were experimenting with the echos in the Cistern but were approached by an I'll tempered Turkish man telling them to be quiet!!
After the Cistern was the Grand Bazaar. We all split into groups and delved into the Bazaar. After much negotiations we all went our own ways. Mr Yas' group decided to take a jolly and visit Burger King and Starbucks!!!
Once everyone was at the hotel, we went to see the spectacle of the Whirling Dervishes. Their hypnotic movements even sent Olivier and Neyo to sleep! After the show we went to a restaurant and enjoyed the evening!!
A long day had tired us out ready for a warm bed...