f?nal hours ?n Istanbul

Yesterday I spent the day wander?ng and gett?ng lost ?nthe res?dent?al areas of ?stanbul. I was ?n Ortaköy for lunch where I had a baked potato which I ate overlook?ng the Bosphorous R?ver. It was qu?te plesant. The baked potato was served stuffed w?th about a thousand d?fferent th?ngs l?ke mushrooms, ol?ves, cheese, couscous, and p?ckles. There were about 10 ?nd?st?ngu?shable potato vendors l?ned up there vy?ng for customers.

Somet?me on my way back I was attacked by a gang of street k?ds. About 10 or 12 of the,m surrounded me. They really were k?ds, w?th the oldest be?ng around 14. They surrounded me all reach?ng ?n to my pockets and push?ng me a lot. I kept swatt?ng them away, and I th?nk I actually hurt one by acc?dent. Not too badly though. They d?dn't manage to steal anyth?ng. Somet?me ?n m?ddle my small notebook was pulled out of my pocket and fell to the floor. I stared at the last k?d who had not run away rather menac?ngly and looked at the notebook unt?l he p?cked ?t up from the floor, handed ?t to me, mumbled someth?ng that must have been an apology, and ran away w?th the other k?ds. They looked k?nd of poor and ?f I hadn't been the?r ?ntended v?ct?m I would have felt bad for them.

At n?ght wh?le walk?ng down the street a guy asked me for a l?ght on one of the s?de streets off Istaklal. I gave h?m one.

About a half hour later I passed by a restaurant where he was eat?ng w?th h?s cous?n. H?s cous?n came out and talked me ?n to the place to jo?n them for tea. So They ?ns?sted on treat?ng me to tea and conversat?on for a half hour or so. They were Turk?sh Cypr?ots. They were very n?ce.

I had some p?zza at a local place for d?nner. It was pretty awful. Then I went home and watched TV for a b?t and went to sleep.

I check out of my hotel ?n a few m?nutes and I am off to Israel.