October 20, 2005
Frank and I arrived in Istanbul two days ago, and we've spent our time so far wandering around this amazing city, sleeping--and, yes, enjoying the company of Labou, the Turkish Rabbit. As some of you are aware, Frank first met Labou two years ago on his way to meet me in Kurdistan. We saw him again last June on our way home to Seattle.But rabbits don't live forever, you know, so we were prepared for the worst on this trip. Frank was overjoyed, then, to get an e-mail from the hotel staff informing us that "Labou is still with us." (Did I forget to mention that Labou lives in the lobby of the Avropa Hotel in downtown Istanbul?) There are a number of downsides to this particular hotel (it's a bit noisy, there are Ukrainian "dancers" living there--but that's another story--and then there is Casper, the evil carrot-stealing dog) but, rest assured, that Labou's presence more than makes up for it all. Pictures of this wonderful (and ancient--he's 6 years-old) beast are attached for your viewing pleasure.
Today we saw the marvelous Topkapi Palace and some of its many treasures--two pictures of this spectacular place are attached as well as an overlook of Istanbul from the Palace. It was a gorgeous fall day: sunny, cool, bright, occasional showers. A perfect day for fall sightseeing--and lots of tourists, too, to our surprise!Tomorrow we leave for the Coast and all the ruins of Ephesus, Pergamon, and more. Frank's favorite stuff (besides rabbits): ruins!
