Nov 15-16. Sleep, walk, ride.

 Facebook isn't permitting my links to this blog. The posts get pink-boxed with a notice that they violate community standards. I asked how a link to a travel blog achieves that. I have yet to hear back. I feel like no one is reading these so why bother. I'll keep at it though. Maybe someone is. The point of keeping the blog was and is to inform my friends of my doings, and to share some of what I see. At some point I have to make and post some videos of just walking down these crazy streets. 

I booked a second week at this hostel. For dealing directly with the proprietor I pay five instead of six bucks a night though my reason for dealing direct was to cut out the commission that the booking website gets. It's a nice place, the two staff are great and until my bimonthly dole kicks in I'm pretty much broke. Funny - I'm thousands of miles from home with no return ticket, forty bucks in my account and yet I feel fine. You couldn't have ever told me that would be the case. I think it's the daily gratitude list. It brings to the table, daily, all my resources: being clean/sober, having a clear head, music, coffee, my journal, colored pens, friends!, food in my belly, my bike, food and lodging here are cheap, miles and miles and miles of a magnificent city to explore by foot or bike (looking and experiencing are all free), soap, a clean, warm, safe place to stay... those items show up regularly.

Istanbul is eleven hours ahead of California time. I am still getting acclimated and I've been here since Nov 9. I'm becoming impatient with day sleeping. Today I missed a whole day, again, by sleeping until 3pm. But I got up, coffee'd up, dressed and ride for a couple hours. Got back, ate, then walked for a couple hours. It is now 1am. I took melatonin and half a benadryl to hopefully sleep by 02:00 and hopefully be up around 10:00 so I can go ride more tomorrow. I walked for five hours last night. It was nice but I'd rather ride. So much more to be seen. I've figured out how to leave the Old City part and get down to the waterside where there are roads to take me out of town. Though it is a huge city with miles of suburbs before getting out of town. We'll see.

I strangely, enjoy riding through the chaotic streets. Gives me a joyful thrill. I thought about cocaine and amphetamine addicts and the chase for adrenaline. There must be a connection. I think it has taken a full week to even begin to grasp what Istanbul is, to me. Two words come to kind: pudding, chaos. Pudding- it's sweet, comforting, tasty and who doesn't like pudding; chaos as the human traffic is unpredictable, yet with an absence of menace. I can't even get mad when anyone drives right into me on four or two wheels or two legs. Their faces show no malice. Sometimes I even smile and say good morning. Though I flashed to a headline tonight of American tourist killed by speeding taxi.

Posted are pics from my night walks and my short ride today.