Sapanca

This Sunday a group of inbound exchange students and our rotex counsellors took a "safari" trip to Sapanca (Sah-pan-jah). We drove one hour on a bus from Istanbul, and then switched to all-range, off-road Range Rovers to tackle the harsh terrain. Six exchange students, from many different nations and continents, packed into each one of the Range Rovers, and we bounced along the steep, cliffs-edge roads. In the beginning there was mud. There was plenty of thick, wet mud. Green bushes and trees lined the road, and after some time passed and some altitude was gained, we began to see small clusters of snow clinging to the ground. The snow cover thickened, and we stopped several times on the road so the exchange students from Venezuela, Brazil, and Mexico could participate in the first snowball fight of their lives. Our Range Rovers and talented drivers drove through winding roads, up steep piles of dirt, and down wild cliffs as we screamed in the back.
Istanbul is an enormous city--it has an amazing variety of different locations, foods, traditions, and histories. Living in such a cultural epicenter is both fascinating and overwhelming. Spending the day outside of the fast-paced bustle of the city was cathartic, and just what most of the exchange students needed. Climbing a mountainface, throwing snowballs, and letting the wind whip our red faces refreshed us before another week of Turkish school. Sunday in Sapanca was wonderful.