Transient Friends

Ahhh Istanbul.
I've been enjoying my trip very much, well minus a small inconvenience that I am unable to rid myself of. Otherwise, so far it has been a great fun.

My adventures continue.
I have not been at a loss for companions and it has made my trip so much more memorable.
Smiling and saying hi are the best methods of making friends as a traveler.
One evening as I was out in search of dinner, I was walking along when a really cute guy stopped me to say hello.
We exchanged names and he decided to come along with me to eat. Since he was local I asked where was the best place to eat. He took me to a nice little spot where there were cushions arranged around a table on the ground and Turkish lamps hanging from a thatched roof. An eclectic blend of Turkish, Kurdish and Jamaican music set the soundtrack for the evening.
I had my first glass of Turkish beer as we chatter and smoked Shisha.

On our day trip yesterday to Princes Island, my travel buddy and I picked up some friends. On our ascent to the top of the hill we picked up Telha and Mung, a Brit and a Chinese. They were such sweet people who were instant friends. We had rich conversations about culture, education and life.
We chatted, joked and took pictures as we made our way to see the monastery of St. George. The climb was a bit tough but it was totally worth it as the view at the top was spectacular.
On our way back down we picked up Ines and Delores, college students from Germany. Good laughs and more awesome conversation followed up my delicious Turkish food with these truly special strangers.

Telha named us transient friends and as we hugged and said our goodbyes , I couldn't help but feel a little sad. It's crazy to think that you can make such connections with people after spending only a short time with them.
Even though it may be temporary it is totally worth the effort to connect with people. The best memories are made from these experiences.

Let's see what today brings.
Ciao!!