After spending half a day visiting the mosques and spice markets in Istanbul, I took a private ferry ride on the Bosporous Strait, a waterway that connects Europe and Asia. It was very cool to see the buildings from this perspective. Minarets, the tall skinny spires dot the landscape amidst commercial buildings, palaces, homes, hotels and lush greenery. Istanbulites are lovely people, friendly and polite. The most amazing thing I saw today was the Basilica Cistern, an underground water cachement system that was built around the 6th century to provide water for the palaces. In 1987, the mud was dug out and the cistern was turned into a museum. Once you descend the 52 steps and your eyes adjust to the darkness, you see the 336 concrete pillars which hold up the “roof” of the cistern. Today an entire village with roadways, shops and restaurants thrive above it. One would never know that you’re walking over a huge underground water reservoir. There’s still water on the bottom that people toss coins into. This has got to be the world’s largest wishing well. #cruiseonawhim
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