Galata Circles and Sampuan

The Genoese built the Galata Kulesi in 1348 as a defense tower in the neighborhood of Beyoglu, and expatriates still roam these streets using the the 205 ft tower as a homing device to know which way is which. We can see the damsel-in-distress-tower from two of our apartment windows, something that has not yet faded in newness glory for me yet. I ventured out by myself today to make sure I knew my way around in the daylight so that when I work up the courage to go out alone at night, I know my way home. The Galata Kulesi is sure to light my way.

I knew to turn left at the Galata, head up the street until I hit the place where they are building the Metro. Turn at the Metro and I'll hit Istiklal Caddesi, Main Street if you will. My problem was, I didn't know the direction to turn at the Metro. So I followed the stream of people, thinking as the street remained narrow, that surely it would open up into Istiklal eventually. When I came to the end of the street and looked around, I found I was back at the Galata. What a beautiful circle I'd made. I did see, though, the grocery store was on this street! One discovery out of my lostness...

So I headed back up the street towards the to-be Metro again, turning the opposite direction this time, and sure enough--there was Istiklal Caddesi! Swarms of people, stores, sounds and smells, I strolled for awhile down the street just absorbing it all. I found a side street with a bazaar, and headed in to see what I'd find. Imported HUGE purple grapes pleased my Northern California eyes, and so I bought a kilo. I didn't really want a kilo, but I didn't have the language ability to say so. (Realizing just now that maybe I ought to learn how to say 'yes' and 'no' quick!)

After an hour reading in a coffee shop (okay, I'll confess, in Starbucks), I headed back towards the Galata, stopping in the grocery store on my way home. I forgot to bring any body wash at all to the country with me, and so I figured I ought to buy some before my roommate begins to hate me for stealing all hers. She assured me the store sold it. I stood in front of the aisle where bathroom products are shelved and stared at each item. There was a Dove bottle there, but the description was in Turkish. How was I to know it wasn't lotion? I picked up the bottle and decided to stare at it long enough that maybe I would understand what the bottle said. Sure enough, as I sounded out the letters (Turkish is completely phonetic), it said "sampuan." Sh-am-poo-an. Shampoo. Not body wash, is my guess. I looked at bottles that were obviously shampoo, and they also said "sampuan." Hmmm... I looked at everything else that could be body wash, but decided not to buy something without consulting my new dictionary first. I'll have to use a bit more of my roommate's body wash until tomorrow...