We wish everyone a happy Fourth of July. Peace Corps Service has made us appreciate the United States, our freedoms, prosperity, openness, diversity, education, freedom of the press, and foods. We will hopefully never take for granted those national attributes, and we ask you to celebrate the birth of our nation for us. Even with all the problems, issues, and difficulties you face in the United States, it is a time to celebrate.
Our photos continue to be from Turkey. We took well over 1000 digital shots. We have deleted 200 or so, and will continue to pare down the number. The first photo is of the Spice Bazaar. All tourists are taken to 2 bazaars. The Spice Bazaar is known for its aroma of spices and the availability of items such as caviar. The other bazaar is the Grand Bazaar, which has over 4,000 small shops. The atmosphere in both is hustle and bustle. People can barter the prices, but generally the shops give a reasonable price on the smaller items.
The largest mosque in Turkey is the Blue Mosque. It is the only mosque with 6 minarets. The sultan who built the Blue Mosque died within a year of its completion. It is still an active mosque, so tourist must be courteous of the worshippers during prayer times. There are no furnishings other than the lights and carpets. The third picture is of the dome, which is supported by four large columns. One of the columns can be seen in the fourth photo. To the far left of the column is a stairway upon which the Friday sermon is delivered. The religious leader does not go to the top, but only halfway to symbolize humility before God. Before microphones and sound systems an assistant would be in the cube like area and repeat the sermon for those farther away.
The final photo is Linda entering the women’s section which is very small because very few women attend the prayer times, and usually only during Ramadan and Qurban. Namaz (prayers) are said anywhere.
We are settling down into the summer routine after our trip to Turkey. The weather is hot and dry here. Many more homes have an air conditioner for one or more rooms than when we arrived almost 2 years ago. We estimate 1/5 of the homes have an air conditioner. We use 2 small fans to cool down. The hot dry air now brings dust with every breeze.
In the fall, winter, and spring generally Azerbaijanis do not drink anything cool. But, in the summer we can buy cool drinks (cola, water, juice, etc.), which are kept in a refrigerating unit. Sometimes they are cool to cold, but most of the time just a little under room temperature. That is why we enjoy being in our own apartment. Even though we have a small refrigerator, we have ice trays, and iced drinks. The first thing Linda wanted when we returned from Turkey was a glass of iced tea.
Another joy of summer is that is the only time ice cream is available in the markets. The quality and variety is not Baskin Robbins, but some of the different bar treats are quite good, and bring joy to a hot day. It reminds us of the hot Texas summers as children and the happiness of going out to our local ice cream parlors for an ice cream cone. I still recall going to Polar Bear for lime sherbet cones.
Again, happy Fourth of July and God bless America.
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