We didn't start it!

Yes, we were in Istanbul last weekend, and, yes, we did see the protests. But we managed to steer clear of the tear gas ...

Ferry loading protesters

We were with our friends David and Mary Jo, and the four of us went to a part of town called Kadokoy via ferry. When we arrived, we saw huge crowds of people on the dock; they were yelling and waving red flags and singing cheering-type of songs. So at first we thought it was a football match - they seemed to be sending off a bunch of people on a big ferry. As the ferry was leaving, young men were climbing the railings, leaping onto deck at the last minute, everyone in a big state of excitement.

We went on our touristy way, but then saw something on TV that looked familiar, so we asked some men about it.  They didn't speak English, but in true Turkish style, they wanted to accommodate us so they waved over another guy who apparently spoke two words of English. But all he could tell us was "Taksim" and "kaput."

Vendor selling flags.

So we were no further ahead except now we had figured out it was political. After seeing the fish market and having some kebabs for lunch, we headed back to the dock. The crowd was still there - vendors were frantically selling flags with Ataturk's picture on them. One ferry left, piled high with flag-waving people. I thought it looked like a scene from Les Miserable and had that song stuck in my head the rest of the night. Little did I know it was close to that. We barely made the next ferry, also crowded with flag-wavers, and at the dock on the city side the vendors were selling gas masks along with the usual t-shirts and mosaic coasters. We decided to go the other direction from the demonstrators. Contrary to our journalistic tendencies - but we felt we really had no place there.

Loaded ferry leaving

Back in the tourist center, everyone we talked to was concerned. There was a lot of opinion about who was right, but everyone agreed that the police reacted too violently, and one young man, who seemed at first to oppose the protests, said that it was good for the prime minister to get the message that the people wouldn't stand for his heavy-handedness.

Istanbul is a lovely city, and more prosperous than when we were there 8 years ago. All we can do is hope for peace and that the government listens to the people. Maybe when that call to prayer happens everyone could just stop and think for a second ... but then, that seems not to be the way it works in the world.

Midnight at the Blue Mosque, white doves circling

We arrived back in Sarajevo. Our woman taxi driver immediately started yelling about how horrible life is here, her husband had both legs shot off in the war, and then died, she has five kids, etc. Ahh, Sarajevo. We're back "home."