The hotel that G Adventure booked for our last two nights wasn't available so I booked another one for one additional night on the internet before I left. I probably should have gotten one nearer to my first hotel, but I think maybe I didn't know which hotel we would be in. Anyway, this place only about a 20 minute walk from the other place, but it would have been too difficult with my bags. The first place was the Hayan and this one is the Saruhan. They seem to be about equidistant from the Blue Mosque and Aga Sofia, but in opposite directions. This neighborhood seems much older. The poor taxi driver had a lot of trouble getting down the narrow streets here. I haven't gone to my room yet. It's not ready yet. I arrived at 12:30 and check-in is at 1:00. The hotel seems a normal size, but when I walked in, the guy behind the reception desk knew my name before I said anything.
This morning I returned to the Blue Mosque. Yesterday afternoon it was so crowded that I felt I couldn't really see anything. It's free so I thought I might as well go again. It was less crowded at 9:30, but I still waited a while on line. I had thought it opened at 9 (that's what all the tour books say), but it opens at 8:30. It would have been better to be here then. Anyway, I did really enjoy wandering around and taking photos. Then I walked back toward my hotel and stopped at a little souvenir shop. They had little evil eye keychains and pretty spoons. As I was looking, the girl from the shop talked to me a little. She was struggling with her English and then asked if I spoke French. We talked in French a little and I asked if she had studied in France. She said that she speaks French because she is Moroccan. I told her in Arabic that I had studied in Fez. We had a nice conversation. Usually when I try to speak Arabic with a stranger, the words won't come. Then, later, I think of all the words I couldn't remember. This time it was easy. I decided to go inside and look some more. I bought a purse. I think the girl gave me a better price because I had lived in Morocco. She had to check the price with her boss. Then she snuck several trinkets in the bag also.
After that, I checked out of my hotel and got a taxi to the new one. Now I'm using their wifi in the lobby. I'll post for now and maybe write more later.
Okay. Got the room. It's lovely with a little balcony. Going to get lunch. I can hear the call to prayer as I am typing this.
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