It’s no secret that I love to eat.  One of my favourite things about travelling is getting the chance to sample another country’s cuisine.  Istanbul has not disappointed me.  Turkish fare has a reputation for being irresistible, but one must see it (and smell it and taste it) to believe it.

I’ve sampled everything from back-alley street food to a full mezze dinner at an upper-end restaurant.  I honestly haven’t tried anything I haven’t liked yet.   Though I did see Sheep Lung Kebap on a menu but was too grossed out to try it.  Here is a photo spread of the delicacies to date:

One of my first meals in Istanbul. These boats moor right next to the Galata bridge and serve fresh fried fish sandwiches.

Dried fruit and nuts at the market.

The sample tray for a typical mezze dinner. Small portions similar to tapas and served with raki.

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One of my first things I did in Istanbul was visit Topkapi Palace.  This is the place where the Ottoman Sultans lived from 1465 to 1853, after which they moved to Dolmabahçe Palace, which at the time was considered more stylish and opulent (which is hard to imagine after seeing the lavishness of Topkapi).  At its peak, Topkapi Palace was home to over 4000 people.  Residents rarely had to venture out as the palace was essentially a city within a city, housing a hospital, schools, mosques, horse stables, libraries, a mint, a treasury, giant kitchens to feed its inhabitants, and even a Circumcision Room for the young princes (a Muslim rite of passage).  There was also the infamous Harem, where along with the Sultan’s mother, wives and children lived his concubines – up to 800 at any given time.  Today the palace contains holy Muslim relics, examples of Ottoman arms, portraits of the Sultans and Ottoman art, some amazing tilework and a collection of jewels, heirlooms and spoils of war that made me wish I had been born into a royal family.  It seemed everything was gold and encrusted with emeralds, rubies, and pearls.  They really knew how to live back then.

The imposing front gates of the Palace.

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In addition to being brought on as a cast member for Jet Set Zero, the need for someone experienced in dietary and fitness advice was also identified.  That’s where I come in.  It’s difficult work living and working overseas and the result is that nutrition and health often take the back seat.  So I am currently developing a food plan and exercise regime that will take care of these hardworking cast members.

No more boruk for breakfast, baklava for lunch and sutlac for dinner.  Instead, meals will be more balanced and look something like this:

And we all know how good a cold Efes is at the end of a long day, but in the interests of health that will have to go as well.

And no nutrition plan is complete without an exercise plan.  I’ve already implemented a schedule of cardio and weight lifting to get the team in tip-top shape.  The great thing about Istanbul is that in the parks, next to the playgrounds, there is exercise equipment, so there is no need to pay for a costly gym membership.  On Sunday we began this program at Princes’ Island:

They truly seem to be enjoying it. Extra kudos to Brian for really giving it on those lat pulldowns.

Through a combination of these two areas of focus, it won’t take long before this team is running marathons through the streets of Istanbul.  I can’t wait to see that!

I’m Kris!  Kris O!  The newest cast member on Jet Set Zero!

Travel bug, itchy feet – whatever you want to call it, I’ve got it.  I picked it up after going to Europe years ago when I realized how much more there was to see in the world outside North America. Subsequent trips to Asia and Africa opened my eyes to how affordable this travelling thing could be, and it very soon became a priority in my life.  A second job was procured to pad the travel fund, and the endless daydreaming and planning began.

When I first read about Jet Set Zero, I loved the idea.  The concept of working to live and living to travel totally appealled to me and working overseas to fund further travel was something I had not tried before.  When I first expressed interest in joining the group, I never in a million years dreamed that it would actually happen.  And I don’t doubt for a minute the steps I had to take to get here.  I was working in a cushy HR job for the BC Provincial Government and quit at a time of layoffs and economic uncertainty.  I gave up my awesome apartment and put my stuff into storage.  I said goodbye to my amazing friends and family without being able to tell them when I would return.  All with zero hesitation.  Why?  Because life is too short.  There are so many adventures to be had.  And what an adventure this will be!

Chained to a desk in Victoria, BC

I could eat hundreds of those rice-stuffed mussels (midye dolma).

All that remains of three intertwined snakes made from melted bronze trophies captured from the Persians.  Istanbul does seem to be full of captured monuments.

More from the protests.  They’re all wrapped up at this point.  No more tear gas and all the windows have been repaired.

The final day saw a lot of police, a lot of heavy vehicles, a lot of cameras, and much less violence.

Adding to the overall intense and eerie scene at the protests was a police helicopter that would slowly circle over the streets as the riot police moved through the alleys.

Today a series of protests kicked off in Tasksim, a central section of Istanbul about 10 minutes from our apartment.  I swung by and grabbed some photos of the aftermath, but the tear gas was still so heavy in the air your eyes sung.

You can read more about the protests here, here, and here.

So far the news is basically that there are in fact protests and the police are using tear gas and water cannons.