Merhaba from Konya

Hard to believe my first week is over. So much to do, but I was determined to get into Konya to have a proper day off, get some groceries, go the hammam and just generally get off the site.
Nothing unusual to report. Organising stuff to travel around the Ukraine has taken so much more time than I actually have, which is a bit of a bummer. Hopefully we’re getting there now, at this stage I don’t really care what I do as long as I can get to Lviv in time to get to Krakow and I don’t get thrown off any trains for not having the right visa.
I’m going to have lunch with a bunch of people from site near the Mevlana museum then do some shopping. It’s amazing how exciting grocery shopping seems right now! The food on site is pretty good, but I miss variety.

Have a nasty cold but at least I haven’t got the bug that’s going around – it doesn’t last long but it involves nastiness from either end while it does.
It’s hard to believe it’s six weeks until I’ll be back in London. I have my Big Chill flip flops from last year and I’ll try to remember to wear them when it’s on. I think I’ll be back in Istanbul by then, on my way to Bucharest, with any luck.

Arrived on site!

Just a quick note to say I’ve arrived on site, quite tired after a long trip from Istanbul (sitting up and in the smoker’s carriage, ugh). Istanbul is so lovely, I fell in love with it all over again. barbeque and party tonight, I’ve learnt how to time my arrivals and departures like an old hand 🙂

It’s a brave new world – I just checked in for tomorrow’s flight to Istanbul online. I still have to pick up my boarding pass and drop off my checked luggage when I’m at the airport, but otherwise I’m good to go.
Now all I have to do is finish enough work to get out of the office, figure out what documents I need in print or on the memory stick, work out how much luggage I can take once I’ve weighed the laptop and the tent, pack, clean the flat, leave instructions about the flat, blah blah blah.
And I also have to bite the bullet and book somewhere to stay in Istanbul, finally pick a train or bus from Istanbul to Bucharest and work out how I’m going to get to Lviv or Kamyanets Podilsky or Chernivsti from Simferopol. Eek. I just hope I don’t forget anything important.

This transcript from Channel 4 just shows that Bush and Blair really are having an affair:
George Bush: … Thanks for sweater it’s awfully thoughtful of you
Tony Blair: It’s a pleasure
George Bush: I know you picked it out yourself
Tony Blair: Oh, absolutely, in fact I knitted it. [Laughter]

George Bush: Yeah, yeah, he is sweet
Tony Blair: He is honey.
[But who are they talking about here? Could it be John Howard?]
More on the real story at Bush lunch chat is caught on tape, BBC.
It’s probably also a good time to mention this love song from Bush to Blair.

Marrakech was amazing.
We got lost in the souks, went to the locals hammam, ate some really lovely meals, stayed in a lovely riad (possibly the loveliest place I’ve ever stayed), saw the museum and the madrassa, went on a trip to the Atlas Mountains, and relaxed in the jacuzzi.
Oh, and we totally rocked the Kasbah. We also did the Funky Cold Medina but that’s best left a mystery.