Izmir to Istanbul

So Friday morning at 7:30am I left space camp turkey. I arrived at the train station shortly before 8am. Unfortunately, the bus to the other train station didn't leave for another 50 minutes. So I sat and ate a muffin (my first muffin of the summer. bought on base :)) Sitting in front of me were three boys clearly on something. At least they provided entertainment while I waited. At 8:50 am the bus came. Well two buses came so I asked one of the women on the first bus if it was going to the other train station. She said she didn't know. *sighs* I moved my luggage closer to the two buses and stood there wondering who to ask. The woman's daughter hopped out and asked to look at my ticket then told me it was the right bus. Then she helped me put my luggage on the bus. She was so little but so strong. We got to the train station and the little girl pulled my black rolling suitcase from the bus and rolled it to a bench to wait for the train. I carried my backpacking backpack which weighs about 30 pounds now (I've been asking people as I traveled. That was the most common number lol) and my computer bag with all my books in it and a plastic bag filled with all kinds of random things that wouldn't fit elsewhere. So I waited with this little girl, her mother, and their baby for the train. It only took a few minutes for it to come and they pointed out my car to me before hopping aboard theirs. Oh dear. The luggage had to go above the seats. No way I would be able to do that. Hmmm so I asked a security guy where to put my luggage and he lifted my suitcase up onto the train and over above my seat. Yay! I love the train and this one is especially nice. It has two seats on one side and one on the other and I was on the single seat side. It was sooo nice. And it had toilet paper and a normal toilet. Much easier for me to use on a moving train. On this trip I realized that it all just goes down on the tracks. A little disturbing. 

The train finally came to a stop in Bandirma. I nearly killed a few people getting my luggage down but I did get it down and headed to the ferry. OMG this hurt so bad. I am now missing skin from my palms and have bruises on my shoulders and arms from this part of the journey. I had not gotten the hang of carrying all that luggage yet. So many people laughed as I carried my massive amount of stuff. Finally I made it to the ferry. Unfortunately, this was not the entrance for pedestrians. That entrance was on the other side of the ferry. Well as I'm walking towards the other entrance a man grabs my suitcase. I tell him No because I don't have any money that I would be able to give him. He says "I want help." Geez. I'm too tired to argue extensively and I'm trying to grab my suitcase from him while juggling the rest of my stuff. Well he throws my suitcase over the fence by the entrance and waits for me to pay him. So I hand him a can of pringles and go through the turnstile. Whew. It's up hill to the ferry! And there's stupid ridges on the pathway up to the ferry. Well I manage to get all my stuff up and deposit my bags just inside the ferry doors. I then climb the stairs and find my seat to enjoy the 2 hour ferry ride to Istanbul. I'm at the window which does make it a nice ferry ride. They turn the olympics on and we watch the pole vaulting which is a new favorite of mine. It's between Australia and Russia and everyone's getting really into it. But alas the ferry doesn't last forever. I go to the exit which is blocked so I pull out my map and go over to two women to ask for directions to the tram which I'll take to the train station. I only semi understand their instructions but I thank them and walk a few feet away. A few minutes later one of them comes up to me and asks me if I'm traveling alone. I reply yes. She asks me a few more times then tsk tsks and then tells me that she and her friend are taking a taxi to the ferry station right by the train station and offers to take me with them. Yay! I follow them out but it takes us a few minutes to get a taxi because they got mad at the first taxi driver for not offering to take my suitcase and I didn't understand why they got mad at the second guy but the third one we went with. These women wouldn't accept any money from me and they were so so so concerned that I was traveling alone. They kept telling me that turkish men are not safe. I explain that I'm leaving turkey now and I've been living in Izmir for three months but they are not convinced. They wish me luck and point out the train station to me before heading to the ferry that will take them to their home on the Asian side. 

Great. I still have a five minute walk to the train station. I head across the street but as soon as I get to the other side these two teenage boys ask if I need help. They looked like pretty normal boys so I explain that I'm going to the train station and they rolled my suitcase and one of my bags. They start by asking the normal questions... Where are you from? Why are you here? Do you like Turkey? but then he asks if I would like to sleep with him. He knows a hotel near by. Oh dear... *sighs* I explain to him that my train is leaving in minutes and I really need to be on it. He takes a picture of us with his phone and then leaves. Whew. Now I wait at the train station. 

In three hours I would be on a train to take me out of Turkey. I will miss it.