Gϋle-gϋle, Tϋrkiye!

Bursa is where Iskender kebab originated, naturally we headed for the original Iskender restaurant for lunch. Food presentation was somewhat similar to the Iskender kebab we had the day before in Istanbul. Taste wise, we all felt that the one in Istanbul was better as it was more tender and less salty.

My mom and Karen ordered coffee after our meal and were shocked when they were served turkish coffee. Turkish coffee is quite different from the coffee we all know. It is served in a small cup (like espresso) and tastes very bitter and powdery. Even seasoned coffee drinkers like Karen and my mom couldn't take it. Karen tried to look for some plants around to empty her cup but too bad, there wasn't any. I took candid shots of her as she struggled to finish her coffee.

We started to make our way back to Istanbul after our late lunch. It was already near sunset when we reached the port. As the vessel sailed off, we stood at the deck to enjoy our last Turkey sunset. An entourage of seagulls followed closely behind us as if they know we were leaving Turkey tomorrow and couldn't bear to see us go. It didn't take me long to realise that it was actually the food which people threw overboard that they couldn't bear to let go :P Nonetheless, they provided us with beautiful evening songs and dances as they glided gracefully against the setting sun.

As our vessel reached Istanbul, the sun has also completely set and the songs of the seagulls could only be heard in our memories. The darkened sky was like a curtain closing on stage, signifying the end of our trip. However, we were not sad. We've had a wonderful time for the past two weeks and the memories will last us for a long time to come.

Gϋle-gϋle, Tϋrkiye!
(Bye bye, Turkey)