Saturday 26 February
Istanbul is the 5th largest city in the world with over 13 million inhabitants. Rich in history and culture the place has a lot to offer. My fascination began at the queue for passport control at the airport where the most interesting of demographic diversity was at hand. It was quite a sight when people from Central Asian countries looked different but spoke the same language. The ladies in front might have been Uzbek or Tajik - Mongol features but communicating comfortably with other races. Outside the airport I found myself trying to communicate with our taxi driver trying to explain the name of the hotel we had to get to. Bart Ravelli and I didn't have much of a case with our poor Turkish pronounciation and having very little info about the place which was changed just today. Luckily we saw the hotel from the motorway and heard the correct way of saying sevcan. It was amazing that we could communicate speaking our own languages and even when we hardly understood what either of us were saying. The taxi driver was friendly and thats what i have heard about people here. At the hotel we met most other squash players and caught up quickly before heading to our own room. It was time to rest.
Sunday 27 February - Match day
It's going to be a hard first round match against the very capable Dane Rasmus Neilson. He is fit and experienced but I am focused on myself and what I have to do and hope for a good match.
A good morning hit helped to have a feel of the court as well as settle the nerves a bit. We are playing at a state of the art facility in a newly built apartment complex in the suburbs.
I felt good physically and played alright but couldn't make it happen. All credit to Rasmus for putting me on the back step with his attacking game which worked well - especially on a high tin on a bouncy court which I wasn't enjoying at all. I couldn't control the ball as I would have liked and going in short was a nightmare. I knew I had to play a basic, long and patient game to try and get into the match. Rasmus used his unorthodox style well to go short hard coming away with a few good winners to take the edge. I am disappointed and down but definitely not out. There are positives - the fitness is improving rapidly. And there are things to learn and improve upon and I will get straight into it tomorrow morning.
Apart from Squash
Now I want to rest the mind and avoid getting into a negative state - a challenge for any sportsperson. What better way to do it then to explore the former Constantinople I look forward to it!
The tournament dinner was exquisite. The hospitable organisers took us to a cultural show with Turkish music and dance alongwith local cuisine. It was an absolute delight and everyone enjoyed the evening. Tomorrow I am off to town after lunch.
Monday 28 February
The day started with a hard interval session on the bike. I have certainly taken my fitness training to a new level and it felt great! Doing something hard and practical was excellent to recover from yesterday's loss and to look ahead to the future.
A bit later, one of the organizers offered to take us into town. We drove through the giant city right into the heart of old Istanbul - Sultanahmet. On our way we crossed the ancient wall which marks the end of Europe and start of Asia. The sight in town was breathtaking. Two giant and magnificent mosques - Aya Sofya or The Blue mosque and the Sultanahmet mosque stood opposite each other in all their glory. We walked through the square and into the bazar wher Abdullah took us to a very nice Turkish place for lunch. We had Iskander kebab with sheesha and a yoghurt based drink much similar to lassi. The boys sat in style at the restaurant on huge cushions on the floor in true Turkish fashion.
After lunch we said farewell to Abdullah who had to get back to the Squash club. Anthony Mcleod who had done a long walk in the city the day before became our tour guide as we walked through the bazar and onto the Bosphorus river. There were more mosques on the way and all similarly designed to the Sultanahmet mosque. Looking towards the city from the bridge, was a spectacular view once again. After a cup of chai we walked back through a different route in the bazar back to the town centre. One could feel the old city and the history on these narrow cobblestone streets. I could onl imagine how life would have been there centuries ago.
After a few drinks wih the boys it was time to get back to th squash club. The cab driver didn't have much idea how to get us to our destination with a complicated address. With the help of a local squash player friend we made it back to the club where the squash guys were waiting for us to get back to the hotel. We had plenty to share wih them and Creedy wished he had gone with us as well.
Istanbul certainly lived upto it's reputation as well as my expectations. That's it for the city for me and it's back to training tomorrow. I hope to get a court for a solo session followed by some strength training in the morning and hopeful of having a good hit in the afternoon.
Over and out from Istanbul.
.JPG)
