After having spent five days in Istanbul, I am well aware that it is a vibrant city with so much to offer (after all, those days have been filled to the brim with a wide range of non-stop activities).  Two days ago we took a cruise down the Bosphorus River, which divides Istanbul into its European side and its Asian side.  Istanbul is the only city in the world that straddles two continents, so I can say with total seriousness that for the past five days, I’ve been traipsing from Asia to Europe, from Europe to Asia.  Sweet. 

The view from the river was spectacular; some pretty swanky hotels, nightclubs, concert venues, mosques, and palaces look out onto the Bosphorus.  Even more impressive? Our humble group of eleven (eight students + one professor + one grad student + one tour guide) had an entire river cruise boat to ourselves.  After the cruise, we went up to the top of Galata Tower, a 200 foot tall tower built in 528 AD.  I had an incredible view out across the Bosphorus River and the Marmara Sea, as well as what seemed like all of Istanbul.   Having the luxury of seeing the city from two new and distinct vantage points was absolutely amazing.

And speaking of luxury, before jetting off to Iskenderun in the Hatay Province of Turkey yesterday, we went to Kircilar Leather, a leather factory that produces extremely high quality leathers and furs for retail, and for clients like Gucci and Burberry.  Our lovely tour guide Ozcan apparently had quite the hook up, and had set us up with a private fashion show.  Unsure of what to expect, we sat in front of the runway, and pulsing techno started blaring.  Two male and two female models paraded out in various jackets – some reversible, some that fit in little bags (which one model made a grand show of whipping out and throwing on, and then reversing to the far flashier hot pink side. Woah), some that looked more expensive than my college education.

I was just starting to settle in and enjoy myself, thinking about how excellent this Turkish fashion show material would be for my blog, when one of the brawny male models leapt off the catwalk, grabbed my hand, and before I knew what was happening, I was pulled onto the runway and into the back room where they kept their garments.  He and one of the other models (who didn’t really speak much English, but by this time I realized that I was now a part of the show) dressed me in a sleek white jacket, buttoned and belted it, and guided me back towards the catwalk.  Oh jeez. 

Putting on my best model face and striking the proper pose, I strutted down the catwalk towards my classmates (and professor…) as theatrically as I could manage.  One of my classmates, Zach, also had been plucked from the audience, and after we took our walks with the models, they sent us out together for round two.  I’d say we mastered it, and definitely would be worth hiring at any Turkish leather distributor.  I asked the woman who put together the show if she had a job available, and she laughed…but never said no….

We were unleashed into the store itself after the show, and tried on various garments – the most expensive one I put on was $15,000.  Not kidding.  My goodness, if I actually bought one of those Turkish rugs and one Turkish jacket, that would put me in the red about $40,000.  I’m not sure my wallet would be safe here….  Luckily, Ozcan whisked us to the airport and before I had the chance to do any monetary damage, I was on another runway, this time on a plane, and off to Iskenderun.

Location: Ataturk International Airport, Istanbul, Turkey