The bug
I'm not quite sure what brought it on. There was a vegetable pide that could have been sitting in the shop window for too long (I didn't bring my carbon-dating equipment with me), I'd been very adventurous with my shaved lamb consumption, and there is a possibility my concentration lapsed and I accidentally drank some water when I brushed my teeth, but whatever it was, whatever it is has hit me and hit me good.

Sunday, the fifth day of Turkey, was spent in bed either staring at the window through the glaze of several headaches that seemed to be rotating around each other, or in the merciful grip of sleep. Of, and of course variously productive stints on the toilet. When Amanda returned from her tour in the evening she found me in be begging for aspirin. She came back with some bizarre pill she had been sold in the corner store. Gripin, the tablet of mystery, as we referred to it at the time. It was about the size of my fist so we mistakenly assumed it was soluable, but after seeing it float round and roung for a few minutes, the penny finally dropped. Chewing it seemed more successful if a little revolting. After half an hour of waiting for some effects, any effects, it appeared to work. The headaches receded enough for me to realise that my legs and arms hurt as well. Eventually, though, Gripin took care of these newfound ailments as well. To celebrate, I went back to sleep.

And now, nearly a week later, the bug, or as we've taken to calling it, my other little travelling companion, is still with me. He and I have worked into a nice little pattern, with him waking me up around 5am so he can transact his business while I enjoy the pre-dawn call to prayer.

When we make it to one week together, I plan to do something suitable to celebrate like shoot myself or take a box of matches into the toilet with me and go out that way.

The food
Apart from my above, ahem, troubles, I love Turkish food. Breakfast at our place in Istanbul consisted mostly of delicious soft bread, fetta cheese and olives. It's not any form of breakfast I was previously aware of, but I like it. Otherwise there are a lot of kebaps and things cooked on sticks, just like in Australia but only fresher and actually tasty.

Turkish drinks have stolen my heart too. My coffee abstinance flew out the window when I discovered the caffeinated tar they call 'Turkish coffee', but my heart truly belongs to Turkish tea, or chai. It's a little sweet, with a bizarrely full fruity flavour. I've learnt just enough Turkish to get them to bring me a really big cup of this stuff and from the rate that I'm drinking it you'd think it was mother's milk. Or addictive. Take your pick.