My tour in the Turkish Navy

I haven't updated for the last few days because school has kept us very busy and there wasn't much new to report. After our great trip to Çeşme we were all very happy to have a day off on Sunday to just rest and get ready for the next week of classes. Monday and Tuesday were pretty packed with our typical 4 hours of Turkish lessons followed by Turkish dancing lessons and a sociology lecture, respectively. Things have also been a little tense due to the possibility that a couple of our classmates may have contracted a certain porcine flu that's been in the news a lot lately (don't worry, I'm perfectly healthy!). Luckily, we heard today that they both tested negative (unlike some classmates in Alanya and Istanbul) so our program is in the clear. Unfortunately, they had to spend a couple days in quarantine, but they should be on their way back to us as early as tomorrow. Our schedule today stayed busy with the usual lessons followed by a trip to İnciraltı to visit a ship and submarine visiting from the Turkish Navy. The ship was formerly part of the US Navy but was given to Turkey in 1994 and incorporated into their fleet. The guide was very nice and informative and seemed perfectly happy to spend the last couple months of compulsory military service showing people around a decommissioned ship rather than in some other engagement. I completely understand where he's coming from. It was interesting to explore both ships but I would not want to spend any length of time on there with dozens of other people in a high stress environment. The bunks and showers are way too cramped. We finished the visit with a walk along the waterfront and a quick dinner (frustratingly overpriced!) at a little outdoor cafe. The schedule they have us on is a little rough at times. We would love to take advantage of all of these trips and enjoy our time, but are often also preoccupied with the copious amounts of homework and exams awaiting us at home. I'm looking forward to having a free day tomorrow after classes end at 3. It will give me a chance to rest up a bit before our trip to Selçuk and Efes (Ephesus) this weekend. I've included a few pictures of the ships and our walk along the water. Hope you enjoy!