Parting Shots

Well last night was the awards ceremony and banquet. It was held on the rooftop of the playing site, which looks down over the hillside through several miles of Asia and eventually down to the Bosphorus. It was a beautiful view, and the skyline was highlighted by a crecent moon that turned blood red before it set, which seemed a fitting sign of the end of our stay here. There were cocktails and a live band and everyone was dancing, it was a lot of fun.

Today we went on a tour of the city. We saw the Blue Mosque, Topkapi Palace (where the sultan kept the harem), and a very old Greek Orthodox church, the Kariye, that had some stunning mosaics. Finally we went on a cruise up and down the Bosphorus, which is like a real-life episode of The Lifestyles of the Rich and Famous. The houses are out-of-this-world and everything is set in perfect order as if there were going to be a big party at each house at any moment. They had sailboats, yachts, pools, and there was even a private club set on a floating island in the middle of the straight. It was pretty incredible. Here are a few of the better photos I was able to take last night and tonight before my battery died. Actually I didn't have my memory card in last night at the ceremony so those pictures may have to wait until I get home, where I have the cables that can transfer everything. I just posted a lot of photos of the trip on Facebook, so you can have a look at them there. Anyone should be able to see them!

Again I must thank my teammates and my captain for a wonderful tournament. It is always an honor to represent your country, and to be on a team of great friends is very heartwarming on top of that. I hope to play with you all again sometime, I know you'll have great successes and hopefully maybe one or two of those will be together again. Cheers!!