Eurasian Marathon

This past Saturday, more than 30,000 people participated in the Avrasya Maratonu in Istanbul. Professional runners, recreational joggers, fast-paced walkers, and many others just out early on a pleasant autumn morning gathered at the starting line on the Anatolian side and headed west. The chance to cross the (first) Bogazici bridge was the main thrill for many. Something of a bottleneck built up at midspan, as groups crowded to the railing to snap photos up and down the Turkish straits.

Today is Republic Day, and the fireworks are exploding in the air outside. Taksim Square is packed, and the smoke is thick. Clouds of it billow in the stairs on the metro. As I was exiting, I smelt the festivities before I saw them. How did I celebrate the occasion? I went to a swing class with my buddy, Faruk.