When we decided to come to Europe as part of our year long adventure I told Drew he could plan and go wherever he wanted to go because I have been lucky enough to have traveled all over Europe but I told him my only request was that I got to see Turkey or Austria and as luck would have it, it appears like we will be getting to go cross both off of our to do lists. Before visiting Turkey the first thing that would come to mind is the song by They Might Be Giants called Istanbul. If you do not know it I recommend you youtube it and then be prepared to have it stuck in your head for days. But now that I have been to Turkey the first thing that I will think of is extreme sweating due to intense heat even with the absence of humidity (and they want me to wear pants inside Mosques). All kidding aside the city surprised me in a good way. We had done some research but you still never know what to expect until you see something for yourself. Istanbul was much nicer and more modern than I had expected and is the gateway between Asia and Europe. There is just so much to see and I had a hard time limiting the pictures for this blog so I posted a few more than normal. We actually flew into the Asian side of Istanbul and took a bus in to the European side where we were staying. We had originally booked a hotel in Taksim Square but the news in the USA scared us off but now after visiting we realized it would have been fine to stay there. With that being said we definitely lucked out the location of our hotel which was near everything which helped keep being outside to a minimum.
The first thing we saw when arriving in Turkey was the Blue Mosque and this was taken from outside of our cab in front of our hotel.
Then just across the square Hagia Sophia at night!
Dinner since it was late consisted of late night spicy Kebabs! This was the best Kebab we had in Turkey.
This was the closest Bazaar just below the Blue Mosque called Arasta. Compared to the other Bazaars, well, this doesn't compare but it was on the walk to the Grand Bazaar.
The inside of Little Hagia Sophia which we stumbled across and since it was hot and we were sweating we needed a break from the heat.
The Grand Bazaar is massive! Streets like this for miles with only like 5 different products like jewelry, shirts, rugs....and
....and tacky lights.
The Egyptian Bazaar which is known for spices, fruits nuts etc. This is quite the sight to the eyes with all the colors. If ever in Turkey, check it out, but if you want to buy something buy it from an outside vendor and not under the roof as prices are half. Instead of 40 Turkish Lira per kilogram for most items it was about 15 outside.
This is outside of the New Mosque, it was prayer time so we couldn't go in. It is hard to go in a Mosque because they are always praying and you have to have appropriate clothing on.
We crossed the Galata bridge to the Taksim side of Turkey and spotted this! Turkish bears which are thriving in this metropolis! Definitely not on the endangered species list.
Galata tower! We had to take a break for this fat kid before going to the top and low and behold the best surprise ever....an elevator to the top! No stairs!
Do not let the smile fool you. Drew was freaking out up here and I see why. The tower walkway is only wide enough for one person and yet people are walking both directions and pushing and it is chaotic. We have mastered taking photos without people in them even in a crowded space.
Panoramic view of Sultanahmet area of Istanbul which houses the majority of the important sites.
Istiklal Street which is the heart of social gatherings in the city.
The red trolley, Drew and Mickey D's!
Taksim Square! This is in the news a lot in the USA lately for the protesting going on there. Well we sensationalize everything because showing what really goes on there (nothing) doesn't make the news.
Me in Taksim!
Panoramic view of Taksim.
The Hippodrome was once the sporting and social center of Istanbul and is scattered with monuments.
The Basilica Cistern. I was a big fan of this underground layer built in the 6th century.
I was not a fan of the giant, nasty fish inside.
Put your finger in the pillar, twist, make a wish.
The Medusa's head column inside the Cistern.
Daytime view of The Blue Mosque.
Inside the Blue Mosque also known as the Sultan Ahmed Mosque. We succeeded on our third attempt to go in. Praying five times a day interferes with tourism. We also had to go later in the evening because you had to wear pants or be covered up to go in!
The Ceiling. The Mosque gets its name from the blue tiles inside which this photo doesn't show.
The view of Hagia Sophia from our hotel.
Oh hey!
Old things are always broken, eroding or being fixed.
The Hagia Sophia is one of those monuments that does not disappoint!
I posted this because I just read the book Inferno which parts of take place in Istanbul and this name appears as a clue in the book. Henricus Dandolo, the Doge of Venice whose grave is inside the Museum.
After Hagia Sophia we took a stroll through Gulhane Park and took a look at the Topkapi Palace.
Our friend Jade lives in Turkey and was kind enough to chauffeur us around and take us to some parts of Turkey we normally wouldn't have seen. Thank you for showing us around and taking us to the Hollywood of Istanbul better known as Bebek.
No trip to Turkey is complete without a Turkish shave. Drew said it was the best 3 bucks he ever spent and the cleanest shave he has ever had! Straight razor shave, followed by threading hairs off of his face and then burning the peach fuzz off with a lighter. Finally a head and neck massage to top it off.
We took a river cruise down the Bosphorus and the highlight was the view of the Dolmabahce Palace.
Do yourself a favor and eat No. 19 Yemek Evi, so good and so cheap! It is the number 2 restaurant on trip advisor out of over 10,000. I think a girl just opened her condo up and started cooking which reminded me of Argentina and closed door dinners. There are only three tables so get there early.
Istiklal is much prettier at night and lively.
I must say this is somewhere I would not mind visiting again. The food and desserts are so good (I will crave Turkish Baklava with crumbled pistachios for a long time) and the people were very friendly as well. I guess the only downside was that beer and wine were extremely expensive which I assume is because the country is mostly Muslim. Well Turkey/Constantinople, thank you for the memories and now for a bus ride across the border to Bulgaria to visit some friends in the sea side resort of Nessebar on the Black Sea.
