Our flight was at 7:45am from Luton airport in London, so we had to get up at 3:30am to get ready, call a taxi, get to King's Cross, catch the train to the airport, and get through security (quite the process now). It all worked out just fine, and we even had enough time to grab some food before the plane. This was a good idea since easyjet definitely doesn't serve meals on board (well, you can buy some pricey sandwiches), so we subsisted on the morning snack and a granola bar until dinner much, much later in Istanbul.
The flight went just fine, and we landed in Istanbul around 1:30. Be warned that even though being from the US you can just buy a visa when you enter, you do need to have enough cash (dollars, pounds, euros, liras) to pay for it - they do not accept credit cards! I literally had no more British money, but luckily Anna had just enough dollars to cover it. Whew. I think it was about $40 for both of us ($20 each). We got some cash at an ATM outside and then found the shuttle bus to get into town. We flew into Sabiha Glocken airport, which is way out on the Asian side. We took the shuttle to Taksim Square, where we then wandered around trying to following the directions to the subway. In this process we came across two sisters from Australia who were similarly lost. We joined forces and eventually found the hostel. Agora Hostel in the Sultanahmet. It is really nice and has an awesome breakfast. The guys who work here are super friendly. Definitely recommended! The two from Australia needed a place to stay for the night and found room here, too. They have since left for some other travelling in Turkey, but one of them is living in London and might come visit me in Romania. Crazy how you can get all of these connections like that.
First glimpse of Istanbul, taken all sneaky-like on the plane's descent!
Anna, carefully studying our travel plans while on the bus into town.
Wandering the streets, trying to find the hostel....
After getting a little settled, we headed out on a quest for food. It is pretty overwhelming because there is a person (always a man) outside each restaurant trying to lure you inside. You have no chance to look at the posted menu in peace for even a few moments. We went ahead and chose a place, but I don't think it was the best one. Okay food, but just seemed over priced for what it was. Oh well, it was food and we learned that you just have to ignore the people trying to get you to buy things (it is hard because for us from the US because it seems really rude to do this).
Wednesday, Dec. 30th
After a delicious breakfast at the hostel (available: juice, tea, coffee, water, yogurt, jelly/syrup things, cereal, muesli, milk, meat, eggs, olives, bread, cheese, tomatoes, cucumbers, etc), we headed out to start exploring the area. Since we are staying right behind the Blue Mosque, we decided to start there. It was pretty neat inside, but not exactly set up as a museum since it is still a working mosque. You can hear the calls to prayer 5 times a day on all the loud speakers (on each mosque). It is pretty amazing.
Blue Mosque from the outside. We were staying a few streets over on the left.
Outside the mosque - some benches for people to rest on. Very nice in the evening to see dusk at both the Blue Mosque and the Hagia Sofia!
When you go in, you aren't really inside. Instead, there is this courtyard first. The thing in the center is a fountain for men to wash before entering the mosque.
Inside the mosque. It is pretty stunning, but not really all that blue....
Separate section for the women to pray (and it is tiny!!).
I just love this. The guy vaccuming the mosque :) He went so fast, it was hard to catch on film!
Then we decided to walk through the Arasta Bazaar which is behind the Blue Mosque. It really is more like a row of shops, but it was fun. We were lured into a carpet place and looked at some really neat ones. Old pieces of different carpets that were sewn together, things like that.
Anna drinking some apple tea in the carpet shop.
The three main carpets we were looking at. I think we could have gotten one for $150, so we eventually went somewhere else. Supposedly, these were old saddlebags opened up and then with woven sections attached - from the Kurdish part of the country.
We also went into a few other places. There is some really neat stuff here that I wish I could afford to buy! I definitely would get one of those interesting pieced carpets if I was able to. The pottery is pretty neat as well. We also saw some great scarves, calligraphy, embroidery work, etc. At one place with embroidery work, Anna ended up getting a piece to frame for the wall, and I got a pillow case. Some good buys, I think!
An example of one of the stores from the outside.
I loved this watercolor, but it was around $90 :( Maybe I will have to find someone to make me one sometime. Also, the thing on the bottom is a miniature. I got one a day or two later somewhere else - and I love it!!!
We also went into a neat little courtyard with lots of little stores. Each one had a different artisan, making and selling their wares - calligraphy, dolls, marbled paper etc. It was all very nice. I might have to go back before we leave to get two little pieces of pottery that I really like. I have heard that there is a place that will give some classes, but I haven't been able to find any recent information on it. That would be a lot of fun to do!
Anna and I at the little artists' courtyard area. We went back the last day so that I could get a few little tiles that I loved.
For a late lunch we went to this neat place that we had passed a few times. They make the turkish pancakes (golzemes, or something like that) - basically like lavash with stuff inside. We got potato, spinach, and minced meat. Pretty delicious!
Cennet for the "pancakes" - see the women working in the back left?
Delicious!!!! I got one later in the week, too.
After using the bathroom back at the hostel (so great to have a central location to do that), we walked down to the coast and then walked along the whole edge of the area where we are staying. It was so neat to see all the ships and the buildings on the other side! Just nice to be on the ocean again - makes me sad that the family beach house down in Galveston is gone :(
Walk along the coast.
Fishing on the coast. Fishermen everywhere! And, why is it always just men? Regardless of the country, that is how it is. Strange.
Just an example of the many cats roaming the streets of Istanbul. These are coastal kitties :)
Anna with her camera.
Awwwww, too cute.
As dusk falls on the coast. This is looking over to the other part of the European side of Istanbul.
And, I just think this image is great. Ataturk staring off into the dusk at the moon.
In the evening the hostel was hosting a New Year's eve eve dinner, so we decided to join that. It was 10 lira/person, and I think we would spend at least that out in this neighborhood! Had rice and veggies and a big piece of chicken (anna ate mine) and then an interesting dessert. No idea what it was - kind of like rice pudding if the rice was ground up and then sprinkled with cinnamon and walnuts.
The day wasn't too busy, but if felt just right! We did lots of nice things and got a feel for the area. It is a neat city, and I am so glad that Anna was able to come out and that we could come here together. I definitely would not be having near as nice a time on my own!!!
An interesting set of buildings. Just a facade though. It looks burned out - there were a few places like this around town.
This was very weird. Two geese (and can you see the kitten on the left??). Pets? Dinner??
Just a pretty picture. I think that is a column from the Blue Mosque in the background.
Some laundry out to dry.
So, would you like to take the ferryboat harem?? A harem on a ferry? It is hard to say....
And it just wouldn't be Turkey if I couldn't leave you with lots of Turkish delights!
Thursday, Dec. 31st - New Year's Eve!!!
We started the day (after the delicious hostel breakfast) at the Hagia Sofia. (Haya Sofya here). It was a pretty amazing place. My second UNESCO World Heritage site in 2009 (just barely squeaked in there). Not quite as expensive as Angkor Wat at $20 per person, but it still was fairly pricey at 20 lira per person (about $15). If you don't know much about this site, you should read a little about it. It started as a cathedral in 500-something AD during the Byzantine Empire. Then, when the Ottomans took over (1400s, I think), they plastered over the amazing mosaics and turned it into a mosque. During Ataturk's rule in the 1920s, he turned the building into a museum for the public, and they have been in the process of restoring it and uncovering some of the mosaics ever since. It is a shame that such beautiful work ever got covered up, but it is really neat to see the two religions combined like this. I can't think of another place where this would or could ever happen.
The outside of the Hagia Sofia.
The entrance.
And, the place was packed!
You can see the big Muslim medallians (I am sure they have a real name) and the yellow plaster that was used to cover up the Byzantine "church-y" aspects of the interior.
I just liked this super old looking ladder - yikes.
Anna and I at the Hagia Sofia.
This is a picture of all the scaffolding. Apparently some part of the building is always being restored, so you basically will never see it without scaffolding. I thought my dad would like this one :)
Another picture of the interior, with less chipped plaster.
One of the really great mosiacs that have been uncovered. Amazing looking.
Another mosaic.
How cool is this? Not that I can see the name anywhere, but apparently there is Viking-era graffitti on here!!
Yep, the two of us again :)
The last picture. You can see the Blue Mosque from the window of the Hagia Sofia. Pretty neat.
Following the museum, we went to the Museum of Turkish and Islamic Art (10 lira/person). It was a nice museum, in an old palace. The bottom floor had a nice ethnographic section that showed how rugs were made and how different groups of people in Turkey lived in different times. Nice but smelled horribly of mothballs - ick :) The upper floors had rugs galore and all kinds of other things - calligraphy, illuminations, pottery, etc. It was a great size. Fairly small, so you were kind of sad when it was finished. I think that can be better than a museum that is so big and filled with not so great stuff so that we are tired of it before it is over.
The courtyard inside the museum. It used to be a house - a friend of the sultan or something.
Maybe it is just after the museums in Romania, but the ones in Istanbul really surprised me. They were quite nice. This is a room with old carpets and prayer rugs.
Many of the rugs were not complete, and it was interesting to see how they preserved and displayed them. The sold red sections are not original.
This is really cool...and crazy. Can you see on the edges were it is frayed? Yep, each strand is stitched individually to the backing. Wow. What a job that would be. And that is why I don't like collections because it would totally be their job!!!
This isn't the greatest picture, but hopefully you can still see it. This is the old style of calligraphy.
Since we were in the area, we decided to go to the Binbirdirek Cistern, which was nearby. We actually thought we were going ot the Basilica Cistern, which is supposed to be neat but we went to the wrong one (who knew there were two cisterns with "b" names right near each other?!). It definitely was a disappointment though and soooo not worth the 10 lira/person entry fee. Apparently we were the only people foolish enough to fork over that money because no one else was there. Well, it was kind of interesting but there was no signage, exhibits, explanations. Only worth it if free or 1-2 lira.
So, this looks pretty cool, but that seriously is it!?
Now, this was neat. The bathrooms had some of the columns preserved and exposed. I liked that. Definitely the nicest bathrooms we went in in London, Istanbul, or Romania!
The Basilica Cistern also is 10 lira to get in, but after this disappointment we just couldn't justify the money to visit another cistern. Maybe it was a mistake, but I think we both feel okay about it.
In all, this was a really long day. At this point, I can't even remember if we went to the hostel after the cistern or not. I think we just kept on walking to the Grand Bazaar and looked around there. It was not at all what I was expecting. More like little stores than stalls. I guess I was expecting something more packed and crazy like in Cambodia, We got a few interesting table runners (shhh, don't tell our mom), three neat scarves, some earrings for gifts, and I got a really neat illumination/miniature thing. Now, I think the only then I have left to buy is a little piece of pottery (I have my eye on something). Not sure if Anna has anything else on her list. Some of the rugs are neat but definitely out of our price range, that is for sure. At least they are if I want to travel some in June.
Bazaar entrance.
Boy, this is not what I expected! Much more open and clean and organized than I would have thought.
Wares for sale.
Anna checking out all the miniatures. I finally got one from this place!
Flags, flags....
After the Grand Bazaar, we ended up at the University of Istanbul and a mosque. It was between prayer times, so we visited the mosque, which was nice.
In the mosque's courtyard, before you actually go inside.
The washing of the feet and hands.
Inside the mosque.
I just like the way the lights look in this picture even if you cannot see that much of the mosque.
The university looks really neat, too, but you cannot go inside. Only students with cards are allowed through the gates. Bummer! Definitely different from American universities.
View of the university. I love all the Turkish flags. It is great to see that type of patriotism. A bit scary, too, though since the guidebooks tell visitors not to say anything negative about Turkey, Islam, or Ataturk.
Anna and I at the university.
The calligraphy museum, sadly closed for a while.
But, we had some friendly neighborhood cats to help cheer us up!
(picture taken by Anna)
The calligraphy museum is also in that area, but unfortunately it is closed for a while so we were not able to go. It would have been neat to see, but I guess we saved some money this way. After that, we headed over to the Spice Bazaar. The way there got a lot more "cambodia-y" - crowded, packed, few tourists, unusual things for sale. We stopped at a pide place (turkish pizza) and got a cheese version.
Making the pide. Hot from the oven!
They would either cut it up for you or give it to you in a roll to go.
The pizza was delicious and very different from ours. A lot like a lavash for the crust. They wrapped it up for us to eat as we walked and grease was dripping out. It was pretty crazy!
We got ours cut in half and rolled up - delicious!
Then we finally reached the Spice Bazaar, and all the tourists reappeared. It was packed and crazy but really neat to look at and smelled super delicious. As the name suggests, lots of spices for sale but also nuts, dried fruits, and much more.
I mean, how cool is that? Stall after stall just like this!
(picture from Anna)
Dried stuff haning in bunches.
(picture from Anna)
Anna and I got some turkish delight (a mixed box - hazelnut, pistachio, rose, etc). Some are good, but the rose flavor is very strange. As Anna said (without trying it), it is like eating perfume. That is right on the mark. We also got this thing with lots of pistachios in a sort of thick pomegranate jelly. No clue what it is. And, we got a few pieces of dried kiwi. I have never seen that before, and it is pretty good. Maintains some of its kiwi-ness, but the fresh fruit is still better.
Getting our Turkish delight...yum!
Parched from all of the shopping and crowds, we decided to finally try to fresh pomegranate juice that is for sale everywhere this time of year. Lots of places selling orange and pomegranate juice and all have their own juicers. The juice was very intense, let's say. It tasted like it was very healthy to be drinking it! If I have it again, I will mix it with some orange juice, I think.
Anna with the juice.
Pomegranates and oranges await their fate.
(picture from Anna)
It was pretty funny because as I am trying to take a picture of Anna, she starts waving to someone and saying hello....like she knows someone in Istanbul. And, someone who works at the hostel was there. He was on a motorcycle and had gone out to get something for the hostel and just stopped for a juice. What are the odds in a city of 13 million (that is what I have heard at least) and as a visitor, that we would run into someone we know! Funny.
After all of this, we are completed exhausted and head back to the hostel to take it easy for a while. Lots of people are planning things for New Year's Eve, but we are thinking of something more low key (aka nothing!!). We do get up after a while and find a place to eat some dinner. Pretty good - just pointed to what we wanted and they put it on the plates. Cost about the same as the pricey place the first night, but it was better food and more of it! We followed it up with a few pieces of baklava to take back to the dorm. It is so delicious here. Once back at the dorm, Anna decided to head out with some people for New Year's stuff while I took a shower and caught up on this blog. Even though it is New Year's, it is kind of nice to just be sitting here without lots of people around. I think I needed a little alone, quiet time.
And, now I will leave you with a couple of final pictures from 2009!
Pretzels for sale.
Carpets on display. Not the usual way they are set up, but I guess whatever works.
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