A few weeks ago when i told friends and colleagues that i was going to turkey they were like, "Again? Haven't you been to Turkey?" I guess i must have been talking about going to turkey for a really long time ha ha.
So here I am, back from two terrific weeks of travelling in none other than Turkey. Well, it is truly none other, considering Turkey straddles two of my favourite continents, Europe and Asia (um, perhaps cos they're the only two i've been in? oh wait. australia is a continent too isn't it...).
I guess it's like having the best of both worlds in one place. Istanbul is truly fascinating, and it's not just because it is perhaps the only city divided by the sea. I can't even begin to describe the part european, part asian richness found in the streets, the buildings, historic sites etc. Highlights for the trip were the beautiful calcium travertines in Pamukkale and the fairy chimneys in Cappadocia, but more of that later. First up, Istanbul!
Istanbul - Sunday 16 May
Turkish coffee
Breakfast at a cafe near our hotel
We decided to start and end our Turkey trip with Istanbul, so we spent the first 3 nights in the new town, at the Beyoglu district and our last 2 nights in the old town, at the Sultanahmet District.
Things didn't start too well for us, with our driver going in circles at night-time around the narrow cobble-stone roads of the new town, many of which were steep slopes where he had much difficulty navigating the bends. We recognised very quickly the same junction we'd been passing by at least four or five times and couldn't stop giggling. It was also here that i found out that Turkish people are one of the friendliest and most helpful people i've come across on trips. Passers-by helped with traffic control when our driver was stuck, stopped whatever they were doing to give extended detailed directions as and when our driver needed and were never impatient at all.
Finally we alighted at the foot of this long flight of uneven cobble-stone steps and our driver triumphantly pointed to the top of the steps and proclaimed he'd found us our hotel. Alas we climbed all the way to the top only to find out it was Galata Hotel which wasn't quite our hotel (which was called Galateia Residence). So back to the roads it was for another round of hotel hunting. Still this wasn't as bad as Teik's nightmare...
Poor Teik had to wear the same clothes for 3 days cos horrors of transit happened and his luggage got left behind in Dubai, the stopover city on our emirates flight to istanbul. Shaver, contact lens solution and everything you needed to get comfy were all not with him. After some 2 days of several false hope situations (really terrible to be promised one thing that turns out to be nothing) and endless calls to the airport and hotel, his luggage finally arrived and we had a happy teik once again!
The Blue Mosque
Lady in red in the Blue Mosque
Chanced upon a little prince running about in the Blue Mosque
Ayasofya
All hail Queen Cheryl with the glowing crown atop her head
Free entrance to the Blue Mosque and 20YTL (turkish lira) entrance fee to the Ayasofya. We probably spent a couple of hours at both places.
Next up after lunch at the square between the Blue Mosque and the Ayasofya was the Topkapi Palace. I just hate pronouncing it. Try it for yourself Top-Kap-Pi. Unfortunately, the only thing that i thought was pretty were perhaps the blue iznik tiles and floor patterns. Oh and of course the cute smiling little kitty-kat presumably keeping itself cool on the concrete parapet.
Visited the Underground Cistern called Yerebatan which was really dark and a little eerie. Apparently Medusa lived here.
Transversing between the old town (Sultanahmet District) and the new town (Beyoglu District) across the Galata Bridge was pretty convenient. Our hotel for this leg of the trip was in the new town at the opposite end of Istikial Caddesi (main shopping street) from Taksim Square, one of the landmarks in Istanbul's new town. A few minutes walk to the Tunel (say 'too-nell'), which basically connects istikial caddesi to Karakoy. Karakoy is the tram stop next to the Galata Bridge, and from where you can hop onto the tram to get across the bridge to the old town, alighting at Sultanahmet where all the historic sights are within walking distance to one another.
The tramline runs along the main shopping street, Istikial Caddesi, in the Beyoglu district. This major shopping street is seemingly pedestrianised cos it's always crowded with people but you do have to watch out for the trams when they pass by as well as the occasional car or delivery van. It's a pretty long shopping street but wander off into the little perpendicular streets and you're in for some treats! I'll fill you in with pictures further down the page.
One of the side streets off Istikial Caddesi
Istikial Caddesi in the evening, with what seems to be perpetual leftover christmas lighting and decorations hovering above the entire stretch of the shopping belt.
Typical turkish dinner somewhere along Istikial Caddesi before heading back to our hotel. Every meal comes with a pong-pong piece of delicious chewy pita bread, some small and some really really huge.
Paved slope down to our hotel, Galateia Residence.
Master bedroom
Istanbul - Monday 17 May
After communicating for a bit with the neighbour's cat through the bedroom window overlooking the internal courtyard shared by 2 buildings, i got dressed and was ready to start my day.
That's Teik in our hotel room at the Galateia Residence.
Scooters at the neighbouring apartment across the street. They'd be parked differently throughout the 2 days but we never once saw anyone riding them.
Down the slippery slope, i mean, steep slope to our hotel.
The text HAN was all over the place and we soon realised 'han' means house in turkish. I'm standing underneath the sign cos my family name is Han. And for that matter, 'su' means water in turkish, as you'd see in the menus and off the plastic wrapper on mineral water bottles. Well su is one half of my name, so my name in turkish translates to Water-House. I should find out if Leng means anything in turkish haha.
Having some breakfast fun watching the people go by from our window seat. It's a monday morning so here we are slacking off while the rest of the world goes to work.
Perk-me-up dose of daily coffee at Starbucks for my travel buddies.
Roaming the streets south of our hotel in search of Rue Pera where all the artsy cafes apparently were located according internet guides. Came across some charming shopfronts and streetscapes.
Arrived at the Galata Tower without planning for it and decided to head on up for a panoramic view of Istanbul. 1o YTL to go up there.
Took the tram further up Kabatas to the Dolmabahce Palace which unfortunately was closed on Mondays so we whiled away the afternoon in the idyllic garden setting surrounding the palace.
Trammed back to Taksim Square and popped into a diner for a really late kebab lunch, then back along Istitkial Caddesi where we roamed slowly back to our hotel all the way at the other end, exploring the little perpendicular streets off the main boulevard along the way.
Treats along the smaller streets off Istikial Caddesi as promised!
Cafe culture in Istanbul along a series of small streets perpendicular to Istikial Caddesi. I'd love to try my hand at whatever board game the locals were playing. Unless they were playing chess.
Cheryl running away from the tram that goes right down the middle of Istikial Caddesi. Tram started to move soon after she was trying to cling on for a picture ha ha.
Flirting with danger along the tram tracks.
At the stretch of Istikial Caddesi nearer Taksim Square we had the cafe culture streets. Somewhere down the middle we wandered into one cos i was looking at some jewellery at the mouth of the street and we discovered this little courtyard with an old second-hand bookshop and a group of old men gathered round over a game of what seems to resemble backgammon, not that i really know how backgammon is played haha.
Slipped into Saint Antoine Church along Istikial Caddesi
There was a stretch of street between our hotel and the Galata Tower which was under major construction and you can already see hints of what's gonna come. More stylish designer shops and trendy cafes all the way to the Galata Tower. Evidence as seen from some of the early birds popping up on the scene.
This one still under renovation. I hope the dogs were not forgotten and left behind.
Mother cat and kitten perched precariously on the ledge along the sidewalk.
I forgot what i was laughing about. Surely it couldn't be about the poor cats.
Another makeshift bookstore along the sidewalk enroute to the Galata Tower where we were planning to have dinner nearby to watch it light up.
Ta-daa...
Ended the night with some nice hot turkish tea called cay (say 'chai') at this quiet little place down some steps from the tower.
next: Selcuk-Ephesus
