Sensory overload in Istanbul, Turkey

And deliver it did! We experienced sensory overload in Istanbul. This city never seems to sleep. We rented an apartment in the Beyoglu area, which is close to Taksim Square. Before coming here, I had read that many of the tourist sites are in Sultanahmet, but that it’s best to stay in Beyoglu because that area has great restaurants and nightlife. Those articles said that it gets pretty crazy on Friday and Saturday nights and boy, were they right! We were a bit sleep deprived, in part due to the noise from the partygoers (do I sound like an old person?) but also due to the call to prayer…it woke us up around 4:40am – 5:10am each morning. The first time I heard it and mind you, I had earplugs in too, I thought it was a drunken person singing in the street. The 2^nd morning, we realized that it was either that same person or something else…and after some googling, it became apparent what it was. The call to prayer seemed to go on anywhere from a few minutes to half an hour every morning and actually sounded like someone was right beside me with the megaphone...all across the city, there are megaphones on the towers next to the mosques so I guess that’s why. By the 4^th night/morning, I actually started to find it kind of interesting and tried to look at it as a cultural experience. It did help wake us up for our early morning flight on the 4^th morning.

There is just so much to do in Istanbul. It’s huge! We spent time exploring the famous Grand Bazaar (one of the world’s oldest and largest bazaars in the world). http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Grand_Bazaar,_Istanbul

We bartered on some lamps and got the price we wanted…then we had to figure out how to ship them, which cost almost as much as the lamps (we picked the slowest shipping possible so we’ll see if they make it home before us). We ate some good Turkish food (think kebaps or kebabs as we know them, mezes etc.). There seem to be more vegetables in typical dishes than we have found so far on our trip and dishes aren't as rich as all that yummy French food. Perhaps my clothes will fit again. Mike continued his newfound love for coffee by sampling Turkish coffees. Turkish coffees are served in small cups (almost like espresso cups) and the coffee is made by boiling water and ground coffee beans together (sometimes with some sugar too, depending on one’s taste). The grind settles to the bottom of the cup if you let it sit for a few minutes before drinking it and you don’t drink the bottom portion.

We also took a Bosphorus boat tour, which was very interesting because we got to sail down the strait that separates Europe from Asia. Again, we gained a new appreciation of how big Istanbul is and how many different areas there are! 

Oh, I almost forgot to mention that Mike bought his first souvenir in the Cinque Terre area – a new wedding ring! He lost his original one in the fall. Anyway, I caught him looking at jewelry while we were in Vernazza and next thing I knew, he had a new ring. Best 18 euro ($27) he’s ever spent, according to him. Of course, it's already starting to tarnish and it’s only been a week but hey, it does the job. J  

Ah yes, starting the flight with a Turkish Delight. Not quite what I was expecting but still delicious!  Also showcases his new stainless steel masterpiece.

Europe and Asia in one shot. That's the bridge dividing the Bosphorus.

Turkish coffee 

More varieties of Turkish Delight. Good to have selection.

Inside the Grand Bazaar...I didn't expect it to look so fancy (expected something more like Nepalese style shops). You can buy anything here.

Disclaimer: I have no idea what this is.

Mosque 

Istiklal Street 

Scene VERY close to our apartment

Waldo - you're supposed to hide! 

Tried shisha or flavoured tobacco (this one was apple)...don't worry Mom and Dad, this was a one time deal. :) 

Lots of people smoking shisha and having tea on this street

Turkish breakfast - complete with nutella in the middle. Random or traditional?

Lots of fishermen along this bridge...we walked by numerous times and it never seems like anyone catches anything.

Beautiful garden at Topkapi Palace. Used the toilets here and saw women hoisting their feet up to wash in the sinks. Ah, now the 'no foot washing' signs make sense (I didn't see them here but in a couple of other places).

Inside Hagia Sophia

So hard to capture this place...it was breathtaking but our pics do not do it justice (they were also doing some construction updates so tried not to get that part in the photo). Look on google images...they have better.

Blue Mosque - still an active mosque but they allow everyone to visit.

You need to remove your shoes to enter (and I didn't know this so of course I had ridiculous socks on).

They have a women's section for prayer at the side and the men's section is in the middle. It closes during prayer times so these people are tourists.

It was nice inside...we tried not to let the stinky feet detract from the experience (no shoes plus carpets that are likely not often cleaned).

Walk back along the water. We're still on the European side.

I do appreciate people's entrepreneurship and this was sure a good one...he had blown up balloons and had a gun to shoot to pop them. Ha!

Back to wearing two pairs of pants and eating quinoa salad. 

There were nice properties all along the waterfront (and a fair bit of waterfront to choose from)! 

Bosphorus Bridge separates Europe and Asia (both sides are Istanbul).

Phew...these hills are wearing me down but are also wearing off all that cheese and bread! I know this is downhill but there was an uphill to get here.

Mike in Taksim Square.

Still haven't figured out how they eat the heads. Think I'll pass on this one.