Istanbul

Istanbul is a refreshing new experience for me, with the gateway between Asia and Europe failry evident. As I by no means consider myself a scholar on the historical foundations and transformations that have helped to mold and influence what is today known as Istanbul, I still will comment from my past few days here. There are defining points noticeable at this crossroads of continents, with the Islamic call to prayers throughout the day, ringing through streetside cafes and patio bars with European tourists sipping pints of Effes, the local pilsener.

So the first three nights were spent in Beyoglu.... I believe this is right, and it has an amazing view of the city, located atop a breathtaking hill - literally breathtaking. There is a tower called Galata tower that used to be the tallest in Europe, nearly right out front our doorstep that offered spectacular views of the city.

The daily trek to and from the "points of interest" from our landing pad atop the hill regularly involved a trip across the Galata bridge, which brought you to the Sultanhamet area - home to the famous Blue Mosque! Although this mosque is quite a site, if its your first time in Istanbul you will have a difficult time determining which one is exactly the "Blue" one.

 So beautiful no? Yet, this is not the Blue Mosque that thousands flock to see, although beautiful none-the-less. You pass a good two or three of these splendours as you walk from our first flat to the Blue Mosque.

Another day we managed to visit some popular islands south-east of the city called the Prince Islands. We unloaded ourselves at the Heybeliada island and spent the afternoon meandering around the tranquil hillsides and rocky beaches. We even commandeered a little beach hut and dock to pass some relaxed moments while we soaked in the Turkish sun and splashed around in the Marmara sea.

A couple notes of common sightings in Istanbul: the inevitable cats; they have a fair amount of cats, and Im not sure how they keep them so tame and.. well.. 'unmangey'. Cute little things, and they often climb up on you while your sucking back on your Nargile pipe.

Another thought, what is it with the price of cold beer in this crazy place! I know that not everywhere has cheap suds lke those found on the streets of Hanoi, Vietnam, but I still was not expecting comparable prices to that of the LCBO in Ontario, especially when purchasing from the local markets here in Istanbul. This relatively pricey beer has its pros as well, it moderates your consumption even considering the heat :)

Some of the most common street foods found in vendor carts throughout every corner include: Corn (which I unfortunately had a terrible experiece with and could have sworn I was chewing on an old rubbermaid handweight); These little bagel-like bread rolls, basically cold, dense, sesame bagels; and burnt chestnuts were another popular snack, among copious amounts of turkish delight flooding the tourist areas. One particularly tasty treat was the Turkish ice cream stands, where it is more of a show than a product. The performer serving the ice cream is somewhat of an artist in how he swirls the sticky ice cream around a stir stick and then teases you with a sort of cup and ball'ish manner, pretending to give it to you and then pulling it back away, sometimes upwards of 7 or 8 times; eventually could get annoying, but nevertheless entertaining.

I plan to add a few more pictures and stories once I find a laptop with all of the keys and a way to load my other photos from my camera.