It was hard not to feel like I'd entered a different world when hearing prayer calls from mosques all about, but in many ways, Istanbul felt more modern then many European cities I'd been too. Istiklal Avenue (above) is a long pedestrian avenue, complete with Christmas (winter?) lights, designer stores, and art galleries. A relatively easy-to-use public transportation network allowed me to get home easily after a long day of walking around the city. Everything (in the central neighborhoods, at least) felt clean, well-run, and pleasant. Now, highlights:
Beautiful mosques
Byzantine Cistern, stored water under the city
Balik Ekmek...
You could walk right up to this boat (actually there are three identical ones in a row) and buy a fish sandwich for $2.50. Absolutely delicious and incredibly fresh-tasting. The most impressive part of the whole deal is these guys are cooking and assembling while this boat is being tossed around, despite being tied to the dock.
(image from National Geographic)
I took a bath in the Çemberlitaş Hamamı, a historic bath pictured above. A Turkish bath is like hot yoga, except instead of having a slender cutie request politely that you hold the stretch for a few extra seconds, a large, fat, hairy Turkish masseuse bends and beats your body while soaping you down. I may have limped out of the bath, but I was cleaner than I had been in 6+ months.
Ataturk Monument, Taksim Square
I stayed in a hostel, but I hung out with a couple locals thanks to CouchSurfing. I went and played backgammon (twice) with one dude (he won), and I also spent one lovely afternoon with a local medical student (why so many med students?) who also had me and a couple other CSers over for dinner with her and her family. And yes, her mom does cook a tasty ravioli and borek.
Next up, a report on being home and a little summary of the trip.
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