Return to İstanbul
I arrived back to the İstanbul otogar around midnight, just in time to catch the last metro to the airport, where I was to meet my girlfriend Lena early in the morning, who was coming to spend a week with me in the city. I decided it was easier and cheaper to go to the airport now and sleep and wait. When she arrived, we made our way to the Hotel Baron we were staying at. Yes, that’s right, I’m actually staying at a hotel, and a pretty nice one, at that! Such are the requirements of travelling with a girlfriend, especially one that requires a separate room, some more cleanliness, and has a worrying mother. A Turkish friend of her mother’s found us a nice, reasonably priced (€50 double) place in the Beyazıt shopping district to the west. It worked out well, because it also includes a huge buffet breakfast, and we were able to eat well enough in the morning that we didn’t really need to worry about any food throughout the day, and just getting a little something later in the evening. It helped offset the extra costs of the room a bit. Although it took quite some time to actually find the place in the winding streets, we managed and rested a bit before heading out that evening to see the city. We went to the main area around the Blue Mosque, the area I knew already. At night they do a light show with some music, changing the color of the mosque.
The next day we headed to Topkapı Palace. I really enjoy Arab artwork. The patterns and colors and intricacies… I’m normally not a fan of over-stimulation, like with Catholic art and the way cathedrals are overdone with adornations and gold, but I find the Arab art much nicer, perhaps because of the nature of the patterns and repetition, rather than a constant barrage of new information of the Catholic style. And naturally the palace was decorated everywhere. We also saw the Harem of the palace, and some rooms hold displays of old weapons and armor. And of course, great views over the Bosphorous. We enjoyed relaxing in the gardens as we left.
The following afternoon we went inside the Aya Sofia, originally a Christian cathedral to Muslim mosque to museum. In the center was a small exhibition on the Dervishes, showing some cultural aspects and whatnot. From there we went across the way and into the Blue Mosque. With both of these I find the most interesting elements to be the outside architecture and the decoration and art inside. Our next stop was the underground Basilica Cistern. It was a nice atmosphere with the glow of the yellow lights on the columns and vaulted ceilings, reflecting on the water still below, with some fish swimming, all sounds echoing around… and strange sculpting on some pillars that are still unexplained. Across the river was a newly opened contemporary art museum, İstanbul Modern, that was free on Thursdays, so we went to find it. We had some difficulty finding it at one point, and a Turkish guy saw us with our map out and came to help and point us in the right direction. Always so helpful and friendly… We found our way soon enough. When it closed we then walked towards Taksim Square, the new, modern center of town to check things out. Quite a change from the old center, this was a very Western and modern area, full of shops and neon and hustle-n-bustle. We spent the time just wandering and taking it all in.
The next day was Friday, and we started the day again in Taksim, this time taking the tram. Because the hill the square is on is so steep, for the last stop it’s necessary to switch trains, to one much more powerful and designed to climb hills. We checked out the area, now in the daylight. At one point we decided to get some Turkish ice cream, something I had a few times already but wanted Lena to try, too. This proved to be a detrimental decision… The previous day while looking for the contemporary art museum, we had passed a stretch of hip looking nirgile tea gardens and decided to go there to relax for a bit. It was a nice area… several cafes next to each other, each with a bunch of beanbag chairs or other comfy sitting places outside and little tables and water pipes. Just a place a sit and have a smoke and tea and chill. While we were here, Lena started feeling sick, and having bad pains and cramps in her stomach. As it got worse, we left and headed back to the hotel. Over the course of the next days it progressed and got worse and more painful. Sometimes it was tolerable and we could move around, but others it was so bad she was bed bound. We think the problem was bacteria which may have grown on the top of the ice cream due to improper cooling. She had the first scoop, so she got it, and her European stomach isn’t very strong to deal with it. I felt awful, because it was my suggestion to get the ice cream, and it was first handed to me, but I let her take it, and I think if I had had it, my stomach could have dealt with it better.
Saturday we decided we should find a hospital. We didn’t entirely trust the Turkish ones, but the trusty LP mentioned an American and a German one in the city. She being German, we tried there. After first wanting €500 for something or other, she opted for the €100 shot in butt. We’re still not sure what it was, but it helped a bit. Not entirely, as she was still sick for nearly two weeks after going home, but it made things more tolerable. That night she stayed in the hotel and I left to wander a bit, as she didn’t want me to miss out on too much and sit there listening to her getting sick all the time. Feeling she was safe in the hotel room with a bathroom (and very glad we opted for it instead of staying in a hostel!), I ventured out and took a walk around some nearby areas I hadn’t been yet. I found myself at the Fetih Camii. There were some kids around outside kicking a football around, and within the perimeter walls I found some small groups of people sitting around on the grass. There was a cemetery to the side I took a stroll through which also had a room with the coffins of some sultans. As I left and started to make my way back to the hotel, I found myself a little lost. I could have sworn I was going back a direction I had come, but apparently I had gotten turned around. Eventually I came across the Roman Aquaduct of Valens and used it as a reference point to find my way again. As I walked, I found a group of Turkish kids with a boombox break dancing. They had some nice moves.
On Sunday Lena was feeling a bit better and we decided to go to one of the islands nearby, Büyükada. It’s a beautiful island with no automobiles, only bicycles and horse-drawn carriages. The houses there are amazingly huge, many in Victorian style, and the scenery very nice. This is clearly where the wealthy Turks are spending their time. We spent the day just walking around and relaxing before taking the ferry back to the mainland that evening.
The next day was our last… Lena left that night, and my flight was super early in the morning, so again I stayed in the airport to wait it out. Before that, however, we spent some time walking around the Grand Bazaar (Kapalı Çarşı). I realized that when I went before, I didn’t actually go… I thought the Grand Bazaar was all the market areas outside that I had walked through. This time I found the actual building called the Grand Bazaar. Inside was pretty much the same as outside… crowded and chaotic, but with pretty, ornamented ceilings to look at. We eventually made our way out of the Bazaar area, and went over to the Asian side of İstanbul and sat by the shore, and had an interesting talk with a Turkish man there that warned us about kissing in public, especially on that side of the water. The European side is one thing, but the Asian is something else. It was interesting to learn these subtle intra-cultural things. He then proceeded to tell us not to get married, because it ruins your life… Before heading to the airport, we got some food at (gasp!) McDonald’s. Yes, that’s right… Mickey D’s. I hate it, I don’t eat it in America, I certainly don’t eat it when I travel… except when they have a McDöner. Actually, they call it the McTurco. I had to try it… it was awful, as expected, with cardboard for pita, but I just felt I had to take this opportunity. Maybe it’ll become a new travel thing? Eating the local McDonald’s specialty? Or maybe not…
Tags: Asia, Europe, Travel, Turkey
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