Istanbul.. not Constantinople
Ah, Istanbul… We arrived in the late morning and were immediately enamored with this old, europe style, city. We had heard that the ‘men were aggressive’ and the ‘touts were intense’ but we learned that these types of comments are extremely subjective. Yes, there are guys standing outside restaurants and shops and they want your business, but compared to Egypt, India, or even many in SE Asia, it was very mild. And between the mass transit being fantastic and the city very walkable, we were able to stay in Istanbul for a 3 days and never consider taking a taxi.
We stayed in Sultanahmet in a nice hostel that offered free internet and free breakfast. We were offered complimentary apple tea at the first restaurant we visited and immediately fell in love with the hospitality of the Turkish people. We went on long walks to see the Blue Mosque and the ‘beautiful people’ in the trendy Beyoglu area. We watched the hundred or so fisherman on the bridge catching thousands of sardines as the ‘call to prayer’ sounded in the background, strolled through the ‘largest covered market in the world’ and ate fabulous treats in a nearby promenade.
Now off to Cappadocia!
Tags: Turkey
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