After a long weekend in Antalya, and a week of teaching a training next to the beach, catching up with old friends, making new ones, staying up too late, and enjoying the luxuries of an all-inclusive resort (a work-wise, it was really successful!), I was exhausted. But when I thought about it, I realized that my trip had just begun. I still had a weekend to explore Istanbul, then Tallinn, Estonia for a few days, followed by a 3 day weekend in Munich for Oktoberfest. I had no time to feel tired.
Me and my Russian friends, Katya and Alena in Antalya
My Turkish friend Ayca picked me up from the airport in Istanbul after work on Friday evening. Ayca and I worked together in San Jose, CA on the project that sent people from around the world to California for a year or two (or more). As always, it's great to have hosts in the cities/countries I visit, because it makes me feel like Anthony Bourdain when they take me to the best eateries and tell me about their culture and history. But Ayca took this one step further. Although she didn't provide a camera crew (darn), she was as generous as a host could be. For one thing, she paid for just about everything. I would TRY to pay, but when the people collecting money were reaching towards accepting my money/credit card, she'd say something sneaky in Turkish to them and they'd only take the money from her. I think she told them mine was drug money or that I stored it in my underwear or something. She paid for meals, taxis, and even museum entrance fees. By the end of the weekend, except for the few dollars I spent on souvenirs, I had the same amount of cash I started with...and it really bothered me. Not only because I wanted to pay for HER, but because I hate having leftover cash after a trip! At the end of the trip, that became my argument..."I need to pay because I can't have any leftover money, or I will DIE!!!". She finally let me pay for our last dinner, so that was a small victory. And I didn't die.
Me and Ayca
The only meal Ayca let me pay for...Lahmacun (my favorite)
Another great thing about the weekend was that Ayca LOVES sports. She has season tickets for the local pro soccer team, and she particularly likes college football. And she has ESPN. I already love Istanbul. No big deal that games were not always live, but the fact that there was football on TV was the best surprise ever. On Sunday they even showed the UW-Nebraska game on replay. Of course, I didn't need to watch the end of that game since we lost, but it was still nice to watch the good parts. And an even better part is that during the replays, there are no commercials! So great!
Ok, so now let's get to the part where I actually saw the city of Istanbul. Hopefully you haven't forgotten that I was there.
Istanbul is one of the most interesting places I have been. It is a unique combination of old (very old) and new (very new), half of the city is in Asia and the other half in Europe. I landed in Europe, and because Ayca lives on the Asia side (separated by the Bosphorus Straight, which separates the Marmara and Black Sea, and TONS of traffic), we crossed back and forth several times over the weekend. The European side is the side that we all see pictures of, and the Asian side is more of the residential side. There are 13 million (or more) people in the city, third to Moscow and London, as far as Europe population goes.
People and water everywhere
Mosques everywhere
And when I say TONS of traffic, I really mean it. The cars barely move on the main streets. They are slow enough for people to stand in the middle of the streets all day selling things. There's not even a risk that the cars will be going fast enough to run them over (think Austin Powers and the steam roller that was going .0001 miles per hour). Even though cars aren't going fast, of course there is a bit of road rage and people swerving all over the place. And people will run across the street, Frogger style, anytime, anywhere. If you know me, and know how hard it is for me to stay awake as a passenger in a car, you will guess (correctly) that I slept in the car a lot (sorry Ayca!!). As I would try to stay engaged in conversation, I could feel my eyes get heavy, and I'd start answering with gibberish, before passing out completely.
I don't know what's more impressive - dodging moving buses, or balancing 1,000 preztels on your head
Visually, Istanbul is a beautiful place. Domed mosques and their accompanying towers decorate the colorful skyline of rolling hills, water, buildings and bridges. People are everywhere, walking, selling, sitting, fishing...it definitely seems like there are 13 million people on every street corner. There are certain views of the city that remind me of Seattle around Lake Union and Puget Sound...lots of water, homes all along the coast line, curvy hills, and of course, blue skies and a bright shiny sun.
It could be Lake Union
Of course Seattle doesn't have all the beautiful Mosques. It's interesting that Istanbul (Constantinople) has been the center of the Christian world during the Roman empire, but also the Muslim world. The churches were all turned to Mosques, and in Hagia Sophia they are still uncovering some of the old Christian paintings that are hidden under layers of Muslim paint. Also, most people are Muslim, but not everyone "looks" like it, according to how you probably picture Muslims to look.
Outside Hagia Sophia
Inside Hagia Sophia
In the 6th century Basilica Cistern
Medusa does a headstand while protecting the cistern (or maybe she's washing her hair)
We also ventured to the Spice Market, where I bought some chili powder from the only non-pushy vendor (see how the nice sales people can win?), and the Grand Bazaar, where I was so overwhelmed I could only manage the purchase of 2 magnets. These places were so big, so crowded, and there's sensory overload with everything you see. But definitely worth the visit.
Spice market
Inside the bazaar, there are at least 13 million people in every corridor
In general, the Turkish people are very friendly. I am afraid to say that they are more friendly than the people I am used to seeing in CEE. Strangers say hello, they smile, they ask where you're from (even if they are trying to sell you something, it's nice to get a smile, and even if they don't have a full mouth of teeth). In restaurants, the waiters smile, and aren't afraid to have a nice chat with you, or to joke around about the foreigner trying various foods without knowing what it is (me).
So let's talk about the food (something I could do for hours). In addition to the usual Turkish suspects, there are several foods that I loved: menaman (eggs in tomato sauce), burek (meat filled pastry), and simit (a pretzel thing...this one with cheese in the middle, which I could eat a million of). And we ate at a kofte (meatball) place that has been around since the Ottoman Empire.
Cheese-filled, and super soft, these Simit were amazing
Appetizer spread the first night
For dessert, I really liked something called irmik helva, which was like a solid cream of wheat, warm and sweet. And of course there was baklava...Ayca took me to a shop where we were going to have "a small snack"...and that "small snack" consisted of 7 pieces of baklava. EACH. Usually I can eat 2 pieces, max. But when in Rome...I had to go for it. Let's just say I was so hyper for the next hour, I was definitely not sleeping in the car.
Baklava to keep me awake and alert
The tea is also interesting here. It's always served in clear glass cups with no handle. And guys are running around the streets with trays of tea serving to anyone, anywhere. I've mentioned the coffee before, and how you can tell a fortune by looking at the pattern of the leftover "mud". My SF friend Frank happened to be in Istanbul at the same time, and we met for dinner the first night. We tried to tell each other's coffee fortunes, but it turned into more of "Ayca, you tell us, we only see brown mud". I don't know if they really believe these fortunes, or if it's a marketing trick to sell more coffee...either way, it definitely worked on me, because I am ordering Turkish coffee everywhere I go from now on.
Can you tell my fortune?
Me and Frank after dinner - yes, he's bending over to not look so much bigger than me
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