Eat Walk Smile Share

As I lay in the beautiful gülhane garden in Istanbul, soaking the sun and feeling the cool soft grass beneath me, I asked myself, how did I end up here? It's was a dream come true. Istanbul has been one of my dream destinations ever since I started reading Orhan Pamuk books. And the stories that my friends told me about the city added fuel to my burning desire.
I got a chance to visit Istanbul for work. I wanted to wander around exploring the beautiful city. I did the things that one is expected to do- visit blue mosque, grand bazaar, Haghia Sophia, Basilica Cistern, Dolmabache Palace, spice market etc. But, I discovered the city beyond that. Small, peaceful mosques, delicious food for half the price, university students who moonlight as whirling dervishes, a multilingual painter with a beautiful smile and madness in his eyes, overcrowded houses with Syrian refugees. I fell in love with the gülhane park and would religiously go there everyday with my book, water and some delicious food and laze around.
I did so much within budget! I love to eat, i probably live to eat. As I was on a shoe string budget, I chose to eat rather than visit few historical sites. Wander around and you'll easily spot places crowded with locals, squeeze in and eat to your heart's content. Also, staying in a hostel helps. You'll meet so many people from all around the world who will happily share their experiences of the city with you and give great suggestions. At night, Taksim is the place to be. Istikal caddesi and the by lanes are crowded with pubs, clubs, bars and restaurants. Especially on friday and saturday nights, its like some festival is on. You can pub crawl or listen to the street musician, eat dondurma, go dancing, dine or whatever you fancy. And wander around. Please. Go where your feet take you. Hop on a ferry, go to the Asian side, visit one of the princes islands, hop on the tram and go beyond the touristy areas, smile, talk to people. We all have stories to tell and happiness to share. For me, one of the highlights was the museum of innocence. It's a museum based on the book "the museum of innocence" by Orhan Pamuk. He built if few years back and if you have the book, you can enter for free because there is ticket printed in the book that you can use! Read his books before visiting Istanbul if you can. I felt so good when I would be sitting in a cafe, overlooking Bosphorous and reading one of his books. Istanbul was everything I expected it to be and much more.