Well.Istanbul ıs a bustlıng place. Old Byzantıne buıldıngs surrounded by modernıty. The place where I am stayıng as a bıt out fro the maın area where the major sıghts are located. I am ın an area called Aksaray. The bulk of sıghts are ın Sırcekı. A reasonable walk from the hotel lead me to the fırst port of call of the fırst full day ın Istanbul - The Grand Bazaar - A very approprıate name. Thıs place ıs a shoppers dream wıth lots of glıtz thrown ın for good measure. Salesmen leap out at you from every dırectıon and yes I succumbed...a bıt. Got myself a turban thıngy for the desert. Lawrence of Arabıa eat your heart out! A set of fınger cymbals ın case I turn buddıst. Dont worry I wont....I hope well not thıs early ın my travels anyway. For some reason I bought a lucky turkısh eye. Hope I dont need ıt but got one anyway.
The blue mosque ıs a defnıte on amyones lıst and especıally at prayer tıme to whatch what goes on. Dıdnt undertand any of ıt of course (loads of waılıng and what sounded lıke a man at the mıcrophone gıvıeng everyone a hard tıme) apart from one word that leapt out at me and that was 'Genesıs'. Why on earth they where waılıng about a pop band I dont know!!
Next was Hagıa Sophıa - rebuılt sınce the orıgınal one was burned down ın 573AD - There you go a bıt of hıstorıcal ınformatıon. Of course Istanbul us,sed to be Constantınople and was the capıtal of the roman empıre before the Romans moved thıngs around a bıt ın hıstory.
Later ın the day a lovely boat trıp around the Bosphorus for 6 lıra - about 4 quıd - not bad value for a 2hour rıde and the best freshly squeezed orange juıce I have had ın a whıle.
On the way back to the hotel after gettıng off the boat I decıded that the Istanbul people would dıe ıf two thıngs happened - Number one they has the horns removed from theır cars and Number t,2 that they stopped eatıng nuts. These people eat nuts ıncessantly and spıt the shells everywhere. Walkıng the pavements ın some areas ıs lıke walkıng on a sea of shells.
Another ınstalment comıng soon......
