Goodbye Dubai. Hello Istanbul!
A 4.5 hour flight takes us from the United Arab Emirates and lands us in Turkey for the next leg of our journey. The flight was good. Amazing mountains and rivers as we flew across the Southern end of Turkey. It seemed some of them would reach up to our flight path.
Ataturk airport was a hive of activity bordering on organized chaos. Tour guides hanging out from every edge of the barriers with signs dangling and yelling and calling to attract their charges. Police sirens beeping, cabs honking and darting in and out. Total madness. The roads were very busy as you would expect from a population of about 20 million. The harbour looked like a parking lot, with ships of all countries and cargoes anchored waiting to be called in to dock.
Our hotel, the Sokullu Pasa is up a cobblestoned alleyway and is very comfortable. It is very small and has a bit of a "Fawlty Towers " feel to it. The staff are very attentive and eager to please. Dinner was close tonight at a small restaurant. Turkish coffee, Turkish beer, Pide and an assortment of dishes. Delicious.
Call to Prayer is at 5.45am and even though our windows are double glazed the call drifted inside the room as it played out from the minaretes across the city.
This morning we were on a walking tour of Istanbul. Ilknora was our guide and off we went. First stop was the Blue Mosque. It is an impressive structure that has the Hippodrome outside the walls. The Hippodrome is a massive square that used to be used for chariot racing during the reign of the Romans. The Blue Mosque was built in 7 years and is a work of art.
The Hagia Sophia was next and is currently a museum. It is beautiful and the history is quite remarkable. It was a place of prayer and a mosque as the rulers changed. As with the Blue Mosque the arches are sweeping and majestic with the domed roof sweeping upward to the heavens.
The Basilica Cistern is underground nearby and was built in 527AD by Emperor Justinian to supply water for Constantinople. It covers 9800 square metres and held 100,000 ton of water. The roof is held up by 336 columns that are 9 metres high. A remarkable feat.
Lunch was at a small restaurant that Ilknora took us to. The best meatballs you are liable to taste along with Efes beer, bread and feta.
Regrouping with our feet still intact ( Celeste did have a blister but soldiered on ) we headed for the Grand Bazaar. On the way we stopped at a Carpet shop and were treated to a History lesson on Turkish Carpet after the obligatory drinks were had. Beautiful works from around Turkey but alas we left empty handed though not for the trying of the salesman.
A Ceramic demonstation was another inspiring stop on the way to the Bazaar with the store full of creations that would empty Fort Knox of it's money reserves.
Cobblestones streets and paths with sellers plying their wares as we made our way up hill and down dale to the Bazaar. Huge is an understatement with 65 aisles as far as you could see with 4000 storeholders encased in the swirling mayhem. You could get what ever you wanted in here and the shopkeepers certainly were trying to separate you from your money but they were all polite and happy as they went about it.
A full day and Ilknora led the weary tourists back to our enclave to rest up and prepare for the next adventure.
