Istanbul - August, 2022

About an hour and a half into our 6.5 hour bus ride to Istanbul from Burgas we arrived at the border crossing side of Bulgaria. Everyone had to get off the bus and get an exit stamp. While dodging honking cars and watching the line pile up behind us, we all climbed back on. We drove a few meters then repeated the ritual to get an entry stamp into Turkiye, Yes, that's how it is spelled now. US citizens need a visa and it can only be done ahead of time on-line. $50 per person. 

Two hours later than scheduled we pulled into the Istanbul bus station. I opened Uber and got to work. Although Uber technically is present here, it's really just a way to call a regular taxi. They message right back asking where you are going and then state a price. If you agree, they'll come, if not the trip gets canceled. I was unable to get the 300 lira ($16) fare down so I canceled the first one. A few attempts later, one finally bit but didn't ask a price and knew where we were going.

Inflation here has gone crazy. The Turkish lira had devalued so much against the dollar, merchants can't keep up. Prices change daily, I'm convinced the merchants and restaurants are all guessing at this point. Menu prices are written with a dry-erase marker.  

After weaving through traffic and pedestrians, our taxi driver pulled up to our street which was blocked by police cars and an ambulance. The driver demanded 300 lira. Should have taken the first one. We walked up the 53 steps; cursing our heavy backpacks, Turkish in-ingenuity in stair building but mostly for not paying more attention to the floor level while booking. I already had my phone out due to the fact I couldn't see anything because who needs light to walk up three floors on a circular staircase. I checked the pass code for the door, woohoo, first try and we're in.

That feeling of walking into a new place, in a new city after traveling all day can make quite an impression. This was not that feeling. The disaster lay before us. Suitcases, shopping bags and dirty clothes greeted us at our new home in Istanbul for the next week. With the police and ambulance outside, I checked under the bed and the bathtub for more victims. Nothing. 

I tried our host. No response. Airbnb responded immediately via chat.....

Airbnb: What's the issue?
Jim: I think someone is still in our rental.
Airbnb: Would you like to speak to someone about your concerns?
Jim: That'll be great.

The host got back to us..
Host: I think you have the wrong room.
Jim: I hope so! Why would the code work if it was the wrong room?
Host: Yeah, we're working on that. Your room should be next door.

In the meantime I try the same code on the next door, we're in.

Airbnb: So I see from the pictures you sent the room is occupied.
Jim: Wrong room, thanks for your help. We're in the right room now. 

Host: Did you get in the right room?
Jim: Yes, you should probably have different codes for different rooms.
Host: Our IT department is working on that. Glad you got in, let me know if there's anything you need, Cheers!
Jim: Cheers..

Fearing breaking an ankle going back down, we chose to stay put for dinner and munched on some crackers and peanut butter. Tomorrow's another day.

The early morning call to prayer sprung us out of bed at an ungodly hour. Unable to go back to sleep we made the best of it, downed some coffee and took off.  We must have walked 10 miles that day. This seems to be a pattern on our first day. We walk and walk all around a new city exploring because everything is new and interesting, plus we get an idea of the layout of where things are located. We found the Basilica Cistern and Hagia Sophia, but the lines were long and there are few things we would stand in line 3-4 hours for.

We stopped at a mosque which provided shade and fountains to cool off for a bit. This was the day that we noticed how differently men and women were treated. I was allowed to sit at the fountain and wash my feet and face under the cool shade while Alisa sat waiting for me in the hot sun, drenched with sweat. Alisa did conform to the dress codes and some other customs like, the woman always walking three feet behind the man... that really doesn't happen here, but that's typical for us because I don't "stroll" well. I was also served first in restaurants, asked if my food was good and was looked at with direct eye contact. Alisa was simply called “Lady” when someone cared enough to sell her something.

My mom and some friends were also in Istanbul and one evening they met up with us at a pub for some darts. It wasn't long before we were challenged by some locals and the pub manager to a game, loser buys a round. Three teams playing Turkish cricket. The rules and player rotations changed constantly. The "free" shots came in waves. It was a not so subtle setup. The self-proclaimed Casanova called Mustafa was about to rip off his shirt to bear his undying love for my mom when I hit a double bull. He went from bended knee to jumping up and down chanting “Champion, Champion” with his wing-man in seconds flat. 

Unfortunately, our new friends were unaware of the level of competition we undertake when playing darts. Thankfully we were both dialed in that night.

When Alisa threw the winning dart, I was able to finally relax. We didn't accept the free round, instead insisted on a simple handshake.  It wasn't until I went to pay the bill, I realized how deep this game went. I had charges for drinks I never even heard of. One by one, the bartender, the bouncer and I went down the list, he reluctantly checked off items that I didn't order. As we walked out, bill settled, we ran into Mustafa and his girlfriend near the exit. My mom grabbed her “broken” heart as she witnessed the embraced couple and started pretending to wail. He professed it was the devil who made him cheat and it will never happen again. We walked down the street hearing the faint echoes of Mustafa’s fading plea “My love, my love, please return to me.” Scams are abundant in any place but this one felt somewhat well rehearsed. Those 53 steps up back home turned out to be the only real challenge that night.

The traffic was horrendous here. We thought it was bad because we pulled in on a Saturday, but it was crazy every day and every night. Horns honking, people everywhere, packed streets. The only time the city seemed quiet was from about 7-9 in the morning. Even though you can hail a taxi, it's rather expensive 300 lira ($16) to get 15 minutes. Mostly because of the traffic. Relatively speaking it's cheap, but we chose to save our daily budget money for food...so we used our regular mode of transportation..our feet...which not only made for a good cardio workout, but also a good leg workout. The roads are steep and most things to see and do sit on hills on both sides of the bridge. Walking is just as dangerous as driving, you have to watch for everything, including darting cats breaking into street brawls without notice. Very territorial, these Turkish cats.

After a few days of getting our bearings it was time to be a tourist. We did some searching and found skip the line tickets for the Basilica Cistern online that we bought the night before for $23.31. They were going for double that on sites like Viator and Getyourguide. Since the Cistern and Hagia are directly across the street from each other our plan was to leave early and go to the shortest line first. The Hagia Sophia line was long at 9:00 a.m. so with our skip the line ticket, we passed all the people waiting for the Cistern and got in within minutes.

The Basilica Cistern was absolutely stunning.  It had only recently reopened after several years of renovation. We took our time walking on the platform about a foot above the water, listening to the drops slowly falling down. When we exited there was no line to the Hagia Sophia. We actually thought it was closed for prayer. Looking closer it was just short so we took off on a quick walk/ jog across the street dodging people, trams and cars and went straight in. It recently was turned back into a mosque so there was no entry fee. Upon entering you pass through a metal detector and then a dress code section which they thoroughly enforce. One woman in front of us tried to get in without a head covering and was turned away. Women needed their legs and head covered, it didn't really matter about shoulders. Men could get in with shorts, even though all signs say pants only. No shoes on the carpet inside or out. 

We had an overwhelming amount of restaurants to choose from, but not all places served alcohol. However every place served coffee and Cay (tea) and delicious looking desserts. These coffee places were always filled with people. There were plenty of bars and most of them off the beaten path served beer for 35-70 lira ($2-4) and cocktails for 80-110 lira ($4-6). Restaurants by the water had overpriced food and beer that ran you 130-160 lira ($7-$8) and cocktails 180-210 lira ($10-$12). Tip - if you want a cold one by the water...1) ask to see the beer prices  2) choose a corner restaurants, you’ll get comfortable seats and cheap beers.

Unfortunately our home was basic, a bed and bathroom and no kitchen which ate up our daily budget. You can eat cheap but you have to find these places. As with most cities, the tourist areas cost 3X's the amount. In these areas a meal for two, with drinks costs anywhere from $35-50. We had to search for the cheap places where you could find good (and most of the time better) food for $6-$15. So, it just depends on how far you want to walk or the time searching for these little gems.

The police presence was scarce unless you happened upon a foreign consulate. Of course you'd see them driving around and there were many tourist police but not many on the streets, probably to avoid battling the chaos. Safety wasn't an issue, we both felt very comfortable walking around.

Unsure of how to dress? You can wear whatever you want strolling around without disrespecting the culture, however most of the women wore traditional burkas while very few men were traditionally dressed.

There are mosques everywhere with prayer time echoing throughout the city five times a day, approximately 5:15, 9:30, 13:15, 17:30 and 21:45 depending on the moon. The call to prayer could even be heard even through the cement walls of our home.

We never got around to visiting the Grand Bazaar. When we were in the area and thought about visiting, we realized it was closed on Sunday. We did however visit the Egyptian spice market which was lined with desserts, spices, teas and gold. Upon exiting, the streets were packed with anything and everything you could think of.  After doing the Egyptian market we had no desire to really walk through an even bigger crowded market filled with junk to bring back to a house we don't have. 

Across the bridge, I took Alisa on one of my exploring walks...this area seemed more local with men lining shops, drinking tea, smoking and playing backgammon; that was the only time she was out of place and received some awkward stares. Could have been her Elvis socks though.

Galata Tower (which we were literally a block from) 

I got up early to get tickets for that day. Everytime we passed, the line wrapped around the block. We waited for a storm to pass and then got in line to take the tour, which was now longer than the ticket line. The elevator takes you to the fifth floor and then you walk up two more to the top. However going down everyone takes the stairs, which if you're tall prepare for some crouching. 

We had a 360 degree view of the city and realized just how big some of the mosques are.

We skipped the sultan's palace after contemplating getting in line, I am sure it would have been a cool experience, but not some place either of us felt compelled to stand in line for hours to see. We opted to stroll through the garden instead. 

Everyone smokes, either cigarettes or hookahs. We ran into mostly kind people, a few beggars, kids selling Kleenex and in one spot we saw a lot of moms and kids eating out of the garbage. I thought about my old collection of garbage pail kids, which if they ever increase in value someday, I promise to give the proceeds to these kids. On more than one occasion, I was undercharged for dinner. I figured the waiter did it on purpose to hope I’d make it up on the tip. Sometimes I would, if they were good, other times I had them correct it. 

Our last morning packed and ready, we decided to skip public transportation, and pay the $25.00 for the taxi to take us to the airport, which was well worth the hassle and 45 minute drive. Prior to getting into the airport everyone had to pass through a metal detector. I literally had to go through three times before they used the wand and asked if I had a pacemaker. After that, only ticketed passengers go through another screening area, removing liquids and computers before going to the gates. We found the priority pass lounge where we comfortably hung out and ate for a couple of hours before our flight. 

Next stop was just an hour flight to the town of Goreme in the Cappadocia region of central Türkiye to visit the hair museum, hike to the fairy chimneys, take a hot air balloon ride, see some amazing caves and eat chubby meatballs. Stay tuned...