Following our massive week of travel that took us from Bali to Istanbul (via Western Europe), we finally arrived at what would be our last stop on our Asian tour. Two close friends of ours decided to get married, and with the bride-to-be being Turkish, they planned the wedding in Istanbul.
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| Cruising on the Bosphorus strait, passing under one of the bridges that links Asia with Europe |
Having completed one of our most ambitious days of travel (to date), Nathalie and I arrived at the house we had rented on the European side of Istanbul. Istanbul is enormous, boasting a population of 14.4 million people. The city is straddled between the Bosphorus strait, which separates Europe from Asia (at least before you get to Russia), making it the only transcontinental major city in the world. Together with three other friends, we booked a 'traditional' style house in the residential neighborhood of Fenner Balat.
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| The streets of our neighborhood in Fenner Balat |
What's important to keep in mind is that Istanbul is ancient. It's origins go back to the 6th millennium B.C. and has played a pivotal role in the history of mankind ever since. The 'modern' city has it's origins in both the Byzantine and Ottoman empires. It's rich history is on display practically throughout the city with it's plethora of mosques, churches, ruins, and ancient streets spread plentifully across both sides of the Bosphorus.
As this trip was a bit 'unique' than the rest of our experience over the past six months, I've decided to write this article in a bit different way than my previous ones. Here goes:
Arabia Meets Mediterranean
Istanbul's strategic location and rich history has made it both a figurative and literal crossroads between two of the planet's oldest regions. As I mentioned above (and as any map would show), Istanbul is split between Europe and Asia. This means that it's a natural crossroads for both people and cultures. Indeed, the area has been transited from merchants, travelers, missionaries, crusaders, and conquerors since practically the beginning of modern man. The result is this rich mixture between both Middle Eastern and European traditions. This was definitely not the Asia that we had earlier gotten acquainted with.
As a people, there is a clear influence from both sides of the Bosphorus. There is certainly a Mediterranean rhythm to the way of life; people enjoy their tea and coffee breaks, congregating outdoors with friends and family for chats and meals, and spending summer evenings outdoors, away from their houses that have absorbed all of the day's heat. By contrast, you also have an intense, passionate culture that results in heated conversations, a fierce language (at least from an outsider's ear) and an intensity normally not seen in Europe. This part of the culture teems from the east, and reminds me of my interactions with friends and strangers from the Arab world. It was tellingly fascinating to witness this synergy of civilization, especially as the Turkish people have played such a large role in influencing the development of mankind throughout the millennia.
While the country is majority Muslim, the state is officially secular. This European and Western idea of separation of church and state is a point of pride for the Turkish people and shows that they can hold on to their historical and religious ties from the east while looking towards the modernity of the west. Walk down any street and you'll find the stores of many western flagship brands intertwined with local boutiques. Grocery shopping goes from anywhere from giant supermarkets to street cart vendors who slowly peddle their goods through residential neighborhoods. To that point, this practice is both ingenious and perhaps the ultimate exercise in convenience. Here's how it works:
The vendor will slowly walk through the street with either his cart or drive slowly down the road with his truck. While walking (or driving), he'll yell out whatever it is he's selling. For the example, let's say he's selling fruits and vegetables. If you're interested in buying any produce that he's selling, you simply need to step outside and get his attention. If you're not on the ground floor, don't worry! Instead of walking down and up the stairs like a sucker, you just drop down a basket connected to a rope with money in it. The merchant fills up the basket with whatever it is you just ordered, give you your change (if any), and voila!; your basket is ready to be lifted back up. You can shop without barely leaving the couch. Maybe it's a more 'vintage' way to shop, but we used it during our stay to get ingredients for breakfast and were both thoroughly delighted and impressed with the way it turned out.
If that wasn't enough, Turkey is also renowned for its desserts. Baklava has its origins in Turkey where they are found in nearly every neighborhood at specialty patisseries. There's also the mastic-based ice cream that, unlike the type we're used to, is a bit chewy like gum. Then there's Turkish delight or lokum which is a well-known local candy and is usually served with tea.
Speaking of tea, the Turks can't seem to get enough of it. Known as çay (and pronounced "chai" as in "chai latte"), the people in Istanbul drink it morning day and night. From restaurants to cafes to even the ferries that traverse the Bosphorus, tea is plentiful, cheap and everywhere. The tea is strong and served in small glasses. And while it might sound paradoxal, a hot tea under scorching heat is surprisingly refreshing. If tea isn't your thing, the Turks also have their own caliber of coffee. Turkish coffee is strong and served in small, espresso-sized servings. It's great in the morning and after lunch. It's also beneficial in the evening if you're not interested in sleeping at night.
Each day, except for the day before we left, we were always out exploring the city. Istanbul, as mentioned earlier, is enormous. Each neighborhood brought a different taste of the megalopolis on the Bosphorus. Our neighborhood of Fenner Balat is one of the Jewish neighborhoods in the city. Up the hill, there is a conservative Muslim neighborhood. Past that, you reach a long avenue full of shops catering to different segments of the population. Continuing along this stretch of road, you'll pass an ancient Roman aqueduct.
From there, you hit the Grand Bazaar of Istanbul; a sprawling market dating from the mid 15th century. This market is one of the world's oldest and largest covered markets with over 3,000 shops and playing host to at least 250,000 visitors a day. Past this labyrinth is the old town of Istanbul, home of the famous Hagia Sophia, the Blue Mosque and the Basilica Cistern. While this walk easily takes an hour, you've barely touched the surface of this enormous city.
Across an inlet lies the famous Beyoğlu district. This neighborhood is home to the famous Taksim square which is smack in the middle of the city and the self-proclaimed headquarters of the European side of Istanbul. At the base of Taksim is the entrance İstiklal Avenue; the city's cultural heart. It's home to hundreds of shops, restaurants, bars and cafes. Millions of people pass through there a day making it an impressive sight in it's own right.
Across the Bosphorus lies the trendy Kadikoy neighborhood. Getting there from Europe is relatively easy, at least during the day. There are two bridges spanning the strait (although they are almost constantly in a state of traffic jam). There's also a metro line running under the Bosphorus, making it the only transcontinental subway line. However, the most popular way to cross between continents is to take a ferry. Leaving practically every 15 minutes from the numerous ports scattered throughout the city, it's cheap and easy to get from one side to the other. The quickest boats, at least for us, took only 20 minutes to go from Europe to Asia.
In all honestly, you don't feel the difference between being in Asia and Europe. However, we did enjoy Kadikoy more than the other neighborhoods we were in. Taksim, while nice, is in a state of perma-zoo meaning that there's never really a minute's silence. Our neighborhood, while relatively calm, was a bit out of the way and seemed a little unsettled by foreigners being there. By contrast, Kadikoy was vibrant, inclusive and easy going. All in all, we spent quite a lot of time over there and if I ever make it back to Istanbul, I'll definitely be looking to stay there.
One important note for would-be Turkey travelers: Taking a taxi, especially as a foreigner is an experience in itself. Most cab drivers are honest people, however, we had two incidents where the driver tried to rip us off by tinkering with the meter. The trick is that they play with the meter's algorithm by adjusting a dial on the radio. This causes the fare to rise exponentially. The first time, we argued with the driver and just gave him what we knew was the average fare to get from where we were to where we wanted to be.
The second time, having learned our lesson from the previous day, simply walked out when the meter began skyrocketing. Yeah, it's harsh but it's the game you have to play in order to avoid getting ripped off. These drivers aren't exactly the brightest lights on the Christmas tree and instead of subtly tweaking their machines to add 10% to the normal fare, get stupid and greedy and try to double or even triple the normal fare. So if you're planning on going to Istanbul, be aware and don't be afraid to walk away if something doesn't smell right. To that point, there's an excellent app called "BiTaksi" that you can put on your phone. You simply order the taxi, tell it where to go, and you're set. These drivers are regulated and honest. We used the app a few times and had no problems.
Taking some time away from your life is a powerfully humbling experience. While I don't want to go into that in depth now (there's a post coming for that), one of the many facets of life I gained a deeper appreciation for the value of friendship and more importantly how I missed being around people I know and feel comfortable with (Nathalie not withstanding).
Interestingly, Nathalie and I had spent the previous six months leading up to Istanbul traveling by ourselves. As you've no doubt read, it took us some time to find our rhythm. At the beginning of our trip, we tried to be tourists. Even though we knew that we had six months to do what we wanted, we fell back on our then-instincts to try to do as much as possible. As you've seen, we burned out pretty damn fast seeing as going full on 'vacation mode' is in absolutely no way sustainable.
By the time we made it to Turkey, we had nestled ourselves into a comfortable, unhurried rhythm. The problem was that everyone else we were with was in full-on "I have a week off from work" vacation mode. This meant that we had to break ranks with our comfort and speed back up. It was almost surreal watching how our friends would push to cover us much ground as possible and, like Nathalie and myself six months prior, would hustle to fit it all in and move almost indecisively when we were overwhelmed with choices as to what to do. In that sense, Nathalie and I both saw how we had grown in a half year's time and it was gratifying to know that we had gained at least one lesson from our trip.
The wedding itself was fantastic. Our friends picked a beautiful, scenic spot on the Asian side of Istanbul to celebrate their marriage. Looking out from the private sea front terrace that they chose as their venue, we could see the beauty of the Bosphorus in front of us and the Prince islands that lay nearby. Dan and Aylin were elated to share the moment with their cherished ones and, maybe even more importantly, were glad to finally relax after crossing the finish line of the wedding preparation marathon behind them. But just as Dan and Aylin had reached the end of their wedding chapter, so did we, and the toll of near non-stop traveling finally caught up to us.
As a people, there is a clear influence from both sides of the Bosphorus. There is certainly a Mediterranean rhythm to the way of life; people enjoy their tea and coffee breaks, congregating outdoors with friends and family for chats and meals, and spending summer evenings outdoors, away from their houses that have absorbed all of the day's heat. By contrast, you also have an intense, passionate culture that results in heated conversations, a fierce language (at least from an outsider's ear) and an intensity normally not seen in Europe. This part of the culture teems from the east, and reminds me of my interactions with friends and strangers from the Arab world. It was tellingly fascinating to witness this synergy of civilization, especially as the Turkish people have played such a large role in influencing the development of mankind throughout the millennia.
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| A street market on Prince's Island, Istanbul |
The vendor will slowly walk through the street with either his cart or drive slowly down the road with his truck. While walking (or driving), he'll yell out whatever it is he's selling. For the example, let's say he's selling fruits and vegetables. If you're interested in buying any produce that he's selling, you simply need to step outside and get his attention. If you're not on the ground floor, don't worry! Instead of walking down and up the stairs like a sucker, you just drop down a basket connected to a rope with money in it. The merchant fills up the basket with whatever it is you just ordered, give you your change (if any), and voila!; your basket is ready to be lifted back up. You can shop without barely leaving the couch. Maybe it's a more 'vintage' way to shop, but we used it during our stay to get ingredients for breakfast and were both thoroughly delighted and impressed with the way it turned out.
Kebabs, Skewers, Eggplants and More! (Turkish Cuisine is Where It's At)
Speaking of food, we couldn't get enough of Turkish cuisine. I raved about the pleasures of Middle Eastern food during my week-long food fling in Kuala Lumpur. Again, thanks to Istanbul's unique geographic location, the food there is a mouth-watering mix of some of the Arab world's best mixed in with the delights found throughout the Mediterranean. Each day, we'd have our choice of a different Turkish dish: Kofte (meatballs), pide and lahmacun which are the Turkish takes on pizza, various grilled vegetable dishes, mezze (a Turkish version of the Spanish tapas and the Italian antipasti), succulent local olive oils, and of course: all sorts of kebabs including the 'sis' or skewered ones and the world-famous döner kebab. |
| Turkish döner kebab |
Speaking of tea, the Turks can't seem to get enough of it. Known as çay (and pronounced "chai" as in "chai latte"), the people in Istanbul drink it morning day and night. From restaurants to cafes to even the ferries that traverse the Bosphorus, tea is plentiful, cheap and everywhere. The tea is strong and served in small glasses. And while it might sound paradoxal, a hot tea under scorching heat is surprisingly refreshing. If tea isn't your thing, the Turks also have their own caliber of coffee. Turkish coffee is strong and served in small, espresso-sized servings. It's great in the morning and after lunch. It's also beneficial in the evening if you're not interested in sleeping at night.
Out And About In Istanbul
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| Inside the Hagia Sophia |
Across an inlet lies the famous Beyoğlu district. This neighborhood is home to the famous Taksim square which is smack in the middle of the city and the self-proclaimed headquarters of the European side of Istanbul. At the base of Taksim is the entrance İstiklal Avenue; the city's cultural heart. It's home to hundreds of shops, restaurants, bars and cafes. Millions of people pass through there a day making it an impressive sight in it's own right.
Across the Bosphorus lies the trendy Kadikoy neighborhood. Getting there from Europe is relatively easy, at least during the day. There are two bridges spanning the strait (although they are almost constantly in a state of traffic jam). There's also a metro line running under the Bosphorus, making it the only transcontinental subway line. However, the most popular way to cross between continents is to take a ferry. Leaving practically every 15 minutes from the numerous ports scattered throughout the city, it's cheap and easy to get from one side to the other. The quickest boats, at least for us, took only 20 minutes to go from Europe to Asia.
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| Watching a ferry leave for Europe from the Asian side at Kadikoy |
One important note for would-be Turkey travelers: Taking a taxi, especially as a foreigner is an experience in itself. Most cab drivers are honest people, however, we had two incidents where the driver tried to rip us off by tinkering with the meter. The trick is that they play with the meter's algorithm by adjusting a dial on the radio. This causes the fare to rise exponentially. The first time, we argued with the driver and just gave him what we knew was the average fare to get from where we were to where we wanted to be.
The second time, having learned our lesson from the previous day, simply walked out when the meter began skyrocketing. Yeah, it's harsh but it's the game you have to play in order to avoid getting ripped off. These drivers aren't exactly the brightest lights on the Christmas tree and instead of subtly tweaking their machines to add 10% to the normal fare, get stupid and greedy and try to double or even triple the normal fare. So if you're planning on going to Istanbul, be aware and don't be afraid to walk away if something doesn't smell right. To that point, there's an excellent app called "BiTaksi" that you can put on your phone. You simply order the taxi, tell it where to go, and you're set. These drivers are regulated and honest. We used the app a few times and had no problems.
Hanging With Old Friends And Changing Our Rhythm
The main reason we went to Turkey was to spend time with familiar faces. Our two close friends, let's call them "Dan" and "Aylin," because that's their names, were getting married, and had a close connection to Turkey. Aylin is Turkish and has spent a lot of time in Istanbul. Initially, we weren't supposed to be back in Europe until mid-September. However, throughout the course of our travels in Southeast Asia, we realized that we missed our friends. We also came to the conclusion that this marriage and trip to Istanbul was a once in a lifetime event. This, along with other factors, compelled us to re-arrange our plans and head back to our neck of the woods a little bit sooner than expected. |
| Inside the Grand Bazaar of Istanbul |
Interestingly, Nathalie and I had spent the previous six months leading up to Istanbul traveling by ourselves. As you've no doubt read, it took us some time to find our rhythm. At the beginning of our trip, we tried to be tourists. Even though we knew that we had six months to do what we wanted, we fell back on our then-instincts to try to do as much as possible. As you've seen, we burned out pretty damn fast seeing as going full on 'vacation mode' is in absolutely no way sustainable.
By the time we made it to Turkey, we had nestled ourselves into a comfortable, unhurried rhythm. The problem was that everyone else we were with was in full-on "I have a week off from work" vacation mode. This meant that we had to break ranks with our comfort and speed back up. It was almost surreal watching how our friends would push to cover us much ground as possible and, like Nathalie and myself six months prior, would hustle to fit it all in and move almost indecisively when we were overwhelmed with choices as to what to do. In that sense, Nathalie and I both saw how we had grown in a half year's time and it was gratifying to know that we had gained at least one lesson from our trip.
The wedding itself was fantastic. Our friends picked a beautiful, scenic spot on the Asian side of Istanbul to celebrate their marriage. Looking out from the private sea front terrace that they chose as their venue, we could see the beauty of the Bosphorus in front of us and the Prince islands that lay nearby. Dan and Aylin were elated to share the moment with their cherished ones and, maybe even more importantly, were glad to finally relax after crossing the finish line of the wedding preparation marathon behind them. But just as Dan and Aylin had reached the end of their wedding chapter, so did we, and the toll of near non-stop traveling finally caught up to us.
Running On Empty And Flaming Out
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| The former Istanbul Train Station |
By the time Friday morning rolled around, my throat was completely swollen and had barely slept five hours. I decided to stop ignoring my body and took the day to rest at the house while everyone else went out and did some more exploring. I had had enough by this point and was content to try and rest for what should've been, but ultimately wasn't, a relatively quick travel day the following morning. I went to bed early and hoped that whatever bug I had picked up would pass with a good night's sleep. This, sadly, wouldn't turn out as planned. In the end, I traveled sick and spent the next week slowly recovering. My body had given up and forced me to spend a week recovering.
You Jive Turkey (or how I'm ending this post)
All in all, Turkey in general and Istanbul in particular was worth the time and effort it took us to get there. We got to experience a completely different, eastern (even if actually western) side of Asia that was unlike any other we had seen during our trip. We were treated to culinary and cultural delights and were introduced to a city that has, in some shape or form, impacted the way we has humankind have transformed into who we are today. The time we spent catching up with old friends has created lasting memories and given us a chance to see people during the halfway point of our year off. Istanbul is definitely worth the visit, even if you're not going for a wedding. If you're living in Europe, it's a fantastic spot for a weekend city trip. And if you're coming in from the US and on your way to Europe, you certainly won't regret making it part of your itinerary. I only had one major disappointment: Nobody once offered me a turkey sandwich. Oh well, maybe next time.
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| Congrats guys! |
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