Finally, Istanbul!

Of all the places, I chose to go to Istanbul because I probably will not get the chance to go to again (although, after visiting I would love to go back). I hope to return to Europe in the future and then I can go to the usual places, like Paris and London.

Also, the two friends I traveled with have a friend, who is studying in Istanbul this semester, which was helpful and convenient. She told us where to stay (in sultanhamet, the touristy area where the Blue Mosque and Hagia Sofia are) and showed us around like we had a private tour guide.

Our trip started at 1:30 am on Thursday, when we took a 5 hour bus ride to Madrid. We had a few hours to spare when we arrived around 7 am, so my friend and I explored a few parks and some of the famous plazas, while our other friend rushed to the Prado museum to see her favorite paintings when it opened at 9 am.  We made it to the airport separately without any problems using the metro system for our flight at 1 pm. We flew with Turkish airlines, and it was one of the nicest flights I have been on since I was a child! It was a 4 hour flight, and we got a full meal with a main dish, sides, dessert, and free alcohol (this would never happen on the four hour flight from Texas to Seattle, which is slightly more expensive, too). I was very impressed!

When we arrived around 5 pm and took the subway, tram, and a taxi to our hostel, we were very tired and hungry! It hit us that we were in a different country than Spain on our tram ride when we heard the Islamic call to prayer, which happens five times a day. Then, we arrived at Sultanhamet square and saw the Blue Mosque and the Hagia Sofia lit up in the dark. It was very surreal. We ate a nice, sit down dinner at a restaurant near our hostel and went to sleep so we could be ready for a full day of tourism!

We woke up after a wonderfully restful night of sleep even though my bed was slightly lumpy and our four German roommates came in talking very loudly at 5 in the morning. Then, we ate a typical Turkish breakfast of plain (sour) yogurt, hard-boiled eggs, and bread at our hostel. A few fancier items were available as well: honey, corn flakes, and French toast. After waiting for awhile and receiving free apple tea (basically hot apple juice) from our hostel owner, our tour guide (my friends’ friend) showed up, and our real day started.

First, she took us to her university, which is in a very nice part of Istanbul and at the top of a very large hill. She explained that the university is very well respected and has an acceptance rate lower than any university in the States. We walked down the big hill, and explored this old fortress, of which I do not know the significance, except that it is old. Then, we walked all along the Bosporus until we got to the “most beautiful Starbucks in the world,” as our tour guide called it. Maybe if the weather was not gray and misty, then I would have thought so, too, but it was just another Starbucks. Well, it was much more impressive than the regular drive up Starbucks in the States since it was two stories and has an amazing view of the Bosporus. However, I was much more impressed with the hazelnut hot chocolate (Do they sell that in the States??).

Then, we decided to get waffles while we waited to catch a ferry to cruise through the entire Bosporus. When I say waffles, I mean waffles with chocolate sauce, caramel sauce, bananas, kiwis, strawberries, coconut, and whip cream. At least, that is what I ordered at this waffle stand that also had hazelnut, pistachio, and nutella creams and chocolate chips, chopped nuts, and sprinkles. I will also add that my stomach did not like me when I finished this stuffed waffle.

                With sugar levels high enough to energize us to swim through the Bosporus without a ferry, we waited in vain for an actual one that never came. So, we went to a different ferry station and took a basic ferry to another continent—the Asian side of Istanbul (one of my friends had not seen Asia before and was thus very excited. We may have taken a lot of pictures making peace signs in honor of Asia). In Asia, we went to one of the oldest Turkish delight shops (founded in 1777, I think), which was a delicious experience. Then, we headed back to our hostel for the night.

               

                The next day was the ultimate tourist day. We conquered the Hagia Sofia, the Blue Mosque, the Grand Bazaar, and the Spice Bazaar. Of the religious buildings, I liked the Hagia Sofia better, mostly because of its history. The Hagia Sofia was a cathedral, was turned into a mosque, and is now a museum. It was also the largest cathedral in the world until the cathedral in Sevilla was built (I’ve been there, too!).  It was almost time for the mid-day prayer when we visited the Blue Mosque, so we were rushed through. There was also less to see inside, since it’s a mosque that is still in use.

               

                The Grand Bazaar was amazing. I could get lost in there for days and not get bored with the hundreds of little shops to look in and all of the people watching I could do. The Spice bazaar was similar, but had less material items for sale and more food items (spices, maybe?). I had my first experiences with haggling. I probably could have done better, but I am pleased. I got some nice gifts for some people!

                We headed back to our hostel after the bazaars, and turned in for the night soon after. The next day we met our tour guide and a lot of her friends for brunch at this restaurant on the Bosporus that Anthony Bordain visited. Personally, I did not know who he is before my friends were talking about him in Istanbul. All I know is that he has a show and eats food in different countries. You can see the episode with the restaurant where we ate here: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4ojatA-Xqhk&playnext=1&list=PL7129AAFD1FB2F8B3 .

                That afternoon, we went to a Turkish bath, which was probably my favorite part of my trip to Istanbul. When we asked one of the hostel workers about the Turkish baths, he replied in his Turkish accent with “There will be a woman, who scrubs you. She will be old and very fat, and you will be very clean.” All of this was true. When we got to the hammam (bath), we stripped down to our swimsuits (or sports bra and underwear, if you forget your swimsuit like Margaret). Our old Turkish woman in the same attire led us to a room with a large stone slab in the middle and places to sit on both sides. There were fountains of hot waters that we dished up and poured on ourselves while sitting on stone ledges. When the Turkish woman was ready for us, she would say “Hello” and motion for one of us to come lie down on the stone slab. At this point, I was half naked, and she scrubbed my entire body. When she was finished, I could see rolls of dirty, dead skin gathered all over my body. Sound gross? Then, you have not seen how dirty you really are after an old Turkish woman scrubs you down. After this abrasive cleansing, I rinsed off my former skin with the same fountain of water. Then, my Turkish woman called me back and washed and massaged me with soap. I rinsed again, and then she washed my hair with shampoo that smelled like bubble gum. After that, we went into the sauna for 5 minutes and realized how hard it would be to breathe in a humid dessert. Then, we cooled off with the water that we first thought was hot, dried off, and re-clothed ourselves. I have never been that clean in my entire life. Also, walking back after 2 hours in the hammam, I did not feel one ounce of coldness in the 0 degree weather. I was very satisfied with my life, and even more so when we stopped for baklava. It was a perfect day to end my stay in Istanbul.

                We left our hostel around 5 AM the next morning and flew back to Madrid. There, we had enough time to stop and see Pablo Picasso’s Guernica before we caught our bus back to Granada. And en fin, I returned safely back to my host mom with a present of Turkish delight and with a new visa and several news stamps in my passport.