Day One

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Shortly after midday yesterday I arrived safely in Istanbul, having slept through most of the flight. Fortuitously, an Australian who was on my flight was booked to stay at the same place as me (Bauhaus Guesthouse), so we helped each other find our way here. We checked in with an eccentric Turkish receptionist who's obsessed with the British TV series "The Only Way Is Essex", and who insisted on playing me several clips.
After having checked in, the Australian and I went for a walk around the environs of the hostel. We're located in the Sultanahmet district, about halfway between the world-famous Blue Mosque and the straits separating this (European) side of the city from the Asian side, so there's a lot to see right on my doorstep. The city's really amazing, just as I'd imagined it. And although it's cliché to say so, you can really see that this is a place where East meets West, with some things seeming very exotic and Middle Eastern, with other things seeming very familiar and European. Anyway, I intend to spend the next few days exploring different parts of the city, so I'll next post an entry when I've got some more interesting photos!

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Photos

Bauhaus Guesthouse
A photo of my hostel from the front

view from Bauhaus roof 1
A view from the rooftop lounge/bar/restaurant area on top of my hostel

view from Bauhaus roof 2
another view from the roof of the hostel

sea
looking across the water from the European to the Asian side of the city