http://www.travelblog.org/Middle-East/Turkey/Marmara/Istanbul/ Travel adventures in journals and photos from Middle East , Turkey , Marmara , Istanbul en-us Sat, 26 Jul 2008 20:58:13 BST Sat, 26 Jul 2008 20:58:13 BST Our Last Day in IstanbulThere was one more site I wanted to see before leaving so I got up early and took off. I guess because I've raised 2 boys and spent 25 years sitting in some type of sports bleacher this site seemed amusing to me. The siteThe Hippodrome. This was a gigantic stadium built during the 3rd century and was in the middle of Constantinople. It held up to 100000 people but n http://www.travelblog.org/Middle-East/Turkey/Marmara/Istanbul/blog-302179.html Grand Bazaar DayOK. All chics have to get in some shopping time However there is a great historical background in this shopping area. The Grand Bazaar dates back to 1453 It is literally a maze of THOUSANDS of shops all under roof. I didn't take any photos but here is a good one. Grand Bazaar. It is another cultural experience where it is expected for you to haggle over the price. Acco http://www.travelblog.org/Middle-East/Turkey/Marmara/Istanbul/blog-300857.html Nope not back tracking but just getting to upload photos from Istanbul.Today is a restwash clothes day and try to nap some after the long days in Istanbul. I guess I get to do such while Bro had to go to work todayReflections from our 3rd day in Amazing IstanbulDay 3 in IstanbulmdashMore AmazementWhile walking to our first site we ran across the remains of a stone pillar which is all th http://www.travelblog.org/Middle-East/Turkey/Marmara/Istanbul/blog-300498.html Well...first I apologize for the two week gap between my entries. I guess things have just been so crazy that I haven't had time to think let alone write. In the past two weeks more or less every one I meet has told me something about Turkey and Turkish people. I haven't quite thought this through yet but I am going to try and do it while I write. The first thing they told me was about heirarchy a http://www.travelblog.org/Middle-East/Turkey/Marmara/Istanbul/blog-299276.html Our UNOFFICIAL Escort First Istanbul is known for its carpets and rugsand they are absolutely gorgeous but also VERY VERY expensive. The Turkish people are very welcoming hospitable and gracious. Tourist trade. On our way to the Blue Mosque a young man approached us and walked with us and offered to show us our way 2 blocks and give us some information about what we would see. He http://www.travelblog.org/Middle-East/Turkey/Marmara/Istanbul/blog-299213.html After walking at least 100 miles today it feels great to sit and review photos. Brother Doug has gone to eat dinner with his Scottish friend Paul who got in last night I said my day had been long enoughDay 1 photos with explanations. Matt I just can't do what you do with the camera but you should see some evidence of the hints you've given me. You should have been here to take them for me. http://www.travelblog.org/Middle-East/Turkey/Marmara/Istanbul/blog-299190.html Absolutely GorgeousWe haven't traveled too far from our hotel which is right by the 2 attractions we wanted to see. Today we will travel farther. What we have seen is beautiful. Today is Sunday 815 a.m. We left Bucharest at 430 p.m. Thursday. Istanbul is just an hour and ten minute flight from Bucharestvery convenient for a long weekend and so much to see. I told Doug he could leave m http://www.travelblog.org/Middle-East/Turkey/Marmara/Istanbul/blog-298989.html After a little difficulty entering Turkey I went straight to Istanbul. I had planned to move around Turkey a bit to see as much as I could but there was just so much to see in Istanbul I decided to take the time and really enjoy the city. As almost all tourists I stayed in Sultanahmet which is next to two of the most amazing Mosques I have ever seen the Hagia Sophia and the Blue Mosque. I met u http://www.travelblog.org/Middle-East/Turkey/Marmara/Istanbul/blog-298662.html Oh My Gosh On sensory overloadWill blog later when I have a room connection http://www.travelblog.org/Middle-East/Turkey/Marmara/Istanbul/blog-298649.html On Monday we had a nice breakfast and walked along the promenade up to Gulhane park on the outside of the Topkapi Palace walls. Walking up the hills there were a few cafe's up the path with a few hundred tables overlooking wonderful views of the Bosphorus strait which connects the Sea of Marmara and the Black sea. Walking through the park there are several covered trellises with a bench where co http://www.travelblog.org/Middle-East/Turkey/Marmara/Istanbul/blog-298028.html We left the Grand Sakarya Hotel on Sunday morning and travelled with the U.S. team into Istanbul about 3hrs by busIt was quite the experience for the bus driver manouvering around the very narrow streets. At one point we came around a corner and were faced with an on coming bus in which the honking and yelling between drivers began What a showOnce we got to the Hotel we discovered we were not s http://www.travelblog.org/Middle-East/Turkey/Marmara/Istanbul/blog-296592.html We went to Gallipoli today. Wow it was emotional We went to visit the graves at Ari Burnu saw Anzac cove and walked in the trenches i must have cried about 3 times today. We went to the museum and saw lots of different types of guns and grenades tools food uniform etc but what hit me most was the skulls. Until that point there had been just objects belonging to men who had died that was em http://www.travelblog.org/Middle-East/Turkey/Marmara/Istanbul/blog-296074.html Hello from Istanbul What a city We are leaving tomorrow morning but we have had 2 very busy days here filled with kebaps Turkish delight and a whole lot of bargaining. Its an absolutely beautiful city packed full of mosques needless to say it was all a little bit overwhelming the men are quite interested in all of us girls snapping pictures of us from behind but everyone is really nice http://www.travelblog.org/Middle-East/Turkey/Marmara/Istanbul/blog-296067.html Istanbul is an amazing place The friendliest culture I have encountered so far.. there are literally centuries old mosque's everywhere .. I had an 'experience' at a Turkish bath.. basically naked in only a towel with a huge Turkish guy saying random Turkish words to me while he massaged me.. it was brutal. You can spend hours wondering around the great bazaar.. loud speakers all over the city kic http://www.travelblog.org/Middle-East/Turkey/Marmara/Istanbul/blog-295779.html Hi Sorry i haven't updated in ages things have been pretty crazy After my last entry we went on a 3 night Greek Island cruise. In addition to the usual relaxing and partying we visited Kusadasi which is on the Asian side of Turkey. This is where ancient Ephesus is located A city that has been excavated for the last 80 years and isnt expected to be completed for another 100 years. It's o http://www.travelblog.org/Middle-East/Turkey/Marmara/Istanbul/blog-295311.html Ive now just made it to istanbul. 12 hour overnite bus and my bum is killing me. Lots to see and do here im up now at 4 in the morning to get a good jump on things. i want to get out there before every thing fills with people. On todays agenda is the grand bazaar blue mosque and hagia sofia. Also any others i stumble upon along the way. At this point im just waiting for some hot water to http://www.travelblog.org/Middle-East/Turkey/Marmara/Istanbul/blog-294193.html I did my homework well. There s a long todo list for Istanbul. After a light sleep in a dorm room next to the shared bathroom I woke up reasonably early had breakfast packed and headed to Topkapi Palace. According to the guidebook I should arrive early to avoid the crowd and get the ticket for the harem right away to join the guided tour. Of course I didn't get there till almost 11am but for http://www.travelblog.org/Middle-East/Turkey/Marmara/Istanbul/blog-293838.html I totally freaked out before the trip. It just complicated things. True I haven't traveled solo for a while. But I should only be more poised prepared and relaxed with time. I guess I overwhelmed by myself with too much information. Nowadays with all the travel sites blogs reviews and homepages of almost every city bus company restaurant hotel you can find on a guidebook. In the old days a http://www.travelblog.org/Middle-East/Turkey/Marmara/Istanbul/blog-293804.html So we finally arrived in Istanbul after our 15 hour train ride of getting manhandled screamed at and woken up numerous times from the Turkish immigration officers. But hey at least we had beds for this one... we actually caught up on some sleep on this journey so all of us took the ride generally well. When we arrived in the city we once again went on a search for our hostel by metro and http://www.travelblog.org/Middle-East/Turkey/Marmara/Istanbul/blog-293551.html I guess this is my first day in Istanbul and I am still at the hostel. Luckily I have met a Turkish girl from Izmir staying here at the hostel who wants to get a flat somewhere in Besiktas and is looking for a flatmate. Right now she is happy at the hostel but next week we are going to look at the real estate agents in Besiktas. If that doesnrsquot work I will just have to find something else. T http://www.travelblog.org/Middle-East/Turkey/Marmara/Istanbul/blog-293248.html Well it seems that my trip has actually started. I dont think I believe it yet but it had better become real sometime soon. My flights yesterday were long and grueling. I think I slept only a few hours. I ended up meeting a very nice Indian graduate student who will be presenting a research paper on offshoring at the World Economic Congress. She was really bright and we talked about many things d http://www.travelblog.org/Middle-East/Turkey/Marmara/Istanbul/blog-291831.html After a tough transit from Marrakech we were in a state of somewhat exhausted excitement when the crossBosphorus ferry finally cruised into the Golden Horn and deposited us our bikes and a boatload of fellow commuters on the quay at Eminonu. Our initial impression of Istanbul formed by the shifting views of the hilly skyline seen from the ferry and solidified by the sheer mass of humanity we http://www.travelblog.org/Middle-East/Turkey/Marmara/Istanbul/blog-291613.html The last days in Istanbul were spent partially laid up with a twisted ankle which was interesting seeing as still had miles to go before I went home I twisted it in the harem in Topkapi palace maybe overcome with the feelings of claustrophobia in the narrow marble corridors listening for the sounds of the sultan in his silver slippers...I could feel the souls of the trapped women although it http://www.travelblog.org/Middle-East/Turkey/Marmara/Istanbul/blog-289663.html A great highlight of Istanbul is the cats that surround you. THere are multitudes of cats of the street they are sometimes dirty and thin but often they are just as healthy as can be and you often see them being fed by kindly benefactors. They tend to live in groups in parks around mosques and markets and have their own little territories. Children greet them with delight but often the ki http://www.travelblog.org/Middle-East/Turkey/Marmara/Istanbul/blog-289662.html After a second day 305n Istanbul I think I have covered most of the sights 305n my part of town. See the pictures attached to see what I saw but a very good day in summary. I visited a mosque a church a c305stern for storing water and saw a b305t more of the c305ty. I am wr305t305ng th305s at 1230 local t305me and I just returned to the hotel from the sect305on http://www.travelblog.org/Middle-East/Turkey/Marmara/Istanbul/blog-289041.html Tegnap megjttnk a trkkhz.Mindenki jofej es mindenki haver.Tudnak elni. A hostel a gitarboltok es hiradastechnikai alkatreszek szakuzleteinek paradicsomaban van.Zsombor kinezett maganak egy 5 fejes parabolaantennat.Tegnap megvolt az isztambuli ktelez. mecsetek viztarozo nagybazar.Zsombor ltt egy sapkat maganak.Igor egy Prada brmokaszinnnal szemezett es hagyta arusitojat harmadarra alk http://www.travelblog.org/Middle-East/Turkey/Marmara/Istanbul/blog-289020.html Rozy and I licked our mental wounds caused by a horrendous time in Egypt by taking turns being uber positive about our expectations of Turkey. This was a bold move as overplaying such a hand could result in unreachably high expectations which if unmet could render the last portion of our travels a perceived failure. Throwing caution to the wind we traded oddly pumpedup enthusiasm as if prepar http://www.travelblog.org/Middle-East/Turkey/Marmara/Istanbul/blog-288881.html