Turkey 16 - Istanbul - conflicts between the head and the heart/seedy Istanbul/ cars in a state of disrepair /the Marmaray line under the sea /the Theodosian walls

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In a conflict between the heart and the brain follow your heart - Swami Vivekananda said this and perhaps sometimes it is right . However there are times when your heart wants to do something but your head intervenes and says no not sensible . We have found we start off with the heart - wanting to do something - our heads say it is a silly idea and the head takes over . But not often . More often we find ourselves doing some very odd things in somewhat seedy parts of a city . Parts of the city that no-one bothers to look around despite the work that is going on to prettify the areas. Yes sometimes like Marseilles they can be edgy areas where you always watch your back . But then if we avoid edgy and seedy we miss things that are important to us and important to understand a city/an area.

I doubt many visitors have found their way to the walls around the city . They are not strictly on the tourist trail. The walls known originally at the Walls of Constantine were a series of of high stone walls that protected the city . With eleven fortified gates and 192 towers they were complex , elaborated and protected the city both from sea and land . The walls we were coming to see were the Theodosian walls built in the 5th century. We had planned the morning out . Breakfast first . The last breakfast of our trip as tomorrow we would be up at 4 and out on our way to the airport at 5 . We had already checked in with the taxi company and they had confirmed they would be at the hotel doors by 5 and we needed to be ready ten minutes before . We found out that we could have ordered an early take away breakfast but it was too late for that and we were sure of good food at the Business Class lounge at the airport .

Having read up on the walls we knew that we had a very few choices . A taxi hired for half a day to take us out there and to escort us round the walls. The dolmus bus that you could hop on and hop off at will . Both did not seem good ideas . So our plan ignore the comments that some of the areas are rough and we continued with our plan.

First part to walk down to Sirkeci station the home of the Marmaray train which would take us out to the outskirts of the city . A stop off on the way was a shop selling pomegranete tea . Once purchased - how much should I buy? It was vaccum packed so I should with hindsight have purchased more of the stuff .



A second stop the cafe of the Orient Express - closed . Third stop the Museum of the Orient Express - closed . After the aborted side trips we descended into the bowels of the earth to the underground section of the railway. The escalators went on for ever. Clean and tidy but extremely busy . We travelled down the first level which opened out on to what looked like the platform . But no platform it led to a long corridor lined with art work which opened out onto a second escalator . We moved along in a sea of people so were unable to stop and take photos of the artwork . We continued down and walked the length of a second corridor to what appeared to be a third escalator. We lost track of time and idea of where we were in the end . We eventually emerged on the platform . Our rail card opened the gate and we climbed aboard the full train. No sitting room and no-one gave up a seat . The train had set out from Halkali on theEuropean side and the 76 km commute would take us all the way to Gebze on the Asian side . We were only travelling a few stops but our journey would take us under the Bosphorous on what was an amazing trip. Amazing not in terms of what we could see as we were underground but in terms of what had been achieved . The train was new , clean and efficient as it sped under the sea . I doubt anyone noticed anymore but we were grateful for the on board written displays telling us the next stops and the efficient recorded announcements both in Turkish and English .

Getting off the train we set up directions using Holafly for data and input where we wanted to go . Find us the gates into the fortress and the museum we asked her. She started to talk to us and we headed in the direction she told us to follow which meant passing some areas that were rough . That was being polite . I think we may have stayed down this end of the city had we arrived in Gabby. We crossed the busy road and headed for the Golden Fort Gate or at least that was what we thought it was called . We just followed her instructions blindly and seemed to be heading in the right direction . . Graveyards lined each side and a new small mosque with a steel minaret lined the road . Or it could have been a crematorium and the minaret a chimney . The bin collection was going on and a few people milled about . The shops were closed due to Eid . The number of derelict buildings increased and the quantity of old cars increased . The fronts of cars were half removed . The lights taken out . None looked fit for driving . They would have destined for the scrap yard in the UK as none would pass their MOT tests . They were not roadworthy . Perhaps they were dumped there . We just kept seeing more and more of them .

We arrived at our fort entrance to find it ..................closed due to Eid . So all that way for nothing . Well not strictly true . We did get to walk around a small stretch of the walls which were impressive . It seemed much work was going on inside the complex . Would we have seen more from the inside ? It was hard to say. . We headed back to the station having taken in a slice of seedy Istanbul . The train was full . We had to wait for another .

Arriving back we headed to the hotel . We loaded up the hotels computer and found the Turkish Airlines site . Boarding pass printed out we were all ready for home . Did we want a taxi in the morning ? No we were fine . That was already sorted thankyou . Nothing more to do than spend the last afternoon sitting in a cafe, drinking wine and taking in the final sites of this stunning and interesting city .

Tomorrow we would be up early and by lunchtime home in the UK . Istanbul is going to feel like a distant memory .

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