The train whistle blew, and we knew it was time to get up as we approached the train station in Istanbul. It was a neat experience to watch the steam evaporate off the fields as the sun was coming up.
We got into the station, and it was pure madness at 8:00 am. We needed to use the metro to continue to our destination, but we came to find out you could only purchase a metro pass with Turkish lira. Coming from Bulgaria didn’t allow for this, and the closest atm was at least 500 meters away. With the help with directions from the local security guards, we hoofed it up the hill to the atm.On the way back down to station, we decided to try our first official cup of Turkish coffee and a pastry.
After we purchased our Istanbul cards (definitely recommend for using any public transportation in Istanbul. Can be loaded and reloaded with money to be used for buses, ferries, trains, trams, metro, etc.), and we made it to Tarik’s home in the Göztepe area. It was not only a family home, but we came to find out we were in the midst of a international chess competitor and teacher! The bottom floor was entirely devoted to teaching and playing chess!
Tarik met us and escorted us up to where we were staying. He and his family kindly let us have our own entire flat! It was great because it was a family building where we were able to come and go between the different floors for hanging out.We met his wonderful wife Kasia and daughter Sophie and enjoyed good conversation while snacking on some tasty Turkish croissants (crescent moon-shaped) and coffee. It was explained we were on the Asian side of Instanbul. To get to the main touristy area with for sightseeing, we needed to take a ferry to the other side.
Being pretty wiped out from the overnight train, we took a power nap and then decided to go check out the touristy sights across the strait. With Tarik’s help, we made it on the bus toward the ferry port. Our eyes must have looked like dish plates at how many people were there.We got off the bus and boarded the ferry. As we rode across the strait, we were accompanied by a hungry gang of seagulls making passes through the air attempting to catch pieces of bread cast off the boat. I sat back thinking how crazy it was that after reading so much about Istanbul, we were actually physically here. We were actually seeing the notorious Straight of Dardanelles too has been highly sought after through the centuries by so many.
Upon docking at the port, we were greeted with sights of big, beautiful mosques and the call to prayer being broadcast from the minarets. Can I just say these guys have some serious vocal talent.
We then meandered through the very chaotic streets toward some of the major landmarks. We accidentally walked through the Grand Bazaar on our route, and we instantly walked into what seemed like a different world. The Bazaar was initially constructed after the Ottoman Empire conquest in the 15th century as a trading post or bazaar for selling textiles and continued to be constructed and shaped up until the 17th century. The domed ceilings contain many decorative paintings and there are thousands of vendors. Basically, it’s a covered city in and of itself! The second you enter, vendors are shouting on either side of you to come try a cashmere scarf, buy a rug, or many other things. It’s pretty overwhelming at first, but once you settle in, you realize you can find close to anything you ever need from this one bazaar.
After making a quick pass through, we ended up near the infamous Blue Mosque and Hagia Sophia in the Sultanahmet area. Here we saw the Serpent Obelisk, Obelisk of Thutmose III, Walled Obelisk and others which range roughly from 1100 to 3500 years old!
Due to it being a pretty iconic spot for visitors to see, there was some serious hustling here by local guides and vendors. We even had a guy camp out for over an hour while we talked to a fellow American to follow up on trying to get us to buy a carpet (we had even outright refused twice up to this point!). That along with it getting dark on us, we decided to head home for the night and try again tomorrow.
It was a true adventure trying to get home as we had to consult muliple people as to where the correct platform was, we missed the first metro due to the sheer number of people boarding, having to vacate our next metro due to maintenance issues, and finally spending an additional hour riding and walking to get home. We were pooped. However, I just have to say, any time we needed help or the look of total confusion was written on our faces, the Turkish people would outright come up and help without us even having to ask. They were so helpful and just outright friendly.
The next morning, Tarik and his family invited us up for our first Turkish breakfast. Y’all this was no joke, and I like how they roll. So many things to try such as mulberry marmalade, multiple types of cheese, bread, eggs, veggies, sausage…the works. Oh, and coffee! Not to mention, Sophie was busy whipping up some delicious Playdough courses left and right for us, too. The morning breakfast(s) became some of our favorite times while here. Also, Tarik is a wealth of music and book knowledge, so we got to listen to an assortment of Turkish jams and get some book additions for our must read list while chowing down.
Later we hung out close to the apartment just to recover from the craziness of the day prior. The Göztepe district was nice, filled with parks and shops, and we got some ice cream at Ali Usta (definitely recommend), and we watched the sun set along the waterway. We even had a friend come and join us. : )))
We then proceeded to walk to a restaurant close by recommended by Tarik called Yanyali Fehmi which has been in business for roughly 100 years. We came in with a written list of things to ask for, and the owner readily supplied us with the listed items and so much more simply to allow us to try multiple Turkish foods. We weren’t even charged for the additional food!! His response was, “We appreciate our American friends, and we’re grateful you’re here.” We were so appreciative. Not to mention the food was excellent.
We decided to waddle home and saw some really cool homes built for the semi-feral cats of Istanbul. The cats are well taken care of around the city because they’re believed to be somewhat sacred messengers. I was definitely on board, and I got my cat fix in daily while here. Haha.
The next day, we had a long day (starting with a solid breakfast, of course), and we toured Hagia Sophia, the Blue Mosque, the Basilica Cistern, and we went to the Grand Bazaar to buy some souvenirs. I always get long-winded with these posts so I can remember details later on, but I recommend all of the listed places. You can read up on them if you really want to. All I can say is I am so amazed at how old and comprehensively built these structures are! You also feel like an ant in comparison to the buildings. They’re huge!! I’ve never experienced any buildings like any of these.
We grabbed some food down the street from the apartment because Morgan was in high pursuit of a dönner. Dear Lord, we finally got him one, and it was tasty. We had a slightly awkward misunderstanding with the restaurant due to the language barrier, but we finally figured it out.We went home and met up with Tarik, and Kasia. We spent the night enjoying some good treats such as a sponge cake filled with chicken cream (weird, but it’s really good), banana rolls, some good wine, and Morgan and I learned how to play a proper game of Backgammon. We really enjoyed getting to talk to Tarik and Kasia. After a fun evening and it getting way too late, we finally went to bed. Haha.
The next day we walked around with the family, and we tried some more goodies while out. Morgan tried a “wet burger” which is a burger covered with a really tasty tomato sauce, sage tea, baklava, rice pudding, etc. We left Istanbul feeling full and happy.
We sadly had to leave for our flight that afternoon so we had to say goodbye to our hosts. It was too short, but we definitely have to come back. Istanbul is such a neat melting pot of history, food, culture (their music is awesome), and people. Definitely looking forward to future adventures here. Thanks again for everything Tarik and family!
Morgan and Jaime's Wanderings 