Napoleon has been quoted as saying, “If the Earth were a single state, Istanbul would be its capital.” I can understand the sentiment. With its underlying thoughtful philosophy, its fascinating blends of architecture, its scrumptious food and its kind people, it has certainly captured my heart.
We have slept on many trains during our travels, but this one will be remembered for its graffiti covered exterior and its dusty, shabby interior. Despite this, our bunk was comfortable, and an hour or so after boarding, we settled down to sleep. At 12.30am we were woken by Bulgarian border officials who simply sighted our passports and at 2.00 am we arrived at the Turkish border town of Kapikule. Here, we were made to disembark, have our passports stamped and our bags scanned before re-boarding. Needless to say, we are feeling a little sleep deprived when our train pulls into Halkali, one of Istanbuls, outer stations.
While we could have taken the more convoluted option and caught the Marmaray (commuter trains that run through Istanbul) closer to our hotel, we cheated and caught a cab. A stupid decision that saw us sitting in Istanbul’s crazy traffic but with some benefits. It allowed us to marvel at the skill of our cab driver, and it was an easy way of getting a closer look at central Istanbul’s narrow cobblestone streets.
Istanbul can be roughly divided into 10 neighbourhoods. We are staying in Sultanahment, tourist central and the location of most of Istanbul’s main sights. As our cab negotiates the winding narrow city lanes, we catch glimpses of what we have come to see. The Blue Mosque. Hagia Sophia. Topaki Palace.
Turkey has a population of close to 85 million people and over 16 million of them live in Istanbul making it the 5th most populous city in the world. Uniquely, the city straddles a stretch of water called the Bosphorus strait, so one side of the city is in Asia, while the other is in Europe. It’s this blend of east and west, along with its compounded history, that makes Istanbul such a fascinating place to visit.
Bleary-eyed from our interrupted sleep, our first day was spent orientating ourselves and eating (finally found some great vegetarian dishes). Unbelievably, our hotel is located just one minute from Sultanahment Square (a former Roman hippodrome), and its rooftop terrace looks down upon the Blue Mosque.
Days two and three, we are given a private guide, Filiz, one of the nicest people we could ever meet, and the perfect person to introduce us to Istanbul. With Filiz we explore Topaki Palace, duck into the Blue Mosque and gaze at the Hagia Sofia. We learn quotes such as, ‘everyone who takes a breath will return to Istanbul’, and eat pide, Turkish flat bread stuffed with something such as spinach .
While exploring my favourite site – the basilica cistern (first revealed to me in the movie Inferno), she advises us not to linger as the air underground can be harmful, and she gives us a chaotic boat tour on the waters of the Bosphorus strait. I say chaotic, because there do not appear to be any boat laws in Istanbul. Boats travel helter-skelter at top speeds. It makes us laugh when Darryl, asking if these boats have accidents, receives a puzzled look and the nonchalant reply, ‘of course’, by Feliz.
With the afternoons our own, time is spent just wandering the Istanbul streets. At the famous Grand Bazaar, one of the oldest and largest covered markets in the world, I barter successfully for a gorgeous leather handbag and Darryl eats copious amounts of Turkish delight samples.
Our final evening is spent at a whirling dervish ceremony. A pure form of dance using whirling as a form of active meditation and originating in the 13th century, it is a performance I have wanted to see. Although, sitting watching our show, I do start to have some misgivings about what Darryl is thinking about it all. Does he mind being dragged to see men in long white dresses and what looks like flower-pots on their heads, twirling round and round in circles? “It was deep”, is his opinion.
We had various options for travelling to the geologically odd region of Cappadocia. Electing to see some of the countryside along the way, it took 2 days, and we caught two trains, then a car. Our first train, leaving from the Asian side of Istanbul, required a disconcerting taxi ride through a tunnel under the Bosphorus.
It was a high-speed train and with speeds reaching 258km/h, we watched Turkeys alternating landscape flash by. Of particular interest was the excellent road and rail infrastructure and the number of cultivated fields we could see. Containing wheat, pumpkin, lavender and who knows what else, these planted fields stretched for hundreds of kilometres.
One of the most notable things I am experiencing in Turkey is the kindness and generous attitude of its people. I never feel cheated. This welcoming, courteous attitude is a way of life here and to give you some examples. When bartering for something, you will often be asked to sit and enjoy a cup of tea with the shopkeeper even if they know you may not actually purchase. It’s just them extending hospitality. Or; the streets of Istanbul are full of little vans called Simit carts which sell corn and chestnuts, or baked goods such as filled rolls and pretzels. No Simit stall will ever let the needy walk away hungry.
We have just spent the past two days exploring Cappadocia. Stay tuned for my blog on this jaw-dropping region of Turkey.