Istanbul, not Constantinople

In the weeks leading up to my trip, I made a conscious decision to harbor no expectations about what I might find upon my arrival in Turkey. Plenty of people had shared their perceptions with me that it MUST be a dangerous, backward place and I really should reconsider going "over there". But I figured since my brother lived there for the last seven years, and my 81-year old mother had been there to visit five times before me and always returned in one piece, that it must be reasonably safe. So off I went...

Now, I'm going to take a minute here to say that I'm kind of conflicted about how to proceed with this blog thing. There is no place on earth with more historical significance than Turkey in general and Istanbul in particular. Istanbul has existed in one form or another for over 3,000 years. It has been the capital of the Roman Empire, the Byzantine Empire and the Ottoman Empire. It is the only city in the world that is located on two continents; Europe and Asia. The Hagia Sophia (look it up) in Istanbul was originally an Orthodox church, converted to a Mosque by the Ottomans, and is now a museum. It has been standing, in its current form, since the year 537 AD. A mere 1,474 years. And it is STUNNING. It is as big as a basketball arena and as ornate as a doily. It will stop you in your tracks. And that is just one place. Just the tip of the proverbial iceberg.

So my dilemma is this: do I go all high school history teacher/book nerd on you and try to impart my passion for this place that knocked me out, or do I just stick to my original premise of sharing my personal experiences and hopefully amusing anecdotes?  Alright, alright, quit rolling your eyes. I'll go with the "personal experiences and amusing anecdotes" idea and maybe, hopefully, some of what I share will inspire you to do a little research on your own about this amazing place.

The Hotel

The Hotel Sisli

My tiny, tiny room. Yes, that is the ENTIRE room. I am standing
on the bed with my back against the wall to take this picture.

We stayed in the Hotel Sisli (pr.-sheeshly). The rooms were small and the showers were tiny. They were also immaculate, comfortable and $50 USD a night. Hard to beat. The hotel even provided a breakfast every morning that was excellent. 


Taksim Square

Monument of the Republic

As mentioned in a previous post, my first night in Istanbul was spent drinking and carousing. Now, one thing you should know about the Turkish people is that they love their monuments. You can't throw a stick in this country without hitting a statue of someone memorializing some event or other. This is the "Monument of the Republic" in Taksim Square. It commemorates the founding of the Turkish Republic, and was also intended as a rebuke of the muslim laws prohibiting the depiction of the human form in art. Taksim Square is also where the party district starts. Think Mardi Gras on steroids. It is several square miles of restaurants, bars, live music and generally good natured partying going on into the wee hours of the morning. Every morning. I had been awake for over twenty hours when I arrived at the hotel and was immediately persuaded to go out on the town. Amazingly, my mother and cousin went along, too.

Friday night in Istanbul, bitches!!

Party Time!!

We're going in. This was a cold, wet night and I was told
the crowds were small because of that. I'd love to see a
crowded night.

Food is everywhere in Istanbul. Great food.

Let this be a warning to you. Sleep deprivation, alcohol,
and hookah can do bad things. 

Party, party, party.

I had this guy calling everyone "amigo" before the night
was over. Hey, what can I say?
Spanish is my default second language.

Yet another street of bars and restaurants.

Mussels, cooked, spiced, stuffed with rice, drizzled with lemon.
I'll have a dozen, please. Brother Ralph and the mussel guy.

The Welcoming Committee
L to R: Randy, Cousin Cheryl, Breece (sp?),
Brother Ralph, Graham. Good times in Istanbul.

That is pretty much it for my first night in Istanbul. I partied 'til I dropped and paid the price the next day. And I wouldn't do anything differently. How many times am I going get the opportunity to kick out the jambs in Istanbul on a rainy Friday night? A good time was had by all and it was great to see my little brother for the first time in six years.

This was just the beginning of my experiences in Turkey. Our time in Istanbul was spent almost entirely on the European side, although we did manage to get over to Asia for a little while a day or two later. I will be posting again soon, and I promise there will be many more interesting things to see and read about.

Until then...