A Ride on the Feribot; Anadolu Kavagi

Day three was the worst weather we had the whole five days we were in Istanbul. The sky was dark, the clouds were thick and low and there was a damp, blustery wind blowing. All day. It drizzled. All day. Visibility was severely hampered by the weather conditions. All day. It was face numbingly chilly. All. Damn. Day.

In short, a perfect day for a boat ride on the Bosphorus. Wooohoooo!!


The Feribot

The Feribot

The feribot (ferry boat, get it?) was spacious and warm and there was actually a pretty good sized crowd on board that day. We taxied down from the hotel to the landing, took a little walk around the neighborhood and, after a little more sightseeing, got on the boat.

The boat departs from Eminonu (near the spice bazaar and Galata Bridge) and heads north towards the Black Sea. It makes several stops along the European side before reaching a small town at the very northern end of the Bosphorous on the Asian side called Anadolu Kavagi. It parks there for three hours before turning around and heading south, back to Eminonu and the heart of Istanbul. It is a very picturesque ride and a great way to see the sights along the Bosphorous without spending a ton of money.

Originally, the feribots were used by the residents of Istanbul as a means of daily transportation up and down the strait, but the operators noticed as time went along that more and more tourists were getting on and riding it all the way up and all the way back without getting off. So, they decided to start selling the trips as "Nostalgic Rides Along the Bosphorous". It wasn't nostalgic for me, but it was well worth the time and money. If the weather had been better I'm sure it would have been incredible.

Galata Tower

Galata Tower

It is said that if you dig deep enough anywhere in Turkey you'll find evidence of ancient cultures. I'm sure that is not too far from the literal truth. The most riveting thing about Istanbul, for me, is that anywhere you travel in the city you will see buildings, artwork, neighborhoods, that are older than most countries in the world. There is evidence of civilizations here that predate Christ.

The structure in the picture to the left is now known as Galata Tower. It was originally called the "Christea Turris" (Tower of Christ in Latin) when it was complete in 1348. It was built by the Genoese as part of the fortification surrounding the Genoese citadel of Galata. It is roughly 220 feet tall and has a commanding view of the Bosphorous and the city below. At times it was used as a lookout for military reasons. The Ottomans later used it to spot fires in the city. Now the top levels house a restaurant and nightclub and there are elevators to take visitors up and down. There are many sights to see along the Bosphorous, both old and new, and this is just one of them.

Dolmabahce Palace

Dolmabahce Palace

Dolmabahce Palace was built by the empire's 31st sultan, Abdulmecid I, and was constructed between the years 1843 and 1856. It's not all that old, but it is spectacular. It was home to six sultans from 1856 until the abolition of the caliphate in 1924. It sits right at the water's edge and it is beautiful, but again, had the weather been better the picture might do it justice.

Ataturk, the founder of the Republic and its first president, spent his last days in Dolmabahce. He passed away there November 10, 1938 at 9:05 am. For a time, all the clocks in the palace were set to 9:05 and left there. Now, only the clock in the room he died in remains set to 9:05.

Sights Unknown, Unnamed


I took many pictures along the way of things that looked interesting, and a few pictures that I just liked because they're good pictures. Here are some of the things I photographed not knowing what they were at the time. Some of them I've been able to look up and name here, and some not. I'll give what explanation I can in each caption. One thing I would like to say is that all the pictures used in this blog, unless credited to someone else, are taken by me. I hope you have enjoyed the ones you've already seen and I hope you keep coming back to see more.

A lighthouse in the distance.

Yaz getting after the biggest cookie I've ever seen.

One of the ferry stops along the way. Click on the picture
and check out the architecture. 

A view from the boat looking north
towards the Sultan Mehmet Bridge.

Mehmet Bridge, up close and personal.

An ancient fort flying the Turkish flag.
No idea who built it or when.

Ottoman era waterfront houses on the Bosphorus

More waterfront houses.
Click on the picture and check out the flock of storks
that flew into the picture at the upper right.
Honest to God. Freakin' storks.

Anadolu Kavagi


Anadolu Kavagi (Onna-doe-loo Kuh-vai) is the furthest stop to the north on this feribot ride. It is on the Asian side of the Bosphorous and within sight of the Black Sea (when it's not foggy and drizzly). Anadolu Kavagi sits opposite Rumeli Kavagi on the European side of the Bosphorus. Anadolu Kavagi is also home to the ruins of Yoros Castle, a Byzantine fort.

Anadolu Kavagi is also a fishing village and we had what was possibly the best meal of grilled fish and fresh vegetable I've ever had the pleasure of consuming.

Up the trail to Yoros Castle. 

The gates to Yoros Castle flanked by towers.
It was foggy, remember?

Typical Byzantine construction with alternating layers of stone and
brick tiles. These walls are several feet thick. 

This is what every stray dog I saw in Turkey looked like.
Large, calm and with a distinct air of "don't fuck with me".

Catch of the day. As fresh as any fish you've ever eaten unless you
walked it from the water's edge to the frying pan yourself. 

Cold, wet and waiting for customers. Glad to oblige. 

They call this "Levrek". It looked like sea bass to me and it was FANTASTIC.

It was a long day. Mom nodding off on the ride back.
She told me to delete this picture. Uh-huh.
Love you, mom.

That was it for the day's activities. The boat ride was six hours in duration and wore us all out pretty good. We went out for a local-style dinner, met up with one of my mother's friends from her previous trips to Turkey, had a little visit and went back to the hotel and to bed. Jet lag was almost licked by this point, but I was still tiring out early. Traveling is hard work, man. 

The next post will be one of the highlights of the trip. I'll be sharing the day we had in Sultanahmet seeing the Blue Mosque and the Mosaic Museum. Sound boring? Yeah, I don't think so. 

See you very soon...

The Spice Bazaar

My niece Yaz feeding pigeons outside Yeni Mosque

Alright kids, we're getting to the good stuff.

As previously mentioned, I was egregiously over served on my first night in Istanbul, and due to sleep deprivation and the irresponsible behavior of some Turkish waiters who wouldn't allow me to stop drinking their cursed alchohol, I awoke on Day 2 feeling a little, shall we say........under the weather? Which actually turned out to be apropos of the day. It was cold (high 40's), drizzly and foggy for the entire day. So, heavy coat on and beany protecting my hairless scalp, we went out into the city.

We went for a long walk down to the water's edge by the Strait of Bosphorous. We saw the Galata Bridge spanning the Golden Horn. We walked through the Spice Bazaar, which is an intoxicating experience both visually and aromatically. The huge mounds of brightly colored spices all neatly arranged, the food stalls; olives, fish, meat, bread, cheese, all in one place. There are bead shops, jewelry shops, hookah shops, clothing, etc. The Spice Bazaar is housed partly within the confines of the Yeni Mosque, also referred to as the "new" mosque because it's merely 350  years old. Not REALLY old like some of the other mosques around town. The original intent was that the rent from the shops would help pay the upkeep on the mosque. Evidently it's working out, because both entities seem to be going strong.

Brother Ralph, Yaz, Cousin Cheryl, Mom

Yeni Mosque, completed in 1660

One of the many spice merchants in the Bazaar

Beans and other dried foods

Shopping in the Spice Bazaar

Yummy, delicious olives

Fish shop

"Koyun" means sheep. Your guess is as good as mine
from there. 

Nuts of every description

Check out the cheese on the right
The best cheese EVER is in Turkey

A view back down the row of shops in one of the
few outdoor areas of the Spice Bazaar

One thing I would like to very briefly comment on at this juncture is my impression of the food scene in Turkey. Being a westerner, it was very hard for me to reconcile my preconceived notions about what things would look like in a megalopolis such as Istanbul with the reality I found myself immersed in there. Like the friends and acquaintances I mentioned in an earlier post, I couldn't help but picture Turkey as somewhat backwards. I ignorantly thought, as hard as I tried not to, that life would be a little grim and hardscrabble in this place. I could not have been more wrong. You can't walk one block, ONE block, without seeing multiple fresh food stores. They're small, but they're everywhere, and they have produce and meat and fish and cheese and bread that makes our supermarkets look weak. It is all produced nearby and brought in fresh constantly. The quality and abundance of food in Turkey is staggering and delightful. Even the flowers being sold at corner flower stands put the ones I see in my hometown to shame. I will be devoting an entire post in the not too distant future to the food in Turkey. It is a feast for the eyes as well as the body. Incredible, and better than the food you and I eat here. Believe it.

Sooooo, back to Day 2 in Istanbul. After a long day walking through the marketplace and strolling along the shore of the Bosphorous, we stopped and had lunch. There was a big football game (soccer to us) taking place that night and my brother had me all talked into going, but by the time we got back to the hotel late that afternoon the previous night's debauchery had joined forces with the jet lag I was carrying around and they basically put a beat down on my dumb ass. I collapsed into bed early that night and slept like a baby. The following morning I awoke feeling like a million bucks and we got down to some serious sightseeing.

That next day we took a ferry ride along the Bosphorous to within sight of the Black Sea. At least it would have been had the cold skies not been filled with low, dark, drizzly clouds.

The next post: Anadolu Kavagi and the sights along the Bosphorous. See you then...

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...

"Bu Siteye Erişim Mahkeme Kararıyla Engellenmiştir"... (WTF???)

All right, loyal readers. You are probably wondering what the heck happened to my promised blog posts updating you on my travels in Asia Minor. Well, a funny thing happened on my way to blogville....


I arrived in Istanbul after twenty-one consecutive sleepless hours either in airports or on airplanes. I then did what any sane person would do after being awake and uncomfortable for that many hours in a row. I immediately went out on the town in Istanbul with my brother and his friends and got drunk on my ass. I got back to my hotel about 2:30 in the morning. By this time I had been awake for God knows how many hours and was drooling, seeing-double drunk to boot. Soooooooo, the next morning/afternoon/night/whenever I got ambulatory again, I sat down at my computer to update my blog and let everyone know how things were going.


When I attempted to log in to my blog, I was rudely greeted by this, "Bu siteye erişim mahkeme kararıyla engellenmiştir" in bold, red letters. BIG, bold red letters. Turkish not being one of my stronger languages, I assumed it said something like, "Due to circumstances beyond our control you will not be blogging today you drunken sot". Well, as it turns out it was circumstances well within their control. In fact, it WAS their way of controlling things. After two days of being denied access in a foreign language and not understanding why, I copied and pasted the phrase into Google and this is how it translated: "This court decision blocked access to the site". Hmmmmmmmm. My momma didn't raise no dummies. I've seen "Midnight Express". I didn't want to risk upsetting the local gendarmerie by circumventing their little "court decision" (which I figured out how to do pretty quickly). So rather than risk seeing my next pair of female breasts through a plate glass window in the visitors area at the local lock-up, I decided that discretion was the better part of valor and vowed to update my blog, complete with stories and pictures, upon my return to the good ol' US of A.


So here 's my first entry: What an amazing, fascinating country. The people, the food, the history, the sights. I did not have one experience with anything or anyone that could be defined as even remotely negative. I spent the first five days in Istanbul, the sixth day I spent on a bus going to Izmir (nine hours to to the south) and the remainder of my time in Izmir. Depending on whom you ask in Turkey, the population of Istanbul is somewhere between 14- and 22-million people. I have to think the latter is closer to the truth. I've been to New York City many times. Istanbul is exponentially larger and more crowded. It is mind boggling in the truest sense of the words. On the ride down to Izmir I saw a countryside that is quite reminiscent of Southern California, and Izmir is a beautiful port city on the Aegean coast. I have enough pics and stories to keep me blogging for the next couple of weeks, give or take, so I hope you'll be following along. Some of you are facebook friends and you've seen a very small sampling of the pictures I took and read a little about what I did there. I have so much more to share.

Istanbul Exploration Party
L to R: Mom, Brother Ralph, Cousin Cheryl, Ado

I got home about thirty-six hours ago (Friday night around 9:00) after a sleepless twenty-six hour travel day and have been able to sleep only sporadically since. Jet lag is some pernicious shit, lemme tell ya. I managed to get about five hours in a row last night so I'm feeling pretty close to human today. I will be posting again in the next couple of days. I hope you'll be reading along.


Sorry for the delay. Talk to you soon.

Traveling Light; second thoughts

Sitting in the airport in San Francisco, first leg of the trip behind me. The bag is performing admirably. Even though it is packed so full that you can read the labels on the clothes inside, it is holding up like a champ. The zippers on this thing must be made of Kryptonite because they can be forced closed like no zippers I've ever seen before.

The second thought is this; next time I am going to carry a second bag (satchel, backpack, not decided yet) for all my electronics. The computer, camera, etc. are traveling well up to this point, but man they are squeezed in amongst the underwear and socks like battery toting sardines. I'm not sure cramming them in like that is such a good idea. If all I was packing was clothes and a laptop, I'd be golden. The camera, extra batteries, chargers; et al, are what's causing the majority of the potentially seam-busting, electronics busting pressure.

I'll fill you in on the other side......

Traveling Light

Anyone who really knows me can attest to the fact that I am a compulsive learner. If I am going to undertake some new activity, I'm going to read as much as I can about it and talk to as many knowledgeable people as I can to make sure I get it right. Those people who know me can also tell you I hate doing something if I'm not good at it. I think both of these traits comes from a deep seated desire to not look like a doofus. If there's one thing I hate, it's being the unintentional source of other people's amusement. Another thing I hate is trying to get through an airport with too many bags. We've all seen that person. Very "touristy" looking, he's got one bag draped over a shoulder, a roller suitcase big enough to house a third world family, a smaller bag perched atop it like some kind of oddly rectangular baby monkey hanging onto its mother's back, a coat slung over his arm, talking on his cell phone and lugging this emormous load through the airport, all the while looking like Charles Loughton in "The Hunchback of Notre Dame" (look it up). In short, a highly amusing doofus.

Here is the bag fully loaded, including computer, toiletries
an extra pair of shoes and enough clothes to get me through
the first week.  

So, back to the learning thing. I started doing research on the internet about traveling light (see previous paragraph). I found a website called "onebag.com". For anyone interested in the concept of traveling light it's a must read. On onebag.com he mentions a company called Red Oxx which is based in Montana. Red Oxx makes a bag that conforms to international carry-on standards called the "Air Boss" and it is one bad-ass piece of luggage (go to Redoxx.com and watch the video). And that is the bag I chose for my trip. The idea is to get through my two-week trip abroad with only a carry-on bag as luggage. I will be commenting in the future on the efficacy of this strategy and how it works for a two week trip to Europe. This should provide plenty of  fodder for future posts and plenty of amusement for my followers. I just hope I don't end up looking like a doofus.

Traveling Light

Anyone who really knows me can attest to the fact that I am a compulsive learner. If I am going to undertake some new activity, I'm going to read as much as I can about it and talk to as many knowledgeable people as I can to make sure I get it right. They can also tell you I hate doing something if I'm not good at it. I think both of these traits comes from a deep seated desire to not look like a doofus. If there's one thing I hate, it's being the unintentional source of other people's amusement. One other thing I hate is trying to get through an airport with too many bags. We've all seen that person. Very "touristy" looking, He's got one bag slung over his shoulder, a roller suitcase big enough to house a third world family, a smaller bag perched atop it like some kind of oddly rectangular baby monkey hanging onto its mother's back, a coat slung over his arm, talking on his cell phone and ambling through the airport looking like Charles Loughton in "The Hunchback of Notre Dame" (look it up). In short, an amusing doofus.

So, back to the learning thing. I started doing research on the internet about traveling light (see above). I found a website called