Istanbul Archives - Solotravel

Solo traveler in Istanbul

By Patricia | 2018-01-13 | Comments 0 Comment

This was to be my last day on my own in Istanbul, before joining the tour around Turkey.
Down to the disappointing breakfast of just bread rolls, and coffee, I was getting a bit tired of the idiosycrasies of this hotel, the fan, the smells that emanate from the pipes in the bathroom.
I had promised myself a visit to the small mosque a few minutes away, no hills to climb either. So after breakfast I set out to do just that. Set down a side street as it was, one would have thought it would be quiet but there were a steady stream of visitors to see it. The five hundred year old mosque was attended by an old turkish man, who gave out the scarves to the women. Having done so he went back to his praying or chanting, not sure which it was.
Dutifully wearing the scarf that the old man had adjusted for me , to be worn the correct way obviously mattered to him and I was happy to oblige.

It was a pleasure to wander around the simple mosque, lacking the opulence of the bigger ones , it was cool and interesting to see. A climb up the stairs to the balcony provided views from the windows of the graveyard and the adjacent buildings.
There is only so much to see in an empty mosque so it wasn’t long before I headed back to the hotel via the Ziva Baba restaurant where I had enjoyed reasonable priced and tasty meals over the last few days. Soup it was, with the lovely turkish

bread .

After lunch plodding up the hill to the main attractions for one last look and a free piece of turkish delight from the shops. Past the grand Bazaar with its hundreds and hundreds of shops with their very keen vendors and their constant “hello” I have become so accustomed to going to see the mosques I know I will miss the people , the shops that I have used . Faros with its Wifi and excellent food. I suspect they used to talk about the lady that never left a tip, but they always smiled and were always very pleasant. Considering the prices they charged, why would they even need a tip!

The day had not lost any of its heat, so before long it was back to the hotel to pack and think of dinner. Back down the hill for the last time , I had become very attached to the place, with its cats everywhere, the old men sitting around on benches and chairs. Playing cards in the side streets that were even grottier than the hill street I used. Washing hung from the windows, no maintenance done for many a year, the rubbish, kids playing ball in the streets. The shops with their goods spilling on to the street, the smells of the small bakeries and cafes. The wonderful view of the sea at the end of the street.

The beachfront interesting in its own right. Within walking distance of the hotel and under a rail bypass, it was a real pleasure to come across this area one night after dinner. The after work traffic jams a reality. Crossing the road only possible on the pedestrian crossross now lights, and even that wasn’t without its risks. The look on a womans’ face as her husband had to throw
on the brakes to avoid hitting me and several others was a classic. The beach front in name only as the huge rocks that lined it were not user friendly, but the ingenuity of the fishers and the teenagers who were swimming, amazing. Even a dog got into the act swimming , and trying to pluck up the courage to get on the rocks as the swells came and went at times very fast. Some
had concreted pads made between the rocks to rest their small cookers and seats on. With it being Ramadan there were of course all the families waiting with their picnics at the ready for sunset. Then there were the usual street sellers with the inevitable rolex watches, perfume, jewelry, water and sweet corn.

The small harbour had boats coming and going both big and small. Some were available for hire, along with a few inflatables. Off the coast at a distance were probably a hundred of more ships of varying sizes waiting to berth at the port. I watched a cruise boat leave, one that I had seen the same morning docking. They must have spent their ten hours having a quick look at Istanbul. Something I am glad to have spent more time doing, and enjoying all that the city has to offer even though it will not ever be enough.
Always the cats in and around the city, mostly fed but feral, they are everywhere from the mosques to the humblest street corner. I was fascinated by many cats sleeping all over motorbikes in a parking space. The seafront was no exception, with the restaurants lining part of it, what better place for a cat to call home. They are surprisingly quiet although I make no effort to touch them in case of fleas , they just watch what you are doing and whether it’s worth their attention.
Next day off to start the tour,and I will be out of this hotel as early as is decently possible!

Istanbul Princes Islands Tour

By Patricia | 2018-01-01 | Comments 0 Comment

Poor animal — Shocking condition of the horses here very concerning.

One of the family running the Istanbul hotel suggested a tour of the Princes Islands that I may like , as it turned out there were two, one on Monday the other on Tuesday.
Still suffering from the nights events, I managed to get up in time to join the tour at eight in the morning. Being picked up from the hotel just so convenient, probably wouldn’t have gone if they didn’t.
Once we had collected everyone for the tour it was 9.30 when we started boarding the boat. Again the method of putting the bow at the jetty level for people to access the boat intrigued me as it did in Montenegro.
Once negotiated with the help of crew, it was up to the top deck in a prime position overlooking the back (aft) of the boat.
As we left the jetty the boat reversed easily and headed out to the Princes islands in the Sea of Marmaris. There are nine islands of various sizes, we were off to spend some hours on the big Princes island.

Happily the boat was of larger build than the one in Bar and fairly stable in the sea. We did indeed have lovely views across the harbour to the city of Istanbul, seen from a distance, it gave more of an indication of the size of it. I believe something like 14 million inhabitants. We passed by the Sultanahmet, with beautiful views of the mosques and their minarets.
The first island came into sight and the boat made a brief stop before heading onto the Princes island for us to get off.
The tour included a ride around the island on one of the horse drawn buggies. Something I had wanted to do in Vienna but ruled out because of the price.
It was going to be the first and last time. I was appalled at the state of the poor animals being used. It wasn’t just one or two, it probably included 60-70 % of them. Fortunately the horses we were allocated were sound enough, and I didn’t feel quite so bad. I wouldn’t have wanted to have spent much longer than I did in the buggy, because it stunk of horse manure, which didn’t go away at any time.

It was a very pleasant and pretty ride, the purple flowers of bougainvillea stunning in their displays in every conceivable position, on arches, in hedges, over walls. We tried to get the driver to slow to a more relaxed pace, to really enjoy it but I think from his point of view it was quick to get back for another fare, sadly for the horses, given the heat as usual was a very hot 33 degrees.
It was pleasant sharing the ride with a lovely german couple, who I’m sure would have preferred to have had the carriage to themselves. We stopped for ten minutes at the top of the island for glorious views ,and of course the inevitable souvenirs. It was also a dumping ground for piles of horse poo from the catchers ,which added nothing to the ambience of the place. I wasn’t particularly impressed with it at all. There were walks to a nearby monastery for those that were keen, we saw it as we went past in the carriage! We asked the driver to slow as we went down the hill back to the seafront, but that only lasted a few minutes. The forces of gravity combined with a horse at a fast speed did nothing for our collective peace of mind.

Glad to be back down on the more level ground , we wandered to admire the shops and stalls before being taken to lunch at the restaurant down on waterfront. A very nice meal with a choice of fish, chicken or meat balls for mains, with an eclectic entree of hummus, various other nibbles and tasty things of which I didn’t know the name. Finished off with some of the wonderfully sweet watermelons that are currently in season.
We had an hour or so after lunch to wander and enjoy the place, before it was back to the boat for the trip back to Istanbul. I used some of my hour for a coffee and wifi fix at Starbucks with an outstanding views across the Sea of Marmaris. The resulting picture giving me another red dot on the map picture on my ipad, showing how far up the coast we had actually travelled.

The trip home a relaxing one. This time I spent on the lower decks enjoying the peace and quiet. The toilet another one of the squats that were so popular in Asia. Arrgh!! I cannot get the reasoning behind installing these in modern premises. I noticed not a few women deciding to give it a miss and cross their legs until they reached shore again, so I’m not the only one who thinks the toilets are an insult.
The haze over the city skyline wasn’t very good for pictures on the way back so snapped a few as we came close to the shore and docking, bow first!

The Blue Mosque

By Patricia | 2018-01-01 | Comments 0 Comment

Image result for blue mosque
Entry to the lovely Blue mosque is free to all, but a scarf is a must, for those that don’t have one a cover is available to use. Shoes are also removed and carried in a plastic bag that is supplied. Going early again meant the queues were quite small, but in any event it moved fairly well and waiting was minimal. I wouldn’t want to be waiting too long as the heat of the day regardless of time, is very warm if you are standing in it.
It is also called the Sultan Ahmed mosque. To even begin to describe this beautiful mosques interior is difficult. The gorgeous blue tiles, some 20,000 of them , and then some , are simply stunning. I was reminded of the beautiful tiles in the Samarkand and Bukhara mosques and buildings.

There were many tourists milling around of course, I was interested to hear someone describing the prayer routine of a man obviously praying. Each movement of the prayer is coordinated with a verse from the Koran. It was fascinating to listen to the description while watching the man actions and indeed they were exactly what the observer was describing.
the man praying then went through the motions again , apparently catching up with a missed prayer earlier in the day! Just as well, the call to prayer goes out five times a day and there must be times that have to be missed!
A female tourist with camera, wandered out into the mens’ prayer section, you would have thought that she would have used her brain a little, there is a huge carpeted area with barriers. She came very close to being escorted out!! There are some things you just don’t do in a mosque!
The women have their own prayer area behind the mens and I believe the balcony is also for the women.
All the mosques are so wonderfully cool, and peaceful despite the numbers of people and cameras. Moving on from this mosque, I went further on down the street and came across the Basilica Cistern. I had not heard of this or even seen it advertised until passing the sign with the name and directional arrow, needless to say I loved it.

Anything that is different within the Roman age attracts my fascination. An old water storage building built in the Byzantine era, around the sixth century, your first view of it is of many, many columns holding the roof up. There are walkways to wander and enjoy the eerie feeling of literally being in a water tank, complete with fish! The mere age of the structure is awe inspiring, the columns fantastic. There is even a cafe if you want some refreshments. I had to go and see the blocks with Medusa heads on them, and consider why they were placed the way they were. Probably just to make the columns fit but I suspect we will never know. I did go in the exit door but no one stopped me, and it was easy to blend in with the small number of people that were there.and still get right round.
By now the afternoon had simply vanished and it was close to dinnertime. Walking back up the street, past the stage and seats that were slowly filling for the evening. As it was Ramadan I surmised there was probably a meeting or something similar there. Just past there was a small restaurant that I had been enjoying some meals at, needless to say they had wifi that I could access, seeing as Maccas was useless on this occasion.
After dinner, I do love turkish food, as my waist already attests to knowing, it was back to the hotel

Topkapi Palace and Basilica Cistern

By Patricia | 2018-01-01 | Comments 0 Comment

It is so much easier to walk around the city in the early part of the day. The Topkapi palace was a little further than the usual walk but not a great deal.
The charge to enter this was the same as the Hagia Sophia, 25 lira, having the security checks as well. I am uneasy putting my small backpack on the belt through the xray because there are so many people there. After the pickpocket experience in Bar, it has left me feeling vulnerable and almost paranoid about leaving it anywhere.

The usual park like areas within the closed courtyard were very pleasant, again the

money aspect is very visible. With shaded walkways, many buildings all with their tiles and decorations to please ‘the rich’. There were many displays some in darkened rooms to protect them from damage. Some restrictions on photographs and the use of the flash. Of all the objects on display in the museum, I was most taken with the seventh century clothing, I think that was right, there were only two pieces on display, another couple from the sixteenth or seventeenth century. The mind just boggled to try and understand fabric lasting through all these centuries, considering some of todays’ barely last a year or so.
I spent two or three hours here just wandering, trying to take it all in eventually after sitting down , I decided to move on and have a look at something else and see if there was a suitable place for lunch. Leaving Topkapi I started back out to the street but went right instead of left, looking across the road there was a sign that said Basilica Cistern. I had not heard or seen anything on this at all, so it’s off to find out its whereabouts!

Basilica Cistern.

It didn’t take long and soon I was slipping in the door not realising it was actually the exit!
Down the stairs and its another of those ‘wow’ moments that have been a daily occurrence since travelling began. As a water cistern obviously it will mostly be underground. This one was beautiful with all the graceful columns holding up the roof. In the bottom of the tank healthy looking fish swim in what looks to be less than half a metre of water. There were walkways all through the complex for people to wander and marvel at the splendour of the Cistern.

Built by the romans in around the 6th century it is certainly a wonderful relic of the past. I couldn’t believe it was one of many underneath Istanbul. Of interest particularly were the heads of Medusa on some blocks supporting a couple of the columns. Probably just used for support but there are theories of course as to why they were used as they were. I think it was for practical purposes! The Romans keep me fascinated finding out their skills.

Istanbul Bosphorus tour

By Patricia | 2017-12-31 | Comments 0 Comment

Another early start for the day, this time to do the Bosphorus tour, same routine with the company. Everyone was gathered from various hotels, given a number, then sent to the coaches. We started the day by stopping off at the Spice market. I was so hoping to go there. After the wonderful markets in Uzbekistan, I love the atmosphere, the smells, the people busy with their lives. It lived up to my expectations of the colours, the smells, displays both large and small. The usual sell stop at a prearranged seller of course , ten percent off if you buy!
I didn’t but headed off to explore the rest of the markets. Finally being tempted by some Turkish dried figs and apricots. The small boy nicely putting on a plastic

glove to put the fruits into bag. I get the feeling sometimes that these kids don’t go to school. perhaps they go early while its still cool. The figs and apricots turned out to be superb.

From the spice market i wandered over to the adjacent mosque. Called the New Mosque or Rustem Pasha mosque, it is not as big as the main mosques that tourists tend to see, but its lack of size gives it a genuine feeling of being a sacred site. It is apparently one of the top three for its mosaic work. It truly was spectacular, despite having seen mosaics ad infinitem, I never tire of seeing them.
I have seen many mosques over the last few months, the interior of this was worth seeing just for the Iznik tiles alone
I carry a scarf to slip on most of the time when looking inside the mosques. so it comes in handy. The mosques do provide a covering for the women to wear, it is standard practise to remove shoes, and either carry them in a bag or leave at the door in shelf space.

After leaving the spice market the tour headed for the boat that was to take us to the Bosphorus up through the Golden horn. A natural water division between the European and Asian parts of the city. A charming trip on a beautiful day to view the old buildings. The Bosphorus bridge one of I think, four bridges. We were told they are currently building a tunnel beneath the Bosphorus that is due for completion in 2013 as well as an additional bridge.The boat turned to go back to the port after taking in the stunning sight of the Rumeli Fortress. I love castles and forts and this was no exception, It the impression of tumbling down the hillside, but far from it. It was built around 1452 and attests to the building skills of the past. Seven hundred years later it still looks the formidable sight it must have been to the many raiders who tried to conquer city.

From the boat ride of nearly two hours we were whisked away to lunch. Essentially the same as the previous day, very tasty, but for me it was spoiled by the lack of accompanying cold water, although it was made clear the drinks were not included on the tour, I felt water should have been complementary with lunch it is not ‘ a drink’ perse! The lunch room up three flights of stairs with no air conditioning of note, with the heat of the day, a poor choice of restaurant for the number of people there was on the tour that day.
From lunch the next sell of the day at a leather fashion stop. We were treated to a fashion show of the products, which were marvellous, with price tags to match. Looking around the showroom later some prices were 12-1500 €.
Mostly exported we were assured they would be well discounted for us. I don’t think anyone bought at all. Total waste of time in my opinion. to see and feel the quality of the garments however was something I would not normally do, and allowed me to dream a little!

From here we went on to the Beylerbeyi Palace. Oh, what it is to have money regardless of the era you live in! This was built as a summer palace in the 1860’s. Complete with an indoor pool and fountain, not working while we were there, it was one of those sumptuous places the people of the era were very good at doing. The paintings on the ceilings, wonderful furniture, the carpets ,and mirrors. It had no kitchens as all the cooking was done outside with it being a summer palace, bringing into the house if the residents wanted it there. I felt it was a bit rushed I would have liked to have spent more time there but you were only permitted through it with a guide. All shoes covered with plastic covers for obvious reasons of keeping the carpets clean.

The last port of call was the Camlica hill for some wonderful photos from one of the higher points in the city. Worth the drive, but the cafe a tad expensive in my opinion, 7lira for an orange juice just too much. Juice had been 5 lira on the menu but it waa upped’ because it was orange juice’ Why not just say so and advertise it as such, rather than being sneaky. Something I have noticed quite a lot of since being here, if you’re a tourist anything goes, and if its a price its up!!!
The end of a long day, the bus driver very obligingly dropped me off at the top of the hill to see what I could find for a meal, and a quick visit to the Turkish delight shop to try for free some more flavours of that yummy treat! It truly was a wonderful day.

Plovdiv to Istanbul

By Patricia | 2017-12-31 | Comments 0 Comment

Interesting journey to Istanbul! After a fascinating stay in the very, very old city of Plovdiv in Bulgaria I caught the train to Istanbul. Surprisingly, it left just after 10 pm close to the timetable. I actually fell asleep, as I had grabbed the disabled seats so had a complete row of three to myself. Everyone else draped themselves over seats and suitcases. Plenty of room for everyone to do so as well. Woken up by border patrol for passports at 1am, back on the train ready to doze off again. Come 2am, this time its the Turkish police for passports and visas. The entire train was queued to pay €15 for a pretty sticker in one office, a stamp in another! Incidentally, I was the oldest person on the train, everyone else looked like they were doing a gap year, 20-35 max. My grey hair stood out like a sore thumb,while at least my backpack wasn’t out of place at all, the suitcase definitely was!
Once we were stamped, it was out to the buses on two modern coaches and a minibus. Leaving at 3am, I was soon asleep again , two hours later a voice says toilet stop, loud enough to penetrate the sleeping brain. The most modern service station I think I have ever seen. Worthy of big time America. Souvenirs, coffee,food, the lot. Just couldn’t face turkish coffee and turkish delight or even baklava, in a half comatose state at that hour of the morning.
Once again back in the bus and in to Istanbul an hour or so later, yes, I went to asleep again!

Wonderful city to wake up to in the early morning, incredibly beautiful. I’ m going to love it here! As you can see I have already made an acquaintance with the mosques, now they’ll have to wait for another day. The weather is very, very hot but the days stunning, sight seeing only happens for me when there are shaded streets, usually before midday and after about three.
The usual rip off by the taxi driver who also tried to chat me up, I dislike some of these people intently. I am aware of it, I just try and minimise the damage as I can’t be bothered walking and finding my way in a very large and strange city at odd hours of the day. First obvious mistake he made was saying he knew where the place was, I knew he didn’t have a clue and had to ask others where it was.
Not surprising really there were no signs or names any where and certainly if I had walked there I would have had a great deal of difficulty finding it.
Once inside I was shown a lovely big room in the basement alongside the kitchen . Complete with ensuite , I was very pleased to see the electric jug in the kitchen. The room had been advertised as having air conditioning which it did not have but they did provide a fan for some relief from the heat. I was starting to get a little disturbed by these events.

Once settled in the room, because it was in the basement the windows were very tiny and opened on to the footpath level. As I have mentioned I suffer from a mild claustrophobia, this was not helping, but I decided to do my best anyway. Currently it is Ramadan in Muslim countries , which means the evening meal is eaten after sunset. The first night there were families and children laughing and playing outside until nearly midnight. Following a night with very little decent sleep the night before , I was not in a particularly good frame of mind , gritting my teeth , the night passed in sleep once the noises stopped.

The feeling of being shut in a small space was increasing, with the heat and the noise combined with the basement features.
At least during the day I had spent happy hours wandering around the mosques, I later found the area is called Sultanahmet. The hotel is well situated in that respect, all though the first walk had me following a family that were obviously on holiday. They seemed very purposeful, so it looked hopeful, as indeed it was. It was wonderful getting to the top of quite a hill, almost a 45 degree slope with cobbled streets, and appalling footpaths that included steps for good measure. The sight of the mosques , the grand bazaar, the shops on the street and in the middle of all this the tram station! It was definitely one of those wow moments, it would have been nice to share with someone.
After walking around these places and getting some turkish delight. It was a real shop with plenty of free trial delights! I couldn’t resist the temptation, could I. The body was fading fast, so I headed back to the hotel, which of course was all downhill this time! Getting in, found me asleep in five mins, the night having proved to much to handle without a small siesta.

Gallipoli

By Patricia | 2017-11-19 | Comments 0 Comment

The coach left Istanbul headed for Gallipoli on time, with our bags stowed in the bus. What bliss having someone take my bag away and not have to worry about it and its weight. The coach was comfortable enough but certainly not luxury seating. I was disappointed to see there were no toilets in the rear, wondering what the story would be if people needed to go in a hurry! That question was soon answered by Berna our guide for the fortnight She gave us a full description of the days activities including times of comfort stops as she called them! Turkish guides are all licensed and carry papers with them in case the bus is stopped and checked, as indeed it was several days later.
Our excellent driver Birtol was indeed one of those professional drivers that I have come to respect,his driving was superb and his patience unending.
The scenery changed little in the drive to Gallipoli and Anzac cove but as we drew closer the flat land changed into hilly and some mountains. As we drove along side some of the Dardanelle sea, the strait between the Marmara and the Aegean there were some wonderful views to be seen. We reached Anzac cove in the middle of the day, the hottest part.

We stopped alongside the lonely cemetery by the sea shore. The many graves of the allied soldiers buried there a tribute to their sacrifice. Their ages ranging from teenagers to those in their the forties I must say it was an emotional visit . To actually see the area that these men fought in, certainly explained it with the beach being at the bottom of hills and mountains a very difficult scenario. Towering over the area a rock formation called the sphinx for its likeness to the egyptian relic. Anzac cove while named where the cemetery was located actually stretched a distance in a gentle bay of considerable size. We left here, the coach climbing up through the pine covered mountains.

Pine trees surprised me I had never connected them to Turkey. While ours grow a lot bigger and appear healthier, these seemed to survive the heat and the dry conditions they grew in, but lacked the size. Perhaps they were harvested at a smaller size.
The next stop on our Gallipoli tour was at the Lone Pine cemetery where the majority of the Australian troops were buried. A simply stunning location, overlooking the sea, with a memorial stone that also included the names of many New Zealanders who lost their lives along side the Australian soldiers. The middle of the graves was a Lone Pine obviously the reason for the name.

The next stop was to show us the Turkish memorial, our guide being Turkish . An outstanding memorial to their fallen and of which the guide was very proud. The final stop was to see the actual trenches the men had fought in, all restored now but you could imagine the horrors of having to be in them , whether in summer or winter. The day was extremely hot when we visited, a winter would be awfully cold and miserable without any fighting.
The memorial at Chunuk Bair to the New Zealanders that lost their lives in the first World War.

Leaving all the cemeteries and memorials behind the bus turned towards the town for the ferry crossing from the european side of Turkey to the asian side. There is just 3 % of Turkey in Europe with the remainder being on what is called the asian side. We arrived early for the ferry so waited a few minutes in the queue of vehicles parked in the street also waiting to board the ferry. The ferry arriving discharged its load of vehicles including many coaches, after which they started on loading the queue. It seemed at first that we wouldn’t make this particular trip as the boat seemed to be quite full, but no there was room just….for the bus.

We all got off and headed for the upper deck for the best views of the Dardanelle straits. Truly lovely in the mid afternoon sun, the ferry turning before going through the exit from the harbour. A twenty minute trip that was nearly over before we realised it, and had to get back on the bus ready to drive off, of course there is always one late person, today there was no exception, the guide rushing off to find them and just making it back before the driver took off. There has to be order with the loading and unloading of the vehicles and I gathered no one was allowed to linger once the ferry was docked!
From here we were driven to Canakkale where we were spending our first night of our tour after meeting at the hotel the day before.
The hotel turned out to be situated right on the beach front, as well as having pools . Once our luggage was in the rooms, which were very nice, we changed into swimming gear and went down to the pools. They turned out to be salt water pools that were really warm. The best part was you didn’t sink, floating became the order of the day! A chance to experience the Dead sea. for real.
Many people from the coach took advantage of the great conditions , some going down to the beach, some in the pools , some sitting at the bar holding a cold beer! After the pool there was time for showering and dress for dinner, something I hadn’t counted on, with my limited wardrobe a hard call. The dinner was a very nice one and the end of a perfect day.