From Asia to Europe, and back again

We have been told that Istanbul is the only city in the world which spans two continents(Europe and Asia), and though Brad and I weren’t so sure of this “fact”, we were very sure that we had landed somewhere entirely different to Iran. Arriving at our hostel in the Old Town was like arriving in the middle of a rock concert, except that the draw card of music had been replaced by tourism. Edging our way through thick, sweaty crowds of middle aged white people with large cameras resting against even larger bellies, it was dawning that the tour buses lining the streets were to be a daily reminder of how lucky we had been in Iran.

It took a few days to become accustomed to the ever-present throngs of tourists, and this week allowed us to cover such must-sees as the Blue Mosque, Topkapi Palace (now a museum), the Grand Bazaar, and plenty more, but personal highlights were:

• Sitting on the ruins of a cliff top Roman Fort at the Black Sea entrance to the Bosphorous Strait, watching the ships roll on through. Well away from the hustle of the city, we could see all the tankers waiting to pass through the only route out to the rest of the world, and realised how important diplomacy must be in this part of the world - Turkey has control over the main trade route with the world for 6 other countries. No wonder people have been fighting here for thousands of years.
• While searching for the spice market, we discovered a little Turkish sweets store which was filled floor to ceiling with various lollies, chocolates, puddings, cakes, and of course, Turkish delight. What made it different to any other sweet store was that it was run by a kind old man and his posse of nice young ladies, who all took delight in handing out more tasters and samples than we could keep up with, with no obligation to buy. But of course we did buy. A very dangerous place.
• Catching the ferry to the Asian Quarter and wandering the quaint little cobbled streets and alleys in search of a good quality backgammon board from an honest shopkeeper (who only started his price at 15% higher than the true price, rather than the 400% standard in the bazaar). Now I can fuel my addiction anytime I can find a willing adversary!
• Emma flew in from NZ, her 24 hours in transit meaning that she wasn’t in the best shape when we went for a Turkish Bath that night, so she opted for the massage-only option. Brad and I proceeded to lie on a marble slab and be beaten up by a large Turkish man in a towel and moustache. Not the most relaxing experience, but definitely very atmospheric, chilling out afterwards chatting to other travellers in the centuries old bathhouse steam room.
• Emma’s friend’s fiancée’s mate runs a tour company in Istanbul (there’s that Kiwi 3 degrees of separation rule!) and took us to an ultra cool little known rooftop bar, frequented by local arts students and film directors, where we had a few drinks and watching the sunset over the city while getting to know it from a local Kiwi‘s perspective (ultra chilled out and modest, rather than Turk-style of ultra passionate/energetic with forwardness that sometimes borders on aggressiveness). Hayden then sorted us out for the next 10 days, making sure that we see the best of Turkey at the best price - go Hayden!

After wandering the town for days we came to the conclusion that this bustling city of 15 million people, two continents, thousands of years of history, and various religions all living together under the same flag, with a patriotism that seems to overcome all other divisions, would be a great place to live - if it weren’t for all the tourists!

Next 10 days include: Gallipoli; Troy; Pergamom; Ephesus; Pammukale and Cappadocia. Basically an anti-clockwise loop down the Aegean Coast, and across central Turkey.

Next 3 months include: Turkey Mediterranean coast, Greece (Crete, Islands, Athens), Croatia(?) Italy (including 3 weeks working on an organic farm and winery on the Amalfi Coast). All suggestions and tips are welcome!)

Photo: Sipping Chay on the streets on Istanbul