Day 1: Istanbul (Not Constantinople)

When Michael and I decided 6 weeks ago to take a vacation in Istanbul, Turkey for Easter Weekend, some of our friends asked "why?" since to many, it seemed so far away, so foreign, and so under-developed. I'd be lying if I didn't admit that at one point, I imagined Istanbul to be a desert where camels were the main form of transport... after all, didn't we all hear the song "Istanbul (Not Constantinople)" for the 1st time as kids in an episode of Tiny Toons where Plucky Duck and Hamton J. Pig recover a precious statue for the Ottoman emperor??? Click here for the clip :)

Istanbul, once known as Constantinople was the capital of the Ottoman Empire, one of the largest and longest lasting empires in history and even way before that, was the capital of the Roman Empire. Does anyone actually remember learning that in Social Studies back in 7th grade?! But Istanbul today, is the 4th most populous city in the world and is the only metropolitan city that lies on 2 continents: Europe and Asia. It's the point where "East Meets West" (I love Wikipedia)!

Since neither Michael or I had been to the Middle East, we weren't sure what to expect, but as an Islamic country, the Turks are extremely friendly, open, and welcoming. The second we arrived in the city, before we even reached our hotel, 3 different people offered to help us find our way without us having to ask at all. I was a bit weary at first since I wasn't use to people just voluntarily asking to help us - I was certain it was a conspiracy against Asian-American tourists and they definitely wanted something. At one point, while Michael happily chatted away with some kid who acted as if we were long lost family, I stood 50 feet away to make sure another kid wasn't about to jump out behind an alley and mug us! Turns out, that kid (who seemed to work at the barber shop next door) was simply friendly to all tourists who stayed in our hotel. Every morning as we would leave for the day, he'd run out just to shake our hands... and no, he wasn't asking for money (or that's what Michael managed to convince me, anyway). It got to the point where Michael and I would try to walk by quickly so the poor kid wouldn't see us (drop everything he was doing to run and greet us) or just take a different route entirely! He was about 12 or 13 years old and the only English he knew was "Yes!!?? Yes!!??" I wish I got a picture with him - he was always smiling and really darling. While most everyone else we encountered could speak English fairly well, I did chat it up one day with an old lady while waiting for the bus, who spoke 100% Turkish to me and I communicated through sign language to her. We established that while the weather was sunny, I should be wearing a jacket and that she needed reading glasses to see my guidebook (see, isn't it cool what you realize you can "speak" when traveling?). Oh, we also confirmed that I was not Japanese or Chinese :) More on that topic later (that's a blog entry all on its own).

Our hotel room was actually a modern loft, with stairs leading to a beautiful glass-covered terrace overlooking parts of Istanbul.

Situated in Taksim, literally down the road from Istiklal Street, a buzzing area with the city's best shopping and restaurants, we couldn't have been in a more convenient spot. Below is a picture of the fruit stands at the end of our block.

Around the corner is Istaklal (main) Street, where Michael and I walked through daily, either to get to the bus stop in Taksim or grab dinner. The side streets here were filled with outdoor bars, cafes, shisha bars, tea houses, patisseries - it was absolutely perfect.

We spent our 1st afternoon in Istanbul at an outside bar, snacking on food and pastries from carts passing by and winding down from our flight. You can be certain that Michael will talk about the food here in later entries.

Istanbul is a remarkable city, mixing so much of the old with the new - and despite what most think, it's extremely cosmopolitan. Below are a few pictures which can only begin to depict this world-class city.