“This is Istanbul”

I didn't know what to expect from Istanbul. None of my research made it sound like a frenzy of chaos, yet that's exactly how a young traveler we met in Italy last October described it.

Nothing about Istanbul today felt "chaotic". Rather, I would describe the atmosphere as bustling, which is not surprising for a city that is home to 16 million people. There were a LOT of normal, nice people out to enjoy themselves and the impactful history and majestic beauty of Istanbul.

Istanbul, formerly known as Byzantium and then Constantinople, is one of the world's greatest cities. Spanning across two continents (Europe and Asia), Istanbul has been situated at a crossroad of civilizations for thousands of years. I am pinching myself that we are actually here!

My only goal on Day 1 is to shake jet lag, so when our arrival to Istanbul started with a couple unexpected twists, it was no big deal. First our flight from SFO was delayed a couple of hours.

When I asked the airport shuttle company how long the drive would take from the airport to the old city where we are staying, he replied, "This is Istanbul". Enough said. I knew the traffic here is predictably maniacal.  (A local told us it can take 3 hours to go only 10 miles.) After a quick 45-minute drive to our apartment in Sultanahmet to drop off our bags, we were supposed to then be driven directly to Ortaköy Mosque but due to a miscommunication with our transportation company, that arrangement didn't happen. We hopped into a taxi.  Rather than turn on his meter like he is supposed to, instead the taxi driver quoted us $70 (our airport driver quoted us $8).  We quickly hopped back out and skipped to the next item on the itinerary.

At 220-feet tall and located on a hill, Galata Tower has been standing watch over the history of Istanbul since it was built in 1348. Usually I am unable to resist climbing a tower, however, its price tag of over $30 convinced me to instead spend the money shopping around the lively neighborhood surrounding the old watchtower.  Besides, it has been closed for renovation for 4 months.

Galata Tower is one of the most iconic Istanbul landmarks outside the historic old city

Our group of travelers: Greg, me, Chris, and his girlfriend of many years, Rachel. 

(Kate is busy finishing up her last month of college, and Jeremy and his new bride Vivian, who recently went on their honeymoon, are saving up PTO for our trip to the Christmas markets in December.) 

To get to Galata Tower from where we are staying in the old city, the touristic center, we walked through the insanely crowded passageways outside of the Spice Market and crossed the Golden Horn, an inlet of the Bosphorus Strait, via the Galata Bridge.

An unexpected highlight today was a fresh and warm simit (similar to a bagel) from Simit Salonu along a pedestrian street outside the Spice Market. (Two simits set us back 15 tl each, or $1 total.)  It was probably unwise to set the bar for our 2-week trip with simit hot out of the oven.

It's crowded here! This pedestrian intersection near the Spice Market was a major traffic jam!

Roasted chestnuts, a common street food, are sold in street carts all over Istanbul.  From my many trips to New York City as a kid, I've always been curious to try one.  They are a bit warm and crunchy, reminding me of a slightly cooked carrot. (Carrots taste better.) Our sample of four chestnuts only cost us 50 tl ($1.50).

The two-story Galata Bridge crosses over the Golden Horn

The top of the Galata Bridge is lined with hundreds of local fishermen.  Check out this fisherman's bounty, a jar of small haddock on the ground next to him!

All around the Galata Bridge are vendors selling balik sandwiches. For $4 you get a large wrap - big enough for our three fish lovers to sample. It looked amazing! They decided it was a little bland and they didn't care for the tiny fishbones.

When evening fell we were treated to our second highlight of the day: not just the mosques lit up at night but also adorned with another treat. For the Muslim holy month of Ramadan, which just ended on April 9, many mosques (including Hagia Sophia) hang illuminated messages known as mahyas between their minarets, a tradition dating back to the 1500s. The mahyas are a beautiful way of broadcasting phrases from the Quran.

The festive mahya lights stretched across the minarets of Istanbul's beloved Blue Mosque share the message "I bear witness that Muhammad is the messenger of Allah". It felt like such a privilege to be here at just the right time of year to experience this!

Cat of the Day

There is no shortage of cute kitties in Istanbul so for my feline-lovers, I'm going to feature a Cat of the Day! Culturally significant, cats here are practically treated like royalty. There's no such thing as "stray" cats here - they are "free to roam".  As communal pets, they're all loved, fed, and pampered as if one's own.