Istanbul – Merhaba (hello)

Sunday June 13th – Rock the Casbah

Istanbul is beautiful from the air, so many mosques, trees, and red roofs.
Turkish Airlines is nice.

There are about 20 million in Istanbul.

I land at Ataturk Hava Limani Airport. The $20 visa and customs is a breeze and the easy to navigate metro goes right to the hostel. I end up in Sultanahmet near the Hippodrome.
So far, the city is more modern, cleaner, and western than Cairo. I like Turkey so far, it´s making a great first impression.
1Turkish Lira TLY= 65 cents

It is about 84 degrees, nice out, hard to believe it snows here sometimes.
Turkey is a secular country, so it is not nearly as Muslim conservative as Egypt. There are thousands of Europeans here to see Turkey´s 8000 years of history.

The area around the hostel is very touristy, with blocks of restaurants, gift shops, Turkish delight, kebabs, ice cream, and cafes.

I have dinner with Deborah from the hostel (from Kaua’i).
Again, everyone at the hostel watching the World Cup. We sing happy birthday for a Korean guest, and hang out until 2am. From the rooftop, you can see the Blue Mosque with white birds eerily flying around in the spotlights.

Monday June 14th -

Walking around the Blue Mosque, I discover it´s closed for the moment for prayer, so I walk around the hidden back streets and end up by the University. Later I walk south past 3000 year old Egyptian towers, then down to the water, to a park with lots of fishermen and guys jumping off the 6ft pier.

Numerous cargo ships and oil tankers, at least 30, sail past with a hazy sky in the distance.

Istanbul used to be Constantinople, home of the Byzantine Empire.

It´s almost sunset now and the Blue Mosque shimmers.
Back at hostel, it´s more World Cup action.

Tuesday June 15th – The Grand Bazaar

The Grand Bazaar, built in the 1400s, covers about 54,000 sqm, with 4000 shops and 30,000 employees. It´s the oldest covered market in the world.

You´re greeted by a maze of shops selling gold, silver, rugs, clothing, jewelry, accessories, hookahs, bowls and plates, instruments, and more.

Next, I walk over to the Blue Mosque since it should be open right now. You have to take your shoes off and put them in a plastic bag and you must wear pants and sleeves. Entry is free and no talking is allowed. Women are not required to cover their heads.

Inside, the floor is nice soft red carpet with a blue flower pattern. The massive grey stone columns are at least 50ft around and broad black iron chandeliers hang down holding hundreds of lights only 10ft off the floor.

A wooden railing separates the one hundred tourists from the people praying.

The ceiling is painted with red and blue flowers and covered with blue tiles. The windows are beautiful stained glass.

Everything about this mosque is well represented. It conveys pride and shows that care was used in its creation. No photo that I take can capture it all in one shot. Outside there are manicured gardens and flower beds.

Next is red brick Hagia Sophia Mosque,
located next door, with it’s gold and black interior, followed by the underground Basilica Cistern built in 532AD to store water brought from the Belgrad Forest 19km away.

I hop on the tram to Kabatas station, the end of the line, over the Golden Horn River, next to the Dolmabahce Camii mosque along the Bosphorus.
The other side of the river is technically Asia. The Bosporus was sailed by
Jason and the Argonauts looking for the Golden Fleece.

I walk on the red brick sidewalk along the water near Istanbul University past the colorful ferryboats and oyster sellers, under hazy cool skies.

After crossing the bridge over the Golden Horn, which vibrates heavily with each passing bus, I walk along the coast where several beautiful and gigantic mosques can be seen.

Fishermen line the bridge and passenger ferries rumble underneath.

Now it´s through the narrow streets and back to the hostel for dinner and hanging with guests (and of course more World Cup!).

Wednesday June 16th – Ottoman Empire

After checking out and getting to the confusing bus station, I buy a Truva Bus ticket to Çanakkale (35TLY). The bus is a nice Mercedes motor coach with personal On-demand TVs (Great movies like the Simpsons, Fantastic Four, and the original Casino Royale. Exclusively in Turkish).

The full bus departs at 11:30.

The music selection consists of Shakira and 50 Cent, which appear to be illegally downloaded.

The Turkish countryside is pleasant with it´s rolling hills of patchy green and tan.

We make a pit stop at Namik Kemal Yaypet, Dinlenme Tesisleri. (What?)

Onward along the coast, 5 1/2 hours later we drive right onto the ferry at Eceabat.

It´s a smooth 30 minute ride across the Dardanelles to Çanakkale. The Anzac Hostel is right by the pier in this charming seaside town.

I go exploring, walking up and down the streets (Carsi Caddesi) of the city lined with endless shops.

My exploring is rewarded when after passing a park, I came upon a 40ft Trojan Horse by the water. It’s the actual horse used in the movie “Troy,” donated in 2004. It is really cool with its dark wood and thick ropes. It is pretty big; you could probably pack 30 people and one small child in it.

Back at the Anzac hostel, I meet Nancy and Nathan from the hostel in Istanbul.
The hostel is showing a WWI Turkey documentary about their win against the British at Gallipoli (they´re very proud).

After sunset, loud chanting and music is coming from up the street because kids wearing cap and gowns are celebrating graduation.

The three of us watch “Gallipoli” with Mel Gibson.

Thursday June 17th – Troy (Troya/Troia)

I check out, buy my ticket back to Istanbul, and walk to a minibus station under a bridge for my trip to Troia (Troy). My shortcut involved me jumping a barbed wire fence.

As the seven of us ride along for the 30km trip, the landscape reminds me of inland San Diego. There are pink, green, purple, and blue houses.

We pass wind turbines, radar guns, lots of farmland mostly wheat, rice patties, and lots of olive trees.

After arriving at Troy (15tly), I realize the guidebooks are correct. They say it is nothing special because not much is left. It is ok. There is another giant Trojan horse complete with lookout tower and clusters of Japanese tour groups.

Up in the Trojan horse you get a small view of the area. Built in 1974, it feels like playground equipment or a tree house.

In the small museum, they love Homer (800bc) and his works: the Iliad and the Odyssey
The displays talk about Achilles, Paris, Hector, Helen, and so forth – just like the books/ movie.

It´s warm as I walk on the path through the ruins. There are fig and olive trees, lots of insects and wildflowers, grass and weeds and a nice 360 view surrounded by farmland.

The nine Eras of Troy lasted from 3,000 BC to 500 AD, with fire, earthquakes, and the Romans destroying it.

After passing a small amphitheater, I visit the gift shop and wait outside in the shade for the next bus.

Back in Çanakkale, I have just enough time to change my ticket to a 1pm departure and make it on the bus, right as it drives onto the ferry.

I mostly sleep during the 6hrs back. Out of money, I change money with a chef at the bus station and head back to the Old City hostel.

I have to get ready for the Lakers-Celtics game at 5am.

Friday June 18th – “Hoscakalin” (goodbye) Turkey

I wake up at 5:30 to listen to game 7 of the NBA finals online. I jump back in bed at 8am. Yes, I am so happy Kobe Bryant and the Lakers won.

Up at 11 to check out, some guests want me to go with them on a ferry to a nearby island for swimming, but I have a bus to catch.

Back at bus station, I purchase a ticket to Athens, Greece. The bus company Illusory tells me there´s no more buses for today – go to Derya Tur.

It´s 110 TLY for a 22 hour motor coach ride at 6pm. Nice, I was expecting 160. Its 3:30 and busy today with people are walking around selling bagels and water.

I hop on the half-empty bus and its 3 hours ´til we stop at a roadside cafe for dinner. I watch “Push” and “Hurt Locker” in Turkish.

When we reach the Turkey border, it´s 11pm and everyone has to get off and show their passports. The place is quiet. The customs guy stamps my passport while a World Cup game is on behind him. He is about to ask me a question when I interrupt him and ask if USA beat Slovenia. “2-2″ he says and hands me back my passport.

Finally, we pile back on the bus; drive 20ft, and then stop.

Do we have another checkpoint for Greece? What is next?