Spontaneity adds spice to your life. Sunday morning and the streets of Sultanahmet – Istanbul’s old district where our hotel is located were still sparsely traversed by tourists and locals alike. Trini and I walked aimlessly just savoring the crispy cool air and enjoying the unique aroma of unfamiliar food wafting in the air. We saw the ubiquitous Starbucks and I was super-excited to be able to drink something that my palate is used to – Pike’s Peak dark roast. I slowly sipped the steaming “black gold” as we continued with our stroll.
Trini announced that she wanted to try the famous Turkish Baths. Two days ago, the carpet store owner recommended a clean and affordable hamami and wrote down the name. Trini asked the street vendor the location and directed us to this “underground” bath. While Trini went in to enjoy the baths, body scrub, and hot oil massage, I sat on the park bench and finished my already lukewarm Starbucks and watched people pass me by. I opted out of this unique experience since I was told that a guy would be doing the services to me – NO THANKS!
After Trini was done with the pampering we again continued with our aimless wandering when we spotted another ubiquitous American fast food establishment – the worldwide famous McDonalds. Eating Turkish food three days in a row was enough for us. We stood in the long line with a large group of teenagers and ordered number 1 meal – cheeseburgers, McNuggets, and fries. My stomach thanked me for this treat!
We sat in the Hippodrome near the Blue Mosque, by this time, the tourists and locals were already out and about. It was fascinating to listen to the prayers broadcasted from the two minarets’ (pointed spires) loudspeakers answering each other while the people continued on with their activities.
After a couple of hours we went back to the hotel to rest since we had the Bosphorus Dinner and Show Cruise at 7:30 pm. Istanbul by night is awesome with its lighted bridges and illuminated historical structures.
A bus took us to our boat. It was raining by the time we boarded the cruise boat but the water was relatively calm when we went out to the Bosphorus. We were served the usual Turkish fare – small servings of vegetables, spread, yogurt, breads and salad. Trini and I chose the grilled fish (which was overcooked and rubbery) for the entree. As the alcohol drinks were “bottomless” you know that they would be serving “cheapie” wine. After trying a glass of red I shifted to a draft beer.
We sat with a couple of interesting young ladies from Sri Lanka and India. The Sri Lankan is a doctor working in Dublin, Ireland.
The show was fabulous except we were seated in the farthest table and had trouble watching the performers. They performed several Turkish folk dances, belly dancing, and other whirling performances that really garnered applauses and whistles from the male audiences!
After dinner it was party time! This was really a party boat. Loosened with alcohol the guests let their hair down and danced the night away! Young and old alike danced the traditional Turkish dances and snapped selfies as a keepsake although the professional photographers took enough and you can buy it for 20 Turkish Lira (about 6 USD).
It was almost midnight when the boat pulled to port. People were tired. full, drunk, and happy and somewhat “poorer” but what counts is the fabulous experience they just went through that night!
In summary, Istanbul is quite magical in the sense that it is a culture that is very different from the Christian and Western countries. The chanting of prayers at designated time is so enchanting and captivating even if you don’t understand what the Imams were saying. Istanbul’s narrow streets seemed to be haphazardly constructed without any consideration of future conveyances traversing them. Fortunately, the Turkish temperament is much more laid back than the average American driver, otherwise, road rage would ensue at every other narrow street corner. Their women are so beautiful that the overused adjective – exquisite – is the only word I can think of to accurately describe their beauty. But then again, we’ve only spent four days here and I am only basing these observations from this short period of time. But one thing I can say is – Istanbul should be in the bucket list of everyone’s places to visit!
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