Turkey-The Bridge Between East and West (Day 2)

 

Day 2:  Istanbul in the Rain

Turkey-The Bridge Between East and West (Day 1)

Day 1: Arrival in Istanbul

Third time’s the charm! After two aborted attempts over the past fifteen years or so, our Turkey-and-Egypt trip is finally happening. By now, planning this vacation had become a family tradition. Actually taking it is a whole new development.

Heavy rain and severe flooding in Istanbul earlier in the week gave us a few anxious moments, but fortunately, apart from a ninety-minute departure delay, getting here went smoothly. We landed around 3:45, ready to begin our adventure.

Then we encountered Istanbul traffic.

The ride from the airport to the hotel was supposed to take thirty minutes. This estimate apparently assumed we would be the only people using the road. With rush hour and everyone else’s travel plans taken into account, it took ninety. We checked in around 6:00, having devoted a substantial portion of our first afternoon in Turkey to studying the vehicle ahead of us.

Molly and Dave arrived at 7:30. All four of us were thoroughly exhausted, but our guide, Mustafa, met us at the hotel and led us out for a short walk and dinner. He was ready to introduce us to Istanbul. We were ready to be introduced to pillows, but dinner seemed like a reasonable compromise.

The rain had stopped, the evening was a little chilly, and the city looked lovely at night—even to people whose brains were still somewhere in transit. Mustafa took us to a local place he knew for excellent shawarma and mezze: appetizers that allow you to begin eating while still deciding what to eat.

We started with eggplant with olive oil, hummus, and lavash flatbread. Then Dave and I had shawarma, while Jeri and Molly ordered chicken kebabs. Our first serious cultural activity was going extremely well, especially the parts involving bread.

We ate outside, despite the temperature hovering around 50°F. The restaurant’s patio heaters were extraordinary. Even Jeri and Molly began removing layers, which is the sort of performance that deserves a testimonial in the manufacturer’s brochure.

After dinner, Mustafa took us on another walk, known among the increasingly sleepy members of our party as the forced march. Istanbul had plenty more to show us. Our feet were prepared to appreciate it in greater detail tomorrow.

We did manage a few photographs before returning to the hotel for some much-needed sleep. 

Yeni Cami, the “New Mosque,” completed in 1665.

One of Yeni Cami’s magnificent minarets. 

Eminönü’s bronze simit seller and his young customer. 

Galata Tower, lit up for the evening and looking considerably more awake than we were.

After fifteen years of trying, we were finally in Istanbul—and ready to spend several hours with our eyes firmly closed. If only!