Photos from Istanbul.

Istanbul: Day 1-WaterPipe

Smoking in Istanbul.
Today Jake and I took a break from all the walking in a nice side street cafe. We sat amongst the pillows and rugs, and enjoyed a beer, a bit of water pipe....and the prayers that were being broadcast from the nearby minaret.

It was the first experience of its kind for Jake...and something I had not done since my days in Egypt.

Traveling to Istanbul
We landed in Istanbul very tired. Jake passed out when we got on the plane and stayed that way throughout the flight. I tried to sleep in vain...and tossed uncomfortably in my seat until I started to hallucinate. At the airport we went through passport control and I learned that Italians are exonerated from having to pay for a Turkish visa...but not Americans. So, Jake got stopped and we went back to the visa office and bought him one. He was a bit confused by all this...but now he knows and we'll be able to manage it better next time.

On the way to the hotel
We were met at the airport by a car, and we were driven to the hotel. The road runs along the water and there are many sections with green parks along the way. Many families sat on the grass, enjoying picnics and tossing a soccer ball. The women cover their heads with veils, but not their faces...and most of the men wear Western style clothing...although a few also wear traditional middle eastern jalabeias.

The Kalyon Hotel
The Kalyon Hotel sits on the water, and it is clean and modern. And, we were happy to find out that it is located just a few steps away from some of Istanbul's major attractions.
After a short nap we walked behind the hotel and enjoyed seeing the Hagia Sophia and the Blue Mosque at night. The streets in the ancient section of the city were lined with restaurants filled with tourists loudly watching the Portugal/Germany soccer game.

Nurettin and Dinner
As it often happens in these countries, we were stopped along our walk by a man who wanted to be our guide. His name is Nurettin and we ended up following him to a restaurant overlooking the ancient quarters and we shared a meal that included Turkish Kebab, Bread and Humus and a delicious Turkish Baklava. I also drank some Turkish coffee. We were at first apprehensive about Nurettin's intentions...but we were happy that he turned out to be a nice man who did not ask us for anything. I am sure that he will get some small commission from the restaurant...but that was well worth it as the food was very good and not very expensive.
After dinner we walked back to the hotel and sat for a few minutes enjoying the moonlight reflecting on the water.