Border crossings always take longer than expected. We were all excited once we crossed into Turkey, but it was already well after midnight and we still had a ways to go.
It was approaching dawn by the time we arrived in Sultanachmet, the old-town section of Istanbul. We pulled over by the famous Blue Mosque, looked at a map, wandered around, found some free wifi outside of a hotel, and located a hostel close by.
We were all pretty wiped out the next morning. Derick had an unsuccessful attempt at acquiring a visa at the Azerbaijan consulate, and I hung out at the hostel and caught up on sleep. We’d been going non-stop for a week, and with plans to stay in Istanbul for a few days, it was nice to unwind a little.
Derick caught word that a couple of his teacher friends from Korea were passing through, and right after sending them an email, they coincidentally strolled by our hostel while we were outside eating lunch. Müge and Sheryl had just finished a few years of teaching in Korea, and were traveling a bit before heading home. It had been a while since Derick had seen them so we celebrated with a few rounds of beers. They’d planned to head south on a bus that night, but we convinced them to postpone their departure for a day and hang out. After some beers at the hostel, we walked around the corner for dinner. And from there we took a cab to Taksim Square to get a taste of Istanbul’s nightlife. The neighborhood was bustling for a Monday night. We explored the network of alleyways that branch off of the main strip, listened to some live music, and eventually ended up at a bar where the crowd had spilled into the street for an impromptu block party. It was a lot of fun, and not surprisingly turned into another late night.
The next day we said farewell to Müge and Sheryl. Derick stayed back at the hostel, and Johannes and I took off to meet up with my friend Gülce and her sister Janset. Gülce is one of my sister’s best friends from Gettysburg and was in Turkey visiting family. She moved to the states from Istanbul when she was eight and has returned almost every year since. It was great to hang out with someone who spoke Turkish and knew their way around. Plus, Gülce is awesome!
The four of us caught a boat up the Bosporus Straight, which connects the Black Sea with the Mediterranean, and divides the European and Asian continents. We jumped off at the last stop north, and hiked up to a little hilltop castle with great views overlooking the Black Sea. After the hike back down we snacked on tasty fish sandwiches before boarding the boat back to Istanbul. It was late afternoon by the time we returned, and after a beer we parted ways with Gülce and her sister. It had been a lot of fun, and luckily we had plans to meet up and hang out again the next day. Derick, Johannes and I gave Taksim Square another go that night. What a fun place! We were pretty tired, so after a tasty seafood diner and some live music, we called it a night.
On our last full day in Istanbul we met up with Gülce and her sister for another adventure. Gülce’s friend Brendan also joined us. He had just finished the Peace Corps in Moldova and was making his way back to the states. We all met up in Kadiköy on the east side of the Bosporous, and after checking out a street market, ventured north in a bus. After an unsuccessful go at visiting an old palace, we ended up spending late afternoon by the water, eating ice cream and talking about life. Gülce and Janset had to head back to their grandmother's for dinner, so we parted ways. It was great hanging out with Gülce. Random rendezvous in foreign lands are the best!
Brendan was staying with a friend close to Taksim Square, so we tagged along with him on the way back. We took a boat across the Bosporus, then hopped a metro up to Taksim Square. From there we walked down to an old lookout tower at dusk. The views from the top were great, and it was the perfect spot for an Istanbul sunset. After coming back down, we parted with ways with Brendan and slowly made our way back to our hostel on foot. We took our time and stopped for beers on the way, and once we got back we packed up the car in anticipation of an early departure the next day.
I need to visit Istanbul again. It was nice to be able to stay for a couple of days, but that city is most excellent, and is ripe for exploring. Food, music, culture, history - it’s got it all! And I will return.
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