Part 2: A Second Home exchange in Istanbul
July 4, 2014, Good Bye, Minsk. Hello, Istanbul
Transfer days are always stressful--especially when you are going to a chaotic city like Istanbul. As regular blog readers will know (even aside from the headnote on this blog), AlteCocker has been here before--in 2011 and loves Istanbul. That does not make arrival here any easier with really bad Turkish language skills. AlteCocker has not had enough time to brush up her Turkish using Pimsleur and will sure work on it while here. She was too busy with Polish--which now seems like an ancient memory. Can this trip have started just 3 weeks ago?
The schlep began at the Orbita Hotel in Minsk with a long drive to the airport--the only one in Belarus--way on the outskirts. You know AlteCocker was tired when she fell asleep in the taxi. The festivities the night before for Belarus' national day had really knocked her out. While there are nonstop airfares from Minsk to Istanbul, to get a cheaper fare AlteCocker changed in Warsaw. Layovers are not so bad when you are on a long trip. A few hours spent in transit when you are not pushed by a short vacation schedule is no big deal. AlteCocker thought the entire itinerary had been booked on Lot Airways--a Polish carrier, but, no. The first leg was on a Belarus carrier, Belavia. She had never heard of them. Live and learn. She got to Warsaw. Then in Warsaw she was told to go to Turkish Air. OK with AlteCocker as it has great service and more comfortable seats than average (certainly by American Airlines or United Airlines standards). She got frequent flyer miles on United for the second leg.
Then you arrive and chaos begins. Fortunately, AlteCocker was tipped off, via turkeytravelplanner.com that you are supposed to get your Turkish visa electronically before arriving. She did. Most seem to have gotten the message. It's about $20 online and there were few people in the visa queue. The passport queue moved quickly and by the time AlteCocker got to the correct baggage claim, the first suitcase she saw was hers! So it was onto--gasp--the taxi queue.
Following the detailed instructions sent by her home exchangers, AlteCocker found the taxi queue. She was put in a taxi and asked if she minded others riding too as the taxi queue was long and the taxis few. She didn't mind. In went two Turkish guys who were returning from an exchange program in Poland with mounds of luggage. They were first dropped off at the ferry dock for Bursa.
Now, about Turkish taxi drivers. They know where all the hotels are are where the airport is. Anything else you have to direct them. AlteCocker should direct them? She doesn't know where the hell she is either. Part of the problem is that many streets have no names but the locals know where they are. The other problems is that the streets with names often have no signs. Chaos. The driver finally used his GPS and dropped AlteCocker near her home exchange apartment. However, AlteCocker, not having a clue, thought she had been just, well, dumped. A few helpful locals, minamal Turkish/English skills and heavy use of hands and finally AlteCocker found an door that, hurrah, fit her key. That was the door to the building. Then it was two flights up of luggage schlepping to do before arriving at the apartment (much nicer inside than the run down appearance of the building door would suggest). She was home! Not only is she home, she is home for 3 1/2 weeks. The frequent luggage schlepping is over as this home exchange is longer.
First chore was to do laundry. AlteCocker's suitcase was sort of rancid smelling. Everything mostly was dirty after 6 days without a washer in Belarus. AlteCocker does not schlep a lot of garments. So another mysterious washing machine needed to be conquered (does the washing liquid go on the right or the left) and laundry started. Everything had been set up in the apartment for AlteCocker's visit. The people who live here are teachers from the American School in Istanbul. They are, however, not using my house. They are staying with his family in Reston, VA, while his partner's parents use my home.
And so it begins.
The schlep began at the Orbita Hotel in Minsk with a long drive to the airport--the only one in Belarus--way on the outskirts. You know AlteCocker was tired when she fell asleep in the taxi. The festivities the night before for Belarus' national day had really knocked her out. While there are nonstop airfares from Minsk to Istanbul, to get a cheaper fare AlteCocker changed in Warsaw. Layovers are not so bad when you are on a long trip. A few hours spent in transit when you are not pushed by a short vacation schedule is no big deal. AlteCocker thought the entire itinerary had been booked on Lot Airways--a Polish carrier, but, no. The first leg was on a Belarus carrier, Belavia. She had never heard of them. Live and learn. She got to Warsaw. Then in Warsaw she was told to go to Turkish Air. OK with AlteCocker as it has great service and more comfortable seats than average (certainly by American Airlines or United Airlines standards). She got frequent flyer miles on United for the second leg.
Then you arrive and chaos begins. Fortunately, AlteCocker was tipped off, via turkeytravelplanner.com that you are supposed to get your Turkish visa electronically before arriving. She did. Most seem to have gotten the message. It's about $20 online and there were few people in the visa queue. The passport queue moved quickly and by the time AlteCocker got to the correct baggage claim, the first suitcase she saw was hers! So it was onto--gasp--the taxi queue.
Following the detailed instructions sent by her home exchangers, AlteCocker found the taxi queue. She was put in a taxi and asked if she minded others riding too as the taxi queue was long and the taxis few. She didn't mind. In went two Turkish guys who were returning from an exchange program in Poland with mounds of luggage. They were first dropped off at the ferry dock for Bursa.
Now, about Turkish taxi drivers. They know where all the hotels are are where the airport is. Anything else you have to direct them. AlteCocker should direct them? She doesn't know where the hell she is either. Part of the problem is that many streets have no names but the locals know where they are. The other problems is that the streets with names often have no signs. Chaos. The driver finally used his GPS and dropped AlteCocker near her home exchange apartment. However, AlteCocker, not having a clue, thought she had been just, well, dumped. A few helpful locals, minamal Turkish/English skills and heavy use of hands and finally AlteCocker found an door that, hurrah, fit her key. That was the door to the building. Then it was two flights up of luggage schlepping to do before arriving at the apartment (much nicer inside than the run down appearance of the building door would suggest). She was home! Not only is she home, she is home for 3 1/2 weeks. The frequent luggage schlepping is over as this home exchange is longer.
First chore was to do laundry. AlteCocker's suitcase was sort of rancid smelling. Everything mostly was dirty after 6 days without a washer in Belarus. AlteCocker does not schlep a lot of garments. So another mysterious washing machine needed to be conquered (does the washing liquid go on the right or the left) and laundry started. Everything had been set up in the apartment for AlteCocker's visit. The people who live here are teachers from the American School in Istanbul. They are, however, not using my house. They are staying with his family in Reston, VA, while his partner's parents use my home.
And so it begins.
July 5-6, 2014, Off Day, Galata Bridge, Whirling Dervishes
After being busy 24/7 since arrival in Krakow (now seemingly an ancient memory), rushing about Warsaw and looking for ancestors in Belarus, it was time for AlteCocker to just stop. Into everyone of these long trips some "down" days must happen. July 5th was one. It was for laundry, reading and sleep. AlteCocker did not even leave the house. For food, she just scrounged snacks from the house (to be replaced before leaving). She totally unpacked as you can do when you are not moving every few days, pulling out a walking pole to replace her cane left somewhere in the Minsk subway system, and enjoyed doing nothing anticipating the Istanbul overload that will begin July 6th. Being an AlteCocker, her back is aching and it wasn't a bad idea to give her feet the day off either.
After her rest day, July 6th's main event was to scope out where the Istanbul Eats tour begins tomorrow. She took one of their tours focused on places in Beyoglu in 2011 when she had a home exchange in Cevezli. It took AlteCocker an hour to commute in to the European side from that location. She used it, however, to visit the Princes' Islands--something she is probably going to skip this time. AlteCocker wishes she had taken the food tour at the beginning of her stay rather than at the end, so this time, she is taking a different food tour--focused on markets either side of the Bosphorus--at the beginning of her stay. The tour is tomorrow and AlteCocker sort of knew the general area of the meeting point, but, not being 100% sure she scoped it out so there are no problems in the morning. There won't be now.
When AlteCocker was in Istanbul in 2011, a lot of time had to be allowed to return to Cevezli each day which meant she really didn't get a chance to enjoy the restaurant scene in Istanbul. She did see just about everything people tell you to see in the Sultanahmet area across the Golden Horn, so she does not need to repeat all those things. This time she is focusing on just enjoying the scene and the food. So, for lunch, OK, she knows the restaurants under the Galata Bridge are mediocre and overpriced. Don't beat her over the head with that. You pay for the view. She at lunch, which was grilled calamari (so so) at a restaurant called "Dersaadet" under the Galata Bridge having fallen victim to a tout. One of those places is probably enough to soak in the view.
After lunch she found the exact meeting point for the tour tomorrow. Not wanting to walk up the hill to her home, AlteCocker took the funicular and discovered that her home was just around the corner from the tram. Now she knows how to get to the tour meeting point tomorrow in a jiffy. No need to walk down the hill again as she did today. The hill that goes to her home exchange home and the Galata Tower is very steep and going down is more dangerous than walking up--although probably not as exhausting. Using the tram to/from Tunel is much easier and right around the corner from the meet up point. Hurrah!
So, after exiting the tram and discovering that the apartment was only a short walk, AlteCocker began to walk home. Well, would you believe, she ran into a whirling dervish performance that was about to happen--and only happens once a week. So, of course, she bought a ticket (40 lira). While we waited for the performance to begin, AlteCocker and some others amused themselves by playing with kittens in the yard of the dervish museum where it takes place. This whirling dervish experience was better than was better than the dervishes she witnessed in Cappadocia in 2011 because we were closer. Prior to the performance a Turkish man almost got ejected for creating a scene about the seat he got. AlteCocker thinks the complaint was that others had pushed in front of him. It was quite embarrassing as the whirling dervish ritual is a religious ritual. He upset a lot of people. Anyway, after being threatened with being thrown out, he shut up. We were allowed to take photos. AlteCocker got quite a few. One of the dervishes was quite young, which surprised her.
When the performance was over, AlteCocker considered dinner but she had had apple pie and a gelato earlier in the day in addition to the calamari, so there was no sense eating when she was really not hungry. It was up the two flights of stairs to her home away from home.
After her rest day, July 6th's main event was to scope out where the Istanbul Eats tour begins tomorrow. She took one of their tours focused on places in Beyoglu in 2011 when she had a home exchange in Cevezli. It took AlteCocker an hour to commute in to the European side from that location. She used it, however, to visit the Princes' Islands--something she is probably going to skip this time. AlteCocker wishes she had taken the food tour at the beginning of her stay rather than at the end, so this time, she is taking a different food tour--focused on markets either side of the Bosphorus--at the beginning of her stay. The tour is tomorrow and AlteCocker sort of knew the general area of the meeting point, but, not being 100% sure she scoped it out so there are no problems in the morning. There won't be now.
When AlteCocker was in Istanbul in 2011, a lot of time had to be allowed to return to Cevezli each day which meant she really didn't get a chance to enjoy the restaurant scene in Istanbul. She did see just about everything people tell you to see in the Sultanahmet area across the Golden Horn, so she does not need to repeat all those things. This time she is focusing on just enjoying the scene and the food. So, for lunch, OK, she knows the restaurants under the Galata Bridge are mediocre and overpriced. Don't beat her over the head with that. You pay for the view. She at lunch, which was grilled calamari (so so) at a restaurant called "Dersaadet" under the Galata Bridge having fallen victim to a tout. One of those places is probably enough to soak in the view.
After lunch she found the exact meeting point for the tour tomorrow. Not wanting to walk up the hill to her home, AlteCocker took the funicular and discovered that her home was just around the corner from the tram. Now she knows how to get to the tour meeting point tomorrow in a jiffy. No need to walk down the hill again as she did today. The hill that goes to her home exchange home and the Galata Tower is very steep and going down is more dangerous than walking up--although probably not as exhausting. Using the tram to/from Tunel is much easier and right around the corner from the meet up point. Hurrah!
So, after exiting the tram and discovering that the apartment was only a short walk, AlteCocker began to walk home. Well, would you believe, she ran into a whirling dervish performance that was about to happen--and only happens once a week. So, of course, she bought a ticket (40 lira). While we waited for the performance to begin, AlteCocker and some others amused themselves by playing with kittens in the yard of the dervish museum where it takes place. This whirling dervish experience was better than was better than the dervishes she witnessed in Cappadocia in 2011 because we were closer. Prior to the performance a Turkish man almost got ejected for creating a scene about the seat he got. AlteCocker thinks the complaint was that others had pushed in front of him. It was quite embarrassing as the whirling dervish ritual is a religious ritual. He upset a lot of people. Anyway, after being threatened with being thrown out, he shut up. We were allowed to take photos. AlteCocker got quite a few. One of the dervishes was quite young, which surprised her.
When the performance was over, AlteCocker considered dinner but she had had apple pie and a gelato earlier in the day in addition to the calamari, so there was no sense eating when she was really not hungry. It was up the two flights of stairs to her home away from home.
July 7, 2014: Istanbul eats! Broken Suitcase Replaced!
Having scoped out the meeting point for the Istanbul Eats tour, AlteCocker had no problem being on time. Just took the old funicular down from around the corner from her apartment and walked through the underpass. No problems. There were 7 of us--one family of 4 and one couple. Both were from Melbourne, Australia.
Now AlteCocker did the Beygolu Istanbul Eats tour in 2011. The one mistake she made then was doing it at the end of her stay. You do one of these tours at the beginning because it gives you ideas for your stay. So, the tour called "Two Continents" was the first major excursion in Istanbul. The tour began under the Galata Bridge with tea in an old "han" or Ottoman shopping area (mostly devoted to hardware), but quickly took us to the Asian side in Kadakoy via a Turyol Bosphorus ferry . As with the Beygolu tour, we ate our way through the day, tea coffee, lacmacun (Turkish pizza), lemonade, kebabs and everything else under the sun. Our guide was terrific and she did not mind that AlteCocker was somewhat slower than the others. AlteCocker did tell her that, if she could not keep up, she would bail and that would be it. By then end of the tour, AlterCocker could not bear to look at food. We got ice cream cones at the end.
So, the rest of the group went on with the guide to find the boats back to the European side of the Bosphorus, and AlteCocker, who had spied a row of suitcase shops, repaired to one of them to solve the suitcase crisis that resulted when the handle on her computer bag bent in the escalator pile up in Minsk. The handle will not depress and the solution was to buy a new bag. Cost: about $70 after looking at a few bags. She wanted one with a computer pocket and the cheaper ones simply did not have it. At least the problem of having awkward luggage that takes up too much space is now resolved. Now she is wondering if one of the han places where they manufacture parts could actually fix the handle on the old computer bag. It's a project for another day.
So it was back down to the boat dock to take the ferry back to Karakoy on the European side. Exiting the ferry she noticed the Australian couple from the tour. She said farewell to them as they went to return to the Queen Elizabeth where they are taking a Mediterranean cruise. They had done an Istanbul Eats tour in Athens and planned to do one in Barcelona (the company has expanded to cities other than Istanbul). Then it was back to Tunel on the historic funicular and home. Walking home she noticed the row of music shops on the street, specifically noticing some flutes that were bent to sort of make them shorter. New technology? AlteCocker has no idea, but her sister plays the flute and she emailed her about the flutes. They appeared to be standard flutes--not some sort of Turkish musical instruments (the shops sell those as well).
Plans for this evening include another load of fabulous laundry, a shower and an early night. In fact, as the laundry was washing, AlteCocker sat down to read a book and fell fast alsleep.
Tomorrow, the need for a bus ticket to Gallipoli needs to be resolved, so a trip to the bus terminal to get one is high on the agenda. Gallipoli is planned for July 10-12, 2014. Stay tuned.
Now AlteCocker did the Beygolu Istanbul Eats tour in 2011. The one mistake she made then was doing it at the end of her stay. You do one of these tours at the beginning because it gives you ideas for your stay. So, the tour called "Two Continents" was the first major excursion in Istanbul. The tour began under the Galata Bridge with tea in an old "han" or Ottoman shopping area (mostly devoted to hardware), but quickly took us to the Asian side in Kadakoy via a Turyol Bosphorus ferry . As with the Beygolu tour, we ate our way through the day, tea coffee, lacmacun (Turkish pizza), lemonade, kebabs and everything else under the sun. Our guide was terrific and she did not mind that AlteCocker was somewhat slower than the others. AlteCocker did tell her that, if she could not keep up, she would bail and that would be it. By then end of the tour, AlterCocker could not bear to look at food. We got ice cream cones at the end.
So, the rest of the group went on with the guide to find the boats back to the European side of the Bosphorus, and AlteCocker, who had spied a row of suitcase shops, repaired to one of them to solve the suitcase crisis that resulted when the handle on her computer bag bent in the escalator pile up in Minsk. The handle will not depress and the solution was to buy a new bag. Cost: about $70 after looking at a few bags. She wanted one with a computer pocket and the cheaper ones simply did not have it. At least the problem of having awkward luggage that takes up too much space is now resolved. Now she is wondering if one of the han places where they manufacture parts could actually fix the handle on the old computer bag. It's a project for another day.
So it was back down to the boat dock to take the ferry back to Karakoy on the European side. Exiting the ferry she noticed the Australian couple from the tour. She said farewell to them as they went to return to the Queen Elizabeth where they are taking a Mediterranean cruise. They had done an Istanbul Eats tour in Athens and planned to do one in Barcelona (the company has expanded to cities other than Istanbul). Then it was back to Tunel on the historic funicular and home. Walking home she noticed the row of music shops on the street, specifically noticing some flutes that were bent to sort of make them shorter. New technology? AlteCocker has no idea, but her sister plays the flute and she emailed her about the flutes. They appeared to be standard flutes--not some sort of Turkish musical instruments (the shops sell those as well).
Plans for this evening include another load of fabulous laundry, a shower and an early night. In fact, as the laundry was washing, AlteCocker sat down to read a book and fell fast alsleep.
Tomorrow, the need for a bus ticket to Gallipoli needs to be resolved, so a trip to the bus terminal to get one is high on the agenda. Gallipoli is planned for July 10-12, 2014. Stay tuned.
July 8, 2014: Broken Suitcase Repaired, Bus Ticket PUrchased
Some would say that AlteCocker did very little today. It was another day of running errands. OK, AlteCocker replaced her broken suitcase but now she wished she hadn't. Yesterday, at the beginning of the food tour, we went through an old Ottoman Han--or shopping center. It was where we had morning tea. The specialty of that Han was small parts. They were making them by hand. AlteCocker thought maybe the suitcase could be fixed. So she set out to find the Han toting the broken suitcase with her. She never found the Han, but someone repaired the suitcase so that it the handle will depress (but with a lot of effort). It's a good bag so I really hated the thought of just tossing it. Now AlteCocker has an extra bag because she replaced the broken bag yesterday. So, AlteCocker has room for some purchases if she makes any. It was a real trip watching the guy bend the suitcase back into shape. First he used his bare hands and then a small hammer. AlteCocker wishes people repaired things in the US instead of tossing them. There is too much tossing of bags. By the way, AlteCocker had to insist to get the bag fix guy to take money for the fix. He charged me 5TL--less than $2.50. Can you imagine?
After the bag fix, AlteCocker had lunch in this kebab place frequented by workmen. What intrigued her was the fact that on the sandwich they put peppers, pickles and french fries (yes, on the sandwich). It wasn't bad and it was less than $3!
.
Of course, AlteCocker was now stuck with the rolling fixed computer bag for the rest of the day. She tossed her backpack into it and headed for the Otogar (bus station) because she needed a bus ticket for her trip to Gallipoli. Her mission was successful and she timed the route back to her home exchange base so she would know the exact time needed on the morning of July 10th.
AlterCocker was totally drenched in sweat from her excursions and was glad to arrive back home and take a shower. As the cleaning woman was here today, sheets are now drying all over the apartment hanging from various doors. AlteCocker met her briefly before she headed out in the morning. We couldn't communicate very much.
After the bag fix, AlteCocker had lunch in this kebab place frequented by workmen. What intrigued her was the fact that on the sandwich they put peppers, pickles and french fries (yes, on the sandwich). It wasn't bad and it was less than $3!
.
Of course, AlteCocker was now stuck with the rolling fixed computer bag for the rest of the day. She tossed her backpack into it and headed for the Otogar (bus station) because she needed a bus ticket for her trip to Gallipoli. Her mission was successful and she timed the route back to her home exchange base so she would know the exact time needed on the morning of July 10th.
AlterCocker was totally drenched in sweat from her excursions and was glad to arrive back home and take a shower. As the cleaning woman was here today, sheets are now drying all over the apartment hanging from various doors. AlteCocker met her briefly before she headed out in the morning. We couldn't communicate very much.
July 9, 2014: Istikal Caddesi; Finding the Airport Bus
This was a day for AlteCocker to stay on the Beygolu side of the Golden Horn and walk Istikal Caddesi, Istanbul's main upscale shopping street. At any time of night or day, it's absolutely packed with both locals and tourists. All the conventional upscale stores are there. Stops were made for snacks and drinks along the way--and to purchase water. It is very hot and humid in Istanbul in the summer and you simply must drink all the time. A half hour in the outside and AlteCocker usually has sweat pouring off her from just walking around--and she is wearing shorts. Most Turkish women dress more conservatively--even the more daring. You will not see teenage girls with bare midriffs and navel rings here. Due to her age, AlteCocker can get away with shorts in the heat. Were she younger, she would be wearing long pants. What she cannot understand is how all the conservatively dressed Muslim women always look so cool even though they can be buttoned up to the neck in cover up clothing and have their hair covered. Meanwhile AlteCocker is sweating bullets in shorts.
AlteCocker walked up Istikal from Tunel today to the end and then began to look for the location of the airport bus. Oh brother. Everyone seemed to have another idea and an inadequate number of English words to describe its location to AlteCocker (or maybe it is AlteCocker's limited Turkish vocabulary). So she went here, she went there, she went down underneath Taksim Square and then was told to go back upstairs. It was very frustrating. To fly to Izmir next week to go to Ephesus, AlteCocker simply has to know where to get the bus. You find that stuff out EARLY so you know on the day of and do not risk missing your plane. She knows now, but it was an odyssey that she did not need. After a nice man directed her the correct way, she stopped at a Turkish Air office to be sure. Boom, she saw the buses. The ordeal was over. She then hauled herself into a chair in an overpriced hotel bar for an orange juice just to sit down. She has not been drinking much alcohol on this trip as it is so hot she has to replace fluids all the time. Alcohol is not the best in the circumstances.
For anyone who has not been to Istanbul recently, Taksim Square has been pedestrianized. There is no longer a bus depot there. It is now under the Square for the buses. However, the airport buses pick up on top and the private "dolmus" vans still pick up on top. Dolmuses are vans with preset routes that supplement the buses. Istanbul has a very complicated transportation system. Once you learn it, however, you find out that it works well. It is the learning that is difficult and, as with all short stay people, you learn what you need and no more. AlteCocker's knowledge from her 2011 trip (to the extent that she even remembers it), is largely irrelevant to 2014 because she is staying in a different location.
Then it was a walk back to the apartment, stopping for a lemonade and buying more bottled water. She could not wait to strip off her sweat soaked clothes and bask in the air conditioning in the apartment.
Tomorrow AlteCocker will be getting up early to take the bus to Canakkale to see the Gallipoli peninsula explore the battle that was featured in Peter Weir's film of the same name as well as take a tour of the Troy nearby. Look for the blog here. Istanbul adventures will resume upon her return.
AlteCocker walked up Istikal from Tunel today to the end and then began to look for the location of the airport bus. Oh brother. Everyone seemed to have another idea and an inadequate number of English words to describe its location to AlteCocker (or maybe it is AlteCocker's limited Turkish vocabulary). So she went here, she went there, she went down underneath Taksim Square and then was told to go back upstairs. It was very frustrating. To fly to Izmir next week to go to Ephesus, AlteCocker simply has to know where to get the bus. You find that stuff out EARLY so you know on the day of and do not risk missing your plane. She knows now, but it was an odyssey that she did not need. After a nice man directed her the correct way, she stopped at a Turkish Air office to be sure. Boom, she saw the buses. The ordeal was over. She then hauled herself into a chair in an overpriced hotel bar for an orange juice just to sit down. She has not been drinking much alcohol on this trip as it is so hot she has to replace fluids all the time. Alcohol is not the best in the circumstances.
For anyone who has not been to Istanbul recently, Taksim Square has been pedestrianized. There is no longer a bus depot there. It is now under the Square for the buses. However, the airport buses pick up on top and the private "dolmus" vans still pick up on top. Dolmuses are vans with preset routes that supplement the buses. Istanbul has a very complicated transportation system. Once you learn it, however, you find out that it works well. It is the learning that is difficult and, as with all short stay people, you learn what you need and no more. AlteCocker's knowledge from her 2011 trip (to the extent that she even remembers it), is largely irrelevant to 2014 because she is staying in a different location.
Then it was a walk back to the apartment, stopping for a lemonade and buying more bottled water. She could not wait to strip off her sweat soaked clothes and bask in the air conditioning in the apartment.
Tomorrow AlteCocker will be getting up early to take the bus to Canakkale to see the Gallipoli peninsula explore the battle that was featured in Peter Weir's film of the same name as well as take a tour of the Troy nearby. Look for the blog here. Istanbul adventures will resume upon her return.
July 13, 2014: Sakip Sabanci Museum
Today was the day for the Sakip Sabanci Museum. AlteCocker was going to take a taxi but someone suggested that she used the Metro around the corner. Metro around the corner? Who knew? It was how she should have gotten back last night rather than walk Istikal Caddesi again. Grr!
So off to the Metro AlteCocker went and took it to Haciosman (green line) and then a taxi. Before viewing the calligraphy exhibit in the museum, she repaired to the highly regarded restaurant, Muzede Changa, with equally high prices. In fact, perusing the lunch menu and its prices, she opted for the breakfast menu with (in the circumstances) more reasonable prices. She had a sort of Turkish pastrami sausage served with rocket and hummus and a side of peppers (not too hot). While it was only mildly filling, it was an interesting dish. She had lemon sorbet with rose for dessert--another new discovery. The bill was 86TL including tip--about double the amount she has paid for a meal anywhere on this trip--and this was for breakfast.
The special exhibition was on Ottoman calligraphy. When you walked into the museum, you could ask for an iPad which you could use throughout the exhibits. You held the iPad up at designated points and you would either see Sakip Sabanaci or his family members in photos with items that remain in the house, or, in the special exhibition, there were special effects--some of them quite interesting.
After the exhibit, it had been AlteCocker's intention to walk some way along the Bosphorus, as the Museum fronts on it and the views are stunning. For those familiar with Istanbul, the Museum is located in Emirgan above the second Bosphorus Bridge. Well, it was a very hot day--so warm that my air conditioning unit in the bedroom simply stayed on all day. That ran down AlteCocker's enthusiasm for a long walk by a long shot. The long walk turned into a stroll to the bus stop and bus 42 to Taksim. No way AlteCocker was going to do the walk along Istikal Caddesi either now that she knew a less strenuous way. She took the underground Metro to Sishane (adjacent to Tunel). She then made a beeline for her usual cafe for such things and had a lemonade.
Now a word about the Metro from Sishane to Taksim. It could be the deepest Metro in the world. While no single escalator is as long as some of them in the DC Metro, it is not just one escalator. Around the corner you go and there is another and you keep going thinking you are there but you are not. AlteCocker wonders how deep the Istanbul green Metro line is and if it would win the prize for the deepest. It is certainly the deepest she has ever been on. Take a look at this film to give you an idea. AlteCocker took the escalators--not the stairs! They were all working. Here is some more information on transportation in Istanbul from Turkey Travel Planner.
The rest of the afternoon was spent communing with the air conditioning unit in her bedroom. When she started to update the blog, she couldn't finish. Instead she took a nap and finished later. Heat can really show you the benefit of air conditioning.
So off to the Metro AlteCocker went and took it to Haciosman (green line) and then a taxi. Before viewing the calligraphy exhibit in the museum, she repaired to the highly regarded restaurant, Muzede Changa, with equally high prices. In fact, perusing the lunch menu and its prices, she opted for the breakfast menu with (in the circumstances) more reasonable prices. She had a sort of Turkish pastrami sausage served with rocket and hummus and a side of peppers (not too hot). While it was only mildly filling, it was an interesting dish. She had lemon sorbet with rose for dessert--another new discovery. The bill was 86TL including tip--about double the amount she has paid for a meal anywhere on this trip--and this was for breakfast.
The special exhibition was on Ottoman calligraphy. When you walked into the museum, you could ask for an iPad which you could use throughout the exhibits. You held the iPad up at designated points and you would either see Sakip Sabanaci or his family members in photos with items that remain in the house, or, in the special exhibition, there were special effects--some of them quite interesting.
After the exhibit, it had been AlteCocker's intention to walk some way along the Bosphorus, as the Museum fronts on it and the views are stunning. For those familiar with Istanbul, the Museum is located in Emirgan above the second Bosphorus Bridge. Well, it was a very hot day--so warm that my air conditioning unit in the bedroom simply stayed on all day. That ran down AlteCocker's enthusiasm for a long walk by a long shot. The long walk turned into a stroll to the bus stop and bus 42 to Taksim. No way AlteCocker was going to do the walk along Istikal Caddesi either now that she knew a less strenuous way. She took the underground Metro to Sishane (adjacent to Tunel). She then made a beeline for her usual cafe for such things and had a lemonade.
Now a word about the Metro from Sishane to Taksim. It could be the deepest Metro in the world. While no single escalator is as long as some of them in the DC Metro, it is not just one escalator. Around the corner you go and there is another and you keep going thinking you are there but you are not. AlteCocker wonders how deep the Istanbul green Metro line is and if it would win the prize for the deepest. It is certainly the deepest she has ever been on. Take a look at this film to give you an idea. AlteCocker took the escalators--not the stairs! They were all working. Here is some more information on transportation in Istanbul from Turkey Travel Planner.
The rest of the afternoon was spent communing with the air conditioning unit in her bedroom. When she started to update the blog, she couldn't finish. Instead she took a nap and finished later. Heat can really show you the benefit of air conditioning.
July 14, 2014: Hanging out
AlteCocker tells people that home exchanges are a combination of doing tourist sites and just hanging out where you are. Today was a sort of hanging out day. In the morning AlteCocker slept in and then had a further look at guidebooks to assist with planning. She decided to have lunch in this fish restaurant recommended by her home exchangers,
AlteCocker needed to go to the supermarket because she was out of laundry detergent. Going to the supermarket is always an adventure in a foreign country. You go decide which is laundry detergent and which is for the dishwasher when you can't read the box. You rely on the pictures like an illiterate person. AlteCocker bought some laundry pods and snacks. Then the friendly neighborhood cash machine refreshed her dwindling supply op Turkish lira. Every time AlteCocker gets money in a foreign country, she heaves a sigh of relief.
Lunch was at Furreyya Galata just opposite the Galata Tower as you walk down towards the ferry dock at the bottom of the hill. There was not a lot of choice available. AlteCocker had sea bream. Know when you order fish in Europe, it does not come fileted. You need to do that yourself. The fish did not cooperate when AlteCocker pulled the spine out. So she had to be careful about all the little bones. The fish, however, was delicious and worth the fight.
There is a supermarket opposite where AlteCocker picked up the laundry detergent she needed. As she was checking out, a visiting European told her she was buying soap for the dishwasher. A reexamination of the label confirmed that it was for the clothes washer--whew! She also bought some snacks.
Then she began her trek up the hill back "home" She stopped first at the coffee shop adjacent to the hostel (on the left as you walk down). After tasting it as she walked down at the beginning of her stay, AlteCocker knew there was delicious apple pie to be had there. A French family was seated opposite and opened a big box of Turkish delight ("lokum" in Turkish). AlteCocker does not like lokum. In fact, she can't stand lokum--no matter what the flavor. Turks like their sweets (and desserts( overly sweet for her taste. While she loves dessert, she often passes on it in Turkey and opts for an ice cream (not "dondurma" [Turkish ice cream] but the real deal). Happy to report that "regular" ice cream or gelato can be found everywhere in Turkey.
Just before hauling herself up the stairs to the apartment (and air conditioning(, AlteCocker bought a souvenir little "taksi" car for the little boy next door and a set of hamam products for his mother from Pera Soaps. Both businesses were near her house. If she is going to buy a few souvenirs, she might as well get them from her neighbors. There are hundreds of souvenir places selling similar stuff in Istanbul. Take your pick! Anything AlteCocker wanted she got the first time she exchanged in Turkey in 2011. This time she wants less and it is all presents for friends.
After an afternoon nap, AlteCocker decides to climb 4 floors up to the roof of the apartment building to go outside and take photos at sunset. No such luck. She has the key but the door seems to be impervious to it. The key clicks, AlteCocker pushes. The door won't open. My exchangers later tell me that the door is difficult but they checked the key before they left. Who knows? One thing AlteCocker knows is she is not climbing all the way up there to try the key again.
AlteCocker needed to go to the supermarket because she was out of laundry detergent. Going to the supermarket is always an adventure in a foreign country. You go decide which is laundry detergent and which is for the dishwasher when you can't read the box. You rely on the pictures like an illiterate person. AlteCocker bought some laundry pods and snacks. Then the friendly neighborhood cash machine refreshed her dwindling supply op Turkish lira. Every time AlteCocker gets money in a foreign country, she heaves a sigh of relief.
Lunch was at Furreyya Galata just opposite the Galata Tower as you walk down towards the ferry dock at the bottom of the hill. There was not a lot of choice available. AlteCocker had sea bream. Know when you order fish in Europe, it does not come fileted. You need to do that yourself. The fish did not cooperate when AlteCocker pulled the spine out. So she had to be careful about all the little bones. The fish, however, was delicious and worth the fight.
There is a supermarket opposite where AlteCocker picked up the laundry detergent she needed. As she was checking out, a visiting European told her she was buying soap for the dishwasher. A reexamination of the label confirmed that it was for the clothes washer--whew! She also bought some snacks.
Then she began her trek up the hill back "home" She stopped first at the coffee shop adjacent to the hostel (on the left as you walk down). After tasting it as she walked down at the beginning of her stay, AlteCocker knew there was delicious apple pie to be had there. A French family was seated opposite and opened a big box of Turkish delight ("lokum" in Turkish). AlteCocker does not like lokum. In fact, she can't stand lokum--no matter what the flavor. Turks like their sweets (and desserts( overly sweet for her taste. While she loves dessert, she often passes on it in Turkey and opts for an ice cream (not "dondurma" [Turkish ice cream] but the real deal). Happy to report that "regular" ice cream or gelato can be found everywhere in Turkey.
Just before hauling herself up the stairs to the apartment (and air conditioning(, AlteCocker bought a souvenir little "taksi" car for the little boy next door and a set of hamam products for his mother from Pera Soaps. Both businesses were near her house. If she is going to buy a few souvenirs, she might as well get them from her neighbors. There are hundreds of souvenir places selling similar stuff in Istanbul. Take your pick! Anything AlteCocker wanted she got the first time she exchanged in Turkey in 2011. This time she wants less and it is all presents for friends.
After an afternoon nap, AlteCocker decides to climb 4 floors up to the roof of the apartment building to go outside and take photos at sunset. No such luck. She has the key but the door seems to be impervious to it. The key clicks, AlteCocker pushes. The door won't open. My exchangers later tell me that the door is difficult but they checked the key before they left. Who knows? One thing AlteCocker knows is she is not climbing all the way up there to try the key again.
July 15, 2014: A House Burglary
AlteCocker's apartment was burglarized last night while she was sleeping. The most scary thing was that the thieves were actually in my bedroom. Remember that broken suitcase AlteCocker had repaired? They stole it right from out of my bedroom. They also took a backpack belonging to my home exchangers kept by the side of the bed that had something heavy in it.
That wasn't all. My computer, tablet, home exchanger's cellphone, a lot of money and 2 credit cards (on which they charged a total of about $20,000 before AlteCocker could get to the credit card companies to cancel the cards). The worst loss was not the money (there was plenty of that gone too), but the theft of AlteCocker's camera including all her photos from the trip--including those of tombstones from Belarus. They are irreplaceable.
Instead of cruising on the Golden Horn today, AlteCocker was learning the ropes of Turkish police departments. First it was the civil police, then the criminal police. The entire day was spent problem solving--the worst of it being that AlteCocker had no money and no ATM card. When she got to the ATM people at the bank, they told her they would only mail it to her house. Nice. She has the home exchangers alerted for it and asked them to mail it to her in Sweden. In the meantime, what to do?
You have to realize that AlteCocker did not even have one Turkish lira after this. Fortunately, the thieves missed the two credit cards in the bedroom and left my passport behind. After trying maybe 10 banks, my Capital One credit card gave me money at AKBank so at least that one works.
The burglary was AlteCocker fault. The front door locks automatically behind you but AlteCocker should have turned the key. She just forgot--and it cost her a day of her vacation, a computer, lots of money and a lot of aggravation. And she has this backpack with all these locks. It did not do much good. At least the thieves missed the two credit cards inside. They are now her lifeline. When the ATM finally spit out 500 Turkish Lira, at least AlteCocker had some money. She never borrows money on credit cards, but in the circumstances, what to do.
After the initial business with the police, AlteCocker was taken to the American Consulate (way the heck and gone from the tourist area) and used their phones to cancel the two credit cards and the ATM card. She also had a look at her credit card statements and saw that the thieves had had a party. One card already had a fraud alert. Both cards were killed on contact. They were back up cards.
The loss of the laptop means a loss of convenience. It was password protected, so the thieves will end up taking it apart. The Kindle tablet has been deregistered so it is useless to them. My take on this is that the main goal of the thieves was to use the credit cards before AlteCocker could cancel them. That is why everything else was stolen. Insofar as whatever was in the green backpack next to her bed, AlteCocker hopes it was not valuable. Of course, the loss of the money is troubling--especially since it means AlteCocker has fewer alternatives for paying things. Definitely not fun at all.
The people at the American Consulate were great. Unfortunately, AlteCocker wıll have to see them agaın when she returns from Ephesus. The problem ıs that AlteCocker has to fıle a statement that must be translated ınto Turkısh. Also unfortunately, the polıce do not provıde professıonal translators. If AlteCocker does not fıle the statement, she does not get a polıce report to fıle wıth ınsurance (she has already fıled claıms). So ıt wıll be back to the Consulate on July 21st after her 3 day stay ın Selçuk to see Ephesus and a few other places.
After the sıege at the Consulate (many calls to 800 numbers ın the US to cancel cards, etc.), AlteCocker went to the Taksım Polıce Statıon to wınd up the burglary report. The polıce brought ın someone to translate. He was from a local hotel. AlteCocker thought he was a polıce translator, but they just lassoed someone ın. He translated the statement but then refused to sıgn ıt for reasons only understandable to hım. The bottom lıne ıs wıthout the sıgnature, the Turkısh Polıce would not accept the translatıon. AlteCocker was hopıng to avoid more time wasted, but, no.
The blog wıll contınue here whıle AlteCocker ıs ın Selçuk.
That wasn't all. My computer, tablet, home exchanger's cellphone, a lot of money and 2 credit cards (on which they charged a total of about $20,000 before AlteCocker could get to the credit card companies to cancel the cards). The worst loss was not the money (there was plenty of that gone too), but the theft of AlteCocker's camera including all her photos from the trip--including those of tombstones from Belarus. They are irreplaceable.
Instead of cruising on the Golden Horn today, AlteCocker was learning the ropes of Turkish police departments. First it was the civil police, then the criminal police. The entire day was spent problem solving--the worst of it being that AlteCocker had no money and no ATM card. When she got to the ATM people at the bank, they told her they would only mail it to her house. Nice. She has the home exchangers alerted for it and asked them to mail it to her in Sweden. In the meantime, what to do?
You have to realize that AlteCocker did not even have one Turkish lira after this. Fortunately, the thieves missed the two credit cards in the bedroom and left my passport behind. After trying maybe 10 banks, my Capital One credit card gave me money at AKBank so at least that one works.
The burglary was AlteCocker fault. The front door locks automatically behind you but AlteCocker should have turned the key. She just forgot--and it cost her a day of her vacation, a computer, lots of money and a lot of aggravation. And she has this backpack with all these locks. It did not do much good. At least the thieves missed the two credit cards inside. They are now her lifeline. When the ATM finally spit out 500 Turkish Lira, at least AlteCocker had some money. She never borrows money on credit cards, but in the circumstances, what to do.
After the initial business with the police, AlteCocker was taken to the American Consulate (way the heck and gone from the tourist area) and used their phones to cancel the two credit cards and the ATM card. She also had a look at her credit card statements and saw that the thieves had had a party. One card already had a fraud alert. Both cards were killed on contact. They were back up cards.
The loss of the laptop means a loss of convenience. It was password protected, so the thieves will end up taking it apart. The Kindle tablet has been deregistered so it is useless to them. My take on this is that the main goal of the thieves was to use the credit cards before AlteCocker could cancel them. That is why everything else was stolen. Insofar as whatever was in the green backpack next to her bed, AlteCocker hopes it was not valuable. Of course, the loss of the money is troubling--especially since it means AlteCocker has fewer alternatives for paying things. Definitely not fun at all.
The people at the American Consulate were great. Unfortunately, AlteCocker wıll have to see them agaın when she returns from Ephesus. The problem ıs that AlteCocker has to fıle a statement that must be translated ınto Turkısh. Also unfortunately, the polıce do not provıde professıonal translators. If AlteCocker does not fıle the statement, she does not get a polıce report to fıle wıth ınsurance (she has already fıled claıms). So ıt wıll be back to the Consulate on July 21st after her 3 day stay ın Selçuk to see Ephesus and a few other places.
After the sıege at the Consulate (many calls to 800 numbers ın the US to cancel cards, etc.), AlteCocker went to the Taksım Polıce Statıon to wınd up the burglary report. The polıce brought ın someone to translate. He was from a local hotel. AlteCocker thought he was a polıce translator, but they just lassoed someone ın. He translated the statement but then refused to sıgn ıt for reasons only understandable to hım. The bottom lıne ıs wıthout the sıgnature, the Turkısh Polıce would not accept the translatıon. AlteCocker was hopıng to avoid more time wasted, but, no.
The blog wıll contınue here whıle AlteCocker ıs ın Selçuk.
July 20, 2014: Return to Istanbul & the Restaurant Ciya in Kadikoy
Well today is Sunday so no sense dealing with the detritus from the burglary today. AlteCocker did call a nice Frenchman who showed me where the police station was on the 15th just after she discovered the burglary. He left his sunglasses behind when he left the station and AlteCocker has them. We are trying to work out my returning them to him. In the worse case scenario, AlteCocker will mail them to him if we cannot reconnect. He's going to France in a couple of days and will not return until after AlteCocker has decamped for Stockholm.
So AlteCocker caught up on loose ends and then decided to eat dinner at Ciya across the Bosphorus in Kadikoy. She vaguely knew where it was located due to the Istanbul Eats food tour she took at the beginning of her stay. She first stopped for coffee at Latifa (on the left as you walk down Galip Dede Caddesi (which is basically an extension of Istikal Caddesi). It's in the same building as a hostel. The attraction is not only the coffee. They have apple pie to die for. AlteCocker has been there a total of 3 times. She can't resist anytime she is down that way.
Then it was across the Bosphorus from Karakoy to Kadikoy. AlteCocker, by the way, asked someone what the ending "koy" means and was told that it means "village". The names of Karakoy and Kadikoy are very similar and can cause confusion. Karakoy is on the European side and Kadikoy on the Asian side. Kadikoy is essentially a residential area with shops--a real neighborhood with only a small amount of tourists compared to the gazillion tourists on the European side.
Now about Ciya, a restaurant about which much has been written. It is dedicated to preserving old recipes from all over Turkey. AlteCocker had an interesting array of mezzes. She tried too many of them given that she was going to get a main course as well, but, oh well, occasional overeating on a holiday is OK. Mezzes are basically cold first courses. AlteCocker could not begin to tell you what she ate--aside from ordering too much. You pay by weight. Her main course was the most interesting: meatballs cooked with cherries. It is clear that the way to really enjoy Ciya is to go with a group and order a large number of dishes so everyone can sample a variety. Unfortunately, AlteCocker went solo. Sometimes traveling solo can make mealtimes awkward--especially in a restaurant like Ciya. Despite the earlier apple pie, AlteCocker did have dessert: goat's milk ice cream. It was OK, AlteCocker is glad she tried it, but it was not so OK that she would try it again.
After dinner AlteCocker walked around Kadikoy a bit, and, at one point found a sort of covered area/minimall devoted to book sellers. AlteCocker did not have the time or desire to explore it as most of the books were, of course, in Turkish. Interesting anyway. She made her way back to the dock for the ferry across the Bosphorus to Karakoy and then a short walk to Tunel for the funicular up the hill which gives out near her apartment. The apartment was intact with all the locks sealed up tight.
So AlteCocker caught up on loose ends and then decided to eat dinner at Ciya across the Bosphorus in Kadikoy. She vaguely knew where it was located due to the Istanbul Eats food tour she took at the beginning of her stay. She first stopped for coffee at Latifa (on the left as you walk down Galip Dede Caddesi (which is basically an extension of Istikal Caddesi). It's in the same building as a hostel. The attraction is not only the coffee. They have apple pie to die for. AlteCocker has been there a total of 3 times. She can't resist anytime she is down that way.
Then it was across the Bosphorus from Karakoy to Kadikoy. AlteCocker, by the way, asked someone what the ending "koy" means and was told that it means "village". The names of Karakoy and Kadikoy are very similar and can cause confusion. Karakoy is on the European side and Kadikoy on the Asian side. Kadikoy is essentially a residential area with shops--a real neighborhood with only a small amount of tourists compared to the gazillion tourists on the European side.
Now about Ciya, a restaurant about which much has been written. It is dedicated to preserving old recipes from all over Turkey. AlteCocker had an interesting array of mezzes. She tried too many of them given that she was going to get a main course as well, but, oh well, occasional overeating on a holiday is OK. Mezzes are basically cold first courses. AlteCocker could not begin to tell you what she ate--aside from ordering too much. You pay by weight. Her main course was the most interesting: meatballs cooked with cherries. It is clear that the way to really enjoy Ciya is to go with a group and order a large number of dishes so everyone can sample a variety. Unfortunately, AlteCocker went solo. Sometimes traveling solo can make mealtimes awkward--especially in a restaurant like Ciya. Despite the earlier apple pie, AlteCocker did have dessert: goat's milk ice cream. It was OK, AlteCocker is glad she tried it, but it was not so OK that she would try it again.
After dinner AlteCocker walked around Kadikoy a bit, and, at one point found a sort of covered area/minimall devoted to book sellers. AlteCocker did not have the time or desire to explore it as most of the books were, of course, in Turkish. Interesting anyway. She made her way back to the dock for the ferry across the Bosphorus to Karakoy and then a short walk to Tunel for the funicular up the hill which gives out near her apartment. The apartment was intact with all the locks sealed up tight.
July 21, 2014: The Police Redux, A new Camera Purchased
Well, the business with the burglary is over and AlteCocker has a better understanding of the Turkish overly bureaucratic police and legal system--something, in truth, she never wanted to know. She also has a hot little piece of paper she needs for insurance back in the US--aka the Police Report. This is something AlteCocker could not have done without the assistance of an amazing young man. Since she does not know whether he would want his name used in a travel blog, he will remain nameless. He is a brilliant young man with a great future ahead of him and he went out of his way to help AlteCocker when she was in need.
You never know who you will meet along the way on trips--which is why they are so damn interesting. It isn't the sites you see, it is the personal encounters you remember best. For Y.C.A. will never be forgotten. AlteCocker met him before the burglary. When he emailed AlteCocker and she told him about the police mess, he went into action. It was he who translated my statement and accompanied me to the police station. Without him, AlteCocker would never have gotten the police report.
Unfortunately, there were no fingerprints on the doors in the house. As someone who has done criminal law, that was hardly surprising to AlteCocker. The finding of fingerprints is rare in crimes. Professional criminals, like the burglar who "hit" my apartment, know how not to leave them. He probably wore gloves. In the US, that would mean that the investigation would remain open but in Turkey, without any physical evidence, the police close the case. In order to keep the case open, the victim has to prepare and sign a statement in Turkish of what occurred. AlteCocker's Turkish is rather limited--ha! Hence the importance of getting a translation. Then the policeman had to retype the translation pursuant to police regulations because that is what the do in Turkey. AlteCocker signed the document.
There is one problem: AlteCocker was signing a document that, in effect, is sort of like swearing out a warrant against an unknown person. The police were very reluctant and explained to AlteCocker that, if she did this, AlteCocker would be given a court date in Turkey and, if she did not appear, there would be sort of warrant for her arrest. Should AlteCocker ever return to Turkey, she would be arrested for failure to appear upon entry. While she is unlikely to return to Turkey given the other places she has been--and the fact that she has now been to Istanbul twice--AlteCocker is a retired attorney and would never want to leave a situation like that hanging. Without the signed statement, however, she could not get a copy of the police report because, as she gathers, there would not be one. So what to do? Y.C.A. to the rescue. He got a friend to take my case for free--FOR FREE. Can you believe? Basically, the Turkish attorney will just group it with bunches of other cases he is handling and ask that the case be dismissed. AlteCocker did offer to split the insurance recovery with the attorney or to pay him something but was brushed off. She took Y.C.A. for a cold fancy lemonade later. Then he was off to required continuing legal education (something every lawyer loves--and AlteCocker remembers those classes that often put her into irreversible coma before the lecture was ended) and AlteCocker went off to get some more cash with her dearly beloved Capital One card (please do not get lost for the remaining 4 weeks of the trip!) and to shop for a new camera in a shopping mall on Istikal Caddesi. She bought the cheapest digital she could fine--for about $80. That means she will at least have some photos although she is still mourning the loss of all the photos from the villages in Belarus. Barring a miracle, they are gone and that's that.
And Y.C.A.? He can stay at my house in the US anytime. That invitation runs forever.
You never know who you will meet along the way on trips--which is why they are so damn interesting. It isn't the sites you see, it is the personal encounters you remember best. For Y.C.A. will never be forgotten. AlteCocker met him before the burglary. When he emailed AlteCocker and she told him about the police mess, he went into action. It was he who translated my statement and accompanied me to the police station. Without him, AlteCocker would never have gotten the police report.
Unfortunately, there were no fingerprints on the doors in the house. As someone who has done criminal law, that was hardly surprising to AlteCocker. The finding of fingerprints is rare in crimes. Professional criminals, like the burglar who "hit" my apartment, know how not to leave them. He probably wore gloves. In the US, that would mean that the investigation would remain open but in Turkey, without any physical evidence, the police close the case. In order to keep the case open, the victim has to prepare and sign a statement in Turkish of what occurred. AlteCocker's Turkish is rather limited--ha! Hence the importance of getting a translation. Then the policeman had to retype the translation pursuant to police regulations because that is what the do in Turkey. AlteCocker signed the document.
There is one problem: AlteCocker was signing a document that, in effect, is sort of like swearing out a warrant against an unknown person. The police were very reluctant and explained to AlteCocker that, if she did this, AlteCocker would be given a court date in Turkey and, if she did not appear, there would be sort of warrant for her arrest. Should AlteCocker ever return to Turkey, she would be arrested for failure to appear upon entry. While she is unlikely to return to Turkey given the other places she has been--and the fact that she has now been to Istanbul twice--AlteCocker is a retired attorney and would never want to leave a situation like that hanging. Without the signed statement, however, she could not get a copy of the police report because, as she gathers, there would not be one. So what to do? Y.C.A. to the rescue. He got a friend to take my case for free--FOR FREE. Can you believe? Basically, the Turkish attorney will just group it with bunches of other cases he is handling and ask that the case be dismissed. AlteCocker did offer to split the insurance recovery with the attorney or to pay him something but was brushed off. She took Y.C.A. for a cold fancy lemonade later. Then he was off to required continuing legal education (something every lawyer loves--and AlteCocker remembers those classes that often put her into irreversible coma before the lecture was ended) and AlteCocker went off to get some more cash with her dearly beloved Capital One card (please do not get lost for the remaining 4 weeks of the trip!) and to shop for a new camera in a shopping mall on Istikal Caddesi. She bought the cheapest digital she could fine--for about $80. That means she will at least have some photos although she is still mourning the loss of all the photos from the villages in Belarus. Barring a miracle, they are gone and that's that.
And Y.C.A.? He can stay at my house in the US anytime. That invitation runs forever.
July 22, 2014: The Museum of Innocence, Cooking Class
For those of us who are fans of Orhan Pamuk's books, Paimuk has created a museum based on the book "The Museum of Innocence". Of course, is all fake as we are talking about a work of fiction. AlteCocker has read most of his works (at least those translated into English). So The Museum of Innocence was a required stop on the tour. Besides there was an arrow indicating where it was just off Istikal Caddessi. Don't believe the arrow! You walk down and down, turn left and go down again, but eventually you will find it. The museum has received mixed reviews and been criticized for the 25TL fee ($12.50). It is free if you bring in a physical copy of the book. They will stamp the book so it cannot be used twice. Alas, AlteCocker's copy is on her e-reader. In fact, she almost never buys conventional books anymore. There is no space on the book shelves left in her house. So, she paid. She spent a little over an hour in the museum--a welcome air conditioned haven on another hot Istanbul day.
After that, AlteCocker walked down towards the Bosphorus and boarded the tram towards Baglicar. She got off at Sultanahmet (the stop for both Haiga Sophia and the Blue Mosque--neither of which she plans to visit as she saw them in 2011). Her goal was a cooking class run by Cooking Alaturka. Given the fact that AlteCocker had been in the area before in 2011, you would have thought she would have remembered the short cut, but, no. She took the long way round through the Arasta Bazaar. If you want to shop, AlteCocker finds the atmosphere in there nicer than is The Grand Bazaar. The Grand Bazaar is a bit overwhelming and is really entirely designed for tourists. There is lots of hustling all over Turkey. It is part of the culture. The Grand Bazaar is really extreme. Don't fall for "Come into my carpet shop for a cup of tea/to see how carpets are made." You go in, it's difficult to get out. AlteCocker is immune to those sorts of "invitations" to waste money. Unless you know what you are doing, the shopkeepers know much more than you do. You will get cheated. There are plenty of places to buy rugs at home--and you won't have to worry about schlepping them on airplanes.
Along the way to the cooking class, AlteCocker stopped at a cafe for a salad and fruit soda (Turkey has lots of delicious fruit drinks, so why would anyone order a Coke or Pepsi?). One problem AlteCocker has had in Turkey is that the heat saps your appetite. As someone whose health would be assisted by a loss of weight, she hopes the Turkish diet is working. There is all this delicious food, but the heat just gives her enough appetite to eat small amounts. Of course, AlteCocker is drinking loads of water because Turkey in summer involves a lot of sweating. So, she could not even finish her salad and she had had nothing to eat all day.
Then it was on to the class. It was a lot of fun. There were only 4 of us. A Norwegian couple had bought a bottle of wine, so we drank while we worked in the kitchen. We chopped a lot of vegetables--some with this huge chopping cleaver with a curved blade. AlteCocker had never seen a cleaver that large before. The class rotates 4 separate menus. We had the one whose main dish was lamb stew in tomato sauce on smoky eggplant puree (supposedly an old Ottoman recipe). The dish AlteCocker liked best was the zucchini patties with herbs and goat cheese. The texture was very similar to potatoe latkes but with a very different taste. AlteCocker might try making them sometime. However, once again, AlteCocker only tasted everything. She just wasn't hungry. We ate a lot of courses so she would have been full midway anyway. Dessert was figs stuffed with walnuts. We all had trouble stuffing them but got better as we repeated the actions necessary.
When the cooking class ended, AlteCocker walked towards the Arasta Bazaar and immediately remembered where the short cut was. She quickly found herself up on top by the Blue Mosque. It was past sunset. During Ramadan in Muslim countries--whether people are actually fasting or not--once the sun goes down, it is party time. The place was mobbed with revelers. Kids were running around with toys with lights on them everywhere. AlteCocker, quite frankly, does not enjoy mob scenes and could not wait to extract herself. She made her way over to the Sultanahmet tram stop and took the tram towards Kabatas, getting off at Karakoy where she could catch the funicular at tunel that went to the top of the hill near the Galata Tower and home. It was very late when she got home. She locked herself tightly in before going to bed.
After that, AlteCocker walked down towards the Bosphorus and boarded the tram towards Baglicar. She got off at Sultanahmet (the stop for both Haiga Sophia and the Blue Mosque--neither of which she plans to visit as she saw them in 2011). Her goal was a cooking class run by Cooking Alaturka. Given the fact that AlteCocker had been in the area before in 2011, you would have thought she would have remembered the short cut, but, no. She took the long way round through the Arasta Bazaar. If you want to shop, AlteCocker finds the atmosphere in there nicer than is The Grand Bazaar. The Grand Bazaar is a bit overwhelming and is really entirely designed for tourists. There is lots of hustling all over Turkey. It is part of the culture. The Grand Bazaar is really extreme. Don't fall for "Come into my carpet shop for a cup of tea/to see how carpets are made." You go in, it's difficult to get out. AlteCocker is immune to those sorts of "invitations" to waste money. Unless you know what you are doing, the shopkeepers know much more than you do. You will get cheated. There are plenty of places to buy rugs at home--and you won't have to worry about schlepping them on airplanes.
Along the way to the cooking class, AlteCocker stopped at a cafe for a salad and fruit soda (Turkey has lots of delicious fruit drinks, so why would anyone order a Coke or Pepsi?). One problem AlteCocker has had in Turkey is that the heat saps your appetite. As someone whose health would be assisted by a loss of weight, she hopes the Turkish diet is working. There is all this delicious food, but the heat just gives her enough appetite to eat small amounts. Of course, AlteCocker is drinking loads of water because Turkey in summer involves a lot of sweating. So, she could not even finish her salad and she had had nothing to eat all day.
Then it was on to the class. It was a lot of fun. There were only 4 of us. A Norwegian couple had bought a bottle of wine, so we drank while we worked in the kitchen. We chopped a lot of vegetables--some with this huge chopping cleaver with a curved blade. AlteCocker had never seen a cleaver that large before. The class rotates 4 separate menus. We had the one whose main dish was lamb stew in tomato sauce on smoky eggplant puree (supposedly an old Ottoman recipe). The dish AlteCocker liked best was the zucchini patties with herbs and goat cheese. The texture was very similar to potatoe latkes but with a very different taste. AlteCocker might try making them sometime. However, once again, AlteCocker only tasted everything. She just wasn't hungry. We ate a lot of courses so she would have been full midway anyway. Dessert was figs stuffed with walnuts. We all had trouble stuffing them but got better as we repeated the actions necessary.
When the cooking class ended, AlteCocker walked towards the Arasta Bazaar and immediately remembered where the short cut was. She quickly found herself up on top by the Blue Mosque. It was past sunset. During Ramadan in Muslim countries--whether people are actually fasting or not--once the sun goes down, it is party time. The place was mobbed with revelers. Kids were running around with toys with lights on them everywhere. AlteCocker, quite frankly, does not enjoy mob scenes and could not wait to extract herself. She made her way over to the Sultanahmet tram stop and took the tram towards Kabatas, getting off at Karakoy where she could catch the funicular at tunel that went to the top of the hill near the Galata Tower and home. It was very late when she got home. She locked herself tightly in before going to bed.
July 23, 2014: LARGELY A DAY OFF
The day began with the return of a Frenchman's sunglasses. Let AlteCocker explain: When the burglary occurred, Hedi (his nickname) helped AlteCocker find the police station. While Hedi is French, he lives in Turkey. When he left the police station, Hedi left his sunglasses behind. he police gave them to AlteCocker. AlteCocker had Hedi's glasses, but was, of course, phoneless until she picked up a used phone in Selcuk. When she bought the phone, the Frenchman's phone number was back in Istanbul. Since returning to Istanbul, it has been a series of messed up appointments to return the sunglasses. Finally, AlteCocker met Hedi and returned the sunglasses as he was on his way to the airport to go to France for about 10 days to visit his family. Mission accomplished.
Then, walking back up from the Galata Tower meeting point for the sunglasses hand off, AlteCocker again stopped at Latifa for "breakfast". Well not quite breakfast because the apple pie is to die for there. It was an iced latte and apple pie to die for, of course--at about 9:00am. The street was so empty walking down to Galata but life was beginning at its usual frantic pace by the time AlteCocker walked up the hill. On the way home she bought a ticket to some sort of Turkish folk dance show for tomorrow night (NOT belly dancing). Then it was back to the apartment to commune with air conditioning in the bedroom and update the blog.
Today was another scorcher. After finishing the blog update, AlteCocker just sacked out with the a/c on. Later she went out to dinner and then walked down the hill to the gelato place. She had something called kokorec for diner (it is largely pieces of intestine fried up with lots of spices). Despite the description, it is actually delicious. AlteCocker had it the last time she was in Istanbul and was determined to taste it again. It proves that something that sounds disgusting can really be delicious. Then it was a walk down the hill to the Italian gelato place and too much gelato.
Then, walking back up from the Galata Tower meeting point for the sunglasses hand off, AlteCocker again stopped at Latifa for "breakfast". Well not quite breakfast because the apple pie is to die for there. It was an iced latte and apple pie to die for, of course--at about 9:00am. The street was so empty walking down to Galata but life was beginning at its usual frantic pace by the time AlteCocker walked up the hill. On the way home she bought a ticket to some sort of Turkish folk dance show for tomorrow night (NOT belly dancing). Then it was back to the apartment to commune with air conditioning in the bedroom and update the blog.
Today was another scorcher. After finishing the blog update, AlteCocker just sacked out with the a/c on. Later she went out to dinner and then walked down the hill to the gelato place. She had something called kokorec for diner (it is largely pieces of intestine fried up with lots of spices). Despite the description, it is actually delicious. AlteCocker had it the last time she was in Istanbul and was determined to taste it again. It proves that something that sounds disgusting can really be delicious. Then it was a walk down the hill to the Italian gelato place and too much gelato.
July 24, 2014: Hafiz Mustafa and a Male Belly Dancer
Today was a late start. The problem was the weather. It threatened rain all morning but it never actually did it. When AlteCocker finally moved her butt out of the house, the sky was still overcast. She tried to take the funicular down Tunel but it was broken. As you will see, AlteCocker had no luck with that funicular today. So it was a choice of an involved way down the hill or just walk down. AlteCocker stopped for something called menamen at Cafe Privato, a local cafe recommended by the home exchangers. Menamen is eggs served with tomatoes and green peppers and some spices. Cafe Privato is known for its breakfasts. It serves them all day. The menamen was delicious.
Then it was down the hill because AlteCocker was not going to go up the hill to see if Tunel was working again. Reaching the bottom, AlteCocker tried to find the ferry up the Golden Horn to Eyup. Eyup is a very conservative area, so AlteCocker had long pants on even though no mosque visit was anticipated. The point of going to Eyup is to go to this cafe that is at the top of a hill. You ride a funicular to go to the top. AlteCocker had, of course, just missed the ferry for Eyup. There was not another for an hour. While journeys across the Bosphorus are common, there are a relatively few that go up the Golden Horn. The Golden Horn abuts the Bosphorus. Some tourists get very confused and think they have crossed the Bosphorus when they have crossed the Golden Horn because they either can't read a map or don't look at it. It was was getting hot as the rain threat had disappeared. AlteCocker was not going to sit and sweat for an hour. She just hopped on a ferry to the other side of the Bosphorus for the breeze. She went back and forth. She also noticed that all Turkish flags were at half staff. She asked and was told by one Turk that Turkish Prime Minister Erdogan had ordered the flags down in view of Gaza--and to pander to his right wing Muslim supporters (The country is quite divided insofar as Erdogan his concerned). When she got to the Asian side, one of the guys on the boat tried to explain to her that it was the last stop and she should get off. AlteCocker was able to explain (much use of hands) that she was just going back and forth due to the heat. She was, in fact, quite familiar with that ferry as she used it often to get to the other side of the Bosphorus when she stayed on the Asian side during an exchange in Istanbul in 2011.
Coming back to the European side, AlteCocker rode a tram to Sirkeci to position herself for her evening folk dance show. The problem was time to kill. Hafiz Mustafa, a chief watering hole for baklava (many more varieties than are found in the US--or that you have ever heard of) was at Sirkeci. It had been AlteCocker to make a visit to that place, so why not kill time there? Hafiz Mustafa has been in business for 150 years and AlteCocker did eat there satisfactorily on her first visit to Istanbul. The problem was it was too hot for sticky baklava, so AlteCocker ordered a strawberry smoothie and ice cream. They had chocolate, vanilla and pistachio for ice cream flavors. You get three slices of whatever you choose. AlteCocker asked if she could have one of each only to be told that there was no chocolate. She settled for 2 pistachio and one vanilla but about 15 minutes later someone at an adjacent table got three slices of chocolate. The strawberry smoothie was nice, but don't order ice cream in Hafiz Mustafa. AlteCocker suspects that it was dondurma--Turkish ice cream--and she does not like Turkish ice cream. It melts more slowly than conventional ice cream. You will see these guys selling it that do all these tricks with it pulling it away from you do to its slower melting time. It's funny the first time. After that, well, it's sort of stupid. Also, AlteCocker does not like the taste. Even in Hafiz Mustafa, it leaves a great deal to be desires. AlteCocker should have ordered baklava despite the heat. She finished her smoothie but not the Turkish ice cream.
After the suspected dondurma at Hafiz Mustafa, AlteCocker still had time to kill. Ah, there was something else to do. Istanbul now has a new tunnel going under the Bosphorus to help with transportation of 14 million people living there. It runs under the Bosphorus from Sirkenci Uskudar on the Asian side. So, AlteCocker rode under the Bosphorus and back knocking off that subway ride that was on her list. Eventually there will be a car tunnel as well, but that is not running yet. Since AlteCocker does not possess a car in Istanbul and thinks anyone visiting would be nuts to try and drive in Istanbul, she would not have tried a car tunnel had one existed. Insofar as the Bosphorus subway ride is concerned, it is about as exciting as riding the Eurostar from Paris to London--meaning not much in the way of excitement.
After knocking off the ride through the subway tunnel, called the Marmaray, AlteCocker spent some time watching the ferries come and go from the docks between Eminonu and Sirkenci. What at first looks like utter chaos (like the car traffic in Istanbul--which is utter chaos--turns out to be a finely crafted ballet. Take the car ferries to Harem on the Asian side from Sirkenci: One fills and another pulls up. It has to be a finally crafted ballet to (a) move all the people and cars and (b) have no collisions. Most of the ferries do not carry cars and provide an alternative (and pleasant) way to commute. However, as with Istanbul everywhere, people are always selling things and begging. On the ferry AlteCocker took back and forth across the Bosphorus, for example, earlier in the day, some guy was playing an accordian with a very bad version of "Moscow Nights" and asking for money--yes, "Moscow Nights". AlteCocker thought his choice of music was bad and did not give him any money, by the way. Beggars are everywhere and you do have to ignore them. You have no idea who is worthy of your donation and who is simply hustling for money for things that may not be legal. Sometimes you see entire families hustling. Their childen never go to school. In some respects Turkey is a European country, but in other respects it is not. One depressing thing here is watching people carrying huge loads on their backs. AlteCocker has been told they get paid very poorly. It is painful to watch them all bent over. Travel sometimes makes AlteCocker very grateful to be an American.
Finally, moving on to the evening performance. The folk dance show did prove to have a healthy dose of belly dancing. AlteCocker can assure you that you have not lived until you've seen a MALE belly dancer. AlteCocker found that hilarious--especially since the guy was decked out like a flaming transvestite. AlteCocker has no idea if he was one, but, oy, the costume! The show was at the Hodja Pasha Dance Theater near Sirkenci. The show AlteCocker saw was entitled "Rhythm of the Dance". There are several different shows (no doubt so you can see more than one if you like). The price was 70TL (currently a little less than $35). The show was very entertaining--especially the male belly dancer. The show was very fast paced with many special effects. Unfortunately, there was a baby who entertained us by screaming through most of the show (his mother refused to take him out). Fortunately, the show is loud and mostly (but not always) drowned him out. Why someone would bring a child that looked to be about a year to such a show is beyond belief, but some people are fools. There was a 2 1/2 year old in front of me who appeared to enjoy the whole thing and caused no problems, while her 4 year old sister fell asleep. The show starts at 9:00pm and lasts until about 10:30pm. Not for young children who are off their schedules.
AlteCocker hopped a tram back to Karakoy to take the funicular. Remember, she had had trouble earlier in the day. Well, the trouble at night was that the funicular had shut for the evening just as AlteCocker tried to board it. She ended up in a taxi. Then it was shower and blog time.
Then it was down the hill because AlteCocker was not going to go up the hill to see if Tunel was working again. Reaching the bottom, AlteCocker tried to find the ferry up the Golden Horn to Eyup. Eyup is a very conservative area, so AlteCocker had long pants on even though no mosque visit was anticipated. The point of going to Eyup is to go to this cafe that is at the top of a hill. You ride a funicular to go to the top. AlteCocker had, of course, just missed the ferry for Eyup. There was not another for an hour. While journeys across the Bosphorus are common, there are a relatively few that go up the Golden Horn. The Golden Horn abuts the Bosphorus. Some tourists get very confused and think they have crossed the Bosphorus when they have crossed the Golden Horn because they either can't read a map or don't look at it. It was was getting hot as the rain threat had disappeared. AlteCocker was not going to sit and sweat for an hour. She just hopped on a ferry to the other side of the Bosphorus for the breeze. She went back and forth. She also noticed that all Turkish flags were at half staff. She asked and was told by one Turk that Turkish Prime Minister Erdogan had ordered the flags down in view of Gaza--and to pander to his right wing Muslim supporters (The country is quite divided insofar as Erdogan his concerned). When she got to the Asian side, one of the guys on the boat tried to explain to her that it was the last stop and she should get off. AlteCocker was able to explain (much use of hands) that she was just going back and forth due to the heat. She was, in fact, quite familiar with that ferry as she used it often to get to the other side of the Bosphorus when she stayed on the Asian side during an exchange in Istanbul in 2011.
Coming back to the European side, AlteCocker rode a tram to Sirkeci to position herself for her evening folk dance show. The problem was time to kill. Hafiz Mustafa, a chief watering hole for baklava (many more varieties than are found in the US--or that you have ever heard of) was at Sirkeci. It had been AlteCocker to make a visit to that place, so why not kill time there? Hafiz Mustafa has been in business for 150 years and AlteCocker did eat there satisfactorily on her first visit to Istanbul. The problem was it was too hot for sticky baklava, so AlteCocker ordered a strawberry smoothie and ice cream. They had chocolate, vanilla and pistachio for ice cream flavors. You get three slices of whatever you choose. AlteCocker asked if she could have one of each only to be told that there was no chocolate. She settled for 2 pistachio and one vanilla but about 15 minutes later someone at an adjacent table got three slices of chocolate. The strawberry smoothie was nice, but don't order ice cream in Hafiz Mustafa. AlteCocker suspects that it was dondurma--Turkish ice cream--and she does not like Turkish ice cream. It melts more slowly than conventional ice cream. You will see these guys selling it that do all these tricks with it pulling it away from you do to its slower melting time. It's funny the first time. After that, well, it's sort of stupid. Also, AlteCocker does not like the taste. Even in Hafiz Mustafa, it leaves a great deal to be desires. AlteCocker should have ordered baklava despite the heat. She finished her smoothie but not the Turkish ice cream.
After the suspected dondurma at Hafiz Mustafa, AlteCocker still had time to kill. Ah, there was something else to do. Istanbul now has a new tunnel going under the Bosphorus to help with transportation of 14 million people living there. It runs under the Bosphorus from Sirkenci Uskudar on the Asian side. So, AlteCocker rode under the Bosphorus and back knocking off that subway ride that was on her list. Eventually there will be a car tunnel as well, but that is not running yet. Since AlteCocker does not possess a car in Istanbul and thinks anyone visiting would be nuts to try and drive in Istanbul, she would not have tried a car tunnel had one existed. Insofar as the Bosphorus subway ride is concerned, it is about as exciting as riding the Eurostar from Paris to London--meaning not much in the way of excitement.
After knocking off the ride through the subway tunnel, called the Marmaray, AlteCocker spent some time watching the ferries come and go from the docks between Eminonu and Sirkenci. What at first looks like utter chaos (like the car traffic in Istanbul--which is utter chaos--turns out to be a finely crafted ballet. Take the car ferries to Harem on the Asian side from Sirkenci: One fills and another pulls up. It has to be a finally crafted ballet to (a) move all the people and cars and (b) have no collisions. Most of the ferries do not carry cars and provide an alternative (and pleasant) way to commute. However, as with Istanbul everywhere, people are always selling things and begging. On the ferry AlteCocker took back and forth across the Bosphorus, for example, earlier in the day, some guy was playing an accordian with a very bad version of "Moscow Nights" and asking for money--yes, "Moscow Nights". AlteCocker thought his choice of music was bad and did not give him any money, by the way. Beggars are everywhere and you do have to ignore them. You have no idea who is worthy of your donation and who is simply hustling for money for things that may not be legal. Sometimes you see entire families hustling. Their childen never go to school. In some respects Turkey is a European country, but in other respects it is not. One depressing thing here is watching people carrying huge loads on their backs. AlteCocker has been told they get paid very poorly. It is painful to watch them all bent over. Travel sometimes makes AlteCocker very grateful to be an American.
Finally, moving on to the evening performance. The folk dance show did prove to have a healthy dose of belly dancing. AlteCocker can assure you that you have not lived until you've seen a MALE belly dancer. AlteCocker found that hilarious--especially since the guy was decked out like a flaming transvestite. AlteCocker has no idea if he was one, but, oy, the costume! The show was at the Hodja Pasha Dance Theater near Sirkenci. The show AlteCocker saw was entitled "Rhythm of the Dance". There are several different shows (no doubt so you can see more than one if you like). The price was 70TL (currently a little less than $35). The show was very entertaining--especially the male belly dancer. The show was very fast paced with many special effects. Unfortunately, there was a baby who entertained us by screaming through most of the show (his mother refused to take him out). Fortunately, the show is loud and mostly (but not always) drowned him out. Why someone would bring a child that looked to be about a year to such a show is beyond belief, but some people are fools. There was a 2 1/2 year old in front of me who appeared to enjoy the whole thing and caused no problems, while her 4 year old sister fell asleep. The show starts at 9:00pm and lasts until about 10:30pm. Not for young children who are off their schedules.
AlteCocker hopped a tram back to Karakoy to take the funicular. Remember, she had had trouble earlier in the day. Well, the trouble at night was that the funicular had shut for the evening just as AlteCocker tried to board it. She ended up in a taxi. Then it was shower and blog time.
July 25, 2014: Pierre Loti Viewpoint in Eyup
Boy, this home exchange is rapidly coming to an end--as is AlteCocker's "must do" list. Today was the day for the ferry up the Golden Horn to Eyup and the cable car up the mountain to the Pierre Loti viewpoint.
First, you ask, why the name Pierre Loti? Pierre Loti was the nom de plume of a French writer who spent considerable time in Istanbul. To make a long story short, there is this cable car that you ride to a viewpoint and the hill is named for him. The coffee shop at the top likewise bears his name. Just why is not important. The important thing is the view.
To get to the viewpoint, AlteCocker rode a ferry from Karakoy (at the docks, it leaves from the small dock at right) up the Golden Horn. Just before boarding, AlteCocker munched on a famous Istanbul fish sandwich. There are lots of vendors grilling fish which they put on piece of bread with lettuce and tomato or fried onions. Whatever you choose, it will be delicious as the fish is so fresh it probably was swimming 5 minutes before you eat it.
The ferries to Eyup and the viewpoint only run about once an hour so do not miss yours if you do this. When you get to Eyup, just cross the street and walk to the right. You cannot miss the entry point for the cable car as you will see the car going up and down the mountain. Then pay for the cable car (or use your Istanbul public transport card) and you arrive at the viewpoint. There is a cafe at the top (isn't there one at the top of everything?). AlteCocker had ice cream and a cold water. The ice cream was much better than what was served at Hafiz Mustafa the day before--and cost less. Then it was hanging out and taking photos before taking the cable car down. As she exited, the heavens began to pour. AlteCocker's umbrella turned inside out and was next to useless. Fortunately it was over quickly and AlteCocker was sheltered in the building where she waited for the ferry back to Karakoy. At Karakoy she crossed under and then emerged near Tunel (the funicular was working today) and, in a few minutes, she was drinking a cold lemonade near her home exchange home. The rain has cooled off Istanbul a bit, but it is still Istanbul in summer. If she ever returns to Turkey in summer, it will have to be to the beach. It seems the only thing appropriate to do in Turkey during the summer. Sightseeing in extreme heat can exhaust you quickly.
First, you ask, why the name Pierre Loti? Pierre Loti was the nom de plume of a French writer who spent considerable time in Istanbul. To make a long story short, there is this cable car that you ride to a viewpoint and the hill is named for him. The coffee shop at the top likewise bears his name. Just why is not important. The important thing is the view.
To get to the viewpoint, AlteCocker rode a ferry from Karakoy (at the docks, it leaves from the small dock at right) up the Golden Horn. Just before boarding, AlteCocker munched on a famous Istanbul fish sandwich. There are lots of vendors grilling fish which they put on piece of bread with lettuce and tomato or fried onions. Whatever you choose, it will be delicious as the fish is so fresh it probably was swimming 5 minutes before you eat it.
The ferries to Eyup and the viewpoint only run about once an hour so do not miss yours if you do this. When you get to Eyup, just cross the street and walk to the right. You cannot miss the entry point for the cable car as you will see the car going up and down the mountain. Then pay for the cable car (or use your Istanbul public transport card) and you arrive at the viewpoint. There is a cafe at the top (isn't there one at the top of everything?). AlteCocker had ice cream and a cold water. The ice cream was much better than what was served at Hafiz Mustafa the day before--and cost less. Then it was hanging out and taking photos before taking the cable car down. As she exited, the heavens began to pour. AlteCocker's umbrella turned inside out and was next to useless. Fortunately it was over quickly and AlteCocker was sheltered in the building where she waited for the ferry back to Karakoy. At Karakoy she crossed under and then emerged near Tunel (the funicular was working today) and, in a few minutes, she was drinking a cold lemonade near her home exchange home. The rain has cooled off Istanbul a bit, but it is still Istanbul in summer. If she ever returns to Turkey in summer, it will have to be to the beach. It seems the only thing appropriate to do in Turkey during the summer. Sightseeing in extreme heat can exhaust you quickly.
July 26, 2014: Istanbul Modern
OK, today was the day to knock off AlteCocker's last site on her list: The Istanbul Modern. It's an art museum directly on the Bosphorus with a restaurant directly overlooking it with great views of the Istanbul skyline. So it was a combined art museum/eating experience.
AlteCocker decided to walk down from her home using directions provided by her home exchangers to go through a neighborhood containing some antique stores. The neighborhood was mildly interesting but AlteCocker's sense of direction did not serve her well. She had to stop and ask for directions a couple of times. Sometimes people are not exactly 100% in agreement when you ask them where something is. Eventually, of course, AlteCocker arrived.
The first thing you notice about the museum is the blessed air conditioning. There is a feeling of "Ah" when you enter. The collection is very interesting featuring modern art by Turkish artists--none of which AlteCocker had heard of. The best bit: Lots of video installations dealing with different aspects of life in Turkey. There was one dealing with headscarves. The recent issue of Gezi Park and the demonstrators was there as well. Apparently such subjects are allowed in the art gallery but discussing them in the newspaper can get you locked up. Turkey has had a lot of difficulties with freedom of the press. It is historic--and not just present controversies. The museum was fascinating. After about 1 1/2 hours of museum viewing, it was time for the restaurant--not one of the cheaper places to eat in Turkey but it does come with the view. AlteCocker had a warm goat cheese salad and ordered strawberry juice to drink. Turkey has delicious fruit drinks and AlteCocker has had a number of them here in lieu of alcohol. They are very refreshing in the summer heat. She also could not resist dessert in the restaurant and had a piece of applecake with vanilla ice cream--not to die for but very good. Before the salad she was also served a variety of breads with olive oil--very tasty. No need to eat dinner after all of that.
After the restaurant--and many photos of Hagia Sophia, Topkapi and the Bosphorus, AlteCocker went back to the museum to explore the ground floor. She just had time for a quick overview before the Istanbul Modern closed. She could have used another hour, but such is life on the road.
Then it was time to go home to do laundry and take a shower. At home she normally showers in the morning, but in Istanbul, a shower is necessary upon return home. In the heat she is always soaked with sweat. Happily the funicular at Tunel was working. Hopefully, there will be no more breakdowns until after AlteCocker goes home.
AlteCocker decided to walk down from her home using directions provided by her home exchangers to go through a neighborhood containing some antique stores. The neighborhood was mildly interesting but AlteCocker's sense of direction did not serve her well. She had to stop and ask for directions a couple of times. Sometimes people are not exactly 100% in agreement when you ask them where something is. Eventually, of course, AlteCocker arrived.
The first thing you notice about the museum is the blessed air conditioning. There is a feeling of "Ah" when you enter. The collection is very interesting featuring modern art by Turkish artists--none of which AlteCocker had heard of. The best bit: Lots of video installations dealing with different aspects of life in Turkey. There was one dealing with headscarves. The recent issue of Gezi Park and the demonstrators was there as well. Apparently such subjects are allowed in the art gallery but discussing them in the newspaper can get you locked up. Turkey has had a lot of difficulties with freedom of the press. It is historic--and not just present controversies. The museum was fascinating. After about 1 1/2 hours of museum viewing, it was time for the restaurant--not one of the cheaper places to eat in Turkey but it does come with the view. AlteCocker had a warm goat cheese salad and ordered strawberry juice to drink. Turkey has delicious fruit drinks and AlteCocker has had a number of them here in lieu of alcohol. They are very refreshing in the summer heat. She also could not resist dessert in the restaurant and had a piece of applecake with vanilla ice cream--not to die for but very good. Before the salad she was also served a variety of breads with olive oil--very tasty. No need to eat dinner after all of that.
After the restaurant--and many photos of Hagia Sophia, Topkapi and the Bosphorus, AlteCocker went back to the museum to explore the ground floor. She just had time for a quick overview before the Istanbul Modern closed. She could have used another hour, but such is life on the road.
Then it was time to go home to do laundry and take a shower. At home she normally showers in the morning, but in Istanbul, a shower is necessary upon return home. In the heat she is always soaked with sweat. Happily the funicular at Tunel was working. Hopefully, there will be no more breakdowns until after AlteCocker goes home.
July 27-28, 2014: Running out of Steam
A confession: AlteCocker has run out of steam in Istanbul because it is just too damn steamy. The moment you walk out of the house, give yourself 5 minutes and sweat begins to pour off. Yes, you can duck into a shop for a momentary blast of air conditioning--or into a shady garden to eat lunch, but that's about it. On July 27th AlteCocker finished two books (she reads some simultaneously due to her Kindle--and she was left with her black and white Kindle after the burglary) before going out the door. Now she is rereading Orhan Pamuk's "Museum of Innocence" inspired by her visit to the museum of the same name the other day as well as two others. It is 11:00am on July 28th and she is communing with air conditioning in the bedroom (the only room in the house with a unit) before exiting to do something in the neighborhood--probably eat.
July 27th consisted of a 4 block walk to the Galata Tower where she looked at the long line of people waiting to go up and abandoned ship for lunch on a side street. The restaurant was called PePo Cafe and had a lovely shaded garden. She had shis kofte (Turkish mildly spicy meatballs). Time was also spent shopping and AlteCocker bought a nice silk scarf as a souvenir and a funny t-shirt. Since she has not bought much on her trip (aside from the new camera), a mild shopping indulgence was OK. By the way, she passed on a t-shirt that said "Turkish Tea Party" with a cup of tea. Maybe the "joke" for Americans was intentional, maybe not, but AlteCocker did not want to have to explain.
AlteCocker purchased instead a t-shirt that said "Istanbul" with a picture of many cats. You will never see so many street cats as you do in Istanbul. The cats are not street cats in the sense of wild cats as they would be in the US. There is no fighting among them and they are all tame. Why? They may live on the street but everyone takes care of them. They even round them up to take them to the vet. It is a different way of having pets when people often live in very small apartments. You even see obviously very poor people petting them. The shops all put out food and water for them. There are some dogs too. If you want to pet one of them, it will come over. By the Galata Tower there are even some playful kittens--probably siblings.
After her lunch and a mandatory ice cream, AlteCocker repaired to air conditioner and had an early night.
July 28th was very similar. AlteCocker read during the day and exited late in the afternoon for a coffee and piece of apple pie at Latifa down Galip Dede Caddesi. Then she made a dinner sunset reservation at the rooftop restaurant at the Anemon Hotel adjacent to the Galata Tower. This was done because AlteCocker hates queues and there is always one to go up in the Galata Tower. It gets longer as the day wears on and AlteCocker does not fancy queueing anywhere--especially in the hot sun or when the queue is very long just before sunset. So, the solution was simply to go to a rooftop restaurant. No, the restaurant was not as high as the Galata Tower, but AlteCocker will settle for that view--and the 12 Turkish Lira she would have paid for the Galata Tower was put toward her meal. One thing about Turkish meals: either order appetizers or a main course. If you order both, it's too much food. Rather than ordering a dessert in the restaurant, AlteCocker had a expresso flavored Magnum on her walk home.
July 27th consisted of a 4 block walk to the Galata Tower where she looked at the long line of people waiting to go up and abandoned ship for lunch on a side street. The restaurant was called PePo Cafe and had a lovely shaded garden. She had shis kofte (Turkish mildly spicy meatballs). Time was also spent shopping and AlteCocker bought a nice silk scarf as a souvenir and a funny t-shirt. Since she has not bought much on her trip (aside from the new camera), a mild shopping indulgence was OK. By the way, she passed on a t-shirt that said "Turkish Tea Party" with a cup of tea. Maybe the "joke" for Americans was intentional, maybe not, but AlteCocker did not want to have to explain.
AlteCocker purchased instead a t-shirt that said "Istanbul" with a picture of many cats. You will never see so many street cats as you do in Istanbul. The cats are not street cats in the sense of wild cats as they would be in the US. There is no fighting among them and they are all tame. Why? They may live on the street but everyone takes care of them. They even round them up to take them to the vet. It is a different way of having pets when people often live in very small apartments. You even see obviously very poor people petting them. The shops all put out food and water for them. There are some dogs too. If you want to pet one of them, it will come over. By the Galata Tower there are even some playful kittens--probably siblings.
After her lunch and a mandatory ice cream, AlteCocker repaired to air conditioner and had an early night.
July 28th was very similar. AlteCocker read during the day and exited late in the afternoon for a coffee and piece of apple pie at Latifa down Galip Dede Caddesi. Then she made a dinner sunset reservation at the rooftop restaurant at the Anemon Hotel adjacent to the Galata Tower. This was done because AlteCocker hates queues and there is always one to go up in the Galata Tower. It gets longer as the day wears on and AlteCocker does not fancy queueing anywhere--especially in the hot sun or when the queue is very long just before sunset. So, the solution was simply to go to a rooftop restaurant. No, the restaurant was not as high as the Galata Tower, but AlteCocker will settle for that view--and the 12 Turkish Lira she would have paid for the Galata Tower was put toward her meal. One thing about Turkish meals: either order appetizers or a main course. If you order both, it's too much food. Rather than ordering a dessert in the restaurant, AlteCocker had a expresso flavored Magnum on her walk home.
July 29, 2014: Another Inside Day; A Good Meal
It was another damned scorcher in Istanbul. AlteCocker is sick of going outside only to be dripping sweat 10 minutes later. So, she chose to read, among others "The Museum of Innocence" by Orhan Pamuk, the Nobel Prize winning Turkish author whose museum of the same name she had visited earlier in the trip. She has read the book before, but the reread was inspired by the museum. Her Kindle (the one that was not stolen--thank goodness) makes it possible for AlteCocker to do a lot of reading on holidays without schlepping around batches of books. It also enables her to put guidebooks on the Kindle as well. The days of schlepping guidebooks for her are long gone (although she still sees plenty of guidebookschleppers--most carrying "Lonely Planet"--who have not gotten with the program.
Dinner was at a restaurant adjacent to the Galata Tower: Galata Kiva. This restaurant specializes in Anatolian food--as does the highly regarded Ciya on the Asian side--previously visited during her stay in Istanbul by AlteCocker. The meatballs with the cherries she had at Ciya were on the menu, but this time AlteCocker had an eggplant dish stuffed with chopped beef and spices. It was a very interesting meal--and a lot closer than schlepping across the Bosphorus to Ciya. AlteCocker is sorry she discovered this place so late in her stay.
By the time she ended her meal--and despite the fact that the sun had gone down--AlteCocker was sweating profusely and it was time to go "home" and take a shower and read some more.
Dinner was at a restaurant adjacent to the Galata Tower: Galata Kiva. This restaurant specializes in Anatolian food--as does the highly regarded Ciya on the Asian side--previously visited during her stay in Istanbul by AlteCocker. The meatballs with the cherries she had at Ciya were on the menu, but this time AlteCocker had an eggplant dish stuffed with chopped beef and spices. It was a very interesting meal--and a lot closer than schlepping across the Bosphorus to Ciya. AlteCocker is sorry she discovered this place so late in her stay.
By the time she ended her meal--and despite the fact that the sun had gone down--AlteCocker was sweating profusely and it was time to go "home" and take a shower and read some more.
July 30, 2014: Finished a book, a Mediocre Fish Dinner
Another hot one here in Istanbul. AlteCocker turned up the a/c and finished the bittersweet novel "The Hotel at the Corner of Bitter and Sweet" and reread more of Orhan Pamuk's "The Museum of Innocence". Finally she went out to get some dollars, as some of the ATMs give dollars, but, in the end, got Turkish lira that she will have to turn into dollars (getting ripped off twice because she does not yet have the use of an ATM card due to the burglary) so she will be certain of having dollars to change into Swedish kroner when she reaches Stockholm. Once she gets to the home exchange apartment in Stockholm, she has been told a new ATM card is there. One can hope it will work without further problems after all the aggravation.
Having obtained money from AKBank, AlteCocker went in search of dinner. She ended up at the Balikci fish restaurant off Istikal Caddesi just before the Galatassary Lycee. She has to say she was not content with her meal. She ordered fish kebabs and, while they looked nice, they had an oily taste. Some people were ordering huge fish by weight. With just one of her, AlteCocker did not need to do that. The meal was enlivened by a nice conversation with two Americans at an adjacent table--a woman and what appeared to be her son, both from Capitol Hill in Washington, DC. They were visiting Turkey, Egypt, Jordan and Israel. The mother was very adventurous and even tried to get a TOURIST visa for Saudi Arabia and was refused. The Saudis said they do not give out tourist visas. Who would want to go there anyway? Not AlteCocker. Sounds like they will have an adventure without Saudi Arabia and AlteCocker envies them the pyramids and Petra in Jordan, but not the heat.
Istikal Caddesi was absolutely mobbed, mostly with Turks visiting and celebrating the end of the Ramadan fast. It's a 4 day holiday in Turkey and everyone uses it to travel somewhere--some to see family, some to take vacations.
Tomorrow is house clean up and packing. A sortie must be made to change some of the Turkish lira into dollars. Other than that, AlteCocker is done in Istanbul and looks forward to cooler Stockholm.
AlteCocker is looking forward to a nice shower before bed--once the water comes back on. Oy, Istanbul!
Having obtained money from AKBank, AlteCocker went in search of dinner. She ended up at the Balikci fish restaurant off Istikal Caddesi just before the Galatassary Lycee. She has to say she was not content with her meal. She ordered fish kebabs and, while they looked nice, they had an oily taste. Some people were ordering huge fish by weight. With just one of her, AlteCocker did not need to do that. The meal was enlivened by a nice conversation with two Americans at an adjacent table--a woman and what appeared to be her son, both from Capitol Hill in Washington, DC. They were visiting Turkey, Egypt, Jordan and Israel. The mother was very adventurous and even tried to get a TOURIST visa for Saudi Arabia and was refused. The Saudis said they do not give out tourist visas. Who would want to go there anyway? Not AlteCocker. Sounds like they will have an adventure without Saudi Arabia and AlteCocker envies them the pyramids and Petra in Jordan, but not the heat.
Istikal Caddesi was absolutely mobbed, mostly with Turks visiting and celebrating the end of the Ramadan fast. It's a 4 day holiday in Turkey and everyone uses it to travel somewhere--some to see family, some to take vacations.
Tomorrow is house clean up and packing. A sortie must be made to change some of the Turkish lira into dollars. Other than that, AlteCocker is done in Istanbul and looks forward to cooler Stockholm.
AlteCocker is looking forward to a nice shower before bed--once the water comes back on. Oy, Istanbul!
July 31, 2014: ThE End, Changing Money, one Last meal, Goodbye
The last day in Istanbul was all about changing sheets, changing money and saying "goodbye" to some places in Istanbul.
First dealing with the laundry, a fresh sheet was placed on the bed and the old one laundered. AlteCocker will change the pillowcases in the morning and, by prearrangement, any other laundry will be left for her exchangers to finish up.
Then it was out to change some Turkish lira to dollars. Not sure it would be so easy to get Swedish money for lira so safer to have some dollars in case AlteCocker's credit card does not result in Swedish kroner being dispensed in Stockholm. The exchange rate was terrible, but without her ATM card, what is AlteCocker to do?
Lunch was at Cafe Privato on a side street. AlteCocker had gozleme--the Turkish version of a crepe. Cafe Privato is basically known for serving breakfast all day, but AlteCocker didn't want the full production--just the gozleme. She met some artists on some sort of project in Istanbul. We talked about the visual art work in the Istanbul Modern that dealt with head scarves and wigs. Very interesting people. AlteCocker had had menemen the last time at Cafe Privato and the waitress welcomed her back. Since she liked it so much the first time, AlteCocker had a strawberry lemonade and then a small hot mulberry tea to finish. Then it was off to Latifa for one last piece of apple pie. What to do? Return to the apartment and begin to pack.
This concludes the blog from Istanbul. To continue the trip with AlteCocker, the next blog will be Stockholm right here.
First dealing with the laundry, a fresh sheet was placed on the bed and the old one laundered. AlteCocker will change the pillowcases in the morning and, by prearrangement, any other laundry will be left for her exchangers to finish up.
Then it was out to change some Turkish lira to dollars. Not sure it would be so easy to get Swedish money for lira so safer to have some dollars in case AlteCocker's credit card does not result in Swedish kroner being dispensed in Stockholm. The exchange rate was terrible, but without her ATM card, what is AlteCocker to do?
Lunch was at Cafe Privato on a side street. AlteCocker had gozleme--the Turkish version of a crepe. Cafe Privato is basically known for serving breakfast all day, but AlteCocker didn't want the full production--just the gozleme. She met some artists on some sort of project in Istanbul. We talked about the visual art work in the Istanbul Modern that dealt with head scarves and wigs. Very interesting people. AlteCocker had had menemen the last time at Cafe Privato and the waitress welcomed her back. Since she liked it so much the first time, AlteCocker had a strawberry lemonade and then a small hot mulberry tea to finish. Then it was off to Latifa for one last piece of apple pie. What to do? Return to the apartment and begin to pack.
This concludes the blog from Istanbul. To continue the trip with AlteCocker, the next blog will be Stockholm right here.