I arrived in Istanbul to a round of rapturous applause as I walked out through customs. How delightful. It didn't take me long to work out it wasn't actually for me ... but I never did work out who it was for.
Hundreds of people jostled for position outside the entrance a few had names on cards and for the first time I had organised an airport transfer... but couldn't see my name. So I watched and everytime an obviously Muslim person came out through the doors (and there were plenty), the crowd broke out into applause. Why? Where had they been and what had they done? I will never know.
But before I fully arrive in Istanbul let me mention a couple of things.
A tiptoe all travellers, try to catch flights at sunset... it is magic to watch and lasts so long. Colours are intense and surround you and reflect and entertain and mesmerise and then... you are there.
Also, there may be MANY xray security pass-throughs, both in Madrid where I left and Istanbul where I arrived, but most had security guards having a nabber NOT watching the screen. Not that I care really, I mean I reckon terrorism will be getting more sophisticated than that...
Also, there may be MANY xray security pass-throughs, both in Madrid where I left and Istanbul where I arrived, but most had security guards having a nabber NOT watching the screen. Not that I care really, I mean I reckon terrorism will be getting more sophisticated than that...
Anyhow my eyes kept searching the crowd eventually I found my sign and the man asked me to wait while he fetched the driver (apparently his role was purely sign holding and he had a few other names for other hotels too). I waited, he came, I followed, we loaded up and we drove off.
HOLY FUCK! Have you seen how they drive in Turkey? Mad Fuckers! They change lanes every few seconds, don't indicate, don't slowdown and just hooooooonk. And my driver was the worst - any car he saw in front of him, literally, was a challenge... something to catch up with and then zoom around. Not only that, he then decides to get on TWO, I repeat TWO mobile phones. Now I'm not sure how much ENglish he knew but he pretty much ignored me and then put on a tourism video, loud and on loop. I just sat back and prayed - well, my version (fuck, fuck, I don't wanna die fuck please etc).
When we arrived I poured myself out of the car (I was jelly-like) and headed into the hotel.. no fucking way was he getting a tip!
The hotel was all good - except the internet which would be the bane of my week there.
Day 1 and I was woken before 6am to the sound of the local mosques call to prayer. Quite a beautiful wake-up call if it wasn't so friggin early! Had a huge buffet spread (that we had each morning and I routinely grazed over for well over 2 hours -mainly coz I was up early anyway and could get internet in the dining room!) and then it was time to head out there.
My first morning I headed off by foot and was immediately overwhelmed as you always are in a new big city. The noises, the clamour, the traffic, the people, the shops. I had a vague plan to head for "the Old City" - you know all the big name stuff but in Turkey it seems there are a few main roads and then many little maze-like small streets that are rarely signposted. Maps are totally inaccurate. I asked people and discovered far fewer spoke any ENglish but all were willing to point in general directions.
I was struck by the fact that to make gettin around by foot a tad more difficult - already dodgy, wonky and overcrowded footpaths - there were frequent traps set to swallow you whole. That is, basement shops had stairwells leading down to them... no protective railings, no warning signs... just a gaping hole and stairs!
In the first 10 minutes I'd also witnessed a man blatanty swapping his licence plates on his truck, a tram stop between stops so the driver could have a chat with mates, 2 cars drive down footpaths (there were pesky road blocks in their way!) I took to crossing roads only when running parallel to other people - essentially they were my human shields!
Anyhoo, I love wanderin around observing people and their daily lives... soon I found myself at a tram stop and kinda worked out how the ticketing worked and filed that in my memory for later... kept strolling, stopping and staring - ah the priveleges of being a tourist. Found myself at the Grand bazaar - cool! But as this was day 1 and I'd already meandered for a bit I just wanted to stay on the outskirts, I didn't explore fully but dipped in my toe!
Here are my phone notes and some pics:
Again the prayer floats over the top of all that is happening - the hustle-bustle, the honking, the bartering... an insistent, gentle wave that entrances me - I'm sure if I understood what was being sung, I'd shudder. God just ain't my main man in any religion!
Scarves, shoes, hats, perfume - shit I don't want, don't like and don't need.
A man trying to sell me black socks, another Rollex watches anothr perfume fakes. Nup, nup and nup
Turn left - cool the book alley - can't read but more interesting. Cats everywhere. People have left small piles of food at random. Nice. Kittens in amongst bric-a-brac.
I am speaking Spanish accidently, automatically, ineptly. Why? I am confusing stall holders (and myself) who start to reply in just as inept Spanish asking where I am from - I say Australia... I get a nodding smiling "AussieAussieAussie...." NNNNOOOoooooo! I realise that subconsciously my Spanish is a response to Mirar, Mirar (look, look) - that the stall holders call out... not sure what it means in Turkish or even if i'm hearing it right. Their yelling is a machine-gun fire into the crowds - a glad-bag of languages to startle and attract all tourists - I hear what I believe to be welcomes in English, Spanish, German, poss Japanese, Turkish, French and Russian
A
A hybrid of spanish hola hola hola
Got a minute to contemplate in sun... How s
Best to spend an afternoon?
Bahaha spice-girls stop and Jaz is with me
A night of strange local magic as I catch acferry up the golden horn- taking of my headphones to listen to the local soundtrack my ears are greeted by the dischordant clash of at least 5 large mosques calling to prayer the sound accompanied by the jackhammering put a smaller boats all of itbpunces off the water i had hoped would be golden but clouds prevent that.
The city sprawls in every direction on one side the more modern face- theother side there is greater evidence of the past, though it too is bathed in the florescent glow of light calling tourist to... Shop it would seem. As we float along, on one side, lit miniarets creat exotic lighthouse towers over the water as night descends, it is 5pm!
It takes but a few stops and suburbia is revealed- I will come back for a sticky beak when it is exposed for all it's glory by daylight
Brave flocks of birds bob in water like a pack of dogs playing on a highway, this river is busy
Water rides are holidays for me, I become immediately contemplative, happy
Keeps thinking I am being pickpocketed but really I it things in the wrong place
Touts following tLking asking... Working hard
Corn at fountAin
An odd tumbling tribe of young teen boys- I put them at. 10 but turns out 10-14 escaped school or waggers certainly bold and funny fascinated by my watch, tattoo and mo! Funny I
Teravtipn I felt like a statue with a flock of cheeky seagulls o think they were trying to make me say rude things (little did they know I'd havebeenhappy to showing off there English George at random yes thank-you I from turkey dog cat fuck etc
Walk outbof the bazaar it is night
2 lira soup the sound of ululation
As they close the sound of clicking backgammon played fast
Men men men as far as the eye can see
To the man on the crowded tram with your hand in your pocket feeling my ass please know:
A/ You did a bad job
B/ I farted
Kamsi man barrow running at police
Driving parking pedestrians beeeep
Man with bows and arrows
DAY TRIP TO KADIKOY
It is an oddly overcast day – is it low hung wispy clouds, fog or pollution that obscures the horizon? Whatever it is, it leaves imprinted in it the ghostly shapes of tankers and ferries jostling in the water, in front of a backdrop of ancient mosques and an over-crowded metropolis. I am at Kadikoy, joining the locals for what appears to be a weekend ritual of drinking cay (tea) on plastic chairs overlooking the Bosphorous separating Western Istanbul – the Asian side where it is somewhat more affordable to live - from old and more touristy East Istanbul. I drink my tea with one sugar – I don’t even ask for milk… I haven’t seen any since I have arrived, it would be sacrilege. The tea served in a glass with paper-wrapped sugar cubes on the side… as always here, it is a little bitter.
Two boys, maybe 7yrs old… scurry along the fence line that separates the paved drinking area from the sloping park to the waters edge. They are selling tissues – I cannot communicate but I ask the young men at the next table to translate for me – I buy I packet and watch them continue. Minutes later I see them sprint and slide under bushes. I am not sure why they are hiding… I can’t see police. A dog is barking, are they afraid? I won’t ever know.
20 minutes later and a young girl maybe 10 is approaching table sto sell tissues and pens. Fuck. Most avoid eye-contact and ignore her. Her teeth are shithouse… so is her life if this is any indication. I must say though, while there are many signs of poverty there are fewer beggars and touts around Istanbul than the rest of Europe... at least on the tourist side..
People are free to sit here as long as they choose and it is clear that they stay a while… some have brought a packed lunch, many have brought pastries (I’ll know next time!) some are family groups, some are couples. The table of 3 men in their 20s beside me have 9 empty tea glasses on their table… I wonder how many more they’ll gather before they leave? I wonder how long/how many before I need to find a loo – the perennial problem of tourists… in Turkey I don’t even know how to ask, and I haven’t liked the ones I have been to – I often race into the hotel room at the end of a day of touristing.
To get here I caught a little funicular from the markets I had been to days before. It was like an old-school tram (like really old-school), only miniature, toy-like… I’ll walk back and soak in the vibe of the Western side … a slightly younger funkier edge. But in a really dumpy sense – fashion here is so samey, so K-mart/Target… though it seems to be purchased at market stalls. Subtle fashion distinctions can only be found in hair or jewellery … or maybe I haven’t found the “alternative” arty folk her or maybe they don’t see the need to mark and proclaim themselves through dress. I may never know.
When I walk back (no funicular this time, I want to soak in more sights) it’ll be via the market, which I loved last time… food of all descriptions including roasted sheep’s (I assume, could be goat) heads – I was actually tempted they smelt great but would have been awkward to eat in the hotel room!, pickled everything, fresh fruit, spices, dried fruit, fresh honey-comb (with bees still attached!), meat, fish etc The fish looks amazingly fresh and the fish I have eaten has been great. One thing was a little disconcerting though, as well as the many stands of fish, there were buckets of live fish swimming in with freshly killed fish… that must do their heads in!
Last time I came to this side I wandered around and discovered the antique/second-hand strip. It was cool – burrowing into cavey shops seeing beautiful bits mixed in with absolute tacky shite… couldn’t afford the beautiful bits unfortunately! I saw this instrument made of a pumpkin and thought of all my gardening mates when there is an over-abundance o pumpkins next time we might have to give this a crack!
Oh and why was this man sitting smoking with a fire-extinguisher… most people just butt them out. Life’s mysteries!
O yeah, a strange thing happened on the way here – my first incident of randomly running into someone from Australia in 4 months of travelling. And who was it? A friend, a colleague, an ex-student? Nup, my sister’s ex-husband! Go figure! On a domestic transport ferry … not even in the many meccas of tourism that are here. Weird huh?
My Plan for the day was simple – come here on Michael’s recommendation (good one!) and write post-cards/blog… only one prob forgot to buy postcards on the tourist side and haven’t seen any here. Oh well. A simple day because I want to be home early enough to pack ready for my trip to Izmir tomorrow. I go for 1 week - then I’ll be back in Istanbul for 3 days before heading for Singapore … OMFG – it’s all fast-forwarding all of a sudden the end is nigh, reality beckons… the upside? My friends, my bed and ready access to dunnies! ;)
After finishing this... the squat dunny, wandering around and home and stuff
sticky-tape obsession
