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TD2

More Turkish treats

By Carl Fisher

January 5^th, 2020

The Bos

After a few days in the city, it seemed appropriate to venture onto the waterway that separates the European from the Asian side so I hopped on one of the many tourist boats that ply the water of the Bosphorus. It included multi-language audio guide and a cup of tea. Neither one of these turned out quite the way I expected. Unless you were directly under the speakers and nowhere near the outer edges, it was very hard to make out what they were saying. And if you weren't paying attention, your language would fly by without you noticing. And the tea? Well it was good, but after it was passed to me by the tea handler, he just stood there, apparently waiting for his payment. He had definitely not gotten the memo from the tour folks. The easiest path at that point was to fork over a couple of lira and enjoy.

Fleaing

I enjoy being a tourist, but I don't enjoy doing typical tourist things all the time. It's nice to mix it up. One place worth checking out mentioned to me by my AirBnb hosts was the flea market, which, fortunately for me, was happening the following day. I wasn't looking for anything in particular and didn't want to have to schlep a hefty find back to the US with me (unless it was truly amazing), but there can be enjoyment in just looking at what people are trying to unload. There were plenty of tchotchkes to peruse, although not a one that I was truly tempted to buy.

Palatial

There's so much to see and such rich history at Topkapi Palace that a guided tour was in order. I booked it and arrived ten minutes early. I didn't want to miss any of the bon mots that would soon be forthcoming. Unfortunately, I got my tours mixed up and was at the cisterns, a tour of which didn't actually start for several hours. By the time I realized my mistake and hoofed it over to the palace, my assigned group was nowhere to be found. Bummer. Oh well. I had my trusty camera and plenty of potential content to consume. I didn't get the lurid stories, but I did get my fill of grandeur.

Tilin

You can never have too much tile, if tastefully done.

Wrap

My final full day in Istanbul and I still hadn't made it to the top of Galata Tower, even though it was only a couple of blocks from where I was staying. Every other time I had been there, the lines to get in were massive. I arrived at ~9:15, shortly after opening and had to wait only a few minutes to get into the queue for the elevator. After a short ride and a few more steps, I was able to take in the impressive 360 view. It was a satisfying culmination of my time in this magical city. Three full days was not nearly enough to take it all in, but my appetite was sufficiently whetted for a return visit in the near future.