Istanbul Turkish Delight

July 17, 2012

In between packing and unpacking on Monday we managed to take a Hop on Hop Off bus (Hoppy) which takes you on a tour around town and allows you to hop off at stops where there are things to see and get back on later. They have head phones and play information about all of the stuff as you go.

The first day we just decided to hop on and stay on so we could get a general idea of the lay of the land. We were both fairly ignorant about Istanbul. All that stuff about Ottomans and stuff just flew by me in history, but this city has been a major city since 660BC. It was known as Constantinople for sixteen centuries (at this point I pause to remind my self that our country has been around for a little over two centuries,) when it became Istanbul. The city sans two continents, Europe and Asia, and has been the melting pot for cultures, but religions. There is a lot of old shit here.

To some extent it appears that some of the old buildings are just allowed to decay and fall down. You will see occupied buildings, and right in between them is a building that is literally falling down. As with most old cities the streets are wide and narrow, straight and crooked, some with signs, most without. Compulsive signage and need for direction seems to be an American thing. There are no maps that serve any useful purpose. It has taken me two days and much wandering and questions to random strangers to find out where and which one of those amazing buildings are the major "must see" monuments like the Hagia Sofia, the Blue Mosque and the Basilica Cistern. We are admittedly at a little bit of a handicap because my phone won't get a signal so I have no data to do maps with while we are out and about.

There are few lights in Istanbul, but I don't think it matters much. Driving seems to be a matter of do whatever works. Cars go both ways on one way streets, if the traffic going one way is too heavy the motor scooters just go the wrong way on the sidewalk park with two wheels on the side walks on major roads, just tucked in so traffic can fly by. Marked lanes appear to be just suggestions. Pedestrians appear to be targets and crossing the street, any street is a life and death matter requiring your full attention. The cars do not stop.

The people, at least the men, appear to be friendly, but usually trying to sell you something. The women do not speak, to us, or engage in any way. Today I realized why this whole comedy of calling out to people to get their attention so you can sell them something is so irritating. In the states if some one calls to us either by name or otherwise it is rude not to answer, unless your obviously dealing with a crazy person, because people in the states do not call out to you unless they know you, want to ask for directions, want to tell you that you left something or dropped something, or some other reason having nothing to do worth trying to hustle you. So, we are conditioned to respond when someone class to us. It is a hard conditioning to break, and just ignoring someone seems rude and then brings up all kinds of cultural guilt. When this whole tragic comeday is played out every two minutes you are out of your hotel it is a little tiring.
I'm not saying I don't love Istanbul, I do. The food is to die for, everywhere you look there is another amazing building, or some spectacular old stuff. Monday night we took the night time Hoppy and we were taken to Asia, up a hill in a residential neighborhood (why is it the rich always seem to live on the hill?) to an outdoor restaurant to have Turkish coffee and some delicious rice pudding while watching God and man's collaboration of just the right amount of smog and a sunset.

The ride back down the hill was a visual treat also. There are two major bridges that span the two parts of Istanbul on either side of the waterway known as the Golden Horn, in addition to the bridge that takes you across the bay between Europe and Asia. At night these bridges as well as several other land marks are lit up in brilliant manner, creating an ocular treat.