Follow Us Two: In Europe and the UK: Day 25 to 29

Day 1

Our arrival on the Asian side of Istanbul was marked by what is probably the worst landing we had both experienced in our lives, and the queue for "other nationalities" at the airport was about 45 minutes long. We landed at 9pm and had decided on booking a night of accommodation at the airport, after struggling to find the right accommodation in Istanbul - the old city. After the long wait in the line to get our passports stamped, we were starting to regret this decision less and less. When it was our turn to have our passports stamped, we stepped to the plate and handed over our green mambas. The border official paged through them slowly with a confused look and then said to us " where are your visa's?" I think both our stomachs turned, but we quickly pulled it together and boldy said we don't need visas! To this, there was a lot of shouting in Turkish and then we were escorted into a back room with a gentlemen sitting at a desk alone. We thought this was it, we were about to be sent back home! But it seemed the travel Gods were on our sides and there was a further discussion in Turkish, and a big red free visa stamp! We were sent on our way into the mighty Turkey.

After this treatment (yes, Aussies have to pay) we were growing founder of Turkey and their treatment of our passports. On arrival, at the airport hotel, we were informed that we had received a room upgrade from the cheap broom closet we had booked - to a suite. Blown away by this gesture, we got a early night and planned our trip into Istanbul the following day.

Day 2

We woke up early and prepared ourselves for our trip into Istanbul - which we knew was going to be a little bit more complicated than just catching the train, as we had done so easily in the past. After much discussion with the hotel (and the realization that it was a public holiday) we were told to catch a bus from the airport to Taksim Square, and then catch a taxi to our hostel. In theory, we seemed to be sorted. Once on the bus the bus driver shouted Saltanahamet which is where we were heading, so we raised our hands and let him know thats where we were headed. He paired us up with a Turkish girl who could not speak a word of English and said we should share a taxi. Blindly, we agreed and headed deeper into Istanbul listening to our Turkish taxi driver and new Turkish guide discuss where we were staying. Unbeknownst to us, it was a day of protest in Istanbul and most of the roads were closed. Eventually we arrived at the Sultan hostel and when we were checking in we asked the receptionist if it was a public holiday and he said "no today people fight". It was supposedly all over CNN.

Our Sultan Hostel is vibrant and traditionally Turkish. The tables are covered with what would probably be used as a persian carpet on the floor, in South Africa. One of the main selling points is live sport with English commentary so we were happy to catch some Champions league in English.

However, after a questionable ride in, we decided to have a walk around to get something to eat and find our bearings. We soon found that our hostel could not be better situated; approximately two streets down from the Blue Mosque, Hagai Sophia and Topaki Palace.

After seeing the Blue Mosque at night we headed back to our Hostel and had dinner with three Australian travelers on similar journeys to us.

Day 3

We woke up to a Hostel breakfast and headed up to Hagia Sophia. We were blown away, both by the length of the line to get into Hagia Sophia, and the history of it. Hagia Sophia served as an Eastern Orthodox cathedral and seat of the Patriarchate of Constantinople (Christian Church), and was later converted into a Mosque, and finally today it is a museum. After Sophia, we headed up to the Grand Bazaar which has served as a market place for centuries. At the Grand Bazaar we were offered "genuine fake watches" which we politely declined. Sadly we were not in the market for some genuinely fake watches or any of the other genuinely fake products available. It was more window shopping as our budgets and bags are a little small.

Turkey is such an amazing and unique country - and an interesting mix of east and west. Turkish Delight, and Apple Tea are two of the most delicious flavors that you'll find on every corner. Backgammon is "the" game to play here, and instead of bobbing your head to music - you have to whistle and twirl to dance. At this time of the year, it's chilly in the mornings and evenings, but is boiling hot (gets up to 34 degrees) in the day. The people are very friendly, and take pride in their country flying their flag off everything. The currency (Turkish Lira) is a bit stronger than ours, but you only have to multiply everything by 5 - instead of by 12 for the Euro. The streets are close to spotless, but Istanbul is definitely designed for Tourists, so will be interesting to head further down South to the coast. There are lots of stray cats and dogs walking around, but it was interesting to find out that the people protested against putting them down if not adopted (SPCA) - so instead they all have tags for a data system, and get injections and check up's done regularly. While we didn't touch them, we got told you most definitely can. What has blown us away, specifically, is how much world relevant history there is in Turkey!

After a long day on our feet, we were in the market for some cold drinks at our hostel with our new Australian friends who were very interested in what South Africa was like, and maybe a bit disappointed to find out that it was not the Wild West they had imagined. They still seem to believe that we'll all be in Perth one day.

Day 4

We had decided to stay an extra two nights in Istanbul and we were lucky that the Sultan hostel had two beds for us. The only catch was that we had to "upgrade" from a 8 bed ensuite dorm, to a 10 bed dorm with no windows. The advantage of staying an extra two nights was that we could see more of Istanbul, as well as jump onto a BusAbout Tour for the rest of our Turkey Adventure. After moving into our room upgrade, we headed to Topaki Palace. A complex which was the home to the Sultans and treasury for the Ottoman Empire. At its peak it housed up to 4000 people. It was packed with tourists mainly because the museum has a number of relics from the Muslim world, as well as a 82 carat diamond. We also saw many items of clothing, weapons and jewelry from disciples. We were assured that these weren't genuine fakes! We also saw one of the first map in the world, of the world - from 1480!

Fed up with the hoards of tourists outside the Palace, we headed down to the Gelata bridge where we had been told you can buy fresh fish sandwiches. The Gelata bridge looks a bit like the Durban docks on a Saturday as it is lined with fisherman all catching the fish for fish sandwiches. At the end of the bridge is a fresh fish market, where once you get over the fish smell you can get a fresh fish sandwich for R25. Definitely the best meal we have had in Turkey. It is not necessary to check the time in Turkey as the constant call to prayer from all the mosques works as a perfect guideline. Even in our Hostel at 5am, we were woken by the call to pray from the Blue Mosque.

Day 5

Today we didn't do much as it was a Sunday. We had planned to take a boat tour, but a large amount of mist had settled over the Bosphorus waters. Probably not a bad thing, as it wasn't the cheapest tour. We did, however, walk to the bridge again as I was craving another Fish Sandwich - so I dragged Ash along with me in search of one.

We strolled back to the hostel, and met up with tons of other travelers - and drank a few beers while watching Man City and Arsenal play. The streets were full with people dancing - for a Sunday it was very festive!

It was sad to say goodbye to all the awesome people we had met in Istanbul. But it was time to move on and explore the rest of Turkey!

Next Stop: BusAbout Tour 7am Departure