Because the trams were so packed we walked to the palace. A pleasant enough experience and we are getting really good now at pushing off hawkers. Basically we just completely ignore them! And even if they walk next to us, we keep eyes front and don't speak to each other either because then they will know we speak English.
We found the palace easily enough and it was a gentle downhill walk, until we reached the bottom gate. Here we might have had a long walk up the hill and the temperature was already rising toward 30 degrees even though it was only about 9am. I say might have, because for a small tip (2 Lira) we got a ride up. This saved a lot of time and sweat.
The palace itself was quite impressive in terms of size, not a single building but rather a walled enclosure containing a number of buildings each serving a purpose (library, kitchens, etc). Many rooms display jewels and gold items such as hats and swords, all in the Ottoman style which to us looks kind of Arabic (curly toe shoes, curved swords, big jeweled hats etc).
The palace also commands fantastic views out over the Golden Horn and Bosphorus and the gentle sea breeze overlooking the water is most refreshing.
The highlight is the Harem which is the most impressive area including the Saltan's bedroom.
There is extra cost to enter the Harem and the majority of tourists don't choose to enter, so we enjoyed this most due to the lesser crowds and serenity. Thankfully these days men are allowed to enter, not just eunichs.
Once out of the palace, we headed to the Archaeological Museum nearby although took a wrong turn that cost us a decent walk in the hot sun. The museum has a large collection of recovered artifacts both inside and out. Inside is well laid out while outside there are stone columns and artifacts laid in an orderly manner around the grounds.
By now the day was rather hot, so a good excuse to retire back to the hotel to see if Helen's bag had turned up. It still had not, however we received another email from Turkish Airlines to inform us the bag had been located in Los Angeles, and is on a flight arriving late afternoon in Istanbul. Will we see the bag tonight?
Helen was keen to take solace in the air conditioning of the hotel to wait out the hottest part of the day. While she rested, I ventured out onto the local streets. We're just a little off the tourist route here, the shops still cater to tourists (handbags, clothes, food etc) but are much quieter. Most shopkeepers sit outside on little stools. Some sit in the middle of the street playing backgammon. I sat on the pavement edge with my camera watching it all, and became a curiosity to the shopkeepers. They were keen to make a new friend and before I knew it I was surrounded. Most are not native to Turkey, instead are from Albania, Croatia, Serbia etc. They spoke just enough English we could hold a conversation. We talked about the weather, New Zealand, and ANZACs which they all knew about. Some were very keen to have their photo taken, these are very proud men.
Eventually I retired to the hotel also for a cold shower, then later in the afternoon we headed out again.
Goal #2 still awaited. A long back to where we were this morning, took us to Hagia Sophia. Apart from its size, the outside isn't so impressive, it almost looks unfinished. However inside is quite awe inspiring with incredibly high ceilings and gold mosaics. There is a cobblestone ramp, rather than stairs, to reach the upper level and it goes around several times. From upstairs, the view is more impressive and the many windows allow commanding views of the surrounding mosques and sea.
After this, a well earned dinner awaited. We sat roadside and ate from a local place to watch the world go by. The food was great and the experience unbeatable. The food was simple but just what we wanted and very cheap costing the equivalent of NZ$20 for more than we could eat!
On the way back to the hotel we purchased a selection of Turkish Delights to try. Definitely enjoy the fruity variety over nuts. Helen thought she was clever when another Turkish Delight shopkeeper tried to entice her in, she held up her bag to show she had already purchased, to which the comeback was "they're no good you need to try ours".
The hotel reception had been chasing the courier in Istanbul who now has Helen's suitcase, trying really hard to get it delivered tonight. They were told the suitcase will arrive by 10am tomorrow. Helen's holding up well and doesn't smell too bad yet! When, oh when, will it arrive?
No comments:
Post a Comment