10
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What a great way to start the tour. A Bosphorus cruise is a beautiful way to see a lot of the city. We soaked in the sun, and got a bit wind-blown enjoying the grand vistas.
TurkeyThrills
#8
Bosphorus Cruise
ISTANBUL
PART 2 - THE TOUR BEGINS
The Turkish lira is the currency in Turkey. You can easily obtain cash at the airport or around the city at ATMs. Some US banks charge extra fees for international withdrawals. Find out what your bank's policies are before traveling.
I have an account through an online bank solely for the purpose of travel transactions because they charge no fees and reimburse for any extra ATM fees. This is worth it if you travel a lot.
1 US dollar = 2.2 TL
Our first tour hotel, Hotel Azade, had an amazing view of the Marmara sea from the rooftop breakfast area. Burak, was our young, energetic guide. He lives in Istanbul and has a vast knowledge of ancient history - how perfect! Over the next few days we would take a boat ride on the Bosphorus, walk through the Spice Market and Grand Bazaar, have our jaws dropped by the glorious interiors of both the Blue Mosque and Hagia Sophia, and sample a bit of modern Instanbul in the New Town - Istikal Cadessi neighborhood. We were in good hands and ready for our turkish adventure.
Meet the group
Istikal Cadessi
TurkeyThrills
#7
Topkapı Palace
10
TOP
A magic carpet ride into opulence. I loved seeing the colorful Iznik tiles up close. Separate buildings house displays of the sultan's jewels and religious relics.
on to Ankara!
The Grand Bazaar is a maze of beautiful arcades and vaulted passageways. So easy to get lost. There is everything you would find at a mall or drugstore along with carpets galore. The Spice Market is more food-centeric, offering turkish delight, dried fruit, nuts and of coarse, spices.
Turkish 101
hello merhaba (mehr-hah-bah)
good
morning günaydin (gew-ni-duhn)
yes/no evet/hayir (eh-veht/hah-yur)
please lütfen (lewt-fehn)
goodbye güle güle (gew-leh gew-leh)
thank you teşekkür (teh-shehk-kewr-
very much ederim eh-deh-reem)
Stay Informed
Protests broke out while we were in Istanbul. The government-planned destruction of a small park near Takism Square sparked the protests, but they soon grew to involve thousands of younger generation Turks in all the major cities crying out against the Prime Minister's increasing authoritarianism. Peaceful protests were met with tear gas and water cannon. Our
guide, Burak, kept us informed of the current situation and made sure we were never in harm. It was so interesting to hear his take on what was going on - a real education in modern day Turkish politics. If you are not with a tour group, the US State Deptartment website is a good resource to find up-to-date travel alerts.