Istanbul, day two

Our second day in Istanbul was as good as the first. Today started with shopping at the Grand Bazaar, a market that has been going since 1461. It was absolutely massive, and impossible to keep track of where you were or where you’d been. Turkish rugs, beautiful lamps, and on and on. Then the Spice Market, and lots of streetside markets in between the two. We picked up some amazing Turkish souveniers (so much for traveling light with just backpacks)…

In the afternoon we did a traditional Turkish Bath. Think spa treatment and massage…but with a large and aggressive Turkish man scrubbing you with a lufa and beating you to within an inch of your life. I can’t say it was a relaxing experience, but it was an experience. Jodi said she loved it. The setting was amazing though, this bath opened in 1741 and has operated continuously ever since.

At night we walked along the popular tourist street, had dinner, and headed to bed. Tomorrow is a travel day. Off to Dacca, Bangladesh for a long layover and then on to Bangkok!

Istanbul!

After spending the day traveling from Switzerland to Turkey, we got a good night sleep and had our first full day in Istanbul.  We covered a lot of ground in one day including seeing the Sultan’s Palace, a massive unergtound cistern, several mosques, and just getting lost wandering around the city streets.

And the stray dogs and cats. But what is so unusual here is that they are so well cared for. The shop owners provide food and water, and are happy to have them. We even passed one that had its own Instagram account.  We definitely got the feeling the animals are a higher priority than people are, for example a cat that was sprawled out blocking the entrance to a coffee shop and had no intention of moving. Nor did the owner have any intention of moving it. Really nice to see see them so well taken care of.

It’s really interesting being in such a dramatically different culture. It’s predominantly muslim here, and hearing the call to prayer over the loud speakers across the city regularly is unique.  I also managed a rare sighting of Jodi in her hajab (required for women to enter some religious sites here).

We finished the day with great Turkish food and Turkish delight (candy).