...Istanbul...

..I am off to a bad start here..

Generally, I don’t like big cities very much. For me, they are too noisy, too much traffic, too many people, often covered in smog, and the division from rich to poor is too evident.

Furthermore, I can’t get myself loving a city just because of its architecture, history and touristic sights alone!

Yes, all of the above play an important part of how a city is perceived and how it attracts visitors from all over the world. However, how a city feels, its people, its food, how welcome I feel as a tourist and do I get some value for money are all important factors to me.

But also, some ‘behind the scene’ information can make a difference of how much I like a place or not. And there are, without a doubt, and like in many large cities in this world, some dark sides to Istanbul too!

Istanbul is a fascinating city built on two Continents, divided by the Bosporus Strait. It is the boundary between Europe and Asia. It is considered the country's economic, cultural and historic capital. The city has a population of over 15 million residents, comprising 19% of the population of Turkey, and is the most populous city in Europe and the world's fifteenth-largest city… Wiki

..It's a monster..

Cruising along the Marmara Sea which connects the Bosporus Strait and the Mediterranean Sea towards the Princes’ Islands gives one a very good idea how big this city is. Miles after miles of densely populated areas along the Asian coast with little recreational green spaces makes me wonder what sort of quality of life people have to endure. And it appears, judging by the amount of cranes in view, that there are new suburbs created in many places all the time. 

Yes, there are lovely sites Rebecca and I both enjoyed to visit and see. The area around The Blue Mosque, Topkapi Palace, the souks, Galata Bridge, Galata Tower etc are worth a visit.

In those places though, I didn’t have the same positive feeling of being as welcome as outside the big city. Turkish people in Istanbul are different to the ones I got to love so much whilst in the countryside.

..Money is King..

And everyone wants some! Not many price labels can be found and if there are any, this does not necessarily mean this is the price of the goods. One gets overcharged in too many cases unless you are prepared to haggle over everything.

Why do I need to haggle over the price of 500g of baklava I wonder, why is there no price on the menu for a doner kebab?

It's constant. One can’t walk 100m without being approach to buy something, or being offered any services from lifts, to city tours, a haircut or to be taken to the best restaurant in town.  

Unfortunately, little respect for one’s privacy is shown which is a shame but is their way to make a living. 

I thought, some of Istanbul’s attractions were well overpriced. Sometimes there were ways around it though like instead of paying GBP 27 per person to go on top of Galata Tower which offers spectacular views over the Golden Horn, Bosporus Strait, Marmara Sea and the town, we went to the rooftop bar of the Daru Sultan Hotel where you end up having pretty much the same views and you can have a drink in quiet at the same time for a quarter of the price!

Well, this was a winner for once!

But then we got fleeced again, trying to get a ticket for the ferry ride from the European side to the Asian side of Istanbul. It was pretty early morning and as we approached the ticket machine the nicely dressed, official looking gentleman who stood next to the machine explained that the card reader wasn’t working. So he got a bundle of tickets out of his pocket (it looked all very official) and we paid him cash for it. About 10 times as much as the normal ticket should have cost… how silly and embarrassing to admit to it!

However, we had more luck with the shoe cleaners scam!

The shoe cleaner walks passed you and ‘accidentally’ drops his brush, as he did. Most people then bend over, catch up with the man and give the brush back. One is then invited to having the shoes polished and after the work is done, the ‘free polish’ turns into a ‘misunderstanding’ and it was never offered for free but instead an overinflated price is charged…

As I clearly wasn’t going to accept his offer, I was farewelled by a rather rude gesture with his hand… I hope it didn’t hurt him too much when squeezing his shaft… Winner!

..The backstreets..

This is the touristy side of things. Rebecca and I then also spent time to explore the backstreets of Istanbul. What a difference! All of sudden we were able to roam freely. Well, I guess the shop owners had little hope to sell us a chainsaw, compressor or some castors for a trolley…

It was refreshing to be part of that side of Istanbul, where people were providing a service rather than trying to sell cheap for expensive! We found ourselves eating local food at local prices, buying some small parts for the bike without having to feel we got fleeced again and we enjoyed the interactions with those, down to earth local people. It was interesting for us to wander around those small, inter-twisted backstreets, finding out a bit more how the Turks in Istanbul work, trade and live.   

Don’t let me stop you from going to Istanbul though! We are all seeking something different and whilst I was disappointed in some ways, you might find all the things you want to find!

But there are two people who created a lasting memory in Istanbul: @guevenlercam a graphic designer from Istanbul whom I’ve met in Kayseri and he gave me some good tips how to cut the journey to Batumi shorter & @dunyambilgisaya who gave us some good advise how to transport Rebecca's bike to the airport so we didn’t get fleeced again…😊. Thanks to both of you!