Travel to Turkey, Istanbul.

First and foremost we have to say how much we loved this city. The city itself is beautiful, and enjoying a cup of Turkish coffee while the call to prayer echoes around you is enchanting, but what made it amazing were the people. We have been to a lot of places and can safely say that we have never felt so welcomed or had people go so far out of their way to help us as the Turks did. It all started with me (pat on the back for Sarah) picking the best hostel to stay at. The New Backpackers Hostel/Siva Cafe in Sultanahmet (the old town) was a very excellent choice, even if I do say so myself. The room was a good size, clean and nicely decorated, but what made it so super special were the people that worked there. Abdullah (better known as Al Pacino), Joseph and Hakan made our stay a memorable one.

Read more at http://www.travelblog.org

Travel to Turkey, Marmara, Istanbul.

Entered the Dardanelles around 11.30 last night and then into the Sea of Marmara early this morning and after daylight (we were up to see sunrise over the Sea of Marmara) into the Straits of Bosphorus - our Turkish pilot boarded around 7.30 and guided us into the port, bit of ducking and diving as its a very busy area with loads of ferries going in all directions from one side of Turkey to the other. Having being to Istanbul (5 days in 2009) before, we decided to just walk and soak up the atmosphere of this city, we love Istanbul, its quite mystical and a shopping mecca. Walked 12kms today around town, went to the Galatas Tower which we had not been to before and had a great view over the city and the Bosphorus. Then to the Spice Bazaar to buy up on BBQ spices etc and then to the Grand Bazaar to buy some leather bags, wallet and leather jacket. Very good quality and good prices - could have bought a Birkin Bag for $450 but decided to buy two others for the price of that

Read more at http://www.travelblog.org/

Travel to Turkey, Marmara, Istanbul.

Today was a busy day! I woke early, took a relaxing shower, and went to the roof for a nee breakfast of eggs, olives, cucumbers and cheese. In the reviews for the hotel, some people complained about the breakfast, but this is typical arabic breakfast - a lot of light options. There were meats, bread, cereal, yogurt, fried potatoes as well.

We then walked to my friends hotel nearby and waited for our personal tour to arrive. Sibel was our guide and she was fantastic! She seemed a little shy to start but soon she just became a wealth of valuable information. We started at the area of the Hippodrome and she explained the previous chariot races and the extent of it. She knew not to go to the Blue Mosque at the moment because it was packed with tourists; she said the crowds would thin in the afternoon.

Read more at http://www.travelblog.org/

Travel to Turkey, Marmara, Istanbul, Adalar.

Children laughs flood the deck at the stern side of the ferry. Others, teenagers, are feeding gulls throwing bread crumbs to the air. Seagulls skilfully trap it. Devoid of enthusiasm a waiter walks the aisle between the seats, carrying a hot teapot and a huge tray of sugary donuts. Other passengers sink their glances into Adalar Hürriyet local news pages. In the cabin, an outspoken salesman, too well dressed for the place, screams to an audience too sceptical the wonderful properties of a multi screwdriver provided with a flashlight. He sells also a retractable walking stick that fits in any pocket. Surprisingly, after a few minutes of incessant chatter, many passengers have bought any device.

Read more at http://www.travelblog.org/

Travel to Turkey, Marmara, Istanbul, Sultanahmet.

We flew into Istanbul from Konya on the 10th. The flight was short but fairly pleasant. The Konya Airport is small. To board the plane you have to walk out to it. I found that I love to do this (especially on a beautiful day!). I actually boarded the plane from the tail end instead of the regular entrance near the cockpit. I was in Group A which fills the back rows. I have never seen an Airport have passengers board from two entrances. It's smart because it cuts down on crowding in the cabin. Anyways, I was absolutely giddy about. You see I have this secret. I love planes. I love flying. I find it exhilarating. I actually wish I knew more about the mechanics involved. I feel kind of bad about this secret, because when I was younger I made my dad stop taking flying lessons. I thought he was going to get hurt. I feel like a hypocrite now that I have gotten over my fear and find myself toying with the idea of learning how to fly at some point in my life. Sorry Dad!

Read more at http://www.travelblog.org/