Leaving Istanbul tonIght

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  Istanbul, Turkey
Friday, August 5, 2005

We have enjoyed a fabulous week here In Istanbul, the weather has been around 35 - 37C, so its very hot as you can imagine! Yesterday we were talking to a local who said that down on the coast its 45!!

On Tuesday we visited the Topkapi palace and the rooms of the Harem, it was a beautiful place, amazing, we spent the whole day up there, sitting in the shade of the gardens and exploring the buildings and museums.
We have eaten some fantastic meals here too, the food and drink in Istanbul is extremely cheap, but the entrance fees to the attractions as very expensive.

Yesterday we wandered up to the Grand Bazaar, it was an amazing place, 4500 shops all squeezed into a 14th century building, some sold leather, silverware, bags, shoes, beads and others the usual tourist trash!!
We haggled for a pair of boxers for Matt, when the man opened the box after we had come to an agreed price the quality was awful and so we decided not to buy them, the man wasnt impressed!!! Later we haggled and bought Matts birthday present of some beads.

After the Bazaar we walked towards the Spice bazaar, we walked for ages in sweltering heat, up narrow cobbled lanes, where there were thousands of of locals going about their daily routines, well we must have walked past the Spice bazaar because we came out near the ferry terminals and the Bosphorus river,the wind that blew in off of the sea was most welcome in the heat! We sat awhile and I had a corn on the cob from a street stall, which seems to be the staple Istanbul meal on the go!!!!

Yesterday evening after we wandered back, we enjoyed a few beers in the hostel, before walking up to Istanbuls throughfare Divan Yolu, where we ate dinner in a cafe and was completley ripped off!! Oh well it happens!!!

Today we are just going to chill out as its Matts birthday, this morning at breakfast he opened all of his cards over a coffee, we are going to chill out in the gardens and maybe take a wander into the parts that we have missed.

At 8pm tonight a shuttle is coming to our hostel and taking us to the bus station, from here we shall board an overnight bus to the town of Selçuk, whıch is further south, its a 10 hour bus journey and yesterday we called a hostel and have a bungalow booked there! They have a pool and include dinner so that should be nice!!

Ali and Matt
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Istanbuls Grand Bazzar	Matt and a Turkýsh Van Cat ýn Istanbul on hýs bday	Pretzel seller in Istanbul	Topkapi Palace

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