Istanbul finale

Trip Start Jan 28, 2008
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25
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Trip End Sep 18, 2008


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Where I stayed
(Istanbul hotels)

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Wednesday, March 19, 2008

We headed back to Istanbul, uncomfrotably, on a ¨luxury¨ coach. We managed to get a seat next to a woman who spoke English. She worked as a social worker, and we thought it might be nice to have a chat. However, one minute into our conversation she started telling us about her recent divorce, and how unhappy she was blah blah... Why is it that Social Workers always seem to have more problems than the people they are suppose to help???

Anyway, we were booked into the Istanbul Hostel, a step up from our previous backpackers in the Sultanahmet suburb. Our dorm room was clean, and right next to the free internet station. Good and bad. It meant we could email everyone for free. It also meant I could hear the Asian (possibly Chinese) bloke up all night typing away on the keyboard.

In Istanbul our first job was to buy some new day packs The main shopping strip in new Istanbul
The main shopping strip in new Istanbul
 . Since Egypt, we had been using my little one and it was getting a bit crowded. We went to the famous Bazaar and got ripped off. But the new packs look good, and so far none of the zips have broken. We then had to choose our sights, being a little tight on budget. We decided to go to the Blue Mosque, because it was free. You had to pay to go to the Catholic Church right next door (go figure!). The Mosque was really beautiful inside, but it is hard to get a spiritual feeling when you can hear 3 tour guides (in Japanese, German and English) giving their blurb. I have added some photos of the stained glass windows as well as the crazy carpet.

We walked over the bridge to the newer part of town, and wandered up and down the shopping strip. Istanbul seems really modern in this area. We stopped in a little restaurant to enjoy some cooked spuds topped with cheese, pasta, beans and bacon. YUM. What a cheap but brilliant business idea.

The rest of Istanbul is a blur (I am finally writing this blog in May). We did catch up with the family we had previously met at Galipolli and wished them well on their next leg to India and Tibet. I also remember being obsessed with the blooming tulips one morning (as you can see by the photos). I learn´t that they are endemic to Turkey and they even have an era of history called the Tulip Age (like the Bronze Age). The whole ecomony was run by flowers. Anyway, the Dutch nicked the idea, and so now Turkish people can´t even remember what they used to call the flowers in their own language! (Well, that is according to the guesthouse staffer).

We were excited to be heading to Spain, and dragged ourselves out of bed for a 4am pick-up to the airport on Easter Thursday Blue Mosque Gardens
Blue Mosque Gardens
 .

Turkish Yoghurt Macaroni Dish
Cook pasta, like spirals or macaroni
Allow pasta to cool
Sauce - over simmer heat
Cook peppers and onion first
Add chopped tomatoes and can of tomatoes
Simmer and add water as evapórate
All spice to taste
Garlic yogurt
Crush 2-3 cloves of garlic (or more if you are Turkish)
Mix with natural yogurt.
Wash pasta with luke warm wáter
Serve and spoon garlic yogurt on top
Serve tomato sauce on top
Eat with fresh bread.
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