Please utilise this space to search this blog

Showing posts with label Golden Horn. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Golden Horn. Show all posts

Wednesday, March 29, 2017

Istanbul (Turkey) - Hook-ah-licious

ISTANBUL (TURKEY)
29 March – 31 March 2017

Istanbul had made quite the impression on us the previous September when we had transited through.  Also considering that many of the great cities of the world were in close proximity to where we were now living, making a short jump to a city like Istanbul for ‘someone’s birthday’ was more than feasible.

To set the background as to why we selected Istanbul I need to add that since returning from Central America we had commenced our pre-wedding diet in earnest. Part of maintaining a strict calorie regime was completely getting rid of alcohol. Just like in the commercial world, the rise of a substitute usually happens at the behest of another product when circumstances change. Our substitute was sheesha. A real pleasure actually and it provided the perfect foil to voiding the caloric intake that had undermined our progress in the past.


On our way to Istanbul with the assistance of Air Serbia


Oh dear, calorie intake through the ROOF  - visual osmosis - Istanbul - Turkey


Istanbul - Turkey


Istanbul - Turkey


Considering that background, Istanbul felt like the right choice for us. Not only from a purely touristic perspective but also for the fact that finding Hookah cafes would be more than easy, and, purchasing a new hookah for Inga as a birthday present would be something fun that we could both do and create a memory in the process.

With the ever present shadow of terrorism still hanging over the region and Turkey running itself into political turmoil, we still made the decision to go and adopted the Australian approach of ‘be aware but not alarmed’. Thank you Steve Liebmann, I believe you words will haunt me for the rest of my life.


Istanbul - Turkey


Istanbul - Turkey


Istanbul - Turkey


Delightful - Istanbul - Turkey



Man of delight - Istanbul - Turkey


Arriving mid-week we elected to stay at the wonderful Regie Ottoman Istanbul hotel. A glorious boutique hotel, its set an a 150 year old Ottoman building and located in the Historic Peninsula. With original mosaic artwork, stone walls and wooden floors, the hotel felt like it harked back to an Istanbul reminiscent of an earlier era. Moody and dignified, it set the feel for what the rest of the short stay in Istanbul would be.

The next day our discovery of Istanbul took us back into the Grand Bazaar, still the largest and oldest covered market in the world, with 61 covered streets and 4,000 shops, having originally opened to trade in 1461. This is a major tourist attraction of Istanbul and an absolute blast for those that love doing a bit of shopping, also, it was the perfect place to find the hookah we were looking for. It didn’t even take that long for Inga to zero in on exactly what she wanted, a beautiful light blue glass and gold motif base with a  gold, metal stem. Not only something that would suit us in a practical way but certainly would be a great addition as a centre piece of our apartment in Belgrade.


Grand Bazaar - Istanbul - Turkey


Grand Bazaar - Istanbul - Turkey


Grand Bazaar - Istanbul - Turkey


Grand Bazaar - Istanbul - Turkey - birthday present negotiation in progress


Birthday present secured - the wonderful light blue glass hookah on the left came home with us


Of course a hookah purchase of this nature also required its own carry bag
Grand Bazaar - Istanbul - Turkey


For the rest of the day we took to walking and made our way across the Golden Horn, via the Galata Koprusu bridge and then headed up to Taksim Square, around which there are restaurants, shops and cafes a plenty. Somehow I expected Istanbul to be different to this, more middle eastern in outlook, more leaning towards what I’d encountered in a place like Marrakech. Unremarkable from those in the known, the city really looked to be a mix of influences, not quite the European city and not quite Asian or Middle Eastern. As a city is sits beautifully in the middle and in the midst of those complimentary forces, a true spectacle of influences.


Blue mosque - Istanbul - Turkey


Istanbul - Turkey


Istanbul - Turkey


Istanbul - Turkey


Istanbul - Turkey


Istanbul - Turkey


Istanbul - Turkey


That evening we went to see a performance of mediation and ceremony when we took in a performance by Surfi Dervishes of whirling. From what I know the concept of whirling, or spinning the body in repetitive circles is meant to be symbolic, imitating the way that the planets of the solar system circle the sun. The aim of the action is to reach the source of all perfection, or kamal. Abandoning one’s ego, psyche, attachments to the superficial and utilising the music to simply focus on God. The performance is mesmerisingly beautiful. Their fluid movement encompassed in their physical being and the transition to a different mental state is beautifully engaging. The audience sat silently (snapping photos of course) and watched as these men showed us their version of what a discourse with God looks like in their terms. Intoxicating.


Looking out to the Golden Horn - Istanbul - Turkey


Looking out to the Golden Horn - Istanbul - Turkey


Istanbul - Turkey


Istanbul - Turkey


Istanbul - Turkey


Whirling Dervishes - Istanbul - Turkey


Whirling Dervishes - Istanbul - Turkey


Whirling Dervishes - Istanbul - Turkey


I have to admit, considering the nature of our strict diet, what I found the most difficult thing to defeat was partaking in the local cuisine or taking on a tipple or two. In fact that was the biggest nuisance of the whole three months. Somehow staying at home and following a routine allows you to establish a pattern that deflects temptation. When you’re travelling, to me, it seems counter-intuitive to simply neglect the restaurants and bars. Of course it’s not an absolute need  to bow to gluttony or feel the ire of alcohol consumption, but hey, travel should involve all that. Again, the luck for us, in Istanbul at least as the substitution of one vice for another. Sheesha became our saving grace and we were mighty thankful that of us at least, the was freely available and celebrated.

Istanbul is a stunning city, of that there can be no doubt. Spectacular, engaging & dynamic. A world highlight to be certain.