We were picked up from our hotel by a bus that by physics shouldn't fit down these streets in the old town, well thats were the trip began with 300 hundred stops picking up what felt like 400 lucky travellers, we then boarded a boat that Afghan refugees wouldn't board in Indonesia, and headed out along the Golden Horn ( I bet Fraud would some thing to say about that ) to the Bosphurus straight, where we we cruised up the straight on the European side lots of Palaces, what I cant understand is that when one Sultan dies the new one doesn't move into the Old Sultans Palace, no he builds a bigger one. A few have been turn into Hotels a couple museums and Universities. We move further up the straight towards the Dead Sea, get to the second bridge and turn around narrowly missing Captain Ahmet and his cousin Mamet on our way back to the Istanbul on the Asian side. The houses are predominately made of wood because of the amount of earth quakes (i thought i felt one at about 3am this morning but it was only the old mad man realising pressure from his own fault line) and 96% humidity and the ones on the water range in price from $1million USD to $50millionUSD. At this stage the boat slows down and the tour guide grabs the microphone and announces in no less the 15 languages that there was going to have traditional turkish dancing. A couple of the old folk who are seasoned tourers got a little excited( clapping giggling) .
The dancers come up top i recognised a couple of them straight away one being the young man who cast the boat away and the other the Captain(As you can see from one of the photos he should have been behind the wheel with a near miss avoided he danced on) like a well oiled dance troop that only practice once every leap year showed us a knife dance, where they dropped the knife half a dozen times almost stabbing them selves in the foot, the 2 girls ran into each almost a keystone cops style from that dancing with the stars like performance we head back to dock and a round of applause to the captain ( i thought only given to the pilots of Olympic Airways ). We disembark the SS Minnow and head back on the bus for the rest of the tour . The tour operated told us that we were going to go to the highest point in Istanbul, Pierre Loti, take some photos and catch a cable cart down the mountain . Then back on the bus for all the normal stuff theres the old wall built by the Byzantines, Hagia Sophia also built by them Blue Mosque you get the drift and then in the next she says OK we stop here for a fashion show WT( ) !!!!!! ( Mum i wont translate this one for you ) You can just imagine Dad, the expression on his face it looked like Carlton losing a Grand Final to Collingwood by a point.
I think he accidentally stabbed some one
You can see how close the ship is in the background
The cable cart had a Cemetery under it, i think the Indian Couple didn't appreciated my humour when i said that if the cable broke we wouldn't have to travel to far.
We Stop at this department store obviously set for tourists on tours and cruise ships, I was half expecting to go to a persian rug place but not a Fashion Parade, I don't what this has any thing to with Istanbul but i will try every thing twice, we were then ushered through to this room with a cat walk ,on came the music, the leather jackets came out (maybe pleather) the Turkish super models strut there stuff, ladies newest fashion tip from the Turkish couture is reservable leather jackets ,yes you heard first from me the fashion Guru RESERVABLE. The second the show was over we were out of there.
Yes Reservable
We get dropped off at the main square were we have a quick bite and head off by tram to the spice market, we jumped off the tram and walk through the underpass where there are a 100 stores filled with crap, well Lee Lee, i can see where Liv gets her Chinnese' taste from, Poppie, he was attracted to it like a magnet to metal mum when you mean trinkets you don't mean (if any of you have been to the Victoria Market) the little soldier crawling and shooting the spinning weasel and ball (i think that hypnotised him). I quickly grabbed him and we followed our nose off the Spice Market you can smell it a mile away. Once you get in the old building the colours are mind blowing every spice for all corners of the Orient and Middle East as this is where the spice road leads you to. Had a look around there and then Headed up to Taksim Square district where it was believed a lot the Greeks Lived before they were kicked out by The Turks early last century. This area which is situated on the other side of the Golden Horn (Its funny i know or am i the only that laughs when you say it). Lee Lee you would love this district, its a shopping strip which is very wide and meanders down the hill towards Galatat Tower Built in the 14 hundreds by a Sultan, its about 3 kms long and full all your the brands you love expensive and not so expensive, peppered with large department stores the street and architecture is a lot like the French.
Old timber houses beside the main square
Lee Lee this ones for you beautiful Figs and Turkish delight heaven
We stopped as Dad was fretting that he hadn't eaten a baclava from this district, so only for you lot home we both sat down like 2 gagsters about to play Russian Roulette filled the table up with sweets and apple tea, i don't have to tell what the smile looked like on the old mans face as he dived into the first plate. One minute later the old man realised that it was his last day of Syrup Heaven for Turkey, he wipes what i call tears but on reflection, he was really ploughing through those sweets it could have been sweat.
Taksim square
MMMMMM SYRUP(please don't tell your mum)
Fair avaiders
Galata Tower
Form there we caught a Taksi (taxi i speak turkish now) head back to the hotel need an early night wake up call at 4am to fly to Crete. I hope you enjoyed Turkey, it is one of those must see places looking forward to coming back. Speak to you soon.
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