My train pulled into Istanbul after a 13+ hour ride in the dead of night.These trains make Amtrak look like the Orient Express! No locking doors,which means you sleep across your backpack so it stays with you through the night, no heat, the toliets refuse to flush, toliet paper is an afterthought and you eat what you bring. My fellow passengers included a handful of hardy tourists and gypsies. The trains are for the HARDCORE budget minded. Take a plane if at all possible.It is worth the extra cost.Trust me.
Inspite of the lack of amenities and the train becoming derailed at about 4:30 AM, I had the trip of a lifetime.
Istanbul is a wonderous surprise. A mix of modern and ancient,
east and west, antiquities and full service modern luxuries.Vieled
women roam the streets among Turkish business men in 3 piece suits,
European hippies eat side by side with aristocratic English
tourists on holiday, western music pours from taxis while the call
to prayer is broadcast from minarets.In short EXOTIC. Akin to
being in a National Geographic spread.My stay was much too short,
a mere 2 and a half days. But in that short span I managed to
have the most enjoyable 2 and a half days of my life (so far!!)
Istanbul is incredibly clean and well manicured,immaculate.
I felt like I was in Disneyland. Nothing at all as I had
envisioned. The people are very friendly. Everyone I met spoke
english, the hotels were very western and kept clean.Bring Plenty of US currency, it does wonders. My cheapy
little hotel $30.00 a night even had a doorman and a bellhop
carried my backpack up! Istanbul also has a very modern trolley
system which is fast easy and cheap and drops you off at all the
major points of interest. The best thing about this city is that
all these points of interest are within a few miles of each other.
You can walk and catch everything on your own or choose to take
a guided bus tour.I opted for the tour.
St Sophia
Blue Mosque
Hippodrome
Obelisk Of Theodosius
Serpentine Column
Germanic Fountain Of Wilhelm II
Turkish & Islamic Arts Museum
Grand Covered Bazaar
Topkapi Palace
Suleymaniye Mosque
Lale Restaurant Pudding Shop-THE place for weary travelers
The Turks call it a night much earlier. Most places close
up around 9:00 and the streets become deserted soon afterwards.
I felt very safe during my strolls in the evening, Istanbuls'
major source of income is from the tourist industry, so the
officials keep a close watch on crime. It goes without saying,
do NOT even think about buying, using, importing or exporting
any type of drug during your stay. If you haven't already, go
rentMidnight Express, but don't let that scare you away.
The Turkish people seemed to be a little more friendly
upfront than the Greeks. The Greeks can take you or
leave you. There is no phonyness about them.The Greeks
tolerate tourists, while the Turks love them. But
both countries are wonderful hosts. If your planning
a trip, please consider both. I've included links
on all my pages that should answer most questions.
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