We arrived in Istanbul late on the 29th of December. I realized very fast that the city is huge...about 14 million people! Our hostel was near the Blue Mosque, one of the more famous in the city. After settling in we met up with our other roommate Brian and his brother Adam. The area we stayed in was filled with hostels and bars.
The next morning we took a long tour of the city. We started with a cruise on the river, then saw one of the palaces and finally went to the Asian side to watch the sunset over Europe. It was an amazing view. The tour was a bit long, but really worth it.
The next day we wondered around the city, checking out the Grand Bazaar and the Spice Bazaar, which were incredible. I didn't buy anything, but it was amazing just to walk around and take it all in. I was surprised how friendly people were towards Americans. They were really nice, but probably because they wanted us to buy something.
That night was new years eve, which was nothing short of a shit show. We went to a pub near one of the main squares (taksim square). We drank many litres of beer and things got a bit blurry. Overall it was a great time. The next morning was a little painful, but we managed to spend the entire day walking around the city.
On Friday we headed to the airport...it was hard to leave after being away for two weeks, but I was happy to sleep in my own bed and have my own bathroom. The hostel in Istanbul was not clean, so don't ever stay at the Bahaus hostel!
Picture: Blue Mosque
I want to go there!
ReplyDelete