Solo traveler in Istanbul
This was to be my last day on my own in Istanbul, before joining the tour around Turkey.
Down to the disappointing breakfast of just bread rolls, and coffee, I was getting a bit tired of the idiosycrasies of this hotel, the fan, the smells that emanate from the pipes in the bathroom.
I had promised myself a visit to the small mosque a few minutes away, no hills to climb either. So after breakfast I set out to do just that. Set down a side street as it was, one would have thought it would be quiet but there were a steady stream of visitors to see it. The five hundred year old mosque was attended by an old turkish man, who gave out the scarves to the women. Having done so he went back to his praying or chanting, not sure which it was.
Dutifully wearing the scarf that the old man had adjusted for me , to be worn the correct way obviously mattered to him and I was happy to oblige.
It was a pleasure to wander around the simple mosque, lacking the opulence of the bigger ones , it was cool and interesting to see. A climb up the stairs to the balcony provided views from the windows of the graveyard and the adjacent buildings.
There is only so much to see in an empty mosque so it wasn’t long before I headed back to the hotel via the Ziva Baba restaurant where I had enjoyed reasonable priced and tasty meals over the last few days. Soup it was, with the lovely turkish bread .
After lunch plodding up the hill to the main attractions for one last look and a free piece of turkish delight from the shops. Past the grand Bazaar with its hundreds and hundreds of shops with their very keen vendors and their constant “hello” I have become so accustomed to going to see the mosques I know I will miss the people , the shops that I have used . Faros with its Wifi and excellent food. I suspect they used to talk about the lady that never left a tip, but they always smiled and were always very pleasant. Considering the prices they charged, why would they even need a tip!
The day had not lost any of its heat, so before long it was back to the hotel to pack and think of dinner. Back down the hill for the last time , I had become very attached to the place, with its cats everywhere, the old men sitting around on benches and chairs. Playing cards in the side streets that were even grottier than the hill street I used. Washing hung from the windows, no maintenance done for many a year, the rubbish, kids playing ball in the streets. The shops with their goods spilling on to the street, the smells of the small bakeries and cafes. The wonderful view of the sea at the end of the street.
The beachfront interesting in its own right. Within walking distance of the hotel and under a rail bypass, it was a real pleasure to come across this area one night after dinner. The after work traffic jams a reality. Crossing the road only possible on the pedestrian crossross now lights, and even that wasn’t without its risks. The look on a womans’ face as her husband had to throw
on the brakes to avoid hitting me and several others was a classic. The beach front in name only as the huge rocks that lined it were not user friendly, but the ingenuity of the fishers and the teenagers who were swimming, amazing. Even a dog got into the act swimming , and trying to pluck up the courage to get on the rocks as the swells came and went at times very fast. Some
had concreted pads made between the rocks to rest their small cookers and seats on. With it being Ramadan there were of course all the families waiting with their picnics at the ready for sunset. Then there were the usual street sellers with the inevitable rolex watches, perfume, jewelry, water and sweet corn.
The small harbour had boats coming and going both big and small. Some were available for hire, along with a few inflatables. Off the coast at a distance were probably a hundred of more ships of varying sizes waiting to berth at the port. I watched a cruise boat leave, one that I had seen the same morning docking. They must have spent their ten hours having a quick look at Istanbul. Something I am glad to have spent more time doing, and enjoying all that the city has to offer even though it will not ever be enough.
Always the cats in and around the city, mostly fed but feral, they are everywhere from the mosques to the humblest street corner. I was fascinated by many cats sleeping all over motorbikes in a parking space. The seafront was no exception, with the restaurants lining part of it, what better place for a cat to call home. They are surprisingly quiet although I make no effort to touch them in case of fleas , they just watch what you are doing and whether it’s worth their attention.
Next day off to start the tour,and I will be out of this hotel as early as is decently possible!
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