This destination would mark the 5th where my good friend Barry has shared a travel experience with me in some far off land. To do so, I had traveled to Istanbul from Croatia briefly stopping in Sarajevo/ Bosnia ( ps - it's much cheaper to bus from Croatia and then fly out of Sarajevo) before meeting up at an Air BnB he had thoughtfully arranged. Most importantly, he had the necessary/critical provisions already purchased. Those being coffee and Single Malt Scotch.
Given my previous travels in places like Tunisia and Saudi Arabia - Constantinople (Istanbul) is a fantastic collision of cultures on which much of our modern world is premised. Like a collision between a Ferrari and a Lamborghini, it is both tragic and beautiful all at once.
Istanbul is a swirling and twirling tornado of unusual smells sounds and of course people. We were amazed to see the streets filled with people late into the evening. The picture alongside is not Istanbul but taken later in a "must see" salty landscape. I'd recommend giving this "must see" $30 attraction a hard pass. Not exactly the Red Carpet but Barry looks fetching modeling his modern tourist ensemble.
Now onto the juicy bits of Istanbul. There were 5 days of exploring but for posterity and the hope of others continuing to read my drivel, I'll focus on just three highlights;
A quick review of the where the cradle of civilization began lands us smack dab in the middle of this region. Not surprisingly the museum was cooler than the flip side of the pillow on a hot summer night. I'll share a few snaps but I marveled at the audacity of Tabnit, priest of Astarte and King of Sidon who cleverly wrote on his Sarcophagus that there was no point in breaking in as there was nothing to steal. That and the clearly articulated threat of eternal damnation likely did the trick. I'm going to post the same on my front door. Good thinking Tabnit. Those who fail to learn the lessons of history are doomed to repeat them.
The Sarcophagus below was my favorite piece. The level of detail of mourning woman was amazing. The other side depicts men. Not surprisingly they were looking even more mournful.
We were blessed on the day we visited the Blue Mosque and later Hagia Sophia as it raining heavily. Why would that be a good thing? The line up normally measured in "kms of tourists waiting (KTW's)" was down to about 50 meters and while I almost lost an eye due to unskilled umbrella operators in tight proximity, it was a very small wait for both attractions.
Hagia Sofia
Thanks for reading....Layno in ruins somewhere in southern Turkey!!!
