Rambling about Turkey

 

Recently spent 11 days in Turkey. Got back yesterday. This is an unstructured, rambling post to download impressions before they get diluted.

Turkish people smoke a lot. Smoke fills the public space in the urban areas. Cigarette butts are strewn all over the place. Be prepared for loads of passive smoking.

Cats are everywhere. They are treated like Gods. Every restaurant, every shop, appears to have been adopted by a cat or two. They are well-fed and can be found snoozing at prime real estates. Dogs, in comparison, are few. But the strays are massive and bulky.

Tea (Cay) is the national drink and is never taken with milk. And always in attractively shaped glasses. Typically costs 1 Euro. In comparison, the famous Turkish Kahva (Coffee), was hardly seen on the streets of Istanbul.

Istanbul is distinctly European. It is best explored on foot and by a cruise along Bosphorus, the strait that separates Asia and Europe. Exploring by foot needs lots of climbing as the city is built in many levels. The city was flooded with tourists and navigating was tough.

Mosques are everywhere, and the skyline is dotted with minarets. The cupolas of mosques are mostly metallic. The Islam is not in your face type like in the Gulf states.

Sidewalk cafes are ubiquitous, not just in Istanbul, but also in semi-urban areas. People can be spotted enjoying a smoke and Cay. Older people sit outside their homes to get their fix of Vitamin D.

Traffic is disciplined and there is almost zero honking.

Gozleme is the most satisfying street food. They are parathas made to order, and stuffed with cheese, spinach, potato and also meat according to requirement. Another ubiquitous street food is Kumpir – large baked potatoes with fillings as per order. Ayran (almost like lassi) tastes delicious and is refreshing after long walks. So too are freshly squeezed orange and pomegranate juices.

More detailed posts in the days ahead.