Four Days in Turkey

So, how was Turkey? I cannot really answer that question because my holiday in Turkey was only in Istanbul. But what I can say is, Istanbul is GREAT! I think, my holiday in Istanbul is one of the best holidays so far. Firstly, my vacation in Istanbul is not like my any other vacation in a way that I did not stay in hotels or hostels, but I stayed with the Turkish themselves. In a way, it was more like a home stay programme rather than a normal holiday. Secondly, I went to Istanbul ALONE. I was supposed to go to Turkey with my Turkish friend who is in the same course with me, but he cancelled his plan at the last minute. So, I flew to Istanbul alone and spent my four days with his friends, who are totally strangers to me. Below is a picture of the Bosporus with the Europe on the left and Asia on the right.

At first, I was a bit worried about the prospect of going to a foreign country and staying with people whom I had never met. I shared my concern with my friends like Fatih, Cheeno, Freddy, Pie and Ray but my guts were telling me to go ahead to Turkey. And I am happy to say that I had made the right decision by going to Istanbul. Enough about that, now let’s talk about – how was Istanbul? Below is a picture of the Blue Mosque.

Istanbul was beautiful, especially the Bosporus Strait. Walking along the Bosporus at night is simply breathtaking. I remembered sipping Turkish tea on my first night there by the side of the strait, it was one experience that I will never forget. If compared to other cities like London that has the Thames or Paris with her Seine, I think those two are nothing when compared with the Bosporus. But then again, Thames and Seine are rivers while Bosporus is a strait, so, it is unfair to compare them together, but still. Below are pictures of the entrance of the Topkapi Palace and the entrance to the room where they keep Prophet Muhammad's beard and tooth (peace be upon him).

Another thing about Istanbul is, how it makes me confuse about my whereabouts. When I arrived in Sabiha Gokcen International Airport, I felt like I was in an Arab country, because the Turkish do look like Arabs. But once I got to the city, I saw a lot of European architecture on its building and I started to feel like I was in Italy or France. Then, I saw hundreds of mosques scattered all around the city, and again, I was confused. But then, that are the features of Istanbul because it was there where different civilizations clashed with each other. Istanbul (Constantinople) was the centre of the Byzantine Empire before being conquered by Sultan Mehmet II in 1453 and made Istanbul the centre of the Ottoman Empire. Below are pictures of the inside of the Dolmabache Palace and Hagia Sofia.

While I was there, I visited the Topkapi Palace, Dolmabache Palace, Hagia Sofia, and the famous Blue Mosque (Sultan Ahmet Mosque). I also spent my four days there, learning the Turkish culture. First of all, the Turkish eat a LOT. Honestly, I think, the only people who can beat them at eating would be the Italians. Secondly, they just love their tea because tea will be served at every meal and an average Turkish will drink 10-15 cups of tea a day. Thirdly, if you watch a movie in a cinema, always expects the movie to stop halfway so that everyone can take a break to the loo. That’s what happened when I went to watch The Hitcher (not a good movie by the way) on my second night. I was watching the movie and suddenly the screen went blank and the lights were switched on. Apparently, that is how things are done in all cinemas in Turkey. Fourth, do not ever miss Turkish bath. I love Turkish bath. I think, the last night in Turkey was the best because I got to eat Baklava with ice cream and I had the famous Turkish bath. I think the Turkish bath was the perfect ending to a great vacation.

What else should I write about Turkey, I had a lot of things to write when I was on my flight back to London but I do not seem to have anything on top of my head right now. Maybe I will write again when I remember other interesting things that happened when I was in Istanbul.

I thanked Yasin, Serhat, Ahmet, Bilal, Enes, Ilker, Izzet, Harun and Ferhad for hosting me for the four days I was in Istanbul. And special thanks to Fatih for planning the holiday for me.

Now that I am back from Turkey, it is time to get back to my work and revise for my final exam, which will be in less than two months’ time.

I wish all my friends a happy holiday and good luck for the upcoming exam.

"A vacation is like love - anticipated with pleasure, experienced with discomfort and remembered with nostalgia." - Anonymous.