Merhaba (hello in Turkish)

I forgot to mention that in addition to everything I
did yesterday, one of the coolest places I visited was
the underground cistern.  It's essentially a cave
supported by hundreds of Roman columns, capable of
holding 18,000 cubic feet of water back in the days,
in case of a drought or a siege.

Now, there's still lots of water, but it's stocked
with really fat carp (they look like they're going to
explode), and thousands of spheres hanging at
different heights.  It looks really magical, and of
course, I'll have the pictures to prove.

Anyways, yesterday I tried to blow away my energy with
the jam-packed crowds at the nightly streetfest in the
Hippodrome.  I came back to the hostel to crashed, but
alas, jet-lagged an all, I had a sleepless night.

Fortunately, breakfast was quaintly good - a typical
Turkish breakfast consisting of fresh olives, sliced
cucumber & tomatoes, a cold soft-boiled egg, cheese,
and bread.  What a cool, healthy alternative to the
bran stuff I usually eat!

Today starts off with even more drama than yesterday. 
I make my way to Topkapi Palace, only to make a wrong
turn at the park.  Some seemingly-friendly Turk
approaches me and guides me to the "right" direction. 
I thank him and slowly follow his route, taking
pictures along the way.  I also notice how he always
stayed only a few steps ahead and kept re-guiding me. 
At the end of the park, he tries to lure me to across
the street, far away from the palace and to a
waterfront park.  I balk, put on my sunglasses, and
see him waiting across the street, continuously
staring at me.  

He definitely has bad intentions, so I walk to a
nearby military checkpoint and he disappears. 

Making my way to the palace now, I first note that
it's overpriced.  $10 for the entrance fee, plus
another $8 if I want to see the treasury, and plus
another $8 to see the Harem (rooms).  I pay up for the
first two.

My first surprise is that my tripod gets confiscated
for the duration of my visit since security believes
I'm a professional photographer and could cause
unspeakable havoc.

The palace is big, but not very remarkable.  The
treasury is stocked with priceless items - fist-sized
emeralds, gold, pearls, and the infamouse 86 carat
spoonmaker's diamond.  It's lavish, but kind of
repetitive after a while.  

Some of the cooler items in the museum are the
religious artifacts - Joseph's turban, Moses'rod,
Abraham's saucepan, St. John the Baptist's skull and
arm, Muhammed's everything - sword, bow, sandals,
teeth, hair, tomb dust during a renovation - you name
it.

Quitting the palace, I make my way over to the famous
Grand Bazaar.  Unfortunately, I get lost on the way,
as  in addition to the 4500 covered shops in the Grand
Bazaar, the surrounding winding streets are stocked
with stores too.

So one hour later, I successfully wander into the
Grand Bazaar.  It's big, with fountains at all major
corners for taking breaks.  And it's full of souvernir
stuff you have to bargain for - carpets, waterpipes,
lamps, etc.  Since I'm not going to buy anything at
the beginning of my trip, I'm able to do a rather
quick walk-by of the Grand Bazaar.

Instead, I'm more interested in the nearby Egyptian
Spice Bazaar.  It is slightly better, pungent with the
spices sold, and I pick up a few pieces of Turkish
Delight there.  I don't have a sweet tooth, so I can't
say much about this delicacy.  I can say that the
street kebap I bought at lunch was really good!

From the Spice Bazzar, I cross the Galata Bridge over
the Bosphorus River, whilst watching many fisherman
bring in the catch of the day, and make it to
Istanbul's Asia side.  Unfortunately, I get a little
lost there again, and it takes me a while before I
find the Tunel Metro - the world's oldest subway.  It
only has 2 stops - one on each end, and it only has
one car. 

From the end station, I stroll up through Istanbul's
flashy shopping district to Taksim Square, and take a
cool wooden tram back down.  

It's been a hectic day, so I go back to my secret
restaurant, and shoot some great photographs into the
early evening.

Istanbul's hectic.  I kind of want to get away to
somewhere simpler.  So, now I'm thinking if I should
catch a night bus to Selcuk?  I have 2 hours to
decide... !

Jesse