24 hours in Istanbul

Note: This post was written while still in Istanbul a couple of days before publishing.

We arrived in Istanbul after one of the best flights I have ever had. It was 8.5 hours on Turkish Airways and I slept for most of it (surprisingly, without taking Gravol to help lull me to la-la land).

When we got to the airport, there were no lines so we slid right through passport control and into the car that picked us up to bring us to our destination: Cheers Hostel.

I have been on some wild rides through busy streets in the past but this one in particular will stand out for years to come. Not because the streets were crowded, but because our driver was nuts. He was swerving between cars, driving very fast and eventually got tired of the main road so took us up the tiny, cobblestone backstreets that at first glance appear to have been made as one-way streets. Somehow, numerous cars - parked and driving - manage to navigate one another without crashing. It truly felt like we were in a video game. Even more confusing, when we (thankfully) became pedestrians again, was trying to determine where the sidewalk ends and the street begins. 

Beth and I left the hostel to walk around a bit and just a few doors down was a beautiful shop full of pottery, scarves, rugs and blankets. 

After a tour around the store and a long conversation with an excellent salesman, I purchased a blanket of sorts that I will use as a cover on my papasan chair. 

We kept walking and came across a beautiful mosque. Though we were not allowed inside, because we were there during a time of prayer, we stood as close to the door as possible alongside the other lurking tourists.

We continued onward through the streets, men calling us angels, watching cats dodging cars, and us dodging men. We tasted delicious pomegranate tea from a lovely store that was difficult to leave. 

We finally ended up at a restaurant in a little nook, where we had beer, some flatbread/pizza deliciousness that I don't know the name of and has some apple shisha (when in Turkey, right?!). 

All in all, it was a great visit. We are heading to the airport now and will be in Ghana late this evening. There is something very exciting about arriving to a new place at night and waking up the next morning to discover it with a refreshed mind.