Turkey - Istanbul I

The train pulled into Istanbul's Sirkeci station in the early morning. The station dates from the era of the Orient Express and still retains the air of mystique it earned as the terminus of that famous journey. After saying goodbye to my cabin-mates from the train, I headed into the city to get some Turkish lira. Unfortunately, it was a public holiday and few shops were open, so I had to aimlessly wander around, tired and carrying my bags, until I eventually found an exchange office. The rates were terrible, but I needed the cash for the final part of my journey.

Made it! Istanbul! End of the line!

I boarded one of the famous ferries across the Bosphorus to my final destination - Asia! The stretch of water separates the two parts of the city, the European side to the West and the Asian side to the East. The journey took about 20 minutes to Kadikoy, at which point I could now say that I have journeyed from Scandinavia to Asia by land and sea. Quite an achievement!

The ferries are a major mode of transport in Istanbul

I was heading to my Turkish friend's place. I met Metin as a fellow student whilst on exchange in Finland and was looking forward to once again seeing a friendly face. It was also nice to have somewhere more homely to stay for the very end of the trip - no more bunk beds for me. I took a taxi from the ferry terminal quite a distance into the suburbs and was alarmed by the horrendous quality of driving I witnessed. Despite the roads and cars being all shiny and new, it seems that modern driving standards have not yet reached Turkey.

On the ferry between Europe and Asia

Despite firmly agreeing on a price before accepting the ride, the taxi driver managed to rip me off and actually snatched some money out of my hand when we arrived. I got very angry, started shouting at him and he started shouting at me, and with neither of us speaking the other's language, I realised the situation would not be resolved and walked away. The money was actually very little, and it was the end of my trip so I decided to shrug it off, but it was not a nice welcome to Turkey.

Towers and a big flag on Camlica Hill

I was warmly greeted by Metin and took a shower, much-needed after such a long journey. Later, we met with a friend of his who had a car and he drove me around and gave a tour of the Asian side of the city. After stopping for traditional Turkish food in a charming little café, we drove up to the top of Camlica Hill, one of the tallest in Istanbul and offering a fantastic view of the city. Sipping Turkish coffee at the top, surrounded by Turkish families on their holidays with not a tourist in sight and gazing across the water to Istanbul, I felt that this was definitely a wonderful place to end my journey.

I have never seen three people on a moped before...

But still, there was much left to see in the city and the next day we headed out to some of the biggest attractions. Crossing back over the Bosphorus, we headed by Istanbul's shiny new tram system to Sultanahmet, where the most famous sights are located.

The Roman Cistern

First was the fantastic Topkapi palace, the centre of the Ottoman Empire, with impressive gardens and ornate courts. Next up, the Roman Cistern beneath the city, a cavernous and rather creepy underground cavern complete with walkways and moody lighting.

The Blue Mosque

Next, the Sultanahmet Mosque, or the 'Blue' Mosque, is an amazing example of Islamic architecture, complete with six towering minarets. Inside is just as impressive, and as a working mosque, inside it was possible to see the locals kneeling on the ornate mats to pray.

One of Sultanahmet's minarets

Istanbul is a real clash of east and west, and with its impressive and eventful history, has been influenced by the Roman and Byzantine empires, as well as the crusades and the Ottomans. We passed what just looked like a ruined stone, but the nearby plaque informed that this was the 'milestone' of the Byzantine empire, from the days when the city was the great imperial capital of Constantinople. The milestone was the zero point from where all distances throughout the empire were measured - quite an interesting thing to almost walk past without noticing.

I guess they didn't notice the sign...

Later, we took another ferry, this time up north to the foot of the enormous Bosphorus suspension bridge, which spans both continents. There we found a somewhat off-the tourist-trail area of small shops and traditional restaurants, one of which we ate in. Both the food and the view across the water was excellent, and eating while looking at two continents at once is something I haven't done before.

Inside a mosque

Afterwards we took a boat back across to Kadikoy and sat on the harbour side watching the sun set, an excellent antidote to the day's sightseeing in the blazing heat.

Sunset on the shore of Asia

So I still have one more full day to pack in the delights of Istanbul before heading home. The last day of my trip is about to dawn...