Monday, May 25, 2009

Short illuminations of Turkey

Istanbul 436 I have a notebook full of scribbles taken during the visit to Istanbul: here are a few impressions along with some connected pictures --

 

  •   Low-cost flights (Condor; SunExpress) go to Sabiha Gökçen International Airport on the Asian side of the Bosporus. It’s a fresh, modern facility being built as an alternative to Atatürk International Airport, but th elocation makes it harder to get into the city.  A taxi costs 80 euro and takes 45 minutes; look for the shuttle buses to Taksim Square.  They cost 10 euro, run hourly, are just as Istanbul 185 fast (despite the taxi driver’s assurances that they take three times as long).
  •   My camera broke on the second day: I priced a replacement, then found the wholesaler upstairs.  It was an experience of pure capitalism: I loved it.  Runners dashed in and out taking product to vendors, the owner yelled offers into his constantly ringing phone, arm-waving negotiation set goods flowing out the door.  And, in the end, I got a better camera for 30% off street price, cash-only, no receipt, apple tea, and a great story.
  • Istanbul 470    German football fans are just as loud and drunk when they lose as when they win.  The orange-wrapped Ukraine's, however, are quiet in victory as though they lost.
  •    Istanbul, on the whole, is immaculate.  An army of people are sweeping and cleaning, and people take pride in the area around their homes and shops.  It makes the streets feel safe and welcoming.
  •   I do miss the glimpses of home life that the Dutch display: curtains are closed in every Turkish shop and home every evening.  And there aren’t two of anything in the windows.
  • Istanbul 468  Toilet paper doesn’t go into the toilet; it goes into a nearby basket.  It’s not a bad alternative in theory: so often the public toilets are clogged by waste paper.  But it takes some getting used to (as do the occasional slit-toilets).
  •   I enjoy waking to the call to prayer from the mosques: it gives an exotic flavor to the visit and puts me into a frame of mind to go exploring.  Later, listening to the call at twilight from a rooftop terrace is haunting.Istanbul 260  But I don’t understand why they consistently use over-modulated loudspeakers, or how electronic amplification became the religious norm.  Even in museums, the cantor uses a microphone to chant into a small room.
  •   Stray cats are everywhere; no stray dogs, though.  Tourists pet the feral animals; it’s probably only slightly less dangerous than petting bears in National Parks.
  •   Merchants and restaurants have amazing consideration and hustle for their customers.  Entrepreneurs should take note of Turkish attitudes towards customer service: they stand above the rest.
  • Istanbul 419   Tour buses are an absolute plague.  I began to suspect it after competing for space with them on Italian coastal roads, and am now firmly convinced after fighting throngs of tourists in Topkapi Palace.  In quantity, they block views, spew exhaust, and overwhelm venues with surges of people.  There have to be common-sense limits.
  •   Taxis have the right of way over everything else, and are absolutely fearless in rushing into narrow gaps in traffic.  Dutch cyclists wouldn’t survive five seconds.
  • Istanbul 092   Huge Turkish flags flutter everywhere, driven by national pride, history, culture...?  Overt nationalism makes me uncomfortable, whether in Oklahoma or Istanbul: there’s always a faint ‘with us or against us’ implication.

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3 Comments:

Blogger tunahan said...

Hi!
It was nice to read your comments on my city. As an Istanbulite, I agree with what you said about the use of loudspeakers for praying.

Yeah stray cats are everywhere. But there are also a number of stray dogs around, which is scary for me (i am afraid of dogs). But probably they are not that much in crowded central areas..

And I agree about the lifetime of d utch cyclists in Istanbul traffic :)

Regarding nationalism; yeah you see flags around; but I can assure you that they are not due to strong nationalist feelings. They are rather part of traditions obeyed in national holidays. May 19 is one such national holiday, and probably that's why you saw many flags around.

Regards:)

May 30, 2009 at 11:36 PM  
Blogger Dave Hampton said...

Tunahan, thanks for looking in and for taking time to comment!

I didn't realize that it was a national holiday: that explains a lot of the flags. I had read that there was un upswing in national sentiment with elections and as enthusiasm for the EU cooled, and thought that it might be a reflection of that. There was also a huge football series in town, which might also have been a factor.

You're right, no trace of the dogs, but I don't remember seeing either variety across town near Galatea or Taksim Square. Maybe all of the fish shops and restaurants around the Hor just draw more cats than dogs?

I like the city a lot and the people were wonderful: I'd love to know your recommendatuons as a native for a future visit.

thanks, Dave

May 31, 2009 at 6:10 PM  
Blogger tunahan said...

Hi Dave,
It was a pleasure to read what you wrote about the city....

Istanbul is still a mystery for me in one sense. It is so huge that still there are places I have not yet been.

Just feel free to contact me before your next visit, I would be more than happy to share my impressions and make some recommendations about sightseeing and other interesting stuff..

best wishes..

June 2, 2009 at 11:12 PM  

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