Istanbul - Dream Weavers

ISTANBUL, TURKEY
Having been to Turkey many times, my favorite way is to go on a cruise which stops in Istanbul. I love being woken up by the lyrical strains of the call to prayer which you will hear all over Turkey. It sits on the 41.015 northern parallel of latitude, and at 28.979 E. longitude and is built on seven hills. It is at the crossroads of Europe and Asia. This is not a town where you wander around the main sights on your own. You will stand in a queue for hours trying to get in the main attractions so it is wise to pre book a guided tour. The Blue Mosque and the Topkapi Palace was unique, and even if you are not a shopper, you must go to the Grand Bazaar. With more than 58 streets, 4,000 shops, and up to 500,000 visitors daily, it is an exciting place to wander around. Known for its jewelry, spices, carpet shops, and pottery. They won’t negotiate prices with you, they don’t have to. If you see something you like, get it because you mightn’t see it again and you would never find your way back to the shop you saw the item in. I have spent an entire day in the bazaar, and still not seen everything. I think the name – Constantinople – which is what Istanbul was called in years gone by is a more exciting name. It was only in 1930 that they changed the name.
The Ottoman Sultans lived in style, with thousands in the harem. Going thru the kitchens is an experience. They certainly cooked for large numbers.
The spice market is a separate building, and fascinating with the smells and names of spices. I always buy some Turkish Delight, and eat them as I am wandering around.
I’ve just mentally done a quick check of how many carpets/rugs I have carried home from Turkey over the years and it is up to fifteen. The selection is overwhelming, and the price is excellent. One rug is so gorgeous I told my husband that we had to walk around it. You can imagine his answer to that rule.
Taking a cruise on the 20 mile long Bosphorus is a must. It is the world’s narrowest strait used for international navigation and even requires its own control tower. In both directions major shipping is regulated to by the minute intervals in order to avoid collisions.
You will find a lot of Australians and New Zealanders in Turkey in April, since many of their families were killed in the battle of Gallipoli. Anzac day on April 25 is a very special memorial for them. I have driven all over Turkey with a colleague from the Turkish Tourism Board, poor roads, especially when it is snowing. We froze for three weeks as we stopped at every town as we completed the entire country tour. Rugged, wild, mountainous country, and few people spoke English. Apart from Cappadocia, and Ephesus, there is nothing in the rest of the country I would recommend going to see. The Turquoise Coast as they call it is a wonderful place to explore if you have rented a yacht for several days. You have to be a very capable walker for visiting both Cappadocia - difficult getting thru the caves and Ephesus is very difficult to walk on the uneven rocks and you have to keep your eye on the ground all the time.

Something very interesting was Konya and the Whirling Dervishes, a mystic sect who do a strange dance to unusual music and their robes whirl as they all go around in a circle like in a trance.
I wouldn’t go in the summer months. You will fry.

Maureen Jones
All Horizons Travel/Frosch
825 Santa Cruz Ave
Menlo Park, CA 94025
6540-961-2340 direct
www.AHTInfo@Frosch.com
www.froschvacations.com