Destınatıon Istanbul

*Travel*

Yesterday, arriving in Istanbul, started off almost as an essay in "how not to".

As mentioned, I arrived with bright ideas about finding a hotel by walking round. In my mind's eye I had a picture of treating myself to a 5-star "chain" hotel right on the edge of the shining Bosphorus.

It started OK. The money I changed included exactly the right coins to work the "left luggage" boxes and I got a half-way decent map from tourist information.

Then it got more difficult. There are 3 parts to Istanbul - the Asian side (Uskudar) divided by the Bosphorus from the European side, which is in turn divided by the "Golden Horn" estuary between Sultanahmet, to the south (where most historic sights are) and (e.g.) Taksim to the north (business district, night life).

Nearly all the chain hotels are apparently in the business district or by the airport. Sultanahmet, where I wanted to stay, is an old area with old buildings.

I found all this out from the internet café I found (where the owner was having connectivity problems and I had to restrain myself). I also found that there were two types of accomodation in Sultanahmet, available and attractive, and never the twain. It was only later that I made the connection to the F1 Istanbul GP this weekend, which might have something to do with it.

So I walked to the Blue Mosque area, sweating like a stuck pig. Bad ıdea.

When I got there thıngs dıd look up. I saw a hotel whose name I recognised from the internet. They had a room, but only for one night (fortunately, as it turned out).

The room was nice, with a pleasant view but no air-con. It turned out that the thıng I really wanted from a posh hotel would have been aır-con. I fıddled wıth wındow, curtaıns and fan wıth lımıted success. The small bathroom cleverly acted as a very nıce wet room shower, with perspex sheets on the backs of the wooden doors. I used ıt 4 or 5 tımes.

As soon as I put down my bags, the call to evening prayer started from loudspeakers on all the local mosques, including one from across the road so loud it sounded like it was outside the door. I started to worry about 5am when, on previous trips to primarily-moslem countries I've heard the amplıfıed chanted calls to morning prayers.

One of the key sights is the Hagia Sophia, originally a church, sacked by 4th crusade idiots, then a mosque with mosaics showing crucifixes plastered over. Clever Mustapha Kemal Attaturk (father of modern Turkey) turned it into a museum, so not especially offending Christians or Moslems.

I put on my last remaining top, a shirt I've been keeping for a nıce meal out, and headed off. I'd just paid my entry fee when I had to run for the loo - a hole in the ground one.

Due to the heat and unfamiliar exertions, I was soaked from head to waist in no time. My 'saved' shirt had lasted almost 10 minutes.

Crossing my fingers, I took my last Immodium. I made it round Hagia Sophia and the next-door Blue Mosque.

Feeling a bit better, I walked toward the coast and saw the Abella Hotel (.com) advertising a terrace bar. I had a couple of beers admiring the 180 degree view of Bosphorus and Marmara Sea as the sun set behind.

I finished off the day with a Turkish meal (yoghurt soup, mixed kebab and baklava) at a restaurant sporting East Turkestan political messages.

I woke at 8am, so either 5am didn't happen or I slept through it. I was "bitten to bits" by ınsects too small to see, even though I shut the window.

Rapıdly I found another hotel a few doors down, the Star Holiday Hotel and gleefully traded the view for air-con (god bless it) and a 10 Euro saving. As I left, others were being told the last room had just gone.