First of all, the world famous traffic jam. It's almost everywhere and the congestion is frustratingly constant. The surprising thing is: we witnessed no traffic accidents. The taxi drivers are adapt in squeezing into or pass the most stringent space, perhaps a few centimeters away from the next car. Aah, the magic of a taxi ride. Another surprise, a number of taxi drivers could hold a basic conversation in English on politics, in this case whether Turkey should join the EU and their views of Islamic fundamentalism. Jaywalking in Istanbul is entirely out of question. Riding a bicycle in Istanbul could be a life threatening experience.
And now, the cats. They were everywhere too, on the streets, loitering at public places. They all looked well fed and cared for, compared to the feral cats I once saw at Rome. At this street hawker's stall, no less than four cats were left "guarding" the merchandise when the owner left his stall unattended.
Next, the street vendors. They were everywhere too. At the public places, most of them are licensed. Elsewhere, probably not. Unlike street vendors in other tourist spots, the Turkish vendors hardly hassle the passers-by, which is a relief. Only a couple of times when we were in the vicinity of the Grand Bazaar that some youths approached me to sell perfume obtained from the grey market. I did not examine the merchandise closely since I do not support fake goods or the grey market, but the articles looked genuine enough. There was of course the famous Chanel No. 5. These young men only ever approached women, I noticed, presumably we women are more susceptible to bargains. At the Sultanhamed, be prepared to be accosted by a constant stream of vendors selling Bosphorous boat tours. There were also enterprising vendors selling guide books to Istanbul in French, German and English at strategic locations. The entrepreneurial spirit is alive and kicking.
What impressed me was the tidiness of Istanbul. Hardly a piece of litter was in sight. This is probably due to the litter brigade employed by the municipal government seen around the city. Compared to litter-strewn UK, it was a pleasure to be walking around in a city that takes pride in itself.
And now, Atartuk airport. There were three security checks on departure: once at the entrance, once past passport control and finally at departure gate. On the first two checks, everything had to be emptied into trays, coats and shoes had to be removed. By the third time when someone strolled along and asked to do random checks, it was getting particularly irritating. There must be loopholes somewhere in the terminal for the airport authorities to perform three security checks.
Perhaps the only aspect of Istanbul that I found uninviting was the way one of the Duty Free shops at the Atartuk airport charged the customers. The goods were priced at Euros, but the tills charged the local currency of Turkish lira, which could not be described as a favourable exchange rate. When I offered to pay Euros, they imposed €1.40 currency commission on a transaction of €52. That left a bad taste in my mouth and I decided to abort the transaction.
 |
| Traffic at the Bekistas area, approximately 10:00 hours on a Saturday |
 |
| Still there, approximately 22:00 hours on a Sunday |
 |
| Cats everywhere, Istanbul |
 |
| Stationery vendor near the University, Istanbul |
 |
| Lone vendor selling crowns made of artificial flowers |
 |
| Sweetcorn, boiled or char grilled |
 |
| At a cafe near the Istanbul University |
 |
| Street sweeper in the Bekistas area, Istanbul |
 |
| Second security checks pass passport control |
