Istanbul Blues

I work downtown. Not exciting, downtown,but kinda down-in the crappy-dumps downtown. So I wanderlust, a lot. I try most days to not pretend to notice the same hobos outside the dunkin donuts harassing me for "Spare Change".There are no fancy boutiques or window shopping. Maybe no window but door shopping?

The mannequin is outside the window, in case you didn't notice with the dress taped to the door and window. And this particular store is a sell it all store, you can buy lotto tickets, cigarettes, gum, groceries, and the latest fashion displayed. If this isn't your scene then there is a deli, and DMV, and a lots of street corners of people talking about something that has nothing to do with anything in the current affairs.

So this is where I am, a lot, not in the streets, but in this vicinity of downtown. So exciting, YAY! As if.😆 Hence the title Istanbul Blues. 'Coz I have 'em, now, and everyday. Like a lovesick teenager, I miss the city, the vibe the people, even my not so nice hotel and its location. I lost my phone and heart to Istanbul. I had post traumatic phone loss syndrome for a while ( how can you not) yet had dreams about the streets of Istanbul for weeks. Where I am there - not here and am surrounded by the bustling bazaar, in those beloved streets. Part of me is still there in those cobble streets. I stayed in SultanAhmet. I was within walking distance to the square. Every morning I would walk past the area where the Blue Mosque and Aya Sophia were, see the shops and the vendors, and the tourists and the same people try to get me to buy the tours. 'Coz I looked so much like a tourist with my Istanbul sweat shirt , this dude twice tried to sell me the same tour to Bosporus, in the span of the same hour, it took me to get lunch and shop. The city has that mystical aura, maybe its the architecture, maybe its the people, maybe I have watched too many Disney renditions of Aladdin and am enamored by the domes and those blue tiles. That blue is what I wanna paint the whole world, its my favorite blue, the Turkish/Moroccan but in my case, Istanbul Blue. Its fascinating to just roam around and be there. Turkish Lira is cheaper than the dollar so things seems cheap. I mean I had the best grilled meat and soups there. Greece had better salads more on that later. No surprise there Greek Salad.

When you're here(Istanbul) the touristy thing is the hop-on/off bus to explore the landmarks. I went through the city in the said bus and took in the history and this city, so unlike any other. It has the best of both Asia and Europe in terms of upholding its true identity yet is modern and happening. People in NYC(my city) are the fabric of the tapestry that is the city, but watching Istanbul and its humanity is literally getting a shot of espresso, you sit up and notice.

The Bazaar and the food - Egyptian and Grand have spices and goods I have not seen or tasted, and I' m from the land of Mistress of Spices-Aishwaraya Rai, for those who didn't get the cheesy bollywood trivia. I'm not talking about all the different landmarks or the quintessential things that make the city great. Taksim Square, Pierre Loti, etc. I'm talking being there taking it all in. My regret is not knowing more Turkish, but then a lot of modern Turkish seems so close to English. Its easy to navigate the city even if you know a word in Turkish, in my case it was Thanks: Teşekkürler - Tae-shack-cure-lair. A lot of Turkish words are pretty similar like Finans for Finance or Taksi for Taxi.

The people are lively, welcoming and so hospitable.

Many evenings we went to our favorite food joint. "Ortoklap" and the owner would always throw in stuff gratis, not just a thing here and there, we're talking small appetizer, tea and dessert all in the same meal. How is that for a business model.Then, again maybe that is the point. "Hospitality above Liras"(cheesy, I know).

Even the vendors with the tiny carts selling roasted hazelnut near the square seemed nice. I dropped a full bag and he replaced it for free and he remembered our names, the next day. Its the little things, that make the big impression. I felt at home and welcome. I hope that you will too.

I don't claim to be a good photographer so what you experience and what I experienced will not be the same readers. But I hope if there's anything that I can say about my Istanbul trip, its this-it lived up to the hype and exceeded it. I'm in no way a seasoned traveler but I am aware of the pitfalls if you may; of many things that come with international travel, its never easy when there's diplomacy involved. If you're not a millionaire or the airline upgrade fairy favorite chances are you're packed like sardines next to my brats or crying babies, maybe it will be all worth it, if you visit a place such as this. Even if you're not into museums and history there's things to do. If you're into the museums and history there's lots to keep you busy. My favorite was the Topkapi museum. Must see IMO. I could go on and on.

Lemme end with this- the journey is worth this destination.

My Istanbul blue. Also, dear readers to please share with me your thoughts, opinions, comments anything-it means a lot .💓