It is my second day of a 15-day trip in Turkey with FLO-USA, a tour operator. As I have several writers already go on the FLO USA’s trip for ITKT over the years, I have to admit, I was pretty excited about making the journey. After spending the day visiting the Hagia Sophia, Topkapi Palace, the Blue Mosque and the Basilica Cistern, my feet are sore but the trip so far has been impressive.
Here are a few of my early, early thoughts on Istanbul during my brief time here:
- City planning looks like all the building and most roads were put in a giant cup, shaken, and then spilled all over the peninsula.
- Same sex-couples are often seen walking arm-in-arm — even though they are not same-sex couples, if you know what I mean.
- Most men look like Ben Kingsley.
- The traffic is bad. Without question, pedestrians should take care when crossing the street. Drivers clearly get the right of way.
Tomorrow morning, I head across the Bosphorus, the waterway that separates Europe from Asia, and Turkey from more Turkey.
Yoz are sooo right about the drivers. Pedestrians live dangerously in Istanbul.