Alaçatı

During my visit to Turkey I wanted the chance to visit a couple different regions. After some research I decided on the beach town of Alaçatı.

Most trains are non-existent in Turkey so to get around you need a plane or car. In my case I flew from Istanbul to Izmir. From the Izmir airport there is a regional bus system called Havas to get you to nearby cities. The bus itself isn’t too bad but my problem is that it wasn’t clear where to catch the bus at the airport. I wasted about an hour trying to locate where to catch the bus. After following signs that said shuttle down to a sleepy lot I decided to go back up and look again for my bus after waiting 30 minutes or so with no sign of my bus. I finally see the signs for Havas. I am still not sure why I did not see them the first time.

I get on the bus to Cesme. It stops first in Alaçatı, my intended destination.

From research before hand, Alaçatı doesn’t look too large. Not knowing where the bus will drop me off I wing it. The bus “station” is about 1.5 miles from my hotel. It is hot and my bags are heavy but I decide to walk. I can’t justify such a short cab ride, besides I am not sure there is a cab around.

I make it to my hotel but it is before check in and my room is not yet ready. I drop off my bags and wander around.

This town reminds of a cross between Greece, south beach Miami and Southern Italy. It is very cute. During the day it has an island feel where you can shop the day away but at night the streets are packed and music is loud.

After a little while I am finally able to check into my hotel. My room is charming and named after an author.

After settling in I go out to the city to explore. During my stay I never made it to the beach and I didn’t do any sightseeing. This part of my traveling was all about traveling locally. I enjoyed my stay in Alaçatı but if I had companions I might have tried one of the nightclubs. I just am not the type to go clubbing alone.

But I did dine at some of the cute restaurants.

Local grilled cheese: A cross between halloumi and blue cheese

And I did wander and shop around town during the day.

Amazing hotel breakfast spread, every morning!

Caught live music one night

It was a slow pace and I liked it. Alacati town was well worth the visit.

Topkapi Palace

Another must see in Istanbul is the Topkapi Palace.

It was the main residence of the sultans of the Ottoman empire.

I also recommend this one first thing in the morning to beat the crowds. I got here early but a little later than opening and crowds consistently built as the morning went on.

The whole museum is great but the two highlights are the privy chamber and the harem.

The privy chamber is the museum of sacred relics.

Security is tight in this portion and females must be covered for modesty.

I am not allowed to take photos in this section but it contains some pretty interesting Islamic relics. Here you will find a Mohammed tooth and beard in containers in very beautiful rooms. There are magnificent tile patterns and prayer chants running through speakers. I wear a stole to cover my knees for modesty. Other things here include Keys to Kaaba, old sword and soil from Medina and Mecca.

Harem

The harem is another must see. There is a separate ticket to this section but it is totally worth it. Not only does it have the best looking tile work and decor but also the crowds are much thinner in this section.

Below are some of the other parts of the palace.

Lastly you get to tour the kitchens and other museums. There is a great exhibit on tea and coffee and how it is served in the palace. Plus the room had very good AC.

This whole museum was worth the price of admission.

Bosporus Cruise

Everyone says you need to take a Bosporus cruise.

I did some research on some of the dinner and higher end cruises and they all had mixed reviews so I decide to take the cheap route and take the regular boat ride. The ride itself would be sufficient but it is very crowded and full of very ill behaved kids and adults. I am surrounded by a very large extended family whose kids scream over me and bump into me pretty much the entire cruise. One of the kids screaming over me later starts slapping and punching his mother. I am appalled at this behavior but it isn’t my country and isn’t my culture so I keep my mouth shut. Later, men a couple rows back get into an altercation. It is all very distracting from the beauty of the Bosporus. If I had to do it all again I might splurge for a higher end cruise.

Maybe humans are better behaved on those?

Istanbul Markets

One of my first days in Istanbul I chose to wander around to get my bearings. I ended up in an outdoor market that sold just about everything. It is very lively on this weekend day with a mix of locals and some tourists (like me) wandering the streets. I incorrectly assume this is the Grand Bazaar. I plan to buy some long pants to prepare for my upcoming trip to Egypt but I am overwhelmed and just walk the streets and look around instead before heading back to my hotel.

Days later I ended up back on that side of town and ended up at the Egyptian Bazaar which I also incorrectly identified as the Grand Bazaar. Again I am overwhelmed but this time at the booths selling sweets, teas, and spices. I take in all the spices. For me they are all the exotic spices I love. I want to buy a bunch of of them but most I can get at home and it doesn’t seem wise to add load to my backpack so early in my turkey travels. I vow to come back when I return to Istanbul in a couple of weeks.

I walk on and into another building. I have finally found the Grand Bazaar for real this time and it is grand. It is very large and there are booths selling just about everything. I am mesmerized by the ceramics and the Turkish lamps. Store owners urge me to come in and say they will give me a good deal, but alas I am still not shopping at this point in my trip. I need to be smart about my baggage weight.

My obsession

I couldn’t resist picking up this pumpkin seed at the outdoor market.

I do return to the markets a couple weeks later but I do not buy that Turkish lamp. Logistically shipping it home doesn’t seem worth it and the power supply is meant for European plugs only. I would have to get it re-wired. I kick myself for not buying the battery powered ones I saw in Selcuk. I do buy some nick knacks and some beautiful plates (that I later discover I can probably not use for food serving due to their design – doh! Oh well, they will still look good on display).

Hagia Sophia and Blue Mosque

Everyone who comes to visit Istanbul visits both Hagia Sophia and the Blue Mosque and so did I.

For some reason I am always getting a late start during my travels but I did get my butt out of bed early to visit Hagia Sophia when it opened.

There were very few people inside. It was quite nice. It would have been perfect if it wasn’t for all the restoration work being done. I have watched some documentaries on the building so the repair work is probably needed for the longevity of the building.

Hagia Sophia (AyaSofya) started as a Greek Orthodox Church when Istanbul was Constantinople.

Over the years it had much damage and many repairs.

When the Ottomans took over Constantinople the Hagia Sophia became a mosque; this is when the minarets and other mosque distinct features were added.

For now the building serves as a museum and that it is good for us so we can see how spectacular it is inside.

After my visit to Hagia Sophia I visited the sultan tombs that were off to the side of the building. I pretty much had them to myself and enjoyed the domes of all the buildings.

Blue Mosque

Everyone says to visit the Blue Mosque, which is close by. There are limited times to visit since it is an active mosque. I went on a Friday where it is closed for many hours for prayer. However I got luckily and found a window where it was still open for visitors.

Most of the Blue Mosque was obstructed by restoration work. I did get a photo or two of the very fabulous exposed pieces. I suppose I will have to go back to visit when the work is complete.

What I also liked about the Blue Mosque is that they have an instructional board outside that tells you all about Islam. I found it very educational.

Hopefully some day I’ll be back.