Istanbul by Chance

by Sharon-Rose Napier (South Africa)

A leap into the unknown Turkey

I remember learning the Turkish language in primary school. I wasn't any good at it then but now I'm worse. But Merhaba, teśekürę edirim and gúlê gúlê are stuck in there, also parts of the National Anthem. I wouldn't call myself a writer or a traveler. But here goes. Istanbul by chance. A mixed spice of different invaders, makes you wonder what exactly is Turkish? Just how many times does one country have to be conquered? Are the Mosques Church's? Are the Church's Mosques? It was my mom, little brother and myself: we were flying back home to South Africa from Dubai. Our flight had a 24-hour layover between Istanbul and Johannesburg. We decided to get the visa so we wouldn’t have to sit in the airport the whole day. What we thought we would do and what we ended up doing wasn't expected. After waiting in the long passport control cue and asking strangers for Wi-Fi hotspots to get our visas (that you can get in 48 hours when you apply online), which we didn't think to download beforehand, we finally got through passport control. It was then we saw that because we flew with Turkish Airlines that we had a free tour of the city. We put our carry on in storage and leaped at the chance to explore a city unknown. On the bus, a girl from the States going back home to Kenya. A Turkish bus driver who barely knows English. A Spanish girl who is worse off than the driver. Our first stop is a family-owned Turkish restaurant for local breakfast and tea. So on foot, we began our journey The good part about Istanbul, You can walk to all the main attractions. A city conquered over and over again, it’s a city of ruins lost in time. With each conqueror leaving their mark. With everything no further than 20 minutes apart you could see quite a bit in just one day. In just one day we walked from Hagia Sophia to The Spice Bazaar. In between, we had lunch in a restaurant on the cliffs of the Sea of Marmara, walked through a beautiful park. Found out that tulips come from Turkey. Fact: they were shipped to Holland from turkey in the 16th Century. They hold their annual tulip festival during the first few weeks of April. The Serpentine Column and The Obelisk near the Hippodrome. The Topkapi palace museum. A Museum that has the turban of Joseph from the Bible and even a Museum of Science The Spice Bazaar is an undercover market. Baklava, Turkish delight, Apple tea, spices, and nuts. With a lot of the shops selling the same thing so choose wisely. And it all tastes amazing. A warry unknown was that the toilets are not as you'd expect. So take care as you walk into the stall and don't fall in. I unknowing that the toilets are middle eastern, which is a hole in the ground and a spraying hose, unless you are in a place catered for tourists like the airport most of the bathrooms are middle eastern. So after attempting relief myself, I walked out 20 minutes later with a wet skirt and shoes, defeated. I learned during my one day trek around Istanbul that it is both European and Asian with a sea running through it. They enjoy sweet things, and The story of Turkey is tragic but also beautiful. They still stand today. Ruins and all.