The McCooey's of London: Wishbone & Drumsticks Big Adventure (Istanbul)

Istanbul, Turkey ~ May 2010

Istanbul is the largest city in Turkey and fifth largest city proper in the world with a population of 12.8 million. They also have a problem with stray cats, they were dirty and all over the place.

It is located on the Bosphorus Strait and encompasses the natural harbor known as the Golden Horn, in the northwest of the country. It extends both on the European and on the Asian sides of the Bosphorus, and is thereby the only metropolis in the world that is situated on two continents.

We spent less than 48 hours in Istanbul so we had to keep our eyes on the prize the whole time: Seeing as much as we could as fast as we could.

Some highlights:

Hagia Sohpia: Originally a church, later a mosque, and now a museum, the 6th century Hagia Sophia built by Justinian was the largest ever cathedral building in the world for a thousand years, until the completion of the Seville Cathedral in Spain.

Sultan Ahmed Mosque: The mosque is popularly known as the Blue Mosque for the blue tiles adorning the walls of its interior. It was built between 1609 and 1616, during the rule of Ahmed I. Like many other mosques, it also comprises a tomb of the founder, a madrasah and a hospice.

Bebek is one of the wealthiest neighbourhoods of Istanbul. It is located on the European shores of the Bosphorus. The direct translation of the word "Bebek" into Turkish is "Baby".

Bebek was a popular residential district under the Ottoman rule. Its population reflected the multi-diverse society which is still visible today in Bebek's historic buildings.

Boat Ride: boat ride down the Bosphorus... I recommend everyone doing this! Just get on a full boat because we learned the hard way that they don't take off until it is full...

Some NOT so great moments:

Getting into our room to find that there was a ton of mold/mildew in the shower...eek!
Cab driver taking us the "LONG" way to Bebek and by long I mean 3 times what the fare should of been. Yet another reason why I do not care for most cab drivers.
The other cab driver not knowing where in the world our hotel was EVEN AFTER WE SHOWED HIM A MAP. We finally just got out.
The guys at the Grand Bazaar market attacking Mike to the point we left.
The Spice Market wasn't as grand as I had pictured it.