Founded in 660 BC, Istanbul sits on the Boshorous straight - one of the word's busiest waterways - and crosses both Europe and Asia. For over 16 centuries, four different empires used this city as their capital including the Roman Emperors and the Ottoman Sultans. These people left opulent palaces, inspiring Mosques, and the world's largest shopping mall, the Grand Bazaar, behind.
A three hour plane ride from Frankfurt, I wanted to walk in ancient Constantinople, hear the call for prayer, and experience a radically different Mediterranean city. I talked my friend Beverly into joining me - an easy sell. We booked plane tickets, picked a hotel, and skimmed through Rick Steves. With busy work schedules denying us the opportunity to plan, we left with a vague idea of a few sites to see.
The Turkish airport redefined "inefficiency." We stood in a 30 minute line to buy a Turkish visa. As we waited, we watched big screen TVs show us our next ride - the even longer passport line. It felt like Disney in July only instead of a enjoying 2 minutes on Dumbo, I got a smile and a stamp. 90 minutes after leaving our aircraft, we stepped into Arrivals hoping to see our name on a sign. I jotted down the hotel address as a back up, but I doubted my Turkish to English translation would make sense to a taxi driver. We found our names among the hundreds of people, piled in the car, and sat in rush hour traffic for another hour.
After arriving at the Arena Hotel, we consulted Rick Steves and found an outdoor restaurant around the corner. I enjoyed hot flat bread, chicken kabob, and sweet baklava. I sat in awe listening to the call for prayer echo through the street.
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