Days 076-082 – Istanbul is most beautiful, these holidays were amazing!!

I got visas at the last moment and flown for 6 hours to meet a beautiful city and beautiful friend:

How to start… maybe by timeline…

__Day ONE
I and Emad (exMCP Pakistan, faci IC) go by same plane Karachi-Istanbul, its 1 hour late by arrival. When I get out a promised pick up is not available so I put in my old Slovak SIM (that has roaming) to find out whatzup. I reach Lenka and she tells me that the CC of IC will pick me up…

Waiting, finding CC, CC has no idea:) Taking a bus to agreed meeting point. First impressions:
1. minarets and skyscrapers – they are like dandelions popping out of grass, everywhere, very few in Karachi
2. sky – it so blue, so bright and so BIG, maybe because of smog but Karachi sky looks to be much “lower”
3. sea – crystal clear and calm, unlike the dark restless Arabic sea in Karachi, open wide…

We visit the LC Istanbul office… That office wins the award for most beautiful view… You see the little houses, behind them the port and blue sea, and out of the sea rising up the peninsula of the oldest part of town with Hagia Sofia on top. Whole wall is a window, not at all surprising…

Meeting Akin, the best host EVER. He didnt just offer a helping hand, but also his flat, kitchen, money, time, computer, phone… I have a big dept to pay to You man!

We found out that Istanbul IS a HUGE city, not as big as Karachi, but close. It took us nearly two hours to get to Akins place… and than we fell asleep, literary fell.

__DAY TWO

Since morning we go and explore the old city of Istanbul. First coming to the office and checking routs, deciding not to join the official study-tour and walking out for the bus stop from where to take bus to Old city… We somehow miss the stop and finish walking to the Old city

Pure 6 hours of walking and enjoying… Hagia Sofia, blue mosque, grand bazaar, donner, turkish tea, parks, tiny streets and grant bulvaars. We came back to Akins place tired like dogs but with huge eyes…

__DAY THREE

We ask Akin about some special place, something that is not that often seen, as we have been sightseeing too much to be even MORE impressed and amazed… and he suggested Princes`s Islands, a chain of beautiful islands between Europe and Asia.

Me, Lenka and Akin took the boat (part of public transport like buses and minibuses) and went there. The islands look like out of time… The first impression I had was that this is how houses at the river Mississippi looked like, white, wooden, beautifuly decorated, only horses and bikes allowed (only police and ambulance has cars)… What a place…

We climbed a hill in the middle of the biggest island Büyükada with a church on the top… I can tell You, going up in the heat was a real deal. But the sight and bottle of beer on top was worth that.. The way back, nearly night was also worth a couple of pics

Only thing that was sad was that it was not possible to get to the sea and swim without paying terrible money (10 USD and more)…

__DAY FOUR

We woke up really late and missed all the botes But we had a great lunch with Akin and his friends (e.g. Bilgin)… Thats why we went for a walk around the port, waiting for the boat and after that we went again to Princess Islands. This time an another island (Heybeliada) and without Akin, but we didnt get lost and after a looooooooong walk found a place where I could go for a swim at the sunset.