Hello and welcome to this week’s edition of the mrlukeniktravelsblog coming from Istanbul, Turkey. Since last week I have travelled out of South East Asia to the very edge of western Asia. There is certainly a change- for the better- of temperature and humidity. I write this in the cool of the early evening as the in sun sets behind me. I haven’t really seen a sunset since I was in Australia back in June! The sound of numerous muezzins float across the breeze calling the Muslim population to prayer. Here is some of what I have been up to since last week transitioning from Hanoi to Istanbul.
A rare quiet moment on Train Street, Hanoi; these don’t come often. The heat of the early afternoon sent photo-snapping tourists to the refuge of shade.
The finale of my time in Vietnam was spent in the capital Hanoi. Whilst being a busy city, there was none of the craziness associated with Saigon in the south. Named after the famous North Vietnamese general, the capital also contains his mausoleum. I paid a visit to this area of the city on a blisteringly hot afternoon. There was also little shade available to provide respite. Inside resides the embalmed body of the man himself, cared for under the supervision of the team which manages the body of Lenin. I have to say that for me it was a rather unnerving experience. Looking at a taxidermied human body is not something that I particularly enjoyed. The Vietnamese people around me did seem to appreciate the visit though. Somewhat weirded out, I then paid a visit to Train Street. This is a railway line built through residential districts by the French during the colonial period. Alongside the tracks sit cafes and shops catering to tourists. However, I recently saw an article saying the days of the trackside cafes maybe coming to an end soon. Unfortunately, the train only passes through a few times a day and I wasn’t able to see it. Just one of those things!
Having packed my luggage once again and eaten my final bowl of pho (pronounced similar to fha) it was time to take another aeroplane. Havong secured a direct, overnight flight I felt rather pleased myself. Perhaps that was getting ahead of myself. Upon check-in I asked for an aisle seat- because why choose anything else- and thought nothing more of it. Upon embarking the plane, I discovered I was right at the back, next to the galley and toilets. This, combined with a fair amount of turbulence, resulted in not much sleep happening during the ten hours and forty minutes in the air. Arriving in the early hours of Sunday morning in Istanbul I took a few hours to catch up on sleep before leaving the airport. Once a little rested, I made the hour bus journey from the airport to the city proper. I had managed by a stroke of fortune booked a hostel only a few minutes walk from the bus stop. My Istanbul trip was about to begin.
As sunshine warmed the cobbled street of the city, I arrived to begin exploring the Galata District before checking into my hostel. Most of the famous sites in the city, Hagia Sophia, Topkapi Palace and Blue Mosque, lie across the Golden Horn River in the Sultanahmet District. In fact my first stop, the Galata Tower, served as a fire watch position for many centuries. Today the tower contains a viewing area and two restaurants instead of Janissaries and weapons. Avoiding the weekend crowds I spent the next day hitting up the sites. By purchasing a 5 day museum pass I was able to save some money on entrance fees. The Hagia Sophia is now a museum allowing restoration of the Byzantine mosaics and decoration covered up during the building’s use as a mosque. It was fabulous to stand in space that had been a place of worship for millennia.
Whilst in Istanbul I have been enjoying the cuisine, very different from Vietnam! Gone are rice, noodles and broth, replacing them are kebabs, pickles and breads. With the cooler nights carbohydrates come in a more concentrated (stodgy) form. Of course I could not fail to mention Baklava and Turkish Delight- two of my favourite things. Even as someone with a sweet tooth, they are frighteningly sweet and rich! On the healthier side there is also an abundance of dried fruit and nuts, so handy for munching whilst on the move. There are plenty of street food sellers plying the streets, although not on a scale I have experienced in other destinations on this trip. I have also discovered the meaning of one button on my mobile phone keyboard- it’s the symbol for the Turkish Lira. I’m learning new things everyday!
That is almost it for this update and this week. Next week I will be slightly further west and a little south in Greece for my penultimate post whilst on the road. This trip is now starting to draw to a close! From now until next week, you can follow my Twitter feed at @mrlukeiktravel. For pictorial satisfaction, I have an Instagram account which can be found with the handle @mrlukeniktravels. Thirdly, you can subscribe to this blog to receive an email notification of a post. The button can found below. Finally, until next time, stay safe and travel on!
