Saturday, December 27
Once again, we didn’t wake up until 10 a.m. Jet lag still afflicts both of us. I awoke at 2:30 a.m. and found my better half awake. He had just returned from the lobby and was ready to try and sleep again. I decided to go to complete the December 26 installment of my trip report, and then I went to the lobby to post it, check email, and do some other stuff online. I don’t think I went back to sleep until after 5 a.m.
Before we started Saturday’s exploring, we visited the concierge. We told him that we were going to
Topkapı Palace, and we were interested in taking a ferry to the Asian side of Istanbul on Sunday. He told us that he would send a ferry schedule and a restaurant recommendation to our room. He also suggested taking a taxi to Topkapı Palace and taking the tram back. He told us that we had been lucky with taxi drivers so far, but that many tried to take advantage of tourists. He told us that if we ever had a taxi driver try to overcharge us for a ride back to the hotel, we should refuse to pay them and get a hotel employee to intervene.
We decided to eat before going to Topkapı Palace, so we went back to the area near the hotel we had explored Friday evening. Shop owners were displaying fresh foods, flowers, and other items. Döner shops seemed to be everywhere. We went to one called Best Kebap. One of the employees spoke English and helped us with our order. I ordered a chicken wrap and my spouse ordered a beef wrap. The wraps were thin but stuffed with meat, pickles, tomatoes, and French fries. Perfect for a meal on the go! With sodas our lunch bill came to YTL14 total.
We walked back to the W and ordered a taxi, and about 20 minutes later we were at Topkapı Palace. When I visited in June, I spent a little more than an hour there, and that was not nearly enough. Following the advice of our Rick Steeves travel book, we bought tickets to see the Harem after entering when we saw that line was pretty short. To say that the Palace and Harem are opulent does not do them justice. It’s fun to imagine having lived in such a pace, but not as one of the eunuchs!
After we walked through the Harem, we were ready to take a break. We went to the café for a snack. Because of the cold weather, self-service customers were able to sit indoors, but not in the prime Bosphorus viewing spots. Two cays, a couple of sweets, and a cheese pastry came to YTL39.50, our most expensive “meal” so far on the trip. While the view was certainly not the best in the place, it’s always nice to sip tea while looking at two continents at once.
We continued walking through the different areas of the palace. While taking pictures, we ran into a couple from Seattle whose trip had been delayed by the snow there. We took photos of them and they took photos of us. (Our Rick Steeves guide gave us away; they had one also.) I think the highlight for both of us was the fourth treasury room.
Over three hours after arriving, we left Topkapı Palace, walking past Hagia Sophia, then along Divan Yolu toward the Grand Bazaar. During my first trip to Istanbul, I did not get to visit the Bazaar. Even though it’s considered a tourist trap by some, and Istanbullers will tell you that it is not the best place to shop for bargains, it is still a must see. Even before we walked in we were being accosted by carpet salesmen and others trying to convince us to buy what they had. My approach to dealing with them is to use phrases like “Leather makes me bleed” or “I am allergic to carpet” or “I have to have my clothes custom made.” Alternatively, you can just pretend that they don’t exist. My spouse took another approach: He takes video. His approach worked better. We walked through, spending a little less than an hour and YTL55 for a plate that started at YTL85. We probably could have done better, but we thought it was a fair price.
It was about 6 p.m., and we were tired and hungry. We decided to eat before going back to the hotel, Most of the places around the Beyazit tram stop offered primarily outdoor seating and no table service, so we went to a place called Seos and sat upstairs. I had the Iskender kebap and my usual çoban salad, and Mr. FB had a pide with chopped lamb. With sodas and tip, our meal came to YTL30. It was filling, tasty, and relatively inexpensive, a bonus in such a touristy area.
We planned to take a taxi back to the hotel, but we ran into a group of predatory drivers. One asked us where we were going and I said, “W Hotel in Başiktaş.” He recited the address and said he knew where it was. It would be 50YTL. I replied, “Fifteen?” thinking maybe I misheard him and he repeated, “Fifty.” I told him to forget it and another driver came along and said, “He is crazy! I will take you there with meter!” so we got into his taxi. The other driver banged on the window and he told him to leave us alone. He then informed us that there was a big festival in Taksim Square and that he would have to take an alternative route, so our fare would be about YTL40. I said, “Taksim Square is out of the way,” and we both exited the taxi. He yelled, “What is your problem?” as we walked away. Another driver yelled, “I will take you for YTL10,” but by this time we wanted nothing to do with taxis or the men who drive them. It was great theater, though! We bought tram tokens, took a tram to Kabataş, and then made the 15-minute walk to the hotel. We began to realize that the concierge’s advice should be heeded!
Before we went back to the room, we visited the Migros supermarket near the hotel for water and snacks. We ended another day in Istanbul exhausted and ready for the next.