The flight from Seattle to CDG then on to Istanbul was pretty much of a non-event, other than a slightly unexpected surprise on the fist leg in that the seat next to me was empty. I had paid a few extra dollars for the Economy Comfort class, so this actually gave me a great deal of room for a very affordable price.
I arrived in Istanbul right on time, about 5:10 PM and just about 24 hours exactly after I left my home in the US. I took a shared ride (shuttle) from the IST to my hotel, and it was an adventure with the traffic, and my driver nearly "impaled" the vehicle on on of those roadside concrete blocks. Eventually, about an hour and a half later, he managed to find the hotel, right next to Taksim Square. (I'm glad I didn't try Metro for this one as I was pretty tired, and I don't know when I would have been able to locate the place.)
First impressions are that Istanbul is not really what I would consider an Islamic city, in that it looks, and the people act, far more like Romans or Athenians than Jordanians or Egyptians. As for appearance, it seems very reminiscent of Trastevere in Rome or the area around the Acropolis in Athens. The city, though ancient, is in great repair, and while it is crowded I would not consider it gridlocked. This definitely does not have the strict Islamic feel of Middle East (save for the call from the Mosque at 5:00 AM this morning), and there are, to my surprise, even some sex shops and the like. Food is relatively good and cheap (more on the mini hamburgers later) but alcohol is pricey, with a vodka tonic running close to $10 US.
The Innpera Hotel is acceptable, fairly expensive at a tad over $100/night US, but it is, as I said earlier, right next to Taksim Square, so the location is incredible. There is a full gym, sauna and the like downstairs, and I plan on trying that later this evening. On the downside, the air conditioning does not work this time of year, so it gets hot, and this is not the type of place I feel comfortable leaving the balcony door open. the breakfast room "opens" at 7:00 AM, and by 7:30 they have most of the food and utensils set out. Again, I wouldn't whine if it were a bargain price, but I know I could have found better for less.
Today, I'll start the tour of the city with representative of the tourist company I mentioned earlier. It's rainy this morning, and I am hoping it will taper off a bit.
The currency situation is funny, with Euros almost as common as the Turkish Lira.
I arrived in Istanbul right on time, about 5:10 PM and just about 24 hours exactly after I left my home in the US. I took a shared ride (shuttle) from the IST to my hotel, and it was an adventure with the traffic, and my driver nearly "impaled" the vehicle on on of those roadside concrete blocks. Eventually, about an hour and a half later, he managed to find the hotel, right next to Taksim Square. (I'm glad I didn't try Metro for this one as I was pretty tired, and I don't know when I would have been able to locate the place.)
First impressions are that Istanbul is not really what I would consider an Islamic city, in that it looks, and the people act, far more like Romans or Athenians than Jordanians or Egyptians. As for appearance, it seems very reminiscent of Trastevere in Rome or the area around the Acropolis in Athens. The city, though ancient, is in great repair, and while it is crowded I would not consider it gridlocked. This definitely does not have the strict Islamic feel of Middle East (save for the call from the Mosque at 5:00 AM this morning), and there are, to my surprise, even some sex shops and the like. Food is relatively good and cheap (more on the mini hamburgers later) but alcohol is pricey, with a vodka tonic running close to $10 US.
The Innpera Hotel is acceptable, fairly expensive at a tad over $100/night US, but it is, as I said earlier, right next to Taksim Square, so the location is incredible. There is a full gym, sauna and the like downstairs, and I plan on trying that later this evening. On the downside, the air conditioning does not work this time of year, so it gets hot, and this is not the type of place I feel comfortable leaving the balcony door open. the breakfast room "opens" at 7:00 AM, and by 7:30 they have most of the food and utensils set out. Again, I wouldn't whine if it were a bargain price, but I know I could have found better for less.
Today, I'll start the tour of the city with representative of the tourist company I mentioned earlier. It's rainy this morning, and I am hoping it will taper off a bit.
The currency situation is funny, with Euros almost as common as the Turkish Lira.
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