A TURKISH DELIGHT - DAY 5 – 14 NOVEMBER 2021 – In Istanbul

Istanbul is a sprawling city and distances are daunting. However, the saving grace is the public transport system; it has a superb network of buses, trams, metro and ferries. Using them is a seamless experience. One only has to get the Istanbul Kart and tap it at the entrance, be it any of the four. Today we had the opportunity of using a combination of all four to get around without wasting much time. This saves lots of money as well as one can get by without having to hire expensive taxis.

We used the tram from Cimberlitas to Marmaray interchange station at Sircesi. Maramaray is the term used in Istanbul to denote the Metro. The surface part of the station is used for reception and despatch of conventional trains while the metro is in the cavernous belly of the underground. Three sections of steep escalators and nearly a kilometre of walking took us to the platform for a train to Uskudar, the Asian side of Istanbul. We missed the first train as we were a minute late and the doors had already closed. The next took just another three minutes. As it was just about 9 am on a Sunday morning there was enough space to sit. The section from Sircesi to Uskudar goes under the Strait, crossing over from Europe to Asia!

The ride was just a few minutes and we were in Uskudar, the sprawling residential area on the Asian side of the city. As was to be expected, I stood gaping at signages for some time deciding which exit to take. Knowledge of Turkish would certainly be a terrific advantage. I was lucky for two reasons. I chose the exit I did and found some guys placing the Istanbul Kart on a machine that said 'Refunds'. We too did the same and, voila, we had half our fares, deducted at Sircesi, refunded back to the ticket! The next surprise came soon thereafter. A lovely waterfront promenade greeted us as we exited the Metro at Uskudar. Clean walkway, clean air, clean waters, clean benches and a naughty nip of cool breeze. I stood there, leaning against the promenade railing, for quite some time gulping in fresh air to fill the much abused lungs and feasted on the lovely sights all around me.

The ferry wharves were not yet busy, but the promenade cafes were serving early customers. There were plenty of early morning anglers who had already reserved their places against the promenade railings. Seagulls were swarming overhead in search of morsels. Suddenly we saw one of them plunge into the water and swarms of seagulls started circling around it. What a show of empathy and desperation to save one of their own! The reason why that bird had plunged into the water was not known to us then. Soon enough we learnt that one of the anglers while casting his bait had accidentally picked the wings of the bird and that had plunged into the water. While the angler was trying to retrieve his line, the bird was fighting for its life! All the time the rest of the seagulls kept swirling overhead, they did not abandon one of their own. A truly moving sight. When we could no longer stand there and watch the pathetic drama unfold and with no means to solve the situation we ambled further along.

We came across a lighthouse near the promenade and a monument to commemorate the capture of Constantinople by the Ottomans in 1453. Yet another monument celebrated the establishment of the Republic by Kemal Ataturk with the inscription “How happy is the one who says I am a Turk”. Then came to sight the lovely Maiden's Tower built somewhere in the 10th century, possibly as a Customs station for ships coming from the Black Sea. Its purpose and form changed over the centuries and now it just stands there as a touristy masterpiece. It even served as a quarantine centre for a few years. Before its current closure there was a café and restaurant in the Tower where one could take a boat to and enjoy the superb views of the capital city. Now its awesomeness can only be appreciated from the promenade. It was such a lovely sight with small boats to huge ships going past the Tower.

From Uskudar we took a bus to visit the Beylerbeyi Palace that was built in 1865 as a summer residence of the Ottoman rulers. The Palace was closed for restoration and only the lovely landscaped gardens and the waterfront with commanding views of the Straits were open. The entrance fee had also been reduced from 60TL per head to 5 TL. Besides the well maintained gardens it is nice post to enjoy the Strait and the Bosphorus Bridge across the waters linking the Asian and European sides of Istanbul. With the Palace closed for restoration there were not many visitors but there were a few lounging in the open cafe garden with coffee and dessert. Hetal and I ordered Turkish coffee and what they called a ‘soufflé’. When it was served at the table it turned out to be a chocolate lave cake with ice cream. We took our time to relax there and enjoy the pristine environs and the landscape.

Next on the agenda was the Camilica Mosque, which is the biggest mosque in the whole of Turkey. Getting there was quite a task. We waited for nearly an hour for the right bus to come along, which never did. Then we took one that was supposed to drop us close to the mosque. It turned out that we had to walk along steep winding roads for more than a couple of km, which nearly broke our resolve and legs. Moreover, the area seemed to be where the new developments were taking place and there was plenty of movement of construction equipment and slush was everywhere. Finally, when we reached the mosque its magnificence stunned us. It surpassed Hagia Sophia in size when it was inaugurated in 2019. A large number of tourists throng here because of its distinctive features and size. Prayers were also going on. There are strict guidelines to be observed. Women are not permitted into the main hall. They have to trudge three floors above and either pray or visit.

Mercifully, after the visit of the mosque we got a direct bus to Uskudar. When we reached the Uskudar ferry wharf we felt the need to have a munch and hence, proceeded to buy some freshly roasted chestnuts and fresh juice. We sat there, overlooking the Bosphorus waters, and recollected the fantastic experience in Istanbul. We had finished the sightseeing we could in the city. There is plenty more, but those for another time.

We had not used the ferry till then and decide to give that a try. I found out the right enclosure to embark for the Eminonu terminal. Before that we had to reload the Istanbul Kart as we were low on balance. Since the instructions on the machines were in Turkish I requested a young man in the queue to show me how to load the balance. It was not complicated and the deed was soon done and we got on to a ferry that would take passengers to Karakoy and Eminonu from Uskudar, an intercontinental ferry from Asia to Europe! I was surprised by the size of the ferry, the comfortable seats, their upkeep and facilities. The ferries are extremely well patronised and most are overfull. Despite the crowds we found the ferry neat and clean. The guests use the facilities responsibly, one has to admit. They don't litter or damage the property. Nowhere did I find people spitting or discarding things wantonly. Bins were provided almost everywhere and people are socially responsible. From the Eminonu ferry terminal we walked to the tram station, a few steps away, and took the tram to Cemberlitas, from where our hotel was a few minutes away by foot.

Derya, the proprietor of Derya Travels and now our very good friend, had invited us for dinner to her home. She has a pet love bird which she said could speak 70 words, Turkish, of course. The dinner was a very elaborate spread of delicious Turkish cuisine. Most importantly, most of the fare she had prepared all by herself, sacrificing the only off day she gets in the week. It is not often that one comes across such kindred souls. She even arranged a taxi to the airport in the morning from our hotel, from where we would pick up the car to start the 14th edition of Record Drive.