Istanbul, first stop on Neil Dewar goes around the world Part II and it provided the perfect starting point with the city being the gateway to Asia where the majority of this trip will be spent. I had heard good things about the city from friends and other travellers in the Americas and most people descirbed Istanbul as being one of their favourite places. Well it can now add me as an admirer of this great place. Istanbul is a huge place and you certainly get a real feel for the vast number of people who call it home from the moment you get on the tram into the Old Town. There is people everywhere on the European side of the Bosphorous and it would seem that they are all trying to sell something or other. Be it corn on the cob, knock off Ray Bans (of which I am now a proud owner) gold, silver, carpets or cheap perfume, the residents of Istanbul are out in force and are always on the go. This gives the city a real hustle and bustle feel and there is a great energy everywhere you go. Add to this the fact that there is history pouring down every street some of it dating back to times before Christ and it becomes a fantastic city for exploring. The Old Town, Sultanahmet, is where the majority of the historical buildings are located. Here is where you can find the grand Moques of the city includng the New Mosque down by the Golden Horn, the large Suleymaniye Mosque atop one of the hills, the fantastically decorated Blue Mosque and then the largest and once most grand of them all, Aya Sofya which was orginally a Christian church adorned with stunning mosaics of biblical figures but was covered up by the Muslims with the geometirical signs seen in all mosques. This is now a museum and provides a great look into the history of the buliding and the history of the city itself. All the mosques are worth a visit for their stunning interiors, particularly Suleymaniye for its stained glass, but all fall to the side in comparison to the interior of the Blue Mosque. It is quite incredible. The detail placed into the wall paintings, the stonemasonry, even the wooden chandeliers is all something else. It surely must be one of the most decorated churches that I have visted yet. Across from the Blue Mosque, the Basillica Cistern offers an experience of underground vaults, flooded and with carp swimming in the shallow water beneath the walkway. There is also the two Madusa heads carved at the bottom of two pillars to look out for resulting in something entirely different from what I had been expecting. The Topkapi Palace is another place of great beauty and history being the living space for the Sultans of Turkey, those with important governmental duties and the entourages for all these people. Its has been built to appear simple and it does not have the same grandeur as say Versailles or Buckingham Palace, but it nonetheless is wonderfully ornate decorated with materials such as mother of pearl and tortoise shells. Some of the bulidings within the palace are like little jewels. There is also some wonderful artefacts inside including armoury and a wonderful collection of clocks and watches dating back to 17th C, presents from the European royality of the time. The most significant collection is that containing some of the most important artefacts in Islamis religous history. Items from both the Prophets Muhammad and Abaham are held including teeth, some beard and their staffs and swords. Its pretty incredible to see and attempt to acknowledge the immense importance these people have in Islamic culture. Away from the buildings of historical significance and back the hustle and bustle, you are quickly pulled in to the street stalls selling all sorts. The grandest collection of these is of course the Grand Bazaar, a shopaholics dream. It may not be as large as these new Mega Malls, but what it does have is character by the spade load. The Spice Bazaar is probably even more enticing with its wonderful smells and the shouting of the sellers of the deals that they are currently placing on all contained within. It would be impossible too to visit Itanbul and not mention the food. There must be more fish in the Golden Horn than all the oceans of the world judging by the number of people who fish in it for every hour in the day. As a result there is a large number of sea food restaurants, the best ones located by the Yenikapi ferry terminal. Also, as expected, Istanbul is the land of Kebabs. These though are so much better than the ones that I pick up at 2am on my way home from the town. My favourites, Kokorec (lamb intestine wrapped round a horizontal spit), Midye Tava (stuffed, deep fried mussels) and iskender kebab, the best kind of kebab. Special mention also to the 1TL pomegranate juice men, they helped stave off a few hangovers.

Perfect start to the new adventure, in 8 days I have already seen two continents and experienced one of the great cities of the world.

Should also mention my trip to a little place called Erdek, 2 hours over the Marmara sea from Istanbul. Its a quiet little beach town with not a lot going on but if you need to get away from the insanity that can be Istanbul at times then this is the place to go. Sun, sea and sand and the perfect place to chill out.