One of

One of Istanbul's claim to fame is that it straddles the divide between both Asia and Europe. That being the case we landed in Asia but within the hour we were walking into our hotel on the European side. Spent the afternoon just strolling around the city, getting the lay of the land. Istanbul is a lively place. Chaotic traffic, narrow cobble stone streets that run in all directions, shops and street side stalls and plenty of people. There are also an extremely high number of tourists in the city, predominantly European. It seems that everywhere you look there is a tour group following the typical flag bearing leader. The next day started very nicely. Our hotel has a rooftop terrace where breakfast is served, overlooking the Marmara Sea. The amount of shipping is incredible. Without any effort I counted 25 ships at anchor, presumably waiting to berth. Our first stop was the Basilica Cistern. Built in the 6th century and situated underground this was essentially the city's water supply. It resembles a massive temple, with 336 columns supporting a brick domed roof. Dimly lit, it had a certain eeriness about it as you walked along the raised walkways. But it definitely provided some respite from the outdoor heat. Having bought our transport card the previous night we now had our first experience of Istanbul's public transport system. There is a reasonably extensive tram network covering the city. The trams are huge, about twice as a long as a typical Melbourne tram and usually full. We needed to get to the dock area for our planned ferry cruise on the Bosphorous Strait. Ferry tickets in hand we joined the crowd that was anxiously awaiting the arrival of the ferry. When it came time to board it a was a free for all as people literally stampeded to get the best seats. How someone didn't end up in the water I'll never know. Whilst we didn't manage to get seats outside we did secure some good window seats, and had the section all to ourselves. The Bosphorous links the Marmara Sea to the Black Sea, and is a very busy stretch of water. Cargo ships, fishing boats ferrys of all shapes and sizes are constantly on the move. Whilst we didn't see any accidents the sheer amount of boating activity tells me that they must occur. As with any boat trip the hour and a half journey provide a different view of the city. The one thing that stood out was the sheer number of mosques and minarets. It didn't matter in which direction you looked there were generally 2 or 3 mosques and their accompanying minarets in view. When we finally disembarked we were about 25kms from where we started. Now began the task of negotiating the local bus and metro system to get home. Surprisingly it was quite easy and we were soon in Taksim Square which seemed like a good place to stop for lunch and people watch. From here it was about a 3km walk back to our hotel. For most of it we were on a pedestrian thoroughfare, with a tourist tram running down the centre. Think Bourke St Mall, except it's 2km long and with about 4 times as many people.

Topkapi Palace was the home of Ottoman sultans between the 15th and 19th centuries. At its height it was a virtual mini city with about 5000 people living there. Whilst the entire palace is an amazing place the undoubted highlight was the Harem. This is where the Sultan and his family lived, along with the concubines, eunuchs and other assorted staff. Large and opulent are probably the best words to describe it. Unfortunately the two best known mosques in the city, The Blue Mosque and Aya Sophya, are both undergoing extensive renovations and as a result are covered in scaffolding and hoardings. However they were still worth visiting. As was the Grand Bazaar and Spice Bazaar. Both are hives of activity, boisterous shopkeepers and a wide variety of products. Istanbul is an incredible city. So diverse, so much to see and so comfortable to be in.

And so my 8 weeks of touring comes to an end. 8 countries, spectacular scenery, history by the bucket load, fascinating cultures, some weird architecture, and as always new friends. Time to sign off on this one and start planning my 2020 adventure