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I did better than expected with the jet lag.I fell asleep at 3, woke up at 11am. Not bad, considering the hotel had a wedding that went kind late. (The weddings are outside, so I can hear them in my room). Today I am off to the Topkapı Palace.
The Topkapı Palace is a palace which was the official residence of the Ottoman Sultans, from 1465 to 1853. The palace was a setting for state occasions and royal entertainment.
Initial construction started in 1459, ordered by Sultan Mehmed II, the conqueror of Byzantine Constantinople. The palace is a complex made up of four main courtyards and hundreds of rooms/chambers.At the height of its existence as a royal residence, the palace was home to as many as 4,000 people, formerly covering a larger area with a long shoreline. After the end of the Ottoman Empire in 1921, Topkapı Palace was transformed by government decree into a museum of the imperial era. The complex is guarded by officials of the ministry as well as armed guards of the Turkish military.We will talk more about this later…
To get to the palace takes about 1 hour from my hotel by taxi, ferry, and tram.I am sure that (depending on traffic) it would be easier to take a taxi, that that would cost about $40 USD one way, as opposed to $15 USD (they don't take credit cards in cabs here).
So I am heading out there, running like an idiot because my ferry was boarding. I got my token, got to the gate, but they were untying the boat and it was already pulling away. I missed my damn ferry.On the bright side, I was reminded of a time I went fishing with Dad and we were trying to dock. I had one leg in the boat, 1 on the dock, and somehow I managed to fall into the water.
I have 10 minutes until the next ferry, so I sat and wrote in my notebook observations I made around me. At the ferry dock is the old historical theater. Even though it was rather hot this day, there are a lot of men & women in pants and long dresses/skirts. It could be that I am making this observation in a non-tourist area - because later on I saw less clothing on some people than… well, you get the point. In general when I travel, I just try to blend in wearing blacks, tans, etc… nothing that screams "I am not from here" (although in China, I don't really blend in at all).
It's only Day 2 and I feel like a local. I know how to get a good seat on the back of a crowded ferry. There is so much I want to see, but now that I know it takes about an hour each way to the European side, I won't get to do this everyday during the week. Possible, but difficult.
Once I got off on the tram at Sultanahmet, I had no idea where I was. I was looking at my map and noticing there were no street names on the buildings, at least not where I was. I finally saw the best sign ever - "Tourist Information".I went inside and asked where I should go.The guy, cigarette still in his mouth, tea in his hand, pointed behind him and said "You go there". So I went "there" and immediately saw the Blue Mosque.I saw it before, but this time it was up close. I tried not to spend too much time staring because I was coming back this weekend with Lyuba and Charles, but I still went over to take pictures in front of it. It was such a hot and crowded day.A big seller here on the street vendor carts is corn on the cob for 1 TRL. So 20 minutes later I find a couple signs that point me in the direction of where I want to go. Although I did not know it, I was in Gulhane Park, which surrounds the palace. By this time it was really hot, so I am walking through this tree lined park feeling a little relief from the sun. I laughed when I saw a park official blowing a whistle at a kid for standing on a statue because the same thing happened to me in Greece. Oops. There should be a sign. In English.
I am still hiking across this park looking for a sign... any sign that I am in the right direction.After about 20 minutes of walking along the palace wall, I am hiking up the cobblestone hills, cursing under my breath. (Or maybe louder).I get to the top, and was so happy about the view - it was awesome. But the entrance wasn't there.So I tell the armed military guard (as mentioned above) that I am lost and he tells me that the entrance to the palace I am at is only for government officials and to "go left". So I turn to leave and he tells me he wants to learn English, will I give him my email address? His English sounded fine to me, but he had 2 machine guns, so I gave him my email.
Despite being mad that I walked about an hour in the wrong direction in ridiculous heat, I realize the park I am in is very nice. There are a lot of couples lying on the grass or in the gazebos enjoying the shade and the afternoon together. There were also a lot of random cats.If I wasn't on a mission to get to this palace, I would have stopped and enjoyed the park more.
I finally get to the entrance (up a different cobblestone hill in the glaring sun) and get in the ticket line.So while I am standing in line, the sun just keeps getting hotter and hotter. My line isn't moving very fast and the others are.Recalling "Office Space" I know that the other lane will slow down once I get in it, so I stay put. 35 minutes later, I am still in line.I realize that other people have only had to wait 20 minutes. I realize I am in the line for people buying some kind of season pass having to show ID. There were no signs. Apparently, you are just supposed to "know". The palace itself is beautiful; however, there are a lot of things about it that reminds me of the Chinese palaces I have seen
After starting to look around, I realized I was STARVING. I ate at the restaurant within the palace called Konyali, and it was so good.I know it was expensive because of the location and the view of Asia meeting Europe, but it just made me happy.
I kept walking around hearing a lot of different European languages… Spanish, French, Italian, etc. I remembered the Europeans are on vacation this month! So my next major stop was the building that housed famous "relics" such as the Rod of Moses, Arm of the Prophet John, and Prophet David's sword. They say that this was the rod that parted the sea - not sure if that will ever be proven. They also had different "parts" of Muhammad - such as his beard, tooth, and footprint. Again, not sure about the validity of this, but I am a fraud auditor, so I tend to question everything.
The more I walk around the city, the more trash I notice. And stray cats. And uneven sidewalks, which make you walk like you have had too much wine when it is only 1pm. (Yes mom, I know there are good reasons to drink wine at 1pm.I wasn't doing that today).
A lot of people have randomly asked me where I am from and I have noticed a common theme. I always respond "USA".I always get a look that reads "What are you talking about?" After about 2 tries of pronouncing U-S-A slower, I said "America" and suddenly a light bulb goes off.
I met up with Charles and Lyuba for an $8 USD cup of apple tea in the hotel lobby. It's a good thing we aren't ordering alcohol, my credit limit might not be that high.
Tonight the hotel is having a wedding - yes, on a Sunday night.I overlook the poolside deck where they host them and can hear every word to "Stand by Me" being sung. It's like a little piece of America. In Turkey. Around 11:30pm I call the front desk to complain. They say there is nothing they can do, but I think they really mean "this is why you have a free mini-bar"
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