Yep, the place that inspired the song Istanbul (Not Constantinople). A song that made it to #10 on the Billboard charts. Originally recorded way back in 1953, and recorded again in 1990 by the group They Might Be Giants. Now why didn’t I hear that song once on the tour?
We first visited the Sultan Ahmed Mosque, also known as the Blue Mosque for the blue tiles adorning the interior walls. Hagia Sophia was next. Big place. Big dome. Then we went to the Topkapi Palace, where we had lunch at the Konyali Restaurant. Great view of what I believe is the Sea of Marmara. After lunch, and some wandering around the Palace, we headed to our final tour destination of the day, the Grand Bazaar.
Now for the highlights. We had a member of our tour group who seemed too busy taking pictures. As we headed into the Blue Mosque, we were asked to go in and make a right, as there was a little meeting place for us. Most of us understood, and met there. But this woman didn’t see and meet with us right away. She proceeded to make a big stink about how the tour guide didn’t tell everyone, and how he wasn’t actively making sure everyone was with the group. Of course, as he tried to respond to the woman, she turns around and keeps herself busy with other activities. If this was survivor, and we could vote off people we don’t want with the group, she gets my vote.
As we were walking towards the Hagia Sophia, we noticed a few women adhering to traditional Muslim clothing, covering everything but their hands. This was in the hot and humid weather, and most of us were a bit sweaty from walking through the heat. I’m sure they’re very use to the weather inside their clothing, but it just seemed so unbelievable anyone can wear so much in such hot weather. They all had different handbags; I guess that’s how you can tell one from the other.
The food at the restaurant at Topkapi Palace was ok, the view was great, but the one thing I remember most about being there, is helping an old guy with his wheelchair up and down the stairs to where the restaurant was. The guy could walk fine, but not nearly strong enough to carry his own wheelchair. I remember when I first offered to help, his wife cautioned to watch me, to make sure I don’t run off with his wheelchair! I found that very amusing, as what would I do with a wheelchair, and where can I possibly go with it, being a tourist myself! Also, how was he going to catch me if I were to run off with his wheelchair?
The Grand Bazaar was very interesting, if not for all the junk that was sold there. Most guides claim there are more than 4,000 shops there, but I think there’s less. And if you count the number of stores that actually sell unique items, it’s probably less than 100. I probably walked by a few hundred stores that sold the same magnets. And another few hundred that sold the same genuine fake handbags. Yeah, they advertised their bags as genuinely fake. At least they’re honest.