shinomaster
02-13-2005, 08:37 PM
No not Constantinople any more. Unless you are really an old school dude..
I came here with my big brother on a two day side trip. We took a Varan bus from Ankara.
Let me tell you about a Turkish bus. It is a huge tour bus similar to our Greyhound service but with way more style. In Turkey all sorts of people ride the bus, not just white trash or poor people like in the states. They are a comfy luxury ride. On my bus we had two stewards who brought us tea or coffee, lemon cologne for your hands and water. Then a snack. In the morning we were served a yummy breakfast of fresh, crusty bread, jam butter, olives, cheese and tea or coffee. It was way better than the food on my US Air flight! If you are ever in Turkey take a Varan bus!!
Istanbul is a huge city of about 10 million I believe. The best part for me was staying three minutes away from the Blue Mosque and Aya Sofya. Turkish Ottoman mosques are stunningly beautiful works of architecture. :banana:
Aya Sofya is a 6th centure Byzantine church covered by a wonderous immense dome, which many consider to be the most impressive feat of Roman architecture. (Byzantines were eastern Romans) When the Turks captured Constantinople in 1453 they turned Aya Sofya in to a mosque and built minarets around it. The beautiful gold mosaics which had been coverd by the Turks are now restored and able to be seen in partial glory..
More fun was had at the Topkopi Palace of the Sultans where the most beautiful parts were covered by Iznik tiles, Shopping in the Covered Baazar, and just being a pig stuffing myself with turkish food...oink oink...
I just gotta say I love the Germans! They have the best airline food! The Munich airport is beautiful and so clean you could eat off the floor. Never have I had such excellent beer in an airport...
I can't wait to go back...
Thank's for enduring this post!
xxoo shino Turk
P.S. One last thing. I was a tiny bit concerned about going to Turkey being American and all, and also because Turkey does border Iraq. It's true that Eastern Turkey has it's problems but where I was in the west was as safe and anywhere I have ever travelled. The people were so genuinly friendly and seemed to have no problems with Americans, except for the fact that our little WAR has disrupted tourism. I would not hesitate to travel to Turkey again or recommend a friend do the same. Most people were happy to find out I was American and were more than happy to chat. Not all Moslems are "evil doers".. or hate Americans or want to fly our planes into skyscrapers.
I came here with my big brother on a two day side trip. We took a Varan bus from Ankara.
Let me tell you about a Turkish bus. It is a huge tour bus similar to our Greyhound service but with way more style. In Turkey all sorts of people ride the bus, not just white trash or poor people like in the states. They are a comfy luxury ride. On my bus we had two stewards who brought us tea or coffee, lemon cologne for your hands and water. Then a snack. In the morning we were served a yummy breakfast of fresh, crusty bread, jam butter, olives, cheese and tea or coffee. It was way better than the food on my US Air flight! If you are ever in Turkey take a Varan bus!!
Istanbul is a huge city of about 10 million I believe. The best part for me was staying three minutes away from the Blue Mosque and Aya Sofya. Turkish Ottoman mosques are stunningly beautiful works of architecture. :banana:
Aya Sofya is a 6th centure Byzantine church covered by a wonderous immense dome, which many consider to be the most impressive feat of Roman architecture. (Byzantines were eastern Romans) When the Turks captured Constantinople in 1453 they turned Aya Sofya in to a mosque and built minarets around it. The beautiful gold mosaics which had been coverd by the Turks are now restored and able to be seen in partial glory..
More fun was had at the Topkopi Palace of the Sultans where the most beautiful parts were covered by Iznik tiles, Shopping in the Covered Baazar, and just being a pig stuffing myself with turkish food...oink oink...
I just gotta say I love the Germans! They have the best airline food! The Munich airport is beautiful and so clean you could eat off the floor. Never have I had such excellent beer in an airport...
I can't wait to go back...
Thank's for enduring this post!
xxoo shino Turk
P.S. One last thing. I was a tiny bit concerned about going to Turkey being American and all, and also because Turkey does border Iraq. It's true that Eastern Turkey has it's problems but where I was in the west was as safe and anywhere I have ever travelled. The people were so genuinly friendly and seemed to have no problems with Americans, except for the fact that our little WAR has disrupted tourism. I would not hesitate to travel to Turkey again or recommend a friend do the same. Most people were happy to find out I was American and were more than happy to chat. Not all Moslems are "evil doers".. or hate Americans or want to fly our planes into skyscrapers.