Our first day in Istanbul

Well- sitting right next to Aya Sophia and the Blue Mosque isn’t necessarily an ideal location when the call to prayer blares in your open window at 4:30am. We had no problem getting up! The morning was spent trying to get things arranged- and changed for the next few weeks in Turkey. We did get to see a bit of Taksim, the commercial center of Istanbul. Then, it was time for some sightseeing: a trip to the Grand Bazaar and a few minor purchases (the most important, a “cooler” for the rest of our trip).




We headed to Kortokoy for dinner. Kortokoy is an area of town with streets filled with fish restaurants and obnoxious touts trying to get you into their tables. It was quite an experience to bargain for prices at the restaurant. We had offers of free wine, free dessert, fixed price meals, etc. We finally settled on the restaurant filled with locals.. It was a good decision- we sat next to a group of Turks swilling Raki and happy to talk to us (as well as send over complementary desserts and Raki)
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