I left the UK somewhat in a hurry, barely making it on the plane (in fact they were already planning to unload my suitcase when I finally made it to the gate) and was UTTERLY unprepared for this trip: Other than a booking a room for the first night (and this was done 5 weeks ago), I landed on Turkish soil ever so slightly apprehensive. No currency, no guidebook, no prep and crossing my fingers that I would be able to find all of the above easily at the airport.
My first impressions of Turkey were mixed: the airport (Atatuerk) is modern and looks pretty much like any other European airport. It is fascinating, that the signage in airports seems to be identical wherever you go in Europe (in the continent of Europe sense) - I wonder whether there is a company out there who has either a monopoly on airport or a copyright on the same...
So back to the arrival then: I found my way around easily enough and was shown quickly to the correct queue (luckily German nationals, unlike British, don't need a visa as otherwise this would have been a looong process). I was struck by the high number of women wearing burqa, chador and hijab - not sure what I expected. Of course, it made me stick out a little more - I'm quite tall, short blond hair and travelling on my own - and so I felt somewhat self-conscious and out of place. I have since found out, that many of the people you find at the airport tend to come from Saudi countries, who are a little bit more conservative.
So it was with some trepidation that I made my way into Istanbul in the afternoon. I alighted from the air conditioned Metro right outside the Grand Bazaar and the noise, smells and hustle and bustle of the city engulfed me without warning. Desperately trying to clutch my handbag all the while trying to (unsuccessfully) relate the reality around me to the streetmap I was holding, not understanding a word of the signs or words spoken around me, I momentarily worried about the wisdom of traveling alone and totally unprepared in a muslim country. It felt a little bit like being lost at sea.
I wandered around trying to find the tourist office and was accosted by lots of shopkeepers trying to help. When asked, where the tourist information was, they'd sadly shake their head and telling me that they could help me with ANYTHING, no need for the tourist office. The only thing they could not help me with, was finding the tourist office as nobody knew where it was. When I eventually found it, I realised why - it's an empty shell with a gentleman handing out maps (if you ask nicely) and that's about the extent of it. You get much better info from your hotel so don't bother wasting your time as I did (of course, had I read a guidebook beforehand, I would have known).
So I wandered around Sulthanamet and soaked in all the noise and multitude of stimuli, wondering how I'd ever get use to it. At 5.15 on the dot, the Imam started their call for prayer - it started at the Blue Mosque (amplified by a very modern sound system) and then another Imam from another nearby Mosque started, than another and it sounded like they are in a dialogue with each other. Oh, how much I would have liked to understand what there were saying !! Life on the street carried on regardless though.
And suddenly, the noise and mayhem faded into the background - my own heartbeat had adjusted to the heartbeat of this frantic city, suddenly making it really exciting and urging me to go and explore it. Can't wait - Istanbul, here I come!!
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