Photo: Istanbul mosque
The overnight bus arrived in Istanbul in the pre dawn hours. I took the metro and then shared a taxi with a Bulgarian woman who spoke English. The taxi driver let me out at an exchange office. I exchanged about $40 and became a millionaire. I found a place to stay near downtown.
I saw a number of sights including the Topkapi palace, Ayi Sofia Church, Blue Mosque, etc. Any number of times I was approached by Turks wanting to take me to a rug shop, buy me tea, or give me a free lesson in buying rugs. But I had an interest in going east and bought a bus ticket for Trabzon on the Black Sea. When I said Trabzon, the clerk smiled and asked if I was going to see the Natasha's. I asked him what he meant, and he replied "Russian whores."
Photo: Istanbul street
Photo: Tourist site
Photo: Downtown Istanbul
Photo: Mosaic
Photo: Aquaduct
Map of Turkey trip
