"Now it's Istanbul, not Constantinople..." or "...by the banks of the mighty Bosphorus is a Japanese man in a business suit singing 'Smoke Gets in Your Eyes'..."

When I was in Paris, I met a couple of Australian honeymooners who had spent the first few days of their trip in Istanbul, Turkey. Istanbul has been on my “to visit” list for quite some time now, so I naturally asked them how they felt about it. The conversation went something like this:

“I’ll be spending about a week there pretty soon,” I said.

“A week?” the newlywed wife asked.

“Yeah, is that not enough?”

“I think it’s too much. You can do all of the main sights in Istanbul in a day or two.”

“Really? I feel like I’ll be able to spend a lot of time there.”

To this, she said: “Well, I guess it depends on your personality. If you’re the type of person who could spend all day in a café reading, smoking hookah, drinking apple tea, and playing backgammon, then you could probably never get bored.”

Little did she know: I am exactly the type of person who could spend a whole day in cafes reading, drinking tea, smoking hookah, and playing backgammon. After this conversation, I knew that Istanbul was going to be my kind of city.

Yes, from the old Looney Tunes music video.

I stayed in Sultanahmet, the old district of the city that houses all of Istanbul’s main sights. After a three minute walk, I could be in the heart of the historic buildings. I visited the Blue Mosque, which is one of the more beautiful mosques I’ve ever seen. Unlike most other mosques, which (for religious reasons) tend to have a simple aesthetic and not a lot of artwork, the Blue Mosque was as artistically impressive as any European cathedral. With its vaulted domes for ceilings and chandeliers everywhere, this sight was one of the best I have yet come across in my travels. I also walked around the outside of Aya Sofya, a huge Byzantine church turned mosque turned museum, which was equally as impressive. However, I did not actually enter Aya Sofya in silent protest of the 20 lira entrance fee. At night, the whole historic area of Sultanahmet comes alive with colored lights and street vendors. It’s really beautiful, and I enjoyed just walking around the area. Here are some photos:

The amazing Blue Mosque, as seen from the courtyard.

The domes of the Blue Mosque.

From inside, the domed ceiling of the Blue Mosque.

Awesome lighting inside the Blue Mosque.

My street in Sultanahmet at night.

Fountain in the park between Aya Sofya and Blue Mosque.

I still need to figure out my camera's shutter speed, but this is Aya Sofia at night.

Aya Sofya.

All of the East-meets-West clichés about Istanbul are accurate. The city boasts all of the luxury and style of Western Europe, all of the “exotic” allure of the Middle East, and all of the rugged charm of Asia. At different times in history, it has been part of the Roman Empire, the Byzantine (the later, Eastern Roman) Empire, and the Ottoman Empire. In its modern history, Mustafa Kamel “Ataturk” (which means “father of the Turks”) unified the nation into its modern state. There are international tourists and business travelers from all around the globe. A few times, I ventured into the more modernized, less touristy areas of the city, and it only testified to the rich history: there were old Ottoman and Byzantine buildings sandwiched between modern apartment complexes. All over, I saw old Turkish men smoking hookah and playing backgammon over afternoon tea. From the roof of my hostel, I had incredible views of the city. I could see across the famous Bosphorus River into the other side of Istanbul, which is technically Asia. The city literally straddles two continents, and this unique geography has helped make it one of the world’s truly global and great cities. Even the Grand Bazaar in Istanbul is like an old Middle Eastern souq that has been upgraded to a 21st century shopping mall. More photos:

Istanbul skyline.

Rug sellers at the Grand Bazaar.

The Bosphorus. Across is Asia.

After visiting all of the sights that I wanted to check out, I basically spent the rest of my time in Turkey hanging around the various cafes and restaurants in Sultanahmet, and it never got boring. In order to become the epitome of the tourist stereotype in Turkey, I could not help but keep listening to They Might Be Giants’ cover of “Istanbul, Not Constantinople,” which I love.

Cafe/Hookah bar... or, "How I Spent My Time in Turkey"

I really enjoyed Istanbul, and it’s definitely a place to which I would gladly return. It has a great number of tourists, and it is an extremely cosmopolitan city. There are karaoke bars, nightclubs, and fine restaurants. All of these things are enjoyable, especially because, in spite of them, the city still retains the mystique and adventure assigned it by centuries of Western travelers.

There really isn’t much to add, so I guess that’s all I have to say about Istanbul. I hope all is going well back in the States.

“Be well, do good work, and keep in touch.”


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"Baby went to Amsterdam, 4-5 days by the big canal..." or "I know of a City of Sin, and that's the place I wanna meet you in..."

The past 4 or 5 days were spent with my cousin Maggie exploring the wonderland called Amsterdam. I don't want to make this entry too long, particularly because we basically did exactly what everyone does when they go to Amsterdam, which, believe it or not, is NOT code for "We got stoned the entire time." There are plenty of other things to do, and we did our best to check them out.

We did some of the main sights. We took photos of the "I AMsterdam" sign. We visited the Van Gogh Museum, which was filled with incredible works (though, annoyingly, not any of the notorious masterpieces that I might have recognized). We visted the Anne Frank House, which was somber and interesting (as expected). Beyond that, it never got old just walking around the canal, with its quaint bridges and lovely architecture on both sides. Here are some photos:

Canal.

Cool architecture of Amsterdam.

Anne Frank House... no photos inside.

Bicycles are a huge presence in Amsterdam.

Van Gogh Museum. And me.

"I AMsterdam" sign.

We also explored the obvious vices of Amsterdam. I don't want this entry to dwell on that ("I got stoned, then we went to this other coffee shop and smoked more, and then..."). That would be annoying to read.

HOWEVER, the legal vices in Amsterdam is something to behold. From the complete strangeness of prostitute-lined windows in the Red Light District to the nonchalant selling of Magic Mushrooms, this city does not shy away from indulgant tourists (though I hear that's scheduled to change soon). The whole attitude of the city is infected with the drug and sex trade, both of which are booming legitimate industries in Amsterdam. That was probably the strangest and most interesting part about being there. Anywhere else in the world (that I know of), you have to at least pay lip service to the law. In Thailand, prostitution is rampant but still technically illegal. In India, all the hippie pilgrims smoke plenty of hash, but it's still not "allowed." In Amsterdam's tourist districts, these types of things raise no eyebrows. Rather, they are downright encouraged. In the United States, smoking pot isn't abnormal, but it is illegal and generally looked down upon. Consequently, marijuana has been relegated to private homes and a few exceptions (concerts, camping trips... California). Even in Bloomington, certain unofficially designated areas exist (in a private basement, say, as opposed to the cafe in Ballentine Hall). In Amsterdam, these boundaries change and blur. It's hard to describe the sensation of sitting in a coffee shop ordering marijuana off a menu. Regardless of how you feel about marijuana, it's interesting to see how culturally influenced these types of imaginary boundaries are. Whether it's the circumvented War on Drugs in the US, the regulated chaos on Thai beaches, the ruthless drug laws in Singapore, or the total acceptance in Amsterdam, it's clear that these distinctions are at least somewhat arbitrary, certainly not intrinsic to the objects themselves. People's opinions about "sin" and "vice" clearly shift along social and cultural lines, and this fact stares you in the face when you walk around Amsterdam.

Condom store... sorry, no photos allowed in the Red Light District.

Coffee Shop near the Red Light District.

B-Boys in Amsterdam! (I guess this isn't a vice except in Footloose, but it was cool)

Tourist street lined with coffee shops and bars.

In many ways, I cannot help but compare Amsterdam to Bangkok. I know this analogy seems jarring at first, but there is one clear similarity that I could not get out of my head: both of these places are party-going tourist Meccas, and both of them have a beautiful side that often goes unexplored. In Bangkok, you can point out the sex, drugs, and rock 'n roll tourists from a mile away. They are everywhere, much like in Amsterdam. In Bangkok, there are plenty of "real" things to do as well--the Grand Palace, the Reclining Buddha, the monasteries, Wat Arun, the off-Khao San bars, etc. (see my 3rd or 4th blog post about this). Amsterdam is like this, too. It struggles between its universally recognized virtues and the accepted vices. The canals in Amsterdam are beautiful; the architecture is wonderful; the museums and parks are world class. So, yes, I definitely partook in the coffee shops (though not the mushrooms and prostitutes). I enjoyed this side of Amsterdam immensley. Again, I'm being a hypocrite if I pretend like I didn't indulge for a significant portion of our time there. But there's another layer to Amsterdam. As anyone who visits this city (pothead or otherwise) can tell you, there is a whole wealth of amazement to be discovered just outside the coffee shops.

"Be well, do good work, and keep in touch."


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