Istanbul Tram System

Aloha Everyone,

Istanbul, formerly Constantinople, was the capital of the Roman/Byzantine Empire. Today Istanbul is the largest city in Turkey surpassing Ankara, the capital.

Istanbul is the financial center. This largest city in Europe straddles the Bosporus strait lying both in Europe and Asia.

Istanbul is 2.64 times bigger than New York City‘s population with NYC land area being 404 sq miles compared to Istanbul’s 594 sq. miles

Istanbul’s tram system runs on the European and Asian sides. It is an efficient mass transportation used by locals and visitors alike.

The two of us heard an announcement in English reminding tram users to wear a mask while waiting on the platform as well as the entire duration of one’s ride. Interesting to note that this was not translated into any other languages. Approximately 50% of riders wear mask.

Aloha -- Cathi

Expressing Our Mutual Gratitude

Aloha Everyone,

We prefer to give gratuities on a weekly basis during long stays.

One can express gratitude by words, but it is far more appreciated when the deed is done in kind. As a standard practice, the two of us show our gratitude to service staffs especially to those with whom we come in contact every day.

Our interactions are extremely limited. I can comfortably say in Turkish good morning, good evening, hello, how are you? I’m fine thanks, I speak English. Oh, to walk away from pestering merchants, “No thanks.  Bye and good luck.”

While English is the common languages of communication, these staff members in the restaurant come from neighboring countries. One is Russian, another, from the Asia-Minor region and two others have features that could be Arabic and Chinese.

To show their gratitude, they serve us Turkish coffee which is not in the buffet item. They also smile at us breaking their normal stern expressions.

Our housekeeper knows when we vacate the room, and she tries to finish cleaning before we return. Her showing of gratitude are the daily water bottles. Usually, two per room but we are now getting 8 bottles. She also restocks our bathroom amenities including cotton balls, Q-tips, face soap, shower caps, shampoo and body lotions.

Small gestures can open people's hearts and show that this really is a small world.

Aloha -- Cathi

Istanbul’s Street Food

Aloha Everyone,

Chestnuts - for 20 liras ($1.34), we usually get 7-8 chestnut of assorted sizes. The quality is hit and miss. So far out of 6 purchases, we got two good batches. Often, they are over roasted, and the outer shells are burned.

Bagels - Very popular snack item for locals and tourists. There are several varieties. Some are sliced open and served with chocolate hazelnut spread.

Tempting but there are no sanitary procedures for Bagel vendors. They handle money and food using bare hands.  The cost is 3.5 liras for an enormous whole wheat bagel. J.J. and I passed by a pastry shop and paid 4 liras ($.27) for the same item. The shop keeper, wearing a mask, used a tong to pick up a piece, placed it in a paper bag, then handed it to me in a plastic bag.

Corn on the Cobb - another very popular snack items in Istanbul. Vendors are everywhere. Corns are placed in a large kettle to boil. Once boiled, they are placed on a metal plate to grill. The problem is that many are burned. So that the corn would be photographically pleasing, J.J. asked for one from the pot. The salesman looked puzzled, but he shook a generous amount of salt on before finalizing the sale.

As you can see, the corn looks delicious, but J.J. said that it had no taste except for the salt and it was inedible. He wasn’t the only one who discarded the corn. I saw a woman offering hers to a crow which gladly grabbed it. J.J. paid 10 lira (US$.67) for his contribution to the local corn economy.

Aloha -- Cathi

Dogs, Cats & Avian Friends

Aloha Everyone,

In Istanbul, you see dog and cat houses on streets and in the parks, allowing animals temporary shelters. There are feeding stations nearby.

We see quite a number of huge dogs roaming around in the open areas surrounding the Blue Mosque and Hagia Sofia. They often run in packs, sleep on the grassy areas and sing along when they hear calls for prayers.

These dogs are most old and we wonder if their owners have discarded them. Some organization must be caring for these canines. Each has a yellow ear tag monitor. Automated dog food dispensers are located within the historical areas. passerby use 1 lira coins to dispense dehydrated dog food.

Crows and seagulls are seen occupying rooftops of mosques. Day old bread left on a ancient archaeological site is one of the popular places where seagulls come to feast.

Aloha -- Cathi

Turkish Rug

Aloha Everyone,

Colorful, intricate, beautiful Turkish rugs catch our eyes all around the city. They are on store displays, draped on fences and some are even spread on the street or on the ground of public parks. If we linger for even a couple of seconds, eager salesman appear trying to invite us to take a closer look, feel them and sit or step on them (no shoes please).

Turkish rugs represent the Asia-Minor region. Often repetitive patterns and juxtaposed colors illustrate ethnic, cultural and religions of very ancient civilizations.

Turkish rugs on display for the tourist market are priced for anywhere from US$300 to $10,000 depending on size and quality. If one is antique, vintage or museum grade,It can easily cost upwards of US$1 million.

Aloha -- Cathi