Further Afield

It was time to leave the subcontinent. Traveling through India is quite an experience, both good and not so good, but the total experience was a positive one.

Now it was time for a new country. The first stop was Bahrain. No, I don't know much about Bahrain either. I don't exactly know why the flight connected in a tiny country in the Persian gulf, but i didn't have much time to think about it. I was only there for about three hours. Just long enough to buy some chocolate and pick up a few Bahrain-ian (?) coins in change. Then it was on to my final destination, Turkey.

The Blue mosque from the sea side.

Istanbul was a world away from India. Though most of the country is technically in Asia, things look very European. The people, the city, the atmosphere all had a European feel, but it was still a very eastern country. One of the first unexpected things I notice were the blue eyes. Traveling from Korea to China to India there aren't a lot of blue-eyed people around, but in Turkey, there were a lot of them, relatively speaking. It kind of took me by surprised, and I bet a few people were wondering why my glance happened to linger on them for a while.

The Obelisk of Theodosius was take from Karnak Egypt in 390 AD and placed in the city's hippodrome.

Istanbul is a fairly easy city to get around in, even if public transportation can be a bit crowded. It is also an interesting city with a long history. And much of that history is right there in front of you. In fact sometimes, the recent history of Istanbul is setting right on top of the ancient, like in all the houses and shops sitting on top of the old cisterns. Other times the past history has become the present, especially in the case of all the old mosques still being used to this day.

The Basilica cistern is the more interesting of the two cisterns in Istanbul.

The Hagia Sophia is amazing from the outside as the inside.

Many of the sites are rather impressive. Part of the Hagia Sophia (Aya Sofya) museum was filled with scaffolding, yet it did not fail to impress. The sight of the Blue (Sultan Ahmet) Mosque makes you wonder about the past and a grandeur of a sort that didn't include steel and glass edifices.

The archeology museum could probably take up a whole day if you wanted, but you can easily see the best pieces in half a day.

The Archeology Museum in Istanbul seems to go on and on. The sarcophagi are particularly impressive. Even the small Kariye Museum (Chora Church) with its mosaics and frescoes is quite a sight. It is definitely worth going to even though getting there takes a bit of persistence.

The mosaics here really are nice, and you are much closer to them than the ones in the Aya Sofya.

Just one of the many shops in the old bazaar.

There are other museums showcasing the varied history of Istanbul, bazaars to wander around in, bridges to cross, towers to climb, palaces to explore, and the sea to gaze upon. The amazingly clear, blue Mediterranean sea.


With all the history of Turkey, traveling to Istanbul is, in a way, like traveling to Rome, Greece, and the Mid-east, all in one.

I wasn't so vicious with my culling, so there are a lot of photos here. Just pick the ones that look interesting and enjoy.