That said, Turkish coffee and other cappuccinos are made really well in plenty of places around here.
By the way, they always bring a glass of water with your drink. Yeah, it's tap water, but it's totally fine to drink. And when it's hot out, it's a great addition. Sometimes they'll even throw in something sweet like Turkish delight or a cookie. You get all these nice extras only if you drink your coffee on the spot, not if you're taking it to go.
And honestly, people really love their coffee here. Even when you walk past all these barbershops and little stores, you often see employees hanging out with their coffee, having set up a little table right on the street.
A little taste of Istanbul on the way home. Once I catch my breath, I'll share my overall impressions from the trip.
At least now I'll know what the store is actually called in Russian :)
PS. The new Istanbul airport is basically this massive shopping center that somehow also has planes flying out of it. The scale is absolutely mind-blowing.
Istanbul has so many world-famous landmarks. They're genuinely amazing. But then you find out how long they took to build, and it completely blows your mind: the Hagia Sophia was built in 5 years (532-537), the Blue Mosque in 7 years (1609-1616), and Rumeli Castle in just 4.5 months (1451). And somehow they still haven't fallen apart. Compared to European building speeds, they basically get everything done instantly here.
A few years ago, the Turks laid a tunnel along the bottom of the Bosphorus (they didn't dig under the strait, they just ran it like a pipe). Now the European and Asian parts are connected not only by ferries and buses, but also by metro.
On this line, you can really feel the smell of dampness (unpleasant, really). And the fare is 2 times more expensive than on a regular line. But it's fast. Waiting for a ferry takes longer.
As evening approaches, locals love to head down to the Bosphorus Strait to fish. Surprisingly, many of them actually catch something.
There are so many fishermen that tackle and bait sellers show up too. Why miss out on such a great business opportunity (:
Metro transfer. Well, actually, only on one new line.
Transfers between lines are sometimes paid. A single ticket costs just over 20 rubles, but sometimes you need to make 2-3 transfers and the trip price skyrockets.
Public transport has a special sign that says you can't spread your legs wide. Moscow could really use more of these sometimes.
The passengers are super polite. I often see people instantly giving up their seats to women (especially those with kids) and elderly folks, without any hints or arguments needed. That's pretty cool.
Crowds of cats roam all over the city. Many are not afraid of people at all: they give you hungry looks and beg for food. Especially at outdoor cafes.
By the way, there are also quite a few dogs running around the city. But no matter how many I've seen, they're all calm and chipped. City services keep an eye on them.
Cats on average live 1-2 years in the city. Not least because they become lunch for dogs.
ATMs in Istanbul are a real nightmare. They charge an outrageous 6-7% commission for withdrawing local lira. Plus, they offer their own exchange rate, which is pretty unfavorable.
I was lucky to find a decent Ziraat bank ATM at the airport that didn't charge any commission at all. But those are few and far between – it's easier to find a currency exchange and swap some dollars you've saved up beforehand.
If anyone's feeling nostalgic for Moscow minibuses, they still exist in Istanbul :)
Around squares and open spaces, you can always find intimidating police vehicles, water cannons for dispersing protests, and police barriers. Just in case a crowd suddenly gathers to demonstrate, everything is already prepared. Near Taksim Square, where Turks love to protest, there's even a whole line of police vans parked. All for the people (:
You can grab fresh juice on every corner in Istanbul. But here's the thing – they display the most beautiful fruits in the window (gotta attract customers, right?), while the juice gets made from the more ordinary-looking ones. Turks really know how to set up an eye-catching display.
The prices seem pretty random though. Sometimes you'll see a 25-30% difference (!) between two juice stands right next to each other.
The Healthy Person's Waterfront.
By the way, this is the Asian side of the city. There are barely any tourists here. It's mostly locals hanging out. And there are so many of them. You can barely squeeze through. It's the weekend. Everyone's come out to relax.
A mosque in modern architectural style. It looks really cool and unique: glass walls create an effect as if it's just an open structure. And plenty of light. It's great that Turks aren't afraid to experiment and try new trends.
This is what campaigning for a pro-government candidate looks like. Noticeably fewer people. And mostly women in headscarves.
Campaigning for the opposition candidate for Istanbul mayor.
Actually, he already won (by a margin of 23,000 votes), even managed to take office and worked for a whole month, but the current authorities didn't like the election results and the obliging court decided to annul them and hold new elections (June 23). Such democracy.
This is how they lure hungry tourists to dinner at local cafes (:
There are crazy lines everywhere. You can spend hours waiting. There's a life hack — buy an Istanbul museum card, but they don't sell it online. I had to wait in at least one line anyway. And it doesn't work for all the interesting places. On top of everything, it's super hot (::
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