Istanbul, Turkey – The first encounter

I had from 5pm to 2pm the following day to explore Istanbul. So far i have discovered that turbog make a nice brew, Canadian girls can drink, and dancers and hookas go together. While the traditional dancing for women is belly dancing, for the men it is the much less exciting are of whirling (in a dress) - which is probably good practise in not spewing. I also saw the blue mosque and the hagia Sophia - amassing architectural wonders which no photo will do justice, but shown above are the doors as well as a profile shot of the blue mosque below (and of the belly dancer).



Turkey has an amazingly rich history stretching back to pre-ottoman empire and narrow cobbled streets with ornate rugs. It also has tourists... lots and lots, in fact I counted at one point 75% of all people in the streets were not Turkish. This means that as the tourists outnumber the locals they can do what they please including lots of people walking around reading guidebooks and maps while staring at tourist attractions. Very tourist friendly. I look forward to returning in two weeks.