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To commemorate the Smithsonian Presents Travels with Rick Steves magazine — now on sale online, and at newsstands nationwide — Rick is blogging about the 20 top destinations featured in that issue. One of those destinations is Istanbul.
I first visited Istanbul in the 1970s. Some of my earliest — and most vivid — memories of that trip are of the colorful locals. Scruffy kids sold cherry juice, and old men would grab huge cucumbers from wheeled carts, then peel, quarter, and salt them, and sell them for pennies. Traffic jams seemed to last all day…and drivers seemed to accept them as an excuse not to work.
Holding piping-hot hourglass-shaped glasses of tea tenderly by the cooler rim, I’d sip while Turks told me the wisdom of hot drinks on hot days: It heats up your body in order to make the heat of the day relatively cooler and more bearable. Sipping tea, we’d play backgammon with boards chattering all around with careening little dice — their handmade dots never not lining up.
Tourists would gather awestruck by a sound-and-light show, as the thunderous voice of the sultan, Suleyman the Magnificent, spun yarns of palace intrigue with the floodlit domes of the Blue Mosque towering overhead. (While a few tourist attractions around Europe still cling to the old sound-and-light technology, these days many of those shows seem almost comically antiquated.)
To intensify the Istanbul experience, I’d ride a dolmus (shared minibus taxi) into the suburbs, and wander through neighborhoods that had never encountered an American — places where locals would stare at me as if I couldn’t see them…as if I were an inanimate object. They just studied me like an intricate Brueghel painting. Being stared at like you’re a freak, sometimes you just decide to play the role. I’ll never forget the fun my friend and I had grabbing a football-shaped honeydew mellow, hiking it, and melodramatically going out for a pass and making the catch. Children would practice their English with me. They’d ask, “What is your name?” To confuse them I would say, “Four o’clock.”
I’d hang out in the venerable Pudding Shop, watching the older-than-me hippies gather and plan their across-Asia bus trips to India. Eating my sutlac — rice pudding with cinnamon — I’d dream about someday making that adventure. (Eventually I did.)
I visited Turkey every year through my twenties. It was the unplanned but natural cherry on top of every European adventure. Each year, the political tenor was different, depending upon who was in power there, who was president back home, and the latest propaganda. Politically naive pawns of the Cold War, the Turk on the street would flip-flop — one year, they’d say, “America: imperialist fascist.” The next year, they’d say, “America and Turkey friends” (with index fingers rubbing together in a way that seemed like some kind of sexual sign language).
While the 1970s magic in many places has been plowed under by modern affluence, exploring Istanbul in 2010 is every bit as rich an experience.
After reading about your youthful antics, I realize the apple truly doesn’t fall far from the tree as I recall the crazy stunts your son wrote about in his blog. You were a bad, bad boy trying to confuse those poor kids who were working on their English.
Summary: Basic subsistence work. Traffic jams that no one would do anything about. Making your self feel hotter feels cooler. Tourist trap sound and light show. Americans are stared at like freaks. Its fun to confuse children trying to learn English. Turks are politically naive pawns. 2010 Turkey is the same “rich” experience. Conclusion: Do not go to Turkey.
I think “thinker” missed the point. I was in Turkey 4 years ago and spent five days of my three weeks in Istanbul. What Rick said is correct but he was not being critical. I’ve traveled to many countries. Turkey is one of my favorite countries and Istanbul is one of my favorite cities.
I have to agree with Don…I believed “thinker” missed the point. Turkey is still a enriching experience in 2010 but your experience will be way different than 1970 (in a good way). I have spent about 35 weeks in Istanbul on business trips since 2002 (and another 3 weeks on personal holiday touring western/central Turkey). Istanbul is definitely one of my favorite cities in Europe. Turkey has come a long way as a developing country since 1970. In fact, some Turks who migrated to Europe during post WWII/Cold War era don’t recognize how far Turkey has advanced today. My colleagues in Istanbul tell me stories about how many Turks in Germany (who never went back) don’t believe them when they are told that Turkey has most of the same modern conveniences as Germany (i.e. shopping malls, internet, running/clean water, satellite TV, etc.) I definitely encourage people to visit Turkey but I recommend staying outside the Sultanhamet tourist area to meet “real” Turks (choose one of the many fine hotels around the Taksim/Besiktas area). The tourist district is a short tram or taxi ride away. Explore the surrounding neighborhoods, visit Ortakoy one evening, have a nice dinner on the hill above the Bosphorus near bridge #2 at Sunset Grill or Ulus 29, check out some areas on the Asian side like Cemlica hill or Bagdat Road, or one of the outlying Princes’ Islands.
Turkey is captivating and one of the most varied and interesting countries to visit. It offers everything any visitor could want. Istanbul is rich and fascinating. Rick was stared at because he has blond hair–extremely rare in Turkey. Turks love to laugh and I am sure the children knew that he was playing with them. Lighten up already.
Turkey was one of my favorite trips. We went in 2006 and it seemed so exotic compared to all the Western European trips we had been on. So much rich history that we hope to go again someday because you just cant get it all the first time.
Got the Smith mag in the mail in just 2 days ! Good read. Worth it. Will there be more ?
I’m drinking a big glass of water and at the same time trying to say “The People of the Peloponnesian Peninsula :)
I just got back from two weeks in Istanbul, using Rick’s guide as a backup for my in-laws, who might have crossed paths with Rick in the 70’s in Istanbul…and they spent 17 of the last 30 years in Turkey. Rick’s stories about Turkey in the 70’s are spot-on, validated by my ex-pat in-laws as we toured around the old city, and the suburbs on the European side. They hadn’t been back in 15 years, and were overwhelmed by the cleanliness and modernity that has come to Istanbul–and for the better. While they miss the old cherry juice (now canned) and they swear the bread is much lighter than it used to be, they found “the city” everchanging, just as it always has, for thousands of years. We had to hunt a bit, but they could still find traces of that 1970’s Turkey in places that tourists still do not venture, like Sisli district, where old ottoman era homes are about ready to collapse into the street and people still look at you a bit funny (but are so eager to say hello). After this first visit, I told my bride that I sadly now have a mistress, her name is Istanbul, and I will have to visit her again! Thanks for the tips, Rick, and congrats on the magazine launch…I love it…keep them coming!
Do you think there are people who spend lots of money, go to a place and then denigrate it? Doesn’t that make them look foolish for going there in the first place? How much about travel is: hey, look at me?
When I was in Istanbul last November, I made it to that famous “Pudding Shop”, the one right next to Sultanahmet Koftecisi on Divan Yolu. All those wall photos of hippies was interesting, to say the least. This blog, along with the Istanbul portion of the “Mediterrean Mosaic” that aired yesterday in my market, bring all the sensations, sounds, smell and sights of istanbul back for me. I shall definitely return. To all the other readers on this blog: visit Turkey. Anyone who tells you otherwise has never been there thmselves. Here’s an album if you wish to see: http://www.kodakgallery.com/gallery/creativeapps/slideShow/Main.jsp?token=631356174114%3A70792345&cm_mmc=site_email-_-new_site_share-_-core-_-View_photos_link
Amazing album Alfran. Thanks for the link!
Thank you for the compliment, KenK. And, you are quite welcome..I’m glad you enjoyd them.
I must agree with Mr. Steves on all counts, having just completed a fantastic round the world itinerary solo. The best part, was I never felt alone, but I was also never hindered by indecision, by slow companions, or conflicts of interest. I set my own goals, timetable and plans and set off, and changed as needed or dictated by circumstance. Eating alone was never a problem, in fact, it saves a ton, because one tends not to linger over after dinner items. I don’t drink, but I’m sure I would have saved a lot there, too! Istanbul was a wonderful part of my trip — you can read all about it at travel.spinfirst.com in 48 Hours in Istanbul (also Cairo, Hong Kong, Singapore and across Europe by train), and a great place to eat, too. My favorite there was the rooftop terrace restaurant on top of my hotel — a sub-par hotel, with an average restaurant, but the rooftop sanctuary and view over Sultanahmet was priceless!
I have traveled to Turkey five times in the past ten years, first as a tourist and now as a friend, traveling on my own. Fabulous food, friendly and warm people (not just the carpet salesmen), a great blend of old traditional values and modern conveniences. The tourist sites are well done and if you just step off the tourist path for a moment and ride locale transportation you can experience the chaotic wonder that is Istanbul. Find a weekly street market and stop for a hot glass of tea while you check your email via wi-fi. Be in the moment, and step “off the beaten” path. Rick is right on! If you never get off the bus, how can you say you’ve been there!
I was trying to remember the name of the Pudding Shop…was thinking[INVALID] shop, Cake shop so I entered hippe hangout istanbul 1970's and found this blog. Brings back some very fun and wonderful memories of a world that was so much simpler and safer. The hippie trail led from the Pudding Shop-Blue mosque area in Istanbul, across the border into Iran (where we were warned to get through, even then, as quickly as possible,) to the then idyllic Afghanistan. Hanging out in Herat…we'll get to India eventually. The weeks passed, manana, manana. Running into the same gang of western kids at the popular watering holes in various cities. I wax nostalgic. Eventually, through Pakistan and then India. I can still smell the incense, jasmine, street food, minicar exhaust. It was a wonderful and innocent time. That trip couldn't be safely done today.