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Destination: Istanbul

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İstiklal Caddesi — Istanbul’s Leading Pedestrian Scene

Istanbul’s main street, İstiklal Caddesi, throbs with crowds all day and into the wee hours. I visit it almost every year, and it changes with each visit. As Turkey becomes more affluent and Western, the action here becomes more and more vibrant. This clip is actually a quieter part of the mile-long stroll. And it’s early in the evening. On weekdays the action peaks around 10 p.m., and on weekends it keeps building until about 2 a.m. The side streets are just as vibrant.

If you can’t see the video below, watch it on YouTube.

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The Calls to Prayer

A favorite thing for me anywhere in the Islamic world is to hear the chaotic chorus of cheaply amplified voices erupting into song as they sing the call to prayer from mosque minarets all over town at the same time. Here, just outside Istanbul’s fabled Grand Bazaar, it’s that time. People seem to ignore it, but I can’t. It’s part of the audio track of any visit to this corner of our world. Mix the sounds with the people and you get Istanbul stew.

The warbling call to prayer used to unnerve me, and now I find it actually beautiful…even comforting. What happens to you when you hear this Muslim call to worship? When it wakes me early in the morning, I remember that that prayer has an extra line in it. It roughly translates, “It’s better to pray than to sleep.”

If you can’t see the video below, watch it on YouTube.

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Istanbul’s Grand Bazaar

Istanbul’s Grand Bazaar is a must-see on any cruiser’s sightseeing list. In fact, our ship had a free shuttle bus ready to take you there and back throughout the day. (When taking you to a place where there’s no shopping, shuttle buses are generally not free.) As you can see from this clip, the market is thriving — and it’s a hit with locals as well as tourists.

If you can’t see the video below, watch it on YouTube.

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The Istanbul Tram Crush

Of course, many on the ship opt for a cruise excursion specifically so they will not have this experience (see below). But for me, feeling the crush of Istanbul’s only tram is a travel highlight. I suppose a grunge rocker who leaps into a mosh pit knows the thrill, but words can’t describe the sweaty crush of the Istanbul tram. Maybe this video can help put you there.

If you can’t see the video below, watch it on YouTube.

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Ports of Embarkation

Here are four photos (with captions) relating to Athens and Istanbul. Do I understand correctly that nearly all Mediterranean cruises start and stop in these ports: Barcelona, Rome, Venice, and Istanbul?

 

Athens' port, Piraeus, is busy with both ferries and cruise ships. It is well-connected to downtown and all the ancient Greek sites by subway. But Greece is dealing with a bit of economic chaos these days, and on the day we were there, all the public transit was on strike. To show their support, the taxis went on a solidarity strike that day, too. So anyone planning on going into town on their own was in a fix. Shore excursions sold out that day. While I was impressed with Athens' cruise port, apparently it's not big enough to work as a place for cruises to start or finish, so officials are scheming to build a big new one. With Greece's economic challenges, no one knows when — or even if — that will actually happen.
  

While for many on the ship, the cruise experience was just a floating Vegas, lots of people were on board to mix the fun of cruising with some serious sightseeing. I was impressed by how many people were packing our new Mediterranean Cruise Ports guidebook or one of our city guidebooks. While working on their tans, travelers were prepping for their next port of call. I'm learning so much on this trip; I can hardly wait to huddle with my staff and fine-tune our cruise ports guidebook for its second edition. I'll admit that I've gained a greater appreciation for cruise travelers — from a book-sales point of view — on this trip.
 

Istanbul is my vote for the most exciting port on the Mediterranean. Ships tie up right in the center of town. It's a 10-minute walk to the Galata Bridge and just a few minutes to the tram that'll jostle you just about anywhere you want to go. And from so many places in this fanciful urban jungle, you can peer out and see your big, shiny ship in the distance.
  

In Istanbul many ships spend the night in dock, giving you a day and a half in Istanbul — and a chance to really enjoy the after-dark scene. Getting away from the touristic crush is easy. At a café over looking the Golden Horn a bit from the center (and therefore without much international tourism) we met a happy Turkish couple who invited us into their photo shoot and wedding album.