One step at a time, wherever these adventures lead.: I.S.T.A.N.B.U.L.

It has been way too long since my last update and much has happened in the last few weeks…correction, months.

Let’s start with ISTANBUL, Turkey.

This was a great opportunity to step outside the UAE and explore another region in Europe and Asia. Once I stepped out of the airport I was welcomed by a wind chill which was refreshing. This meant I would have a chance to wear my winter coat!! I quickly stepped into a taxi and quickly realized that my driver had no idea how to get to my destination. I had to show him my map and list of address. This was followed by his multiple attempts to read a map while driving on the highway.

Not going to lie, but I was definitely nervous. Luckily he figured out the importance of pulling to the side of the road to get a better glimpse of the map. After a few minutes we were off to a great start. I still was not sure of his abilities when he proceeded to roll his cigarette and ask me for permission to smoke in the car.

The next part was quite entertaining. He noticed that I was writing on a notepad and he asked if I was a journalist. Perhaps it was due to a language barrier but he did not seem to believe that I was just there on vacation. However, he seemed to get his act together and pointed out landmarks along the main highway. He spoke a little English and was very knowledgeable.

Istanbul is very serene and beautiful and a great break from summer temperatures in Abu Dhabi. It was even more excited about the potential of rain, which I have not seen since I left New York. Nonetheless by 3pm (Istanbul time) it was getting dark outside; the temperature reminded me that packing my red wool coat was a good investment. In the midst of my winter weather day dream, the driver told me about a building where Obama had recently attended a conference. It was definitely an entertaining ride especially since the driver’s terminology included several “ya ya”s, but he provided door to door service and I arrived to my location just in time to meet my friends.

Via website called Airbnb I was able to share an apartment with a fellow co-worker and her close friend. It was a beautiful space located in a popular area of Istanbul, Taksim Square off of Liva Street. This was home for 5 days.

Navigating Istanbul

Since my roommates had already been in Istanbul for 2 days, they were the experts in figuring out the subway system and tourist landmarks. However, one thing I had not expected was being one of the few African Americans in the areas we visited. This became even more evident when we visited the Sultanahmet area. Besides little kids asking to take my picture, here are a few phrases which I heard:

-Michelle Obama

-Beyonce

-Mike Tyson

-Are you from Africa?

-You are beautiful

-Chocolate girl

-Happy Chocolate girl

-A guy tapped me as I walked through a group of tourist to say Marhaba..which means welcome.

-Pretty woman (even though I had requested Kings of Leon, the band dedicated and serenaded us with this lovely Roy Orbison tune)

-Lastly at a restaurant when I went out to eat with a friend from the hostel, one of the staff members brought out his Iphone and proceeded to join us at the table, while his coworkers took our picture.

*The approach by the last two was definitely more subtle and welcoming versus the obvious stares and questions around town*

In the Beyoglu and Taksim area it seemed less intrusive probably because it is a major tourist hub. However, when we went to the Asian side of Istanbul (across the Bosphorous Strait on eastern side). There I definitely felt like a fish out of water and the attention was too much. To the point, that we decided to shorten our field trip and head back to the mainland (European side).

While this was an annoying part of the trip, I would still recommend travelling to Istanbul. Overall, the people we interacted with were welcoming and friendly. It is an absolute breath taking city. There are many landmarks to see and the food is phenomenal.

"Maybe I will be famous" MODA Ice Cream Staff

The last 2 days of my trip I spent at a hostel on Taksim Square. I utilized that time to catch up on leisure reading and took time to explore the neighborhood and its restaurants. It was a great opportunity to meet other people. One of my favorite interactions happened when I went out to dinner by myself at this café. The first server and bouncer I met barely knew English. They had to call a waiter to help with my dinner order. He happened to know the language very well and helped bridge our gap in communication. However our interactions did not stop there. The server and bouncer decided to utilize Google translator to communicate with me. We had several laughs throughout the night. Never underestimate the power of Google.

The rest of the trip ended on a high note because I had 2 social roommates who happened to be from the States. Funny enough we all went out together and happened to run into another group of Americans. At the end of the night, we discovered that we were in the same hostel. Apparently we were all looking for the same things in our accommodations and decided to settle with the highly rated hostel.

Lessons learned

-Anytime I told someone I was from Abu Dhabi, they assumed I was rich. So throughout my journey, I kept making up new locations, which kept our conversations entertaining*

-Several hilly streets around Istanbul and no matter the shoes, I was not immune from shin splints for the first few days.

A Few Favorites

Imagine what the scene is like during the summer time:)