Cruise down the Bosphorous

When entering Istanbul there are so many emotions and thoughts that run through one's mind. There is the sweet smell of the Bosphorous that seems to blend into the scent from street vendors and the city. Your senses are bombarded with smells of foreign foods and the sounds of this bustling metropolis.

As the group and I made our way through the city we could immediately feel that we were tourists. The first aspect of this great city that struck us was the amazing architecture. Unless you reside in one of the larger cities in the United States there are not many awe inspiring monuments that simply astound you. As we made our way from the hotel towards the mass transit system we passed the Ayia Sophia. Without warning it appeared on our left as we approached the heart of the city and the mosque looms over the area. The rich culture and history of this city had already asserted itself and we had only gone a few short blocks. It is only after seeing a monument such as this that you experience the void of culture and history that is felt in many of our smaller cities back in the United States.

We proceeded towards the rail system like walking sponges. Each sight, sound, and foreign word we soaked up constantly wondering what taste, or meaning each held. On the transit system we purchased our tokens and headed towards the river. We passed through a small system of shops that were located in between the river and the rail system. One of the things that was shocking was the sheer magnitude of people in such a crowed area. There was the same hustle-and-bustle like that of a morning in NYC. The shops were similar with street vendors pleading to us as we passed by that we were "Long lost friends. I have the best deal for you in town!"

We finally reached the Bosphorous and boarded a large ferryboat. The ferry seated around 50-75 people but did not feel crowded. We staked out our seats on the boat and prepared to take in the long-awaited weather and water. The water is some of the most beautiful in the world. It has a bright, vibrant, tourqeouis coloring to it and is rich in marine life. The ferry ride was quite peaceful and we took the time to enjoy the scenery and ask questions. Watching the coastline we could see how Istanbul appears to be many cities built on top of one another. There is new architecture and clubs pushing down on old buildings and districts with each appearing to fight for dominance over the other. There are old buildings with graffiti located directly next to new vistas. Istanbul holds all of the traits of an old, historic city and we knew that this was only the tip of the iceberg.

~SB