Everything Turkish! (Part 1)

Vacations have come to an end like every good thing does! That sinking heart when you are about to board the plane for home and you know files and lots of work load awaits you, familiar innit?!But always cherish the good part, the bad one won't affect much.So let's talk Turkey! Plan to Turkey was purely incidental. I wanted to go for vacations for a while and Turkey was definitely not on the list.I always knew i will go one day probably in 5 years time but now that i think of it, it is all very funny how God has already planned out everything.Before i knew Turkey was on my passport and my holiday destination.

Istanbul

Turkey partly lies in Europe and partly in Asia. Istanbul is a beautiful depiction of the diversity the two continents have to offer divided by the Bosphorus strait.An amazing amalgamation of Christianity and Islam, mosques and churches and its fascinating history and the modern present!

I will not plan your itinerary here. Or share mine! It wont help anyone. When in Istanbul, always make a plan that suits your needs. The only advise i can give here is that do spend at least 5 days in Istanbul, it is essential if the city needs to be seen properly. There are two particular reasons for that:

1- Istanbul is a huge city. You need to have ample time in hand to explore.

2- There is a huge language barrier. They do not understand English AT ALL. This was actually pretty surprising considering it is one of the most important touristy places. So you will have your share of set backs and frustration and this will waste a lot of your time. Just know you have enough despite all this.

When in Istanbul, you know you should tick-off the major sites which include:
1. Blue Mosque
2. Hagia Sofia
3. Topkapi Palace
4. Grand Bazaar
5. Galata Tower
6. Grand Bazaar
7. Spice Bazaar
8. Istiklal Street
9. Dolmabahce Palace
10. Hippodrome
11. Mevlevi Museum

You can, considering your own time limits plan other activities too of course. Again all depends on what you think you want to see or visit.

If for instance, you are on a short trip like i was, the best way to see all these places is by taking a cruise ride on Bosphorus. Cruise ride is always the highlight of any trip. They take you around the city while you enjoy the amazing wind and get awed by the depth of water. So highly recommended especially at night. Istanbul is phenomenal, all lit-up at night. An experience not to let go.

As previously mentioned, there is a huge language barrier in Istanbul. They know very little English or not at all. So taking from my experience, i suggest one should at least learn major Turkish words before heading to Istanbul. You will certainly thank me later. It will be a great help. Trust me!

The only complaint i have with the humanity in general is nobody actually warned me about the food. I,like many other lived with the misconception that Turkish food is one of the best until i actually got served. It is absolutely tasteless.So bland and uninteresting that even the salt wasn't helping me feel better about it. The salads from a few restaurants were actually good, but overall the food failed miserably to please me.

Despite that i will suggest that one should definitely try some desserts from good restaurants especially Chocolate creme and Puddings. Hands down best desserts!

P.S. Turkey's MADO ice-cream SHOULD not be missed. Best ice-cream i have had till date.

I had a lot of Turkish tea though. Absolutely loved it especially the apple flavor. Bought a few packs home too.

I am going to cover shopping in my second part or else this blog won't ever finish and i don't certainly want to lose your attention. Here however i will just throw the only shopping tip you need, your way. THE ONLY. You SHOULD bargain. Period. They will always tell you a higher price. Always. Then it all comes down to you and your bargaining skills. Do not start arguing, make it a very friendly conversation and eventually they will bow down to your demand or meet somewhere in the middle. If i can do ( used to be super hopeless, not anymore though) so can you!

Cappadocia

Home to fairy chimneys, one of the most popular tourist attraction, full of cave houses and underground cities, Cappadocia was the second part of my journey and definitely not a disappointment. Very contrary to what Istanbul was like and that was what made the trip more amazing.

Sedimentary rocks formed in lakes and streams and ignimbrite deposits that erupted from ancient volcanoes approximately 9 to 3 million years ago, during the late Miochene to Pliochene epochs, underlie the Cappadocia region. The rocks of Cappadocia near Goreme eroded into hundreds of spectacular pillars and minaret-like forms. People of the villages at the heart of the Cappadocia Region carved out houses, churches and monasteries from the soft rocks of volcanic deposits.

Hot air balloon is a major attraction here where during sun rise, thousands of balloons take up to the skies, a sight absolutely delightful! So glad i took the ride. Thorough professional pilots!

The hotels are so beautiful that staying in one them will in itself is a great experience. Cave hotels, so many of them can be found all around the region. I personally loved my hotel, Brucu Kaya. Very artistry and culturally strong.So anyone visiting the place, i highly recommend the hotel.

Cappadocia is famous for its pottery and carpet weaving and i had the opportunity to visit both these places. What an experience!! Although the pottery is a bit easy on pockets depending on what you want. Either the master's work or student's. Carpets however are too expensive. Not recommended for those especially living in Pakistan. I mean we are pretty sufficient ourselves when it comes to carpets, isn't it?!

To my surprise, the traders / shopkeepers in Cappadocia were amazingly superb in English. Many of them were good with Urdu too because they claim to love Pakistan. It was great fun shopping there which again i will be detailing in the next part!

If you ever get the chance, i highly recommend to attend Turkish nights. A lot of places organize these, you will have to check and book beforehand. It is full of music and dance and what not. Super fun.

It is essential that when you visit these places, you know them. This saves a lot of time from confusion. Also confusion affects mood. I get angry.Like super angry.So to avoid that, good research should be the priority!

Turkey is not a one-time-visit country! Not at all. Turkey should be visited more than once because the country has so so so much to offer.

Also, On Wednesday Inshallah i will be talking shopping here on the blog so do read that too. It will definitely be a great help for those who plan a Turkey trip!

Here are a few pictures from the trip. Enjoy!