Before internship: adventures while reaching Istanbul and my time there

Today I would like to share my adventures before departing in Istanbul Ataturk airport and my visit in Istanbul. My upcoming flight was on 7th of July directly from Riga International Airport to Istanbul Ataturk airport. I had so many things to do before leaving Lithuania for half a year. I have also been accepted for Erasmus+ mobility in Anadolu University, Eskisehir for the fall semester. So totally I am staying for six months in Turkey!

Before leaving Lithuania

The time was running out, and my excitement was growing more and more. I was trying to spend all the time I have with my family, friends because I will not see them for half a year. Everybody was working, busy, but still they gave me their time. Everyone missed me :D I have promised to buy souvenirs from Lithuania to my friends, flatmate and of course my mentors. It was not difficult to find them because I have planned to buy Lithuanian chocolate boxes and coffee. Coffee is not Lithuanian; we do not have the appropriate climate for growing coffee beans. So I went to our famous chocolate shop called "Rūtos firminė šokolado parduotuvė". "Rūta" company is making such excellent quality chocolate, and they are also exporting it to abroad.

The assortment was so wide; I could not choose so quickly. I was thinking better to buy chocolate with my hometown, Šiauliai, attributes. After discussion with shop seller, she suggested me to buy "Gintaro kelias" (Amber Road) chocolate box, a box of dark chocolate with my hometown attribute "Golden Boy" and a box of chocolate delights. I paid approximately 30 euros for these delights. The next thing I had to buy was coffee and tea. I thought if my friends would like these because they taste so different from Turkish tea and tea. I bought two packs of coffee and three packs of tea. The coffee I bought was with rum, orange-chocolate aroma, and tea with exotic fruits, others one mixed with biscuits and the last one was called "Whiskey shot". No alcohol here was included, just the additives for the aroma. Now everything is finished, my luggage was already packed, and I just had to wait for my departure day!

Leaving the Lithuania

So the day has come, and it is time to leave my beloved ones. My sister told me she would take me to the airport. We were going with my mother and my sister husband. Before hitting the Lithuania's border I was quite silent, I felt that I have to leave my closest people for some time, but I felt good because I wanted to come back to Turkey. To tell the truth, during all the short period spent in Turkey, I started to feel that it became my second home. Why? I feel so good here; I like the culture, people, foreigners life, the excitement of trying news things, travelling and also I found some friends here. During my Erasmus study period, I found some friends that became close to me. Life and time are joining people, just enjoy your time while you are spending time together :)

When we reached Riga, the capital of Latvia, there was a massive traffic jam. It was very difficult to turn left because the traffic lights in the crossroad are not working as they should be. I just had 50 minutes before my plane leaves the airport! I have done online check-in, just needed to give my luggage. I was quite worried; I had a feeling something is going to happen like always. Maybe not a bad thing, but I always have some adventures :D Finally we have reached the airport, and my plane was leaving in 30 minutes. I ran to the registration table and she told it is not possible to accept the luggage anymore, because boarding was finished already. It was my first time that boarding finished so fastly. The lady told me it is possible to leave if I pass all the check very fastly but leaving the luggage to my family. We were just looking to each other with our eyes widely opened.

After some minutes of discussing with my family, she told my flight has been cancelled and that I should see the Turkish Airlines company officer upstairs. We were waiting in front of the office, and he came with an anxious look on his face. While talking to him he sometimes told people are having that type of situations, but it was not in his hands to change something. However, it is not possible to refund my flight, so I said goodbye to 130 euros. After that together we started to check for cheap flight tickets in the soon time. We were searching everywhere on the net. He checked through the system that the most inexpensive flight tickets in 2 weeks are with Turkish Airlines company, and the flight would be next day. The cheapest ticket costs 260 euros, wow! I had no choice so I bought them. Then I came out of office and told everything to my family. They told let's find a hotel to stay for you and said to me that everything is going to be okay. 

Staying in Riga

We had one goal: to find a cheap hotel for the night. We tried searching through booking.com, but just for addresses. After some time I found a cheap hostel in Riga's Old Town which cost just 10 euros. When we arrived at our destination, I went to book the bed in 8-bed shared room. I became relaxed now; I have a roof under my head to stay for the night and quite cheap. I talked with my family, and they decided to leave, next day they have to go to work. When I came to my room, I saw one foreigner. He was from Korea. For some time we were talking in English, and he told me he could show me around Riga. I found out that he finished university this year, and he gave a gift of himself: to travel around the world. In Riga, he was staying already for five days.

Before leaving the hostel, I showed him my souvenirs. By the way, I brought Lithuanian beer. I told my friends in Turkey that we would taste it together. It was pure and fresh, different from any other beers. I gave him to try, and he told it was the best beer he tasted. We went out, it was late evening already, so we had to be fast to see the Old Town in the daylight. We saw St. Peter's Church, three performers sculpture, the Christmas tree model which was made of glass and some other places. We did not have so much time to see more places. Later we went to the Asian restaurant for having breakfast, and we just spent our time there. It was quite late already, and we had to turn back to our hostel. I had planned to go to the airport 3 hours earlier because of my previous experience :D I also had some business to do. I found a cheap hotel to stay in Istanbul just for 24 euros. The hotel name is "Sirkeci Emek Hotel", which was located in a historical region, quite near all touristic places. I had to inform them that I had this accident and that they would not cancel my booking. With the help of my good Turkish friend, everything was solved.

After the night I left hostel early and said goodbye to my Korean friend. During my walk to the bus stop, I met a girl; she was from Colorado. She also had to reach the airport, so we went there together. Her flight was in 1 hour, and my was in 2 hours. When she had to go, we exchanged our Facebook profiles and said good luck to each other. I was just sitting and waiting in the airport till the check-in table opens. When I finished my check-in and security checks, I was walking around the duty-free shops to buy some souvenirs from Riga also. I bought Riga's Black Balsams; it is an alcohol drink which is drunk when poured in the cocktails. Later, I was waiting for my flight and just taking a little nap on the chairs.

My flight to Istanbul

Honestly, I do not like flying with an aeroplane so much. Why? Because every time I travel with the aeroplane I have air pressure problems, it is tough to eliminate it with some exercises. I have tried everything, mostly just chewing gum helps to ease it. This time, when I got the plane, I was excited. I wanted to see the landscape through the windows. There were little German students sitting all around me and shouting, I turned on the music and problem solved.

It is time for lunch! Turkish Airlines company offers free lunch and one free drink during the flight.

From the menu, you can choose three meals and many types of drinks. I took Izgara Kofte (Grilled meatballs) andRakki. I just loveRakki! I wanted to remember good times in Turkey and to enjoy the drink. If you want to drinkRakki, the best option is to pour the water into the glass or drink it with ice. When it is mixed with water, the liquid becomes white colour because of the small solids. The meal was exquisite. I advise taking travelling with Turkish Airlines company; it is a must :)

The last time I was just enjoying my glass of Rakki and watching through the window. By the way, the cabin crew did not want to give me Rakki, because I look too young for him :D I said: "Thanks very much. Lithuanian people look younger than others. But I missRakki". He smiled, laughed and in mean time brought me a glass ofRakki with ice. He was always asking: "how is your drink, do you need more ice?". I think I was the only one who was drinkingRakki during the flight. Later I saw Istanbul through the windows, and I told myself: "It is good to be back".

Reaching the hotel

I just remembered how huge is Istanbul Ataturk airport! The most time, when the plane has landed, you spend is going through passport control officers. There are massive non-stopping queue's, and I have spent 1 hour of waiting to reach the agent. When I showed him my passport, the officer had a strange look on his face. He said: "You came back after one month, and I would like to see your Residence Identification of staying in Turkey". That was total nonsense for me. I made it a long time ago, when you go out from Turkey they check it, and they stamp a page in your passport. If you did not have Residence Identification, you would have to pay a fine, which depends on how many days you spent in Turkey after the tourist visa's expiration. In my opinion, this system is not advanced too much. It is splendid that I have brought it with me. After checking he let me pass through.

I texted my good Turkish friend that I am already here and that I will reach the hotel soon. He advised me to take a metro, but I was quite confused. I decided to take a taxi like the previous time; I would need to think less and less probability of getting lost. When I got in the taxi, I said hello in Turkish language and showed the address from my phone which I need to reach. Moreover, my Turkish friend planned all the days during my stay in Istanbul. He told he would wait in front of the hotel. While I was going to the hotel, the taxi driver did not know the way. I told my Turkish friend that right now we are near a mosque. I did not think that he would go there, he was waiting for me there. We were somewhere near the hotel and some kilometres away from the mosque. Later he went to the hotel and waited for me there. The taxi driver told me to reach the hotel on my own because one way there was closed and he showed me the destination. I paid entirely 70 TL for the taxi; that is quite much, but nevermind that. While I was going to the hotel, I asked some Turkish people for help, and they told me to follow them. They helped me to reach the hotel. I give one more plus for Turkish hospitality and friendliness! 

Finally!

I saw my friend sitting outside in front of the hotel. I was quite tired after the trip and adventures, but I was very glad to meet him once again. We went to my room, and I told all my experiences from beginning to the end; also I showed him my souvenirs. He was so excited to see it; I kept my promise to bring something good. We were checking coffee and tea, smelling it. To tell the truth, some packs of coffee and tea he did not like so much. I guess they had a too strong smell, and it was very different for him. But no problem, he liked other souvenirs. Yes, I bought so many souvenirs for him :D I let him choose to take two chocolate boxes and whatever he wants to choose from coffee and tea. He took tea with biscuits.

After the little conversation, we decided to start our fast-track trip in Istanbul! I wanted to drink Turkish tea; we went to the park to one magnificent place! There were a lot of people in this open cafe, so we had to wait for a little while. When some people left one of the tables, I just ran there to take the place. We were having a pleasant conversation with tea and with an excellent view! I have not spoken in English for one month, so I had to remember some grammar, but it was not difficult. The view from the cafe was very nice. You can see the sea, ships, nature, far away you can see another part of Istanbul across the continent. I was just taking pictures and enjoying the time. 

Visiting Sultan Ahmed Cami (English name is Blue Mosque)

On our way to the Blue Mosque, we have been walking through the park which looks amazing!That park is near the mosque. It looks so clean; there are many plants, trees, even some palms. I like watching how Turkish people are enjoying their time in the parks. It looks so different my hometown. We have just very few parks which are not that good. One of my hometown parks is like the jungle: grass reaches your waist, there are no lights, or there are, and they are not working. We took some selfies with the view of the Blue Mosque. From the distance, it looks so huge and something amazing.

Before entering the mosque, my Turkish friend showed me what are they doing if they want to get into the mosque for praying. We sat down on the little chair which is made out of marble and in front of us were a lot of water taps and groove for water to leak out. Firstly, with this water, you must be yourself from top to the bottom. The top of your head, your face, ears, hands till the shoulder, then your feet. I tried to follow his moves, but as for the first time, it was nice, also refreshing :D They are doing this cleaning for the purpose of entering the mosque without any dirt and with a fresh mind. Before entering the mosque, you must take off your shoes and then you can step on the carpet. You take individual plastic bags and wear them as shoes. Do not worry; your shoes will not be stolen, you storage your shoes on a shelf. Well, sometimes someone can take your shoes, but it can happen rarely. 

Inside the mosque, interior looks fantastic: big, rich in decor, crowded and with a huge space! All the decorations are so small, colourful; even my Galaxy S5 Neo can not take the full photo of it. The decorations are too detailed. The Arabic writings are looking like they would be made out of gold. Women were not allowed to pass through the fence. We were sitting and watching everything, taking photos, talking. I told him one time: "When I try something new, I feel like a little child". :D

We saw the Blue Mosque parts and also the inner yard of it are under reconstruction. We were discussing for some time, and we found out that some towers are inappropriate. I mean that they are ancient, and maybe they need supports. For me it looked like the towers can collapse after some decades. Also, it did not look very esthetical. Keep up the excellent work :) Such historical building must stand for hundreds of years more and more.

Sultan Ahmet Square

Going out from the Blue Mosque we decided to pass through the Sultan Ahmet Square. The square looks modern and clean. There are some things to see there, such as The Obelisk of Theodosius, the Column of Constantine Porphyrogenitus and other (I can not remember the name of the sculpture). I did not take any photo of the last statue because it did not look too special for me. 

On our way to eat Baklava (traditional Turkish delight)

Later we went to have late lunch at a Turkish restaurant. We ordered talk dürüm (chicken wrap) and traditional Turkish drink Ayran (drinkable yoghurt mixed with salt). It has been a while I have not tasted this food! I like chicken wrap also, the sauce used in this wrap is superb. After that, we settled off to eat baklava to the Karaköy Güllüoğlu Üretim Tesisi (address: Kemankeş Karamustafa Paşa, Mumhane Cd. No:171, 34425 Karaköy / Beyoğlu). This baklava cafe is one of the best places to eat baklava in Istanbul! 

We have been going to another part of Istanbul through the Galata Bridge. There have been a lot of people fishing. That time we passed through there, it could be around 50 of people, even more. It was dark already in Istanbul and from the bridge you can see so many city lights, the view was amazing. I was feeling like a village boy who came to visit an enormous capital of the foreign country in which life is going so fast. While we were walking to the baklava restaurant, I found this city as a labyrinth for me. For sure, I could not walk alone without any help, maybe just using Google maps application.

When I saw the cafe, it was huge, so modern and so crowded! We bought one portion of 6 baklava types (mixed portion) for two of us. I knew from the previous time I have been here, that baklava is the very sugary delight. Baklava portion consist of these: baklava with pistachio (small one in shape of rectangular), Şöbiyet with Pistachio (triangle one), wrap with pistachio (green one in shape of cylinder), bride pack with pistachio (other green one), Burma with walnuts (the one with nuts) and the last one is Burma kadayıf with pistachio (the brown one, sometimes it can be yellow). My advice is to drink water while eating baklava. Believe me; you will want to wash your mouth from sugar :D After we had finished eating baklava, we were hyperactive because of the sugar. It should be like that. It would be interesting to find out the recipe and how much of ingredients they are using to make baklava.

Galata Kulesi (Galata Tower)

The restaurant was near the Galata Tower; it did not take much time to reach it. But for sure, you need to walk up the hill :D From far away you can see the Galata Tower, it is full of neon lights. Fascinating! I took a good photo with panda painting on the wall and Galata Tower :D That time we reached it, Galata tower was mostly enlightened by blue colour. I wanted to go inside and climb the stairs to see the view from the tower. It was late already, and the entrance to the tower was closed already. We were just trying to take photos for our memories. I forgot to mention, that we took the bottle of Lithuanian beer to taste. Actually, after my departure in Istanbul, the beer was not in such good condition anymore. The weather was hot, it was staying in warm place for few days, that's why. I guess if I came day ago, it would taste still good. But nevermind that, we found one bottle out of 6 that was still good, but not that fresh anymore. We just saw down near the stairs, talking and taking small sips of beer. I enjoyed the evening. 

Famous Istiklal Street

It was midnight already, and we decided to visit Istiklal Street, the most famous one in Istanbul! We were walking for an extended time because our legs were tired. During the first day, we did not use any tramway or metro, just going on our foot. When we reached our destination most of the shops, cafe's and restaurants were closed. My Turkish friend told me right now the street is very empty. During the daytime, it is tough to walk through it because of the crowds of people. There were some shops still opened. While walking through it, I saw many little streets going out from the Istiklal street in which there are other cafe's, clubs, restaurants, souvenir shops and many other. I wish I could turn back and see the Istiklal street once again :)

First morning and second day in Istanbul

We decided to wake up earlier and continue our fast-track trip again. But before that, we wanted to have breakfast. As I mentioned before, the hotel cost 24 euros for three nights including breakfast, that is cheap, isn't it? Downstairs there are tables for eating. The Sirkeci Emek Hotel offered open buffet breakfast. That is right; you can anything you want. They offer eggs, potatoes, many types of cheese, cereal, vegetables, free coffee and tea, biscuits, candies, sweets and other foods. After the breakfast, we wanted to try out the coffee which I brought from Lithuania. We made one cup of coffee with rum aroma and another one with orange-chocolate flavour. I like drinking coffee, especially stronger one. The one with rum aroma was quite strong, but chocolate-orange was sweet and tasted very differently. Once again we had a nice conversation. Also, we have discovered that our hotel has an open terrace on the top floor. The view from it is so fascinating! You can see all the city from it, as well as the Galata Bridge, seaside and ships.

Second day's first destination: Hagia Sophia (Ayasofya Museum)

I was reading on the net that at first it was a church, later a mosque and now it became a museum. Ayasofya looks more bigger than Blue Mosque! Inside it has paintings of Jesus and Mary. Also, the first thing I noticed when I had entered Ayasofya was, that it has church features. It did not look like a mosque or museum. Everything looks so fascinating: golden colour decorations, massive Arabian writings, vast space. We also found one group of tourists with a guide who speaks English. We were following them and listening quietly :D The way to the second floor looks very gold, the flooring is made from rocks, and you need to climb quite a long way. From the second floor, you can see the Ayasofya in full of its beauty! Of course, if we are here we must take selfies and photos! In the second floor, you can also see the painting on the wall of Jesus holding the holy book as well as his prophets. The painting on the wall was damaged during the years, but near you can see the model of the reconstructed picture. To tell the truth, you need to spend a lot of time if you want to discover all the things in Haghia Sophia.

Topkapı Sarayı (Topkapi Palace)

The entrance gates to the Topkapi Palace are so amazing and huge! I found out that Topkapi Palace was a primary residence of sultans for more than 400 years. Now this palace became a museum and great attraction for tourists. This palace was suffering from the earthquakes and has been reconstructed. There are a dozen places to visit; you have to spend all day to see everything. I could not take pictures inside the museums because it is forbidden. They are saving relics of the Muslim world and exhibitions from the flashlights that can damage the surfaces over the time.

The first place we visited inside was Topkapi Palace kitchens. The kitchen complex is massive. There you can see dishes, pots, cutlery, tea glasses and so many other things that have been used in the imperial times. There are cooking places which are made from marble. We have passed rapidly because we were running out of time. Next place we visited was Imperial Council chamber in which governors, ministers of state, the Imperial Council and many other very famous people were holding the meetings. We took superb photos in the yard near the trees which were empty from trunk fungus. We tried entering through Harem entrance but it was under the fee, so for the purpose of saving money we had to delay it maybe to the next time. Imperial treasury was the most interesting. It is full of Ottoman, Royal, Muslim world treasuries such as swords, 1, 2 or 3-handed axes, rapiers, armours, helmets, shields and so many other things! Even the Sultan swords and armoury are kept there! Many of them are full of decorations, jewellery; they look fancy. I enjoyed looking at this treasury. We also visited a museum building in which you can see all Ottoman Empire sultans, their family trees, portraits, paintings and also a history of life. There are some places that we visited more while being in Topkapi palace, but the ones I mentioned were the most interesting :)

Passing through Sultan Ahmed Square once again

Near Ayasofya we found an excellent place to take a photo, we could not skip that. There was a little bazaar in the square we did not visit. It was interesting to visit there; you can try many traditional drinks or food, buy souvenirs, jewellery, clothes, paintings or see how they make art. We decided to stop and look how one lady is making water paintings. Later I tried turşu (vinegar conservated pickles with red lettuce). We also have this in Lithuania, but Turkish one tastes so different. They make the liquid so tasty :D After that, I  tried Ottoman sorbet. While drinking it, I could notice that it is made from water, cinnamon, little ginger and sugar. The drink was very re-freshening during the hot weather. Turşu was my favourite during the bazaar visit. We bought it the second time, went to the little market and started eating it again :D 

Yerebatan Sarnıcı (The Basilica Cisterns)

To go there, you need to pay a fee of 30 TL if I remember correctly. My friend did not want to go, but after some talk, I told him to see it with me because he has not seen it also. The Basilica Cisterns were used for water storage. It is famous also for Medusa heads. When you climb the stairs, you can feel the humidity in the sudden. It was so refreshing. Inside it is very dark, it was hard to take good quality photos with my mobile phone camera. This place for me was interesting, but not too much. We went to see the great Medusa heads. The medusa heads are joined to the bottom of the columns. One is rotated 90 degrees to the left, and another one is upside down. 

Sultan Ahmed Köfte (Sultan Ahmed meatballs) 

We were hungry and tried to find a good place to eat. We decided to try this one. To tell the truth, this place is quite expensive, and the food was not that good. They just gave sauce, six pieces of meatballs, two grilled green peppers and one sliced tomato. Isn't funny it? :D The taste was not that good also. Next time I would prefer eating in another place. Also, the waiters were not so good, did not like the service.

To relax - going to smoke hookah!

To tell the truth, I missed smoking hookah in Turkey! When I first came here, I wanted to try it. My Turkish friend said that it is best to smoke hookah in Istanbul because of the quality. When I was in Lithuania, I was smoking with my buddies, but it was not like Turkish hookah. In Turkey, you can call hookah as 'nargile' and 'shisha'. Also in some countries, you can call waterpipe, kalyan and other names for it I have not found out. Before going to Basilica Cisterns, my friend showed me the place for a hookah that was real long time ago. He told me that this place has a new manager and he changed a lot of this. We were afraid to spend much money on the wrong quality hookah.

There was one other place which was full of hookah smoke. We had to decide to which we should go. Just solved it out in an easy way: guessing the herb or number on the coin. I guessed the herb, so we went to Çorlulu Ali Paşa Medresesi. That place is full of people, hookah pots, accessories for it and so many other things. We have ordered double apple tobacco hookah, and while waiting for it, we had Turkish tea. After some time of smoking this hookah, we felt that our throats were too heavy. The hookah tobacco was not good. We asked another man if he could give us to try his hookah and it was perfect. We chose too hard tobacco for smoking. After that, we paid 35 TL, and we decided to go to another place. The name of the second place was Şerbethane. Waiters were so friendly with us. The site is looking amazing, believe me. If you discover this place, make sure you try smoking hookah here. We ordered Turkish delight tobacco hookah and just enjoying. It was the best hookah I have ever tried. It was soft, tasty and of course a lot of smoke. Later waiter invited us to come outside upstairs the rocky stair steps. There was like a chamber which is made from rocks. But the most important is that you can see Blue Mosque from that place! I took very good photos of myself, one of the best. All the time we were enjoying hookah and talk while drinking Turkish tea. We did not have so much time left because my friend had to leave and go his home which is in another part of Istanbul.

Second evening in Istanbul

While we finished smoking hookah, my friend suggested me to come to the Asian side of Istanbul with him. I thought why not, even if I am tired, but I wanted to see more places. After the hookah place, we had to reach the harbour near the Galata Bride, which is also near Sirkeci Emek Hotel. On our way there we took some photos, like always :D When we reached the harbour, we had to find out how much is the price of the ticket. The price was just 2.5 TL. You can also pass with Istanbul card. After a little time the ship settled out, it was quite windy, but it did not disturb to take breathtaking photos and enjoy the time. We were joking that we should take pictures like in Titanic movie :D

After a short time, we arrived at the Asian part of the Istanbul. When we stepped out, I noticed the main differences between the Europian and Asian side of Istanbul. There were a few times more people, mostly there are Turkish nationality people, fewer tourists, and you can see Turkish culture everywhere. For a very first time, I tried eating clams with lemon juice which cost just 1 TL. We took few more; it was delicious and refreshing. On our way, I tried Turkish candy on a wooden stick (can not remember the name for it). The man who sells this candy also makes it in front of you when you order. The mass of this candy is very thick; it has a lot of flavours. My friend told me it is one of the traditional Turkish sweets. On our way to Maiden Tower, we have decided to drink a cup of tea, but all the places were too crowded, so we had to move on. When we reached the Maiden Tower, we took good photos, with the view of the sea and moon. Did you know that Maiden Tower is called woman Tower and Galata Tower as man tower? I wish I could have a closer look at the Maiden Tower, but it is located on a very small island in the sea. Later we had to go our ways, and I needed to get back to the hotel. The only way now to get back is to take a metro. So later my friend showed me where is Metro station and we said to each other: "See you tomorrow". I was laughing when I was thinking how much we were both tired :D Also he told me in which place I should go off the metro. Everything was good, even if it was new to me, but the metro stations are very easy to understand, and you can see directions everywhere. I just got back to the hotel and took good rest.

The third day in Istanbul. Destination: Büyükada (Big Island)

This morning after breakfast I had to take a metro to the Asian part of Istanbul. My friend sent me the directions and where should I go when I take off from the metro. I always like to come earlier rather being late. So I went out earlier, I thought I would spend more time because I will have to catch minibus and somehow explain where I need to go. When I arrived with metro to my destination I just took a little walk around, but there was nothing to see around the metro station. Just the highway, skyscrapers and a hospital. My friend called me and told which mini bus I should take, later he got into it. We went to the harbour to take the transportation ship to the Big Island. Big Island is one of the 9 Prince's Islands. These islands are also the popular tourist attraction. When we arrived at the Big Island, we started to think that it would be fun to take a horse ride. We did not know in which place it is, but we tried to search for it. We were just walking and found that are massive queue's of people that want to take a ride with horses and in entire one ride cost 70 TL (one price for a maximum of 4-5 people). We decided to rent bicycles and go through all the island. To rent a bike, you must pay an average of 10 TL per hour fee. We rented for one hour and started our bike tour here. It was quite hard to ride it because the island is upland. Nevermind that, we still had energy, and here it was approximately +38 degrees Celcius. During our trip, we found some great places to take photos: near the sea, near the flower gardens and many other. 1 hour was not enough to cross the island. My suggestion is if you go to Big Island, rent a bicycle for all day (you pay 30 TL for all day).

We were too tired from the sun and because previous days we were always walking. We just decided to take a seat in the restaurant, talk, eat and have a cup of tea. For the very first time, I tried Menemen. Menemen consists of sliced onions and tomatoes, eggs, sauce, peppers, maybe paprika's. When you cook it, you have to mix everything and let them stay for a while. The restaurant's waiter did not give us any forks or spoons, so we were lacerating bread and eating like real Turkish people. After that, we decided to leave the Island and stay on Asian part little longer. I totally did not have any energy left, as well as my good Turkish friend. I could say we were like walking dead people :D Just wanted to lay down on the grass under the tree. After getting so much sunshine it was quite difficult to talk, my tongue was spinning around :D

He told he has a surprise for me. He wanted that we would rent a boat and to relax in the sea. It is funny because I do not swim at all, and I feared to go in the middle of the sea with a fishing boat. I thought why not, I should try that. In beginning while my friend was rowing a boat I was sitting like a statue, I did not move at all :D He told don't worry, maybe just 1 out of 1000 people are drowning. But later I got use to it; I also tried rowing. It was my first time, and it was quite wrong, but the first time is going to be the first time.

We were too tired from the sun and because previous days we were always walking. We just decided to take a seat in the restaurant, talk, eat and have a cup of tea. For the very first time, I tried Menemen. Menemen consists of sliced onions and tomatoes, eggs, sauce, peppers, maybe paprika's. When you cook it, you have to mix everything and let them stay for a while. The restaurant's waiter did not give us any forks or spoons, so we were lacerating bread and eating like real Turkish people. After that, we decided to leave the Island and stay on Asian part little longer. I totally did not have any energy left, as well as my good Turkish friend. I could say we were like walking dead people :D Just wanted to lay down on the grass under the tree. After getting so much sunshine it was quite difficult to talk, my tongue was spinning around :D

He told he has a surprise for me. He wanted that we would rent a boat and to relax in the sea. It is funny because I do not swim at all, and I feared to go in the middle of the sea with a fishing boat. I thought why not, I should try that. In beginning while my friend was rowing a boat I was sitting like a statue, I did not move at all :D He told don't worry, maybe just 1 out of 1000 people are drowning. But later I got use to it; I also tried rowing. It was my first time, and it was quite wrong, but the first time is going to be the first time. After having an excellent trip with a boat, we decided to go to a restaurant and have tea again. He brought me to one of the restaurants he knew, and we were just taking a rest in front of the ventilators. From our faces, you could have seen that we just wanted to relax, and only a few words came out from our mouths. I was just enjoying the time because I will see my friend maybe just after two months or later. After that, he helped me to find a mini bus to the tram station, and we said farewell to each other. Maybe if I am turning back to Istanbul after some time, I would see my friend again. Thanks so much brother for hosting all of these tours, I appreciate it very much.

Later I just went back to my hotel and started packing back and cleaning the hotel room. I had to find out how to reach the Esenler bus station. It was not hard because you can reach directly with the metro. Later I just went out to the other hookah place, ordered it and just relaxing. I was speaking with my family, cousins and told what a great trip I had here in Istanbul.

Last day in Istanbul

This day is my leaving day. I went out to the city centre to find some good clothes, but they were too expensive. Sometimes shop sellers are using foreigners as for gaining more money. The last place I visited on my own was Kapalıçarşı (Grand Bazaar). I had just 30 free minutes left so I walked around a little bit. I saw good jeans which I liked, but the seller told me it cost 130 TL. I just went away, and I thought why I did not try bargaining? If you do this, you can get the item you want so much more cheapie. After that, I just went back to my hotel, took my luggage and went out to the Esenler bus station. It was easy to find; just you need to use the metro map. After that I bought tickets, and I settled out to Eskişehir! I could say that Istanbul is the most wonder city I have ever seen in my life. After my first trip here, I want to come back again. There are too many things to see here.

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