?ki Bira Lütfen!
by Joany Yi
Ashley Dowd and I traveled to Istanbul as soon as summer break started. We bought one-way bus
tickets from Skopje (around 2,400 denars with Hisar), and took 15 euros with us to pay for our visas
at the Turkish border.
We stayed in a cute hostel/guesthouse (Agora,
15 euros/night in a mixed ten-person room)
situated in the Sultanahmet side of the bridge.
Our hostel was close to many of the famous
mosques, and it was in walking distance to
many other historical sites. That said, Ashley
and I spent most of our time in Istanbul not at
these famous, historical buildings and sites.
We did go in the tourist-crowded Blue
Mosque, the underground cistern, the Galata
Tower and to the Grand Bazaar and spice
markets, but that’s about it in terms of the
famous sites. It’s not because we weren’t
interested, but because we were on a true
summer break, which meant relaxing.
We spent a lot of time walking around and Photo submitted by Ashley Dowd
discovered small, hidden shops and art
exhibits. We made new friends, and for a
couple nights stayed with a friend on the other side of the bridge (Taksim area), where the ritzy
shopping areas are. We spent five hours one afternoon just sitting in a café on the French Street. We
had beers in a park at night. Our friend took us to a dive bar that was on the fifth floor of a building
where Ashley and I “TORE IT UP.” We did the oro, attempted salsa dancing, threw in some hip-hop,
and yes, at one point, there was a lot of ballet going on. The next night he took us to a bar where a
rock band was performing. I don’t remember much of that night, but I do remember we were
jumping and screaming the lyrics to a song we didn’t know.
On our last day we took the Orient Express night train back to Sofija, and it was a sweet ride. We
paid for a six-person compartment, but we got one all to ourselves. We got new sheets and free
coffee. As Ashley said, “It’s a moving hostel!” It was nice to be able to sleep on a bed versus being
cramped on a bus seat. I recommend it.
We didn’t go to a Turkish bath, though it was recommended by many and on our to-do list. We
didn’t go on any tours. We did, however, have one of the best trips we’ve taken while in Macedonia.
I’ve never been a good vacationer. I like to make lists of things to do, I like to be oriented in a new
city, and I like to know a bit of the local language. Not to say that I have to do everything on my list
or never get lost, but I’ve never approached a vacation without a plan. True to form, when we
decided to take this trip I started researching and making lists of places to see and even grabbed a
thick guidebook for our trip to Istanbul. When I sat down on the Istanbul bus in Skopje, though, I
realized I had forgotten to bring my lists of places to see and things to do, my guidebook was
useless, I had forgotten directions to our hostel, and all I had was my sheet of scribbled phrases in
Turkish. This was my first real vacation where I had no choice but to say “Jebbiga.” Instead, Ashley
and I just went with the flow and found ourselves getting free apple tea, laughing until we cried on
several occasions, and having the time of our lives without an agenda. But I’m glad that I didn’t
forget the list of Turkish phrases - “Two beers please!” or “ ki bira lütfen!”
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