(not Constantinople!), and bye bye InstagramΝβ€Œ Νβ€Œ Νβ€Œ Νβ€Œ Νβ€Œ Νβ€Œ Νβ€Œ Νβ€Œ Νβ€Œ Νβ€Œ Νβ€Œ Νβ€Œ Νβ€Œ Νβ€Œ Νβ€Œ Νβ€Œ Νβ€Œ Νβ€Œ Νβ€Œ Νβ€Œ Νβ€Œ Νβ€Œ Νβ€Œ Νβ€Œ Νβ€Œ Νβ€Œ Νβ€Œ Νβ€Œ Νβ€Œ Νβ€Œ Νβ€Œ Νβ€Œ Νβ€Œ Νβ€Œ Νβ€Œ Νβ€Œ Νβ€Œ Νβ€Œ Νβ€Œ Νβ€Œ Νβ€Œ Νβ€Œ Νβ€Œ Νβ€Œ Νβ€Œ Νβ€Œ Νβ€Œ Νβ€Œ Νβ€Œ Νβ€Œ Νβ€Œ Νβ€Œ Νβ€Œ Νβ€Œ Νβ€Œ Νβ€Œ Νβ€Œ Νβ€Œ Νβ€Œ Νβ€Œ Νβ€Œ Νβ€Œ Νβ€Œ Νβ€Œ Νβ€Œ Νβ€Œ Νβ€Œ Νβ€Œ Νβ€Œ Νβ€Œ Νβ€Œ Νβ€Œ Νβ€Œ Νβ€Œ Νβ€Œ Νβ€Œ Νβ€Œ Νβ€Œ Νβ€Œ Νβ€Œ Νβ€Œ Νβ€Œ Νβ€Œ Νβ€Œ Νβ€Œ Νβ€Œ Νβ€Œ Νβ€Œ Νβ€Œ Νβ€Œ Νβ€Œ Νβ€Œ Νβ€Œ Νβ€Œ Νβ€Œ Νβ€Œ Νβ€Œ Νβ€Œ Νβ€Œ Νβ€Œ 

T H A T β€’ B I S H β€’ J O
 

Week 7, Q1.

Where: Istanbul, Turkey
 

Hagia Sophia β€” check!
 

R E F L E C T I O N S

First things first: I made it to Istanbul!

Second thing: I don’t have Instagram anymore πŸ₯³ I deactivated both accounts yesterday with no intention of logging on again. Everything is fine: I had been feeling that it was deeply counterproductive to both my goals and my well-being for awhile now. So, on the off-chance you’re wondering if I inexplicably blocked you or where I went, rest assured that I didn’t and I’m still here. If you need my WhatsApp number or another way to stay in touch, reply to this email and let me know.

Third thing: Istanbul is amazing. And huge. And has lots of cats.

I got in at nightfall last Saturday, and for the life of me could not get my Uber app to work, even though it had just re-launched in Turkey as a partner app for the existing taxi industry. So, frustrated and tired, I hopped into the first taxi that rolled up, and arrived at my airbnb only to realize that my credit cards wouldn’t work on the driver’s POS system (that’s point of sale, not piece of shit, although under the circumstances I certainly felt both terms applied). The airbnb host’s friend came to greet me and was kind enough to spot me some cash, seeing as I hadn’t had time to hit an ATM yet.

On Sunday, I got to meet an Instagram friend that I made through the @femmetravel group, Beste. She’s a local from the Asian side of the city and was more than happy to show me around to her favorite restaurant, local haunts, and even took me ziplining. We have similar backgrounds and interests (cats, travel, tech), so naturally we hit it off. I’m looking forward to seeing the coastal city of Ayvalik with her in a couple of weeks.

Monday: I walked from my neighborhood down towards the waterline to the KiliΓ§ ali Paşa mosque complex, which includes a hammam. A hammam is a traditional middle-eastern grooming facility and experience: there’s a steamy room with marble where you relax before getting scrubbed down and exfoliated, basically go through the human equivalent of a car wash (albeit much more relaxing). I also had booked a massage, and believe me when I say it was a great way to refresh for the next four weeks of the journey.

Tuesday: I finally got to see the Hagia Sophia, which had been on my bucket list for I don’t even know how long. Originally built by Roman emperor Justinian I as a Christian basilica in the 6th century, it was converted to a mosque by the Ottomans in the 15th century when they conquered the city, and was a museum from 1935 up until last year. It’s now a mosque again, but it’s open to the public and I had a lot of fun admiring the first major example of the pendentive dome structure and glimpsing a few early Christian mosaics that have survived the centuries.

On Wednesday, I took a day off. I need a day to stay in, catch up on rest, attempt a little yoga, etc.

Thursday: I rallied and went back to the Sultanahmet district in tourist mode. I started out with the Museum of Turkish & Islamic Art, which had lots of historical blurbs and beautiful cultural artifacts. I also visited the Theodosius cistern, which was cool not only because of its age, state of preservation, and structural integrity, but also because someone had turned it into a really beautiful light show. There were projectors everywhere that cast all kinds of lights and patterns on the columns and the walls of the space, reflecting in the water as well. After that, I visited some kind of genre-defying shop that seemed to have a little of everything: the selection of bulk dried fruit, nuts, teas, perfume, Turkish delight, and baklava that would make Whole Foods look like a mediocre bodega by comparison. I got some of my favorite dried fruits (mango & persimmon) to snack on for a few weeks, an assortment of baklava for breakfast (healthy, I know), and some dates, making a mental note to come back again sometime before I leave.

Yesterday: I visited Galata Tower, which is a Genoese structure built in the 14th century that was used as a lookout, a fire tower, and is currently a museum. At one point, an Ottoman scientist named Hezarfen engineered his own set of wings and leapt from the tower, reportedly managing to sustain flight all the way across the Bosphorus to the Asian side of the city. It would appear he had a better understanding of physics and materials science than his Greek mythological counterpart, Icarus. The tower was another cool, old structure that I geeked out about and appreciated the view from.
 

The central fountain in the Kiliç ali Paşa hammam lounge area.

Ziplining with a view of the suspension bridge between Asia and Europe.

Interior details of the Hagia Sophia basilica.

Street view of the Galata Tower, which is also visible from my airbnb.
 

U P C O M I N G

Saturday 10/2: Flight to Cappadocia πŸ§šβ€β™€οΈ probably sleep. I didn’t sleep much last night.

Sunday 10/3: A horseback ride on a ranch? Tour of early Christian mosaics? Definitely exploring the fairy chimneys.

Monday 10/4: Hot air balloon ride at dawn, then flight back to Istanbul; work PM.

Tuesday 10/5 - Friday 10/8: TBD AM; work PM. I’ve been winging my tourist schedule a lot more than I did when I was in Italy. I’d like to check out the Taksim area, the Blue Mosque, and the Grand Bazaar. I might also be having lunch with a high school classmate who lives here.
 

C O S T S

travel: $577.94

  • 2 taxis

  • 2 flights to Istanbul (one was from Zagreb and I didn’t get a refund)

  • checked bag fee

  • Turkish visa

  • Istanbul transit card

lodging: $302.11

  • Airbnb in Istanbul, 7 nights

food: $180.11

  • Some groceries and bulk snacks from that cool shop

  • Lots of restaurants, not gonna lie, but the exchange rate here is excellent

fun: $149.617

  • Zip line!

  • Hammam scrub experience + 1 hr massage

  • Museum of Islamic & Turkish Arts

  • Galata Tower

  • Theodosius Cistern light show

miscellaneous: $28.42

  • yoga video subscription

  • ATM fees

  • postcard

___________________________

total damage: $ 1245.65

Not amazing, mostly because of the flight I didn’t get a refund on. My original plan had been to stay in Croatia for September, but then I ended up going to Rome. Otherwise, the food here is a steal, and I can’t get over how far my dollar went at the hammam. I’m probably going to book another session before I leave for Austria.
 

Thanks for tuning in!

If you’re playing catchup on these adventures, my past newsletters can be found on my archive page.

Also, a quick reminder: I have turned off my cell phone line and can only communicate via the internet now. If you call me or send me an SMS, I won’t receive it. Email, WhatsApp, iMessage, and FaceTime Audio will all work.

Catch you next week,

Jo

609 Clayton Lane, Austin, TX, 78752, USA

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