Cats In Istanbul

Everywhere you go in Istanbul you will find cats and more cats, they are a real attraction for not only the tourists but the locals too. The stray cats are very clean, they are well fed, and you can spot containers with water for them to drink in most of the corners in the busy streets.

Some believe that by rubbing or stroking the cats, it may bring you good luck. President Barack Obama did the same while he was visiting the historical Hagia Sophia.

Turkish Delight - The 'Sinful' Sweets

Many would be surprised how much I love Turkish Delight, I never knew such ‘sinful’ sweets exist until after my first trip to Turkey. I must admit though that not all of them that you can get in the market are as good, so it will always have to be trial and error, whatever it is, I am so loving it.

History is told that the tradition of Turkish Delight in Turkey dates back to 300 years or more, therefore making Turkish Delight as one of the oldest sweets in the world.

Turkish Deligh was discovered once upon a time when a certain Sultan in his endeavor to cope with all his wives, summoned all his confectionery experts and ordered them to produce a unique dessert. As a result the Turkish Delight was born.
It was also a culture in Turkey that Turkish Delights be wrapped in beautiful lace handkerchiefs to be given as a chic gift item amongst the socialites. Couples are believed to exchange them as tokens of love.

From the last trip I bought a couple of boxes of Turkish Delight to be given to friends that I care for, and I am so fortunate that they were there for me in one way or the other, and I am also glad that they love it as much as I do.

More reasons for the next trip to Turkey.

Turkish Bath, We Will

The hotel that we decided or rather was suggested to us by the travel agent that we frequented here was located in the one of the expensive tourist areas in Istanbul. Of course we have no clue about the impact that will be on our pocket, at least not until after we have arrived and checked in.

The ride from the Sabiha Gokcen airport to the hotel took more than an hour, we were all piled up in one taxi and by the time we reached the hotel my senses were not focused to be normal. Upon check-in we discovered that the angels were to be located a few rooms away from our room, which of course is a no no for me.

I kept on requesting from the front office to find a room for us next to each other, they were fussing over I don’t know what, and we were all standing and waiting and waiting. Taking nonsense is not in my vocabulary anymore and not at all, so I asked them if I could speak to the Manager. Hardly a minute after my request to speak to the manager, they told us that our rooms are ready and well of course the way I wanted it next to each other.

One thing I learnt while in Turkey especially in the tourist areas, Asians are normally given a second class priority, arrr……………. Again they can go ‘f…k’ themselves, for I will not let anyone treat my family any other way different than the next white person next to me.

The facilities that come with the hotel were good if not great, the buffet breakfast was located on the roof top overlooking a breath taking morning scenery, there was a Turkish Bath, a Jacuzzi pool, a very mini gym, a very mini hair salon, a massage parlor and an evening spread of the local spices, drinks as well as house sweet specialty of the day. It was indeed a comfortable and cozy hotel.

Hubby has been inviting me to visit the Turkish Bath, initially I was game for it, but after we went for the massage, whatever little excitement that I had left for the Turkish Bath was all drained away. Then we decided to try one that was located in the down town, but my speculative mind got the better of me. I cannot imagine being showered, soap, scrubbed and pampered by a total stranger. I managed to influence hubby to ditch the idea of experiencing the Turkish bath.

However, almost anywhere you go in Turkey, you will find at least one Turkish Bath, I was told that they are a novel experience nonetheless. A typical Turkish Bath is commonly known as the Hamam, that consists of three rooms. The first room is the room with a steamy hot bath, the second room is known as the warm room for washing with soap and water. The last room is known as the cool room, this is where you will go to cool down and rest after being pampered.

For this trip no Turkish Bath experience for us, we might on the next trip, InsyaAllah.

Precious Time At Hagia Sophia

I have read so much about Hagia Sophia, did a lot of research to the historical beginning of this place. The first trip that I made to Istanbul did not give me the opportunity to visit Hagia Sophia, this is mainly because I was on a business trip and time was a serious factor then.

We decided to take the angels to Istanbul recently, and hubby made it a point that visiting Hagia Sophia is a must, and we did just that. The queue to the entrance was ridiculous but we stayed on, and of course the entrance charges were a bit on the high side too, but we never wither. The moment we were inside, Chef Diva requested for an audio guide, while the rest of us just make do with the information that we gather on site.

I was at awe with the great architectural beauty of the monument both from the Byzantine and Ottoman Empires. How magnificent, how no words could really describe what went through my mind as I stood facing the ‘mimbar’ and at the same time looking at the sculpture of Jesus and so on. The culmination of two religions in one common place, two different times, one common land and people, how so could that be possible, yet this is Hagia Sophia. Its magical historical background just leaves me wanting to know more.

What is left of once a church and later a mosque is now a museum in the Republic of Turkey. Sadly as tourists we are left with no choice but to witness the reconstruction work that is ongoing and could still be ongoing for a long time to come in restoring the precious Hagia Sophia.

Would I come back to Hagia Sophia again, without any doubt I will. The beauty of Hagia Sophia in my opinion is simply TIMELESS.

Autum Trees

Beautiful autumn and my things with trees, this year we have been blessed with a really fantastic sunny weather in autumn. It was not the normal rainy, gloomy season and I am hoping that it will remain this way till summer comes (smile).