We left Pedasi in a small plane. It was a a quick trip to Panama City and then a long wait at the airport.
After a 12 hour flight we landed in Istanbul for a 24 hour layover.
The airport was a good half hour from the city and unfortunately our flight didn’t arrive until 4 PM. By the time we arrived at the hotel and checked in, it was already past 6 PM.
The hotel was in the Asian part of the city and located on a very long pedestrian street.
We decided to spend the evening exploring the local area. What a treat!
There were dozens of restaurants and street vendors. I wanted to try everything but had to settle for two different meals. Such flavour.
I hate to say it but the cold drove us inside early. Although it might have had something to do with being up all the previous night.
We only had the next morning to see a bit of the city. We chose to go to the Topkapi Palace.
The palace opened in 1475 and was the residence and administrative center for the Ottoman empire. There are two entrances to this massive complex. Our cabbie dropped us off at the opposite end from where we were meeting our tour group. The hike through the grounds was beautiful.
After meeting our group we hiked up narrow cobblestone streets to get to the entrance.
It was quite the museum. We probably saw a quarter of it in the short time we had.
Stunning architecture and displays, both inside and out. Definitely need to come back and properly explore the palace. Also need to learn the history.
Next stop Thailand.
Cheers
Ruth
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