LAX to Turkey, Christmas in Istanbul
December 25, 2008
Flight to Istanbul was relatively uneventful. First time I've flown Air France, so I think a brief review is in order:
- Pros: Good food, each seat has a personal entertainment center/screen, good service
- Cons: Tiny seats (seem more crammed together than other airlines I've flown), extremely limited carry-on baggage space. My normal carry on baggage, which I have used many times on domestic flights, was "too big" to be brought into the cabin. At least that's what they told me at the ticketing counter. But I convinced them to let me take it on. Once I got onto the plane, it was difficult to find a place to stow my baggage as all of the limited overhead bins were taken. Haven't really ever had a problem with this on other flights. Then, on my transfer from Paris CDG to Istanbul, they made me check my carry-on at the gate while boarding. Fortunately, my bag actually arrived in Istanbul...
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I met Dave at the airport in Istanbul and we took a taxi to our hostel in Beyoglu. Waiting for us was Phil (Deats), who I last saw 2.5 years ago in Eastern Europe, and his host, Doria, from Couchsurfing. We met up with one of her friends and then went to dinner at a small, family owned, neighborhood restaurant nearby. It was extremely casual (orders and food were sent up and downstairs via a small rope elevator shaft operated by hand), but the food was really good! I can't really describe it too well, but I think Phil or Dave got some good photos so will try to put those up shortly.
After eating, we went to a nearby bar where they brewed their own beer. The beer was good, but I was a bit surprised at the prices. At 6-7 lira they were not much cheaper than you'd expect to pay for a beer in LA. Also, lots of people smoke indoors in Turkey, so get used to breathing in second hand fumes! Nevertheless, it was a fun night, and it was good to reconnect with Phil after all these years!
- Pros: Good food, each seat has a personal entertainment center/screen, good service
- Cons: Tiny seats (seem more crammed together than other airlines I've flown), extremely limited carry-on baggage space. My normal carry on baggage, which I have used many times on domestic flights, was "too big" to be brought into the cabin. At least that's what they told me at the ticketing counter. But I convinced them to let me take it on. Once I got onto the plane, it was difficult to find a place to stow my baggage as all of the limited overhead bins were taken. Haven't really ever had a problem with this on other flights. Then, on my transfer from Paris CDG to Istanbul, they made me check my carry-on at the gate while boarding. Fortunately, my bag actually arrived in Istanbul...
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I met Dave at the airport in Istanbul and we took a taxi to our hostel in Beyoglu. Waiting for us was Phil (Deats), who I last saw 2.5 years ago in Eastern Europe, and his host, Doria, from Couchsurfing. We met up with one of her friends and then went to dinner at a small, family owned, neighborhood restaurant nearby. It was extremely casual (orders and food were sent up and downstairs via a small rope elevator shaft operated by hand), but the food was really good! I can't really describe it too well, but I think Phil or Dave got some good photos so will try to put those up shortly.
After eating, we went to a nearby bar where they brewed their own beer. The beer was good, but I was a bit surprised at the prices. At 6-7 lira they were not much cheaper than you'd expect to pay for a beer in LA. Also, lots of people smoke indoors in Turkey, so get used to breathing in second hand fumes! Nevertheless, it was a fun night, and it was good to reconnect with Phil after all these years!
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Good location, Hippy Vibe, Friendly Staff, but poor rooms/bathrooms
Hostel Neverland is a new hostel in Beyoglu. The staff is very friendly, and there is a definite communal hippy vibe to the whole place. The staff would prepare dinner a few times and everyone would gather in the common area downstairs to eat, and everyone would always invite us to eat for free. They would always smile and say hi and you could tell everyone working there was genuinely friendly.
The location is also quite good. Only a few hundred meters away from the bustling nightlife of Istiklal street and hundreds of bars, clubs, and restaurants.
Unfortunately, the rooms were really, really basic. And there were only 2-3 functional bathrooms for dozens of people (one bathroom on each floor). It seemed like at every hour of the day there were people in all the bathrooms. The showers also frequently had no hot water. The last thing you want to do after spending a few hours walking through snowing Istanbul in the winter is hop into a cold shower to rinse off.
The common room also is a bit small, with poor ventilation. If you spend more than a few minutes there be prepared to have all your clothing smell like smoke. But then, that's almost everywhere in Turkey!
So good location, friendly staff, but poor facilities/rooms. What's the overall value? Still not very great, at least in the off-season. For basically the same price, in the off season, you can get a double room at a fairly nice hotel. Which is what we did when we came back to Istanbul at the end of our trip...
The location is also quite good. Only a few hundred meters away from the bustling nightlife of Istiklal street and hundreds of bars, clubs, and restaurants.
Unfortunately, the rooms were really, really basic. And there were only 2-3 functional bathrooms for dozens of people (one bathroom on each floor). It seemed like at every hour of the day there were people in all the bathrooms. The showers also frequently had no hot water. The last thing you want to do after spending a few hours walking through snowing Istanbul in the winter is hop into a cold shower to rinse off.
The common room also is a bit small, with poor ventilation. If you spend more than a few minutes there be prepared to have all your clothing smell like smoke. But then, that's almost everywhere in Turkey!
So good location, friendly staff, but poor facilities/rooms. What's the overall value? Still not very great, at least in the off-season. For basically the same price, in the off season, you can get a double room at a fairly nice hotel. Which is what we did when we came back to Istanbul at the end of our trip...
Colorful hostel
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A bit of a let down
We visited the Hagia Sophia right after the Blue Mosque, and to be honest it was a little bit of a let down, especially given the entrance fee (which I believe was around 20YTL, and has probably even increased by now).
While the scale of the building once you are inside is quite impressive, it doesn't quite blow you away with its magnificence. It's rather plainly adorned, and while we were there there was lots of scaffolding from construction everywhere, which didn't add to the allure.
In the upstairs area there was a gallery that, inexplicably, showed pictures of the inside of the Hagia Sophia. Also, instead of the original mural or painting, they would just show a picture of the mural or painting.
If you are on a budget, or not a history buff, I would just recommend walking around on the outside of the Hagia Sophia, and exploring the inside of the Blue Mosque, which is nearby and free.
While the scale of the building once you are inside is quite impressive, it doesn't quite blow you away with its magnificence. It's rather plainly adorned, and while we were there there was lots of scaffolding from construction everywhere, which didn't add to the allure.
In the upstairs area there was a gallery that, inexplicably, showed pictures of the inside of the Hagia Sophia. Also, instead of the original mural or painting, they would just show a picture of the mural or painting.
If you are on a budget, or not a history buff, I would just recommend walking around on the outside of the Hagia Sophia, and exploring the inside of the Blue Mosque, which is nearby and free.
Exterior of the Hagia Sophia
Inside, in the upstairs "gallery"
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Too expensive, but hard to skip...
Topkapi is one of those tourist sites that you feel compelled to go to, whatever the cost, because when is the next time you are going to be in Istanbul? The entry fees are way over the top, even for Turkey (where high entrance fees abound!). It's 20 YTL just to get in, then another 10 YTL if you want to see the harem (supposedly the most impressive part). The audio tour is an additional 5 YTL, and guided tours run much more. So basically, you are going to be paying $20-30 just to see the place, making it one of the most expensive "museums" in the world to visit.
One frustrating thing about Turkey is that often you'll buy a ticket to enter a place, and then once you get in you'll find that you have to buy an "additional" ticket just to see the best part. Sometimes you even have to pay to use the restrooms, after you've already paid to get in!
The palace is impressive enough, and a lot of the objects, especially in the treasury, are incredible if you like looking at shiny, expensive things. I didn't buy the tickets to visit the harem, which is supposedly the best part, but I wasn't convinced based on reading the descriptions. Some of the "artifacts" in the museum (I think one of them was a nearly mint condition bowl that Moses supposedly used) seemed a little bit too fanciful, and too well preserved, to be true, which also impacted my experience.
Overall -- beautiful objects in the treasury, good views of Istanbul from the walls, but way too expensive for what you get. Unfortunately, since most people are going to be in Istanbul once, everyone seems to end up paying. Phil said it was half the price when he visted a few years ago, and I wouldn't be surprised if prices double again in the next few years as Turkey becomes even more popular as a tourist destination.
If you have to choose between this and the nearby Archeological museum, opt for the Archeological museum.
One frustrating thing about Turkey is that often you'll buy a ticket to enter a place, and then once you get in you'll find that you have to buy an "additional" ticket just to see the best part. Sometimes you even have to pay to use the restrooms, after you've already paid to get in!
The palace is impressive enough, and a lot of the objects, especially in the treasury, are incredible if you like looking at shiny, expensive things. I didn't buy the tickets to visit the harem, which is supposedly the best part, but I wasn't convinced based on reading the descriptions. Some of the "artifacts" in the museum (I think one of them was a nearly mint condition bowl that Moses supposedly used) seemed a little bit too fanciful, and too well preserved, to be true, which also impacted my experience.
Overall -- beautiful objects in the treasury, good views of Istanbul from the walls, but way too expensive for what you get. Unfortunately, since most people are going to be in Istanbul once, everyone seems to end up paying. Phil said it was half the price when he visted a few years ago, and I wouldn't be surprised if prices double again in the next few years as Turkey becomes even more popular as a tourist destination.
If you have to choose between this and the nearby Archeological museum, opt for the Archeological museum.
