July 25
After a slightly delayed flight we arrived in Istanbul today where we were picked up and transported to the Sarniç Hotel. The hotel is located inside an old Ottoman mansion and has the type of ambiance that one might expect from such a setting. It is close to all of the major sites in the Old Town section of Istanbul, which is why I chose it. There are drawbacks to staying in an old historic building: the rooms are small, there are no lifts, and WiFi can sometimes be spotty. Because we arrived late, Charisse and I dropped our luggage at the hotel and headed immediately to our first activity: a mosaic lamp making workshop. We were part of an international group of nine. Our host, Aleyna, was both knowledgeable and patient.
We left the mosaic lamp workshop with our precious bubble wrapped packages and headed to the world famous spice bazaar. Lovely and colorful, it was exactly what I expected a Turkish market to be. We purchased spices, teas, and souvenirs.
Travel tip: wait until you have cleared baggage claim to look for an atm if you need cash. The fees tend to be lower than those in other parts of the airport.
No comments:
Post a Comment