I like to show places or locals, rather than tourists, in most of my snaps.
That was relatively easy in Dubai, Egypt and Jordan where, unfortunately for the locals, there was hardly a tourist in sight.
It’s very different in Istanbul.
Tourists are everywhere and getting clear, people free, shots is a lot more difficult, especially in Topkapi and Dolmabahçe Palaces.
I will just have to be a bit more inventive in my cropping or find a way to make tourists look more interesting.
The Keep It Simple Stupid strategy should have been adopted by the Victorian administration when they were deciding on a transport ticketing system.
Having just spent a week traveling around Istanbul I wonder why the Myki system has cost so much and been so long in coming.
In Istanbul every fare costs 2 Tukish Lire (AU$1), no matter where you travel or on what mode of transport you choose to use around the city.
They have trams, trains, busses, ferries and an underground.
You just buy a token from a machine and that’s it. This is brilliant for the tens of thousands of tourists that visit Istanbul each year.
There is also a pass system for the everyday commuter and this seems to work without a hitch.
There are no teams of Met Gorillas patrolling trams tops and stations, just one guy at each barrier. He is there to stop people sneaking through and more importantly, to help.
The system is simple and effective.
It works so well because of one ‘simple’ fact. You can’t get onto anything without first passing through a barrier and swiping your card or putting a token in the slot.
Simple.
It’s been 40 years since I first visited Istanbul. I remember it being very mysterious and very ‘Eastern’
A lot has changed and it’s now a modern city.
The taxis have meters, built into the rear view mirrors, while silent articulated trams efficiently move commuters through the clean well maintained streets.
The pudding shop is a restaurant. It still serves the hippies from the seventies but, like me, they have shorter hair, cleaner clothes and are now in their sixties.
Istanbul seems to have become more western, yet minarets dominate the skyline and the muezzin is still heard calling the Muslims to prayer, albeit over a high decibel PA system.
I did find a little bit of the eastern influence and surprisingly it was in a restaurant.
Turkey is a secular society, so wine is acceptable and readily available. We ordered a bottle of the local Sauvignon Blanc and were surprised to find we could haggle with the waiter over the price.
At last I have found the eastern influence in Istanbul.
