Turkey — A Bridge Between Continents, Cultures and Centuries
“You are best!”, said one amiable Turkish gentleman as I enquired which baklava flavour was the best. Momentarily flattered, I walked out of the store with one of each, realising that I had fallen for the Turkish charm yet again. One thing’s for sure, this country is a magical experience like no other that envelops you in its mystical spell and leaves you yearning for more.
CAPPADOCIA
Pictures of hot air balloon flights on Instagram took me to the fairytale land of Cappadocia.
We arrived here at midnight and caught the most surreal view of illuminated cave dwellings and the starry skies from the terrace of our cave hotel. A short nap and a shuttle journey later, we arrived at the take-off spot for our hot air balloon sunrise flight. This experience was unlike anything I had imagined — to begin with, my fear of heights kicked in when the balloon took off without any sort of fencing or harness — looks spectacular in Instagram pictures, but 1000 feet above ground in a giant helium balloon without a harness, the last thing I could think of was Instagram pictures! That is, until I saw the sun rise quite literally at eye level, giving me the pictures and experience of a lifetime.
After that wondrous sunrise flight, the rest of my day was spent in a jeep safari through the valleys and at local open-air markets shopping for Nazar Boncugu (Turkish Evil Eye) souvenirs. My time in Cappadocia was sadly too brief since I had planned to visit for a day just for the hot air balloon ride. Looking back, those 24 hours in the mystical land of Cappadocia seem dream-like, a tale straight out of Arabian Nights — of magical fairy chimneys, moonscape valleys and a horizon aglow with the flames of balloons.
ISTANBUL
This is not a love-at-first-sight kind of city — with Istanbul, you must be patient. You must allow yourself to meet its many characters as you journey through this vast, beautifully chaotic cosmopolis; and at the end of it all, you just might find yourself in love like never before.
It rained heavily on the first morning which I thought was rather unwelcoming of the city and quite out of context in September, and so I was already skeptical of what the next few days had in store for me. But that same afternoon, a stroll down the bustling Istiklal street watching handsome Turkish policemen patrolling on handsome horses suddenly instilled a new sense of faith in me, and I couldn’t wait to explore the rest of this vibrant city.
In the days that followed, I explored both sides of Istanbul — modern-day Istanbul: a confluence of art, glamour and gastronomy, and the cultural Istanbul adorned with spectacular mosques, ancient spice markets and hammam baths. I’d write about the touristy experiences like the Bosphorus cruise, Hagia Sophia Mosque and shopping at the Grand Bazaar, but I’m going to tell you about Istanbul’s energy.
At first sight, it’s overwhelming like most other great cities; but as you discover its intricacies, it grows on you like a love. Nothing compares to the small joys of ice cream tricksters, Turkish tea and the traditional baklava sweet, quite literally the start and end to my days. One is simply left stunned by just how much there is to do, and how starkly different each experience is from the other. And days, weeks, months after one has left the city…its enchanting energy lingers on, inviting you back to fall in love all over again.
Where East meets West and cultures intertwine,
A bridge connecting worlds, makes for a tale divine
Istanbul, may your beauty forever shine!
