It took us some walking along narrow streets to get to the Tuesday Bazaar. Even the local friend said he has to ask somebody on the street each time he wants to find the bazaar. We got there around sunset, when the merchants start to wrap up the day’s businesses. Surrounded by the closing energy, it may not be the most fun time for shoppers, but it was nice to see the sellers excited to finish work and live the rest of the day.
@ Tuesday Bazaar, Antalya, Turkey, January 28, 2020
Pammukale means ‘cotton castle’, and it is evident why it was named so. The huge body of limestone has been eroded by calcium rich-water for millennia, creating cascades of terraces and pools. I don’t always make sure to visit the most famous places, but having been associated with Turkey from an early age by documentaries, I spent one night in the small town.
Probably for being in winter, there was not much water and only some limited areas were open to visitors with bare feet. Water was warm in some pools but mostly it was icy-cold. But walking around the rare and picturesque geological formations was a fun experience.
On the top of limestone sit numerous Roman ruins. It is a huge archaeological area with much to be studied, but overshadowed by the popularity of Pammukale, most people were walking through the area to get to the natural pools.
@ Pammukale, Turkey, February 2, 2020
Even with a snow forecast, Independence Avenue was bustling with visitors and businesses. In fact, the light rain made the sights more Christmas-like by reflecting lights.
Along the Avenue, the most frequent food products were kebabs, desserts, and roasted chestnuts. Based on the common design of the stands, it seems that the chestnut vendors pay license and other fees to the municipality. And when you get closer, you can hear a hidden generator producing necessary electricity. Roasted chestnuts are still cheap snacks here, and I hope their efforts pay off.
@ Istiklal Avenue, Istanbul, Turkey, February 7th, 2020
I spent one afternoon around the probably most iconic area in Istanbul. Surrounded by numerous mosques, endless foot traffic on the Galata Bridge, and local anglers, it felt like I was thrown into the documentary of Istanbul that I had watched. One quote says that a traveler sees what he sees while a tourist sees what he has come to see. Although I want to identify myself as a traveler, it doesn’t bother me to realize that I always have some tourist in me.
When I went up close to the anglers, I was surprised that most men seemed empty-handed and the caught fish usually seemed quite small. It made an interesting contrast with the much bigger mackerels sold in Balik Ekmek (mackerel sandwich) on the Ottoman-style boats around the corner.
@ Galata Bridge, Istanbul, Turkey, February 12, 2020