thoughts on istanbul

Istanbul couldn't be a further departure from Brasov stepping out of the main train station on the European side, with vehicles and people coming at you from all sorts of directions. It took me an entire day to get there by train, but it proved to be worth the long train ride.

Istanbul is probably best described by the word big. It is absurdly huge (the northern and southern limits of the city are the Black Sea and Aegean Sea themselves), and has an absurdly huge population. The mosques are huge, the bridges are huge, the bazaar is huge, and almost everything else is huge. It's no wonder that many tourists find it an intimidating place.

There's a sense of chaos that prevails as well, with everybody moving at a fast, but unsynchronised pace. Traffic is crazy as well, with many drivers showing scant regards to traffic rules. And the sheer noise produced by so many people living in one city can really cause headaches to those unaccustomed to a big city.

That said, the city still manages to have plenty of spaces to escape from it all. There are beautiful parks, gardens and mosques within walking distance from each other, perhaps to serve as breathing space away from the hustle and bustle. And then of course there is the seaside, which may be crowded but still provide breathtaking views for people to enjoy and do some reflection.


The people are a wonderful lot as well. Everyone I came across was really friendly and helpful, despite most of them not being able to speak English very well. There may have been a lot of gesturing and guessing, but it was hard to miss their warmth and hospitality as they offered advice, help, and the odd cup of tea. It may have been touristy, but still nothing beats being made to feel at ease in a foreign land.



I also happened to come across these 2 other Singaporean girls travelling on their own across Turkey and Greece as well, by pure luck. Needless to say, we decided to do our sightseeing together for the next 2 days, and talked mainly about things back home like all Singaporeans abroad do.

Before I left, I managed to catch the famous Istanbul derby between Galatasaray and Fenerbahce, but I guess that's for another story.