A stop at the Grand Bazaar

Grand Bazaar

If there is a place you can't miss in Istanbul, apart from the Blue Mosque, it's the Grand Bazaar. Everybody knows their clients are mostly tourists, but it's still interesting to walk through it.

First conclusion : this place is very crowded.

Second conclusion : one needs to negotiate a lot to get a good price. We know they are going to make a lot of money because of us, but most things can be found at different stands, so it is possible to compare the prices.

Other life lesson, after finding very high prices : if the man (most of the sellers are men) is not nice, he doesn't deserve your money. You need to at least have a little fun. If you stay nice too, it is possible to get a very good discount.

Spices, tea, candies, scarves, wallets, chess games, toys, hookahs... you can find anything at any price.

And without a good sense of orientation, it is possible you get lost easily.

What was interesting was to get lost in the small streets behind the bazaar when we exited. The true Istanbul life, with women taking care of children in the streets, was just in front of us. It was beautiful and made us want to take our time.

In the afternoon, we finally stopped in Aya Sofia, that old mosque they converted in a museum. What you can see there is catholic images under the Muslim paintings...

We then stopped at the Blue Mosque again because we found out it was impossible to get in, for tourists, when it's prayer time. But in the community center next to it, they explain what Islam is all about... for free. Tea and sweets are also free...

We ended the night at the hostel, where they offered us fish on the barbecue... and some silly weird games to enjoy ourselves. Hostel life is also about that.

Spice Market and Galata Tower

Galata Tower

The return from Göreme went better than the way to get there. Maybe because I wasn't that sick anymore. But services were better with the Suha bus company.

By chance, a very helpful Turkish guy was sitting just behind us. Not only did he offer some cookies for us to taste, but he let us know when it was time to step down.

Back in Istanbul busy bus station, around 7 AM. Still sleepy, we were wondering how to get to our new hostel. The helpful Turkish man helped us get in a free shuttle. For those who are trying to help, know that the back door will close by itself. No need to try to close it... and have people to laugh at you.

Right in Sultahnamet, we found ourselves on the sidewalk, searching for the hostel. When you're tired, it's harder to find your way around. We searched for a while...

Talking about something that is hard, try getting a good shower on the sixth floor of an old turkish building... You may not get any water.

Anyway! We reunited with our friend Gisele and we visited the Spice Market. Colors and smells are totally worth going there. But if you want to buy anything... negociate. Harder. And if you pretend you want to buy some turkish delights, maybe they'll let you taste some...

For those who want something different, a ferry may bring you in the asian part of the town. When it's sunny, the ride on the Golden Horn is very beautiful. On the other bank, you may ride a dolmus, one of those taxis where you kind of need to know how much you should pay. And you need to ask the driver when you want to get out. Having someone else who speaks english is a big asset.

In Kadikoy, the most interesting thing to do is walk the streets, go shopping or just watch the rhythm of life. Fresh fruit juices stands are really attracting too.

Back on the quay, it is possible to get on a one hour or one and a half hour cruise on the Bosphorus. No need to book ahead. There are a lot of companies and they go almost every thirty minutes... The smarter ones will go just before night falls so they can do one way with day light and come back in the dark : the best of two worlds.

Hungry people will try the grilled fish you can find anywhere near the water for five turkish liras. Eating in one of the Galata Bridge restaurants might be expensive though.

And talking about the Galata Bridge, the tower of the same name offers great views over the city. There again, a meal at the restaurant will cost a lot. But looking around from the top of it is worth it.

A year and four continents later

Paraty, Brazil

There it is, potentially the last page of the story. I've been back from my adventures around the world for a year now. Last celebrations, maybe. Because life is like that. We count the days between us and an important event, we celebrate the first anniversary, and we forget it until a decade has gone.

One year, it goes so fast. But it's a long time too. I now talk about my trip in the past tense, like it happened centuries ago. Images are frozen, life goes on, and I hate myself for that. I still have photo albums to make, stories to tell, but time goes...

Life pushes us forward. Time does it too. And if we slow it down a little when the passport becomes the most precious thing we have, it gets its speed back once we sit behind the computer at work.

I met a friend in Japan. He is now going around the world himself. I smile for each of his pictures. I see those places I've been to, the happiness I left behind since I couldn't steal it away from those foreign lands.

It will have taken me four months to come back completely. To accept to be home. But I left again. Three times. On four continents. And I hear the call to go again, stronger day after day. I'm still convinced that one day, I'll disappear. I'll sail away, and that's it.

If there is a thing I accepted, is that people will say I'm lucky. That I shouldn't want to leave again after being on the road so much. Others, I let them talk.

I learned I should live for myself first, even if I can't do it perfectly. I learned nothing is impossible, even if I tend to forget. If i can't climb every mountain now, I allow myself to dream and to give myself the means to reach their summit one day. I accept I can't see further than tomorrow. I avoid making scenarios about what could happen. Things will happen... or not anyway. I learned to do things instead of regretting.

Yes, I hate myself for forgetting. For going back to bad habits I thought I got rid of. For stressing without good reasons. For forgetting I promised myself I wouldn't compromise. For getting mad at traffic jams. For losing patience for all those things that aren't happening fast enough. For forgetting to dream. For sinking into routine.

I hope I will never forget, and up above all this, I hope I'll go again. Often. And that the best friends in the world, I found all around the globe, will always remind me.

Despite not flying as often as I wanted, I've met again with Ross and Peter in Ottawa, Louiza in New York, Casey in Philadelphia, Uriel and Alex in California, Morti in Montreal, Janet-Lee in Québec, Kim, Marit and Erik in Amsterdam, and Julie and Philippe a few minutes from home. And it means the world to me. And there is all of those I haven't met again in person yet, who I still can reach on Skype and Facebook. Too bad for those who thought those friendships would fade away. Those people, I still miss them every day.

At least, no matter how much it cost me to travel, I now know that I'm richer because of it. And egotistically, I want to keep that fortune to myself.