The Lazy, haze-y days of Singapore

PN slept in while CL finished the laundry as he does back home. We got a late start to the day, but that was ok. We visited an older, Muslim neighborhood to see a mosque, traditional colonial architecture, then eat lunch and do some shopping. It was very humid and we had to duck into the air-conditioned boutiques that we came upon throughout the alleys and streets, pretending to be interested in their wares. Click on the video to hear part of a traditional Muslim prayer which is broadcast multiple times a day, similar to what we experienced in Istanbul.

In the sweltering heat (at least by our standards), we decided to head back to the MBS (Marina Bay Sands) to explore around a little more and to cool off. We headed for the ArtScience Museum which is shaped like a lotus blossom to see the 50th anniversary of Singapore exhibit sponsored by the Singapore Straights Times (which is very cozy with the government). Not a bad word to say about Singapore in the 50 years of reports.

We were surprised to learn that the new Yale-NUS (National University of Singapore) was the country’s first liberal arts college.

As we concluded the tour, there was a whiteboard where visitors were asked what Singapore would be known for 50 years from now. We saw a young boy, maybe 10 years old, drawing the famous skyline of Singapore on the whiteboard. It was awesome to watch him draw it with such detail and finesse; I wished I were him at the moment, a budding architect.

The haze in Singapore was quite bad while we were there. It occurs each year for now the past five or six years when neighboring Indonesia burns crops (sugar cane and Palm), as well as forest fires from deforestation. It causes enormous health risks for both Singapore and Indonesia and this year was especially bad. We were going to do the nighttime safari at the zoo but the haze ratio was significantly bad enough for us to forego that plan.

Instead, Gaurav took us on a nighttime tour, starting with drinks at the Long Bar at the Raffles Hotel. It was a great idea. We began in what started as heavy rain and so we took the long tour through Raffles on our way to the Long Bar. A luxury colonial-style hotel, Raffles was established by Armenian hoteliers, the Sarkies Brothers, in 1887. The hotel was named after British statesman Sir Thomas Stamford Raffles, the founder of Singapore. Sadly, the hotel was acquired by a large hotel chain and suffers some disrepair and a lower standard of service than was originally established by its acclaimed history. Gaurav held his annual Gala for the Singapore Repertory Theater a few years ago (evidently it is one of THE hottest parties of the year in Singapore).

We made our way to the Long Bar where Somerset Maugham and Ernest Hemingway used to drink, and home to the famous Singapore Sling, invented by Ngiam Tong Boon, a Hainanese bartender in 1915:

1 1⁄2 ounces gin
1⁄2 ounce cherry heering
1⁄4 ounce Cointreau liqueur
1⁄4 ounce benedictine
4 ounces pineapple juice
1⁄2 ounce lime juice
1⁄3 ounce grenadine
1 dash bitters

(served with a wedge of pineapple and a cherry). We partook in tradition and consumed a few handfuls of roasted peanuts while tossing their shells on the floor. It’s quite handy for the servers to simply wipe off the tables easily.

After drinks, Gaurav took us to the Fullerton Bay Hotel, where he introduced us to the General Manager (Gaurav knows everyone in Singapore), where he held another gala just last year in the elegant foyer and restaurant.

After dinner, Gaurav took us on a quick walk around of his favorite hotel including  the hotel pool and bar on the top floor with beautiful views of the Marina Bay Sands and the Singapore skyline.

It was a perfect way to end our stay in Singapore. We got home a little after midnight and then woke up at 5:30 for our Uber ride to the airport for our 6-hour flight to Osaka. Thanks Gaurav!

Eating our way through Singapore

We left Istanbul and yet again, flew BACK to Brussels on Turkish Airlines (a 3.5 hour trip in the wrong direction thanks to the Star Alliance network) before catching an 11-hour flight to Bangkok, and another 2.25 hours to Singapore. It was our longest travel day of the trip, but thankfully it was on Thai Airways and the service and food were lovely. The ability to lie flat was a lifesaver, even though the beds are shorter than PN’s height.

For breakfast I chose noodles with roast pork to begin transitioning into Asia, although we did visit the Asian side of Istanbul which is quite different. PN chose the traditional American breakfast. Arriving in the Bangkok airport, we dashed over to the Royal Silk Lounge where we were able to shower and freshen up. I had some congee for a breakfast snack, granted we had just eaten before landing. Following boarding of our next connecting flight to Singapore, I chose the congee option again. Oh so yummy and so much food.

  We finally arrived in Singapore and hopped into a cab to the apartment of Gaurav Kripalani, one of PN’s former students from Santa Clara days. Gaurav lives in a humble, but spacious apartment in an older building on one of Singapore’s most expensive streets. It’s a quiet, lush, and posh area bordered by the Botanical Gardens. The Sultan of Brunei owns a home nearby. Gaurav is the Artistic Director of the Singapore Repertory Theater and has produced and co-produced incredible productions in his renovated theater.  An upcoming production of the final book of the Mahabhrata, directed by 90-year old Peter Brook next month, is but one of his major accomplishments.

Gaurav’s lovely ex-wife Sonali Desai, whom Peter knew from years ago (she hasn’t changed a bit, absolutely lovely) and Gaurav’s 11-year old daughter Tara stopped by to say hello. Her mastery of all digital media and apps were very helpful to all of us as she helped navigate dad Gaurav’s way through the narrow streets of Little India where we stopped off for a light Indian lunch. Tara ordered for all of us following dad’s instructions and we finished up our casual meal in quick time.

  

About 10% of Singapore’s residents are Indian, 70% Chinese, and 15% Malay, according to Gaurav and the cultural diversity is matched by a culinary range of restaurants and food. Following lunch we went to see a delightfully playful matinee performance of the SRT’s Children’s Theater Production of Dr. Seuss’s The Cat in the Hat. It was a joyous romp for young children as we witnessed from the balcony, able to see the delight on children’s faces as they yelled and unsuccessfully tried to persuade the cat in the hat from making mischief. We went backstage to congratulate the cast on their final performance.

Singapore’s heat and humidity quickly got the best of us and we headed back to the apartment to rest for a little (we were a bit weary) and to begin a load of laundry which we sorely needed following the intense heat we encountered in Istanbul and Dubrovnik.

Gaurav then took us to a Chinese restaurant in an older, British colonial neighborhood to meet his friends for dinner. In typical hawker fashion, it was very casual with plastic chairs and great food. His friends couldn’t have been lovelier and were very helpful in making accommodations for CL’a shrimp and shellfish allergy (at a seafood restaurant, no less). No cause for the Epipen tonight.

We had just polished off the delicious dinner when we noticed this amusing poster we’ve never seen before in a restaurant. For those of you who carry your durian fruit to public places, beware. If you have never had the pleasure of smelling durian (a cross between sour blue cheese and a citrus, and especially when taken out of context, as Selena so eloquently stated), you won’t be able to appreciate the poster.

After parting company with Gaurav’s friends, we received a night-time tour as Gaurav drove us to the Marina Bay Sands building, one of Sinapore’s most iconic, built to resemble a ship on the water. It’s stunning, with a rooftop pool and bar second to none. The next two following images are taken from the web, not from us (the haze prevented us from getting great shots).

The views back to Singapore are impressive and Gaurav says that the building gave most Singaporeans the first real view of their own growing city.

Because of the haze, we elected not to sit outside, and instead Gaurav showed us to the Casino where he left us to do our bidding….as it were.

A massive multi-floor complex but only two craps tables since the game is not very popular with Asian gamblers. We made our way in and began to play, but with very different rules from Vegas. First, we had to show our passports in order to get in. Twice. Native Singaporeans are charged an additional $100 SD just to get in to play, so the casino was full of mostly tourists, mostly Chinese. At the craps table, you could not shake the dice, turn them, circle them on the table, or prolong your holding of them. Just pick them up and throw. PN was chastised several times for rubbing them on the table and tapping two times before throwing (a habit he picked up from CL’s father). By 1 am and with little to show for our 2+ hours on the table, we headed home proud that we escaped relatively unscathed.

Meeting up with old friends

Well, they were more like newly found friends. We met them on yesterday’s Culinary Backstreets’ Two Markets, Two Continents tour. Stephen’s a brilliant guy originally from England and because they were on a long holiday weekend from their home in Hungary, he had done a fair amount of research about Istanbul. He and Anikou were more than happy to share their insights with us. We all got along well and began sharing our idiosyncrasies and saying things like “oh no, you two would do just fine together…” It felt as though we were old friends.

We met them at our designated meeting point across the Golden Horn after finding a quick breakfast at a tiny neighborhood bakery near the hotel. We tried to replicate our experience from yesterday, but didn’t quite hit the mark. Still, it got us charged up for the day.

We were running a bit late and decided to jump into a taxi instead of making the transfer train from our initial subway ride to the other side. Their subways are clean and efficient. Listen to our charming driver as he sped us through the empty morning streets within the Old City (turn up the volume).

The day was already heating up by 10:00 a.m. so we hurried over to visit the Topkapi Palace which was a major residence of the Ottoman sultans for almost 400 years (1465-1856) during their reign of 624 years. The palace covers several acres and at its peak it was home to more than 4,000 people. Today it is one of the must-see museums in Istanbul. We were able to see inside the Harem, or private quarters of the sultans in addition to walking through the galleries displaying kitchen and serving ware, weaponry (which was the most amazing exhibit of swords, battle tools and armory we’ve ever seen), and many other artifacts.

The interiors are comprised of elaborate and intricate detail of traditional Turkish architecture, screen work embellishing the palace’s walls and windows, and Iznik tiles that cover many rooms.

We spent nearly two hours touring the sprawling palace and grounds and we all concluded that the audio tour was a complete waste of our time.  It failed to provide any more detail than “over to the right is one of the bedrooms.” There were some great views of Istanbul off the terrace facing the city.

We rested for a bit within the courtyard then quickly ducked out of the palace grounds and found a convenient lunch spot in one of the many eateries that cater to the working merchants. These appear throughout the city and have traditionally served the local merchants who need access to a quick and hearty homecooked meal in order to get back to their own business without much interruption. They serve traditional foods that may not be the fanciest of Turkish cuisine, but certainly are tasty enough for the uninitiated palate like ours. Yum.

We had just walked out of the restaurant and back into the heat of the sun when we ran into more old friends, another couple who shared our hot air balloon with us. Amongst a population of 18 million, how likely was it that we would meet up with old friends from Australia who we had just met two days earlier flying over Capadoccia?

We all headed out to see the Basilica Cistern and again like a wolf to sheep, we were almost immediately approached by “a tour guide” and asked if we wanted to be shuffled to the front of the long queue and provided his expert historical perspective from all the years he’s been studying there. Ha. Well we took the bait and paid his fee to at the very least get out of the afternoon heat.

Built during the Byzantine Empire between 527-565, it consists of 336 columns of different styles which were taken from older buildings and reused (ancient recycling). The cistern has the capacity to hold 100,000 tons of water and measures 11,700 square yards – it’s vast. There are two carved Medusa heads that were used as plinths and they are one of the draws for the huge numbers of tourists.

Later that evening we said thanks and fond goodbyes to Enikou and Stephen whom we just spent two days with. Despite their stated awkwardness in the custom of hugging (they just don’t do that in England and Hungary where they’re from) they reached out with open arms to us both. It was sweet, and we had a great time together. As we headed back to our hotel, we ventured past the Eminonu Dock again and crossed the Galata Bridge over the waters of the Golden Horn. It was clear that people were back in the city from visiting their relatives in the outskirts for the holiday. There were hoards of crowds and activities everywhere – at times overwhelming, even though it was the holiday and many people were still away. I don’t think we’ve come close to experience the normal street traffic which would almost be stifling. The dock, bridge and ferries were all full of holiday celebrants; it was a spectacular late summer evening to walk the streets and we took our time getting back to the hotel.

Along the Galata Bridge where there are restaurants and cafes underneath, it seemed as though Istanbul was coming alive. Fisherman lined the edge and young kids were jumping off and swimming to the sea wall. It were as if we literally had Istanbul all to ourselves this past holiday weekend, and now we were about to see a little of the real city life.

I have a feeling this was the fruit of all their hard work, throwing their fishing lines over the bridge amidst all the ferry boats going by. I don’t think it was bait, but I may be wrong. How their lines don’t get tangled up with the traffic below is unknown.

We were on our own and after a short break at the hotel we ventured out to the area around Taksim Square and Istiklal Caddei (Street) for the evening. As on our walk earlier, Istiklal is a pedestrian only street filled with both traditional and modern shops, vendors, restaurants and bars and it too was teeming with people returning to the city. The street was alive. Watch this video.

 

 

They must enjoy eating mussels while they drink as these single vendors occupy every alleyway between the bars. I spotted these as I waited while PN was getting his hair cut at a traditional Turkish barber. Here’s the process: razor trim around the edges, straight-razor shave, ear, eyebrow and nose hot wax, warm facial mask, haircut, shampoo and face wash, moisturizer, blow dry and coif, then before he could say “no”, Turkish aftershave. He came out lookin’ and smellin’ like a Turk on holiday! Scroll down to see for yourself. I meanwhile, was getting tired of being patronized by guys asking me if I wanted to go “upstairs” to the girlie bars. I guess a foreign single guy is easy prey. Luckily I kept my hands in my pockets, keeping track of my wallet and escaping without incident.

We decided to have dinner at another “tradesman” style restaurant call Esnaf Lokantasi which pepper Istanbul streets. They’re family run and feature well-priced traditional Turkish and Ottoman dishes using fresh seasonal vegetables. These were our favorite so while we ate at a similar restaurant for lunch, we decided we hadn’t had enough. You enter the cafeteria style line and simply point to what you want. Each dish cost between 8TL and 12TL ($2.75 – $4.15).

What a day and what a night…

Walking off 6 hours of eating

Six hours after our culinary tour began, Remziyeh said goodbye to the tour at the ferry pier and sent us all back to our chosen destination, the Eminönü dock which serves the Old City. It was a bustling dock (to say the least) and we made our way toward the Sultanahmet district through the narrow winding streets where the above ground subway trains run nimbly alongside pedestrians of all ages who are inches, not feet, away on the sidewalk.

It was late afternoon, our bellies were full and it was hot as we followed Stephen’s guidance (Stephen and Enikou from the culinary tour) since he knew his way around this part of town. We managed to find our way to the Aya Sofya (Hagia Sofia) which is a magnificent structure. Commissioned as a church by the Byzantine emperor Justinian in 537, it was converted to a mosque by Mehmet the Conquerer in 1453, and commissioned as a museum by Atatürk (the founder of the Republic of Turkey) in 1935.

We were standing near the entrance and frustrated by the length of the line to get in. Seeing the disappointment in our faces, out steps a friendly guide out of nowhere. “How would you like to get to the front of this line and get a free tour? I’m a scholar of the museum, and I can take you to through the Aya Sofya to show your its beauty. Don’t worry, I work for the museum.”

Are we being scammed?

Luckily Enikou read earlier that these guys are legit and it’s okay to hire one. He was a really nice guy and did give us our money’s worth for jumping the line and giving us details that we never had time to read up on. Lucky strike!

It’s an amazing structure. By now as we left the museum, our skin was burning in the late afternoon sun but since the Blue Mosque was nearby, we continued our walk through Sultanahmet. The Sultan Ahmed Mosque is commonly known as the Blue Mosque after the blue Iznik tiles that cover the interior walls. These are two of the most visited attractions in Istanbul.

We were now feeling a bit worn after all that eating, touring and museum viewing so we all strolled down to the nearby crafts market, a single strip of craftsperson’s shops including rugs, silks, towels, handicrafts and spices. Nothing compared to the Grand Bazaar which was closed due to the holiday. What a downer! It ranks as one of the world’s largest covered marketplaces with over 4,000 shops and if you know how to bargain, which I do, it’s not a tourist trap but really a traditional way of life in Istanbul. Here’s what we missed:

We headed back to the Hilton and were a bit worn, so we booked a pair of massages and headed for the spa before having a quick dinner downstairs in the hotel lobby. Not traditional Turk, but we were tired from the food and heat of the long day.

“Eat sweet, talk sweet”

A couple who sat in front of us as we were landing in Dubrovnik had just been to Istanbul. “You must do a culinary tour. It was awesome,” they said. “It’s easy to find…Culinary Backstreets…they’re number 1 on Tripadvisor.” So they were, and for a reason. We signed up for a great 6-hour Culinary Tour of Istanbul on our first real day there, one to give us a lay of the land and two, an idea of the food they eat.  We were a small group of 8 in total, including our incredible tour guide Remziyeh which made it very personal and easy to grab tables at the establishments she chose for us. Unbeknownst to us, we arrived on the weekend of one of their largest national holidays and many of the regular stops were closed, so Remziyeh very discreetly called ahead to find alternatives that were open. She does this several times a week, so she knows them all very well.

We were given instructions a la The Amazing Race and our taxi driver eventually found his way to the vendor stand at the foot of the Galata Bridge. It all appeared to be creepy, and we wondered where the others were.

 

When our guide Remziyeh arrived, she explained that normally this spot is a fish market and it would be teeming with fish vendors and people try to get their daily catch but being a holiday, everything was closed and businesses shuttered.

Our food fest began at 9:00 am with a traditional Turkish breakfast. Bread. And Tea. And cheeses (goat, sheep, and cow). And eggs with tomatoes and cheese, with a side of fried pork. Then tomatoes, olives, candied walnuts, and my favorite, clotted cream with honey. Then more tea and we were off to our next venue…for a different type of breakfast. In Turkey, tea is served with breakfast, not coffee. That comes much later, and very much later for us coffee dependent tourists. The shop owners are great and have owned the family business for a long time. I don’t recall how the Irish guy fits in, but he was a great cook and a welcoming host.

Our group was awesome. Three women from the DC/Baltimore area (2 sisters and their friend), who have traveled extensively (the one in the center works for USAID). They were a total hoot and had already eaten breakfast at their hotel before coming on this 6 hour culinary tour. By the second stop, they said

We thought we were just getting samples of everything instead of full tasting meals, so we already ate breakfast 😦

The other couple were from Budapest, she born and raised there, and he from England (Enikou and Stephen). We ended up being sightseeing buddies the next day as well and had a very fun day together. But off we were on our way to the next restaurant.

The next stop was one of Peter’s favorites. Baklava and other assorted pastries filled with meat, vegetables, or sweets. But first, tea. Again. Peter is allergic to walnuts, but they had a ton of varieties of baklava and we tried three, with a pistachio cream as one that stood out the most. The dish below was filled with meat and a little potato.

  

By the time we finished our two breakfasts, it was time to head across to the Asia side of Istanbul. We headed for the ferry on the Karaköy to Kadiköy route that took us through the busy waters of the Bosphorus Strait but not before Remziyeh ducked into a market and ran back to meet us. The ferries run frequently so it left in no time and in no time again, Remziyeh pulled out from her bag, another treat for us. It was a white pudding and she asked us each to take a spoonful and try and guess its ingredient. She told us it’s not anything we would expect of a pudding, so of course we were hesitant. Lemon, rice, lemongrass, cinnamon, were some of our attempts at identifying the main ingredient. No one got it right – chicken. Chicken? She explained that the chicken is boiled and pounded so that mere strands are left which were barely discernible. It is a traditional treat that is consumed widely, but none of us decided that we needed to take some back with us. I didn’t think of taking a photo of the white glutenous stuff. For those in Hawaii, it looked like haupia (coconut pudding).

On the ride over, she spoke of how the Bosphorus is one of the busiest shipping channels in the world and it divides Istanbul (formerly known as Constantinople) into the European and the Asian sides, with a population of 18 million. Whoa, that’s a lot of people. It is the only route between the Black Sea and the Mediterranean with the Golden Horn as it’s natural harbor. There were beautiful scenes of Istanbul as we cruised past the other ferries, tankers, and cargo ships. You can see the many minarets of the different mosques within the old city.

       

Just outside of the dock on the Asian side, we headed quickly for the Kadiköy Market district where fresh fruit, vegetables, cheeses, meat, fish and everything else is sold. We were fortunate to have so many open, especially during this holiday weekend. The last photo is of a goat cheese wrapped in goat skin.

          

  

Not 45 minutes following our last meal, were we seated outside of what looked like a market/delicatessen. It was already lunch time, so we squeezed in to the small outdoor table and Remziyeh ordered a variety of cold salads that included eggplant and tomatoes, celeriac, carrots, asparagus with mint, stuffed grape leaves, bread, and finally, deep fried whole anchovies (the best), with a squeeze of lemon. Not! You know me and fish. Of course if I didn’t follow the course, it wouldn’t have been a true culinary tour, so I had to take one of the anchovies. She explained that first you tear the head off, then many Turks eat the bones and all, but we were welcome to remove the meat from the bones – which I was glad to do if I were going to partake in this meal.

In Turkish, breakfast actually translates to “before coffee.” So next we went to an authentic Turkish coffee house. Remziyeh told us of how Turkish culture moved from one based on coffee to an obsessively tea-drinking culture. In fact, Turkish people drink more tea per capita than any other country in the world, including England, China, and India. Almost 7 pounds per person per year. And they drink it in a very specific way.

Turkish tea or “cay” as it is called here is a black tea which is prepared in a very specific manner. Using a double tea pot or a caydanlik, the bottom of the pot is filled with water which is set on the flame to boil. Meanwhile the top pot is filled with dry tea leaves, typically one small spoonful per drinker. When the water has reached a boil some of it is transferred to the top pot and the tea is allowed to steep for 15 minutes, but generally no longer than 30 to avoid bitterness. We drank SO much tea today. At every stop.

After lunch we had a brief stop at a candy shop where everyone was buying something to take to their family to celebrate the Muslim holiday of Eid ul Adha (10 Dhul-Hijja) – the festival of sacrifice. It’s a four-day holiday and everything was closed, including many of the major tourist attractions we wanted to see, like the Grand Bazaar. It’s the festival of sacrifice, In honor of God appearing in a dream to Abrahim. God told him to sacrifice his son Isma’il and as Abraham (Inrahim) was just about to bring the sword down on his son, God stops him and gives him a sheep to kill instead. Nice. So Muslims celebrate by sacrificing something, giving to family members in need, and feasting, reminding themselves of their submission to God. The days are filled with celebrations and gift giving.

The Turkish have a saying,

eat sweet, talk sweet

which basically translates to have some sweets, and you’ll become a sweeter person.

But now finally, we were on to COFFEE!

We stopped in front of this authentic Turkish coffee shop and then marched in and up the stairs to a small room where we gathered for our coffee. Passing by the clerk who happily posed with his huge scoop of coffee. It was a nice respite from the heat outside and the onslaught of food that we had been consuming.

You could order your coffee either with sugar, or without as most Turks enjoy it. We all opted for sugar, knowing its potency. It arrived in a small cup. Very hot. They don’t strain or filter the coffee at all…just pour hot water over very finely ground coffee. Let it steep and allow the grounds to settle at the bottom. A small piece of Turkich delight for afterwards accompanied the coffee, served on a platter along with a glass of water. Why can’t all coffee be served this way?

Afterwards, Remziyeh taught us the art of reading your coffee grounds. We placed the saucer over the cup and inverted it, letting the grounds ooze to the bottom. When ready we removed our cups and turned them right side again for the fortune-teller. If the cup stuck to the saucer, it was a sign of good luck (with such thick grinds left in the bottom, what else could result from turning the cup over?)

Remziyeh was great at fortune telling.

It turns our both Curtis and Peter have already met the man of their dreams and we’re going to take a long trip together in celebration of their love. Boy was she good.

This was a great way to rest, but now onto our next meal. Following the market stalls of more cheese, fruit and fish we came across a restaurant called Ciya Sofrasi (on the Asian side) that is well known and serves more traditional soups, stews, and saucy dishes that are accompanied by a condiment bar that included various pickled vegetables, chopped herbs, and sauces. Yum, and yet another full meal starting with lentil soup and 2 types of breads, a lamb stew, and meats combined with chickpeas. This was our second and heavier lunch…

Because bread is such an important component of all their meals, Remziyeh explained that often bakeries and bread shops will display this sign which offers their customers the opportunity to purchase a loaf of bread for someone in need. Those who are needy can come to these bakeries and pick up a loaf that has been purchased by the more generous customers. It’s their way of ensuring that everyone has the basic bread that is so integral to their everyday lives. Look for this sign when you’re there.

We continued to maneuver a bit more through the maze of the markets and up the hill a bit. We ended up near where a bunch of bars are located and of course where Turks after a night of drinking, can get some good, down to earth, hangover food. What does that mean? Turns out a bit of ground lamb, intestines and some good spices dished up in with some bread – does a drunk man (or woman) some good! A few quick bites and the rest was tossed. By now, most of the group was becoming very selective in their consumption of new and strange foods, but Remziyeh was pressed on providing us with the full culinary spectrum and the three girls from D.C. emphatically chimed out, “uh, uh, none for us!”

   

We blaze on through the streets onto one more hangover or in some cases specialty meal, which the same three girls asked Remziyeh to whisper the ingredients to them alone. Once more, “uh, uh” rang from their mouths. They looked at the four of us and with a smile, told us to go for it. Again, what else is a culinary tour if you don’t partake in it? So we two couples agreed that we’d share the bowls of soup that she was about to order for us, as the girls smiled on.

Apparently they have this stuff simmering on the back burner in the kitchen because in no time did our server return with two bowls of different soups for each of the couples that were willing to complete the tour. Otherwise, we wouldn’t complete this segment of the culinary race, a la The Amazing Race.

True to the TV show, as was explained to us after we’ve had several spoonfuls, the white bowl contained tripe soup, and the orange-ish bowl in the right corner warmly presented us with lamb kidney soup, along with a side of spiced bulgar and some bread. Boy did those come in handy as chasers! We peered over at the squeamish D.C. girls as they chuckled in their seats two tables away, and they could barely look over at ours. Now some people I know would love these, while most wouldn’t – they really weren’t for the faint of heart. In the end, we earned our true marks for completing the FULL culinary tour and tried everything (keyword, TRIED) that was put before us and which was good enough in our eyes. There was definitely some leftover soup if anyone wants to try it for themselves!

That was Remziyeh’s way of ending our perfectly delicious day, so as we left the restaurant, we begged her to takes us to some sweets. She suggested some freshly squeezed fruit juices and it was the perfect way to cool us off a bit and end with a sweet tooth! Along the way and in true color of the bar-laden streets we were walking, she pointed out a tattoo parlor named “your mom hates us” where many a tattoo are done, following a night of drinking.

  

What an amazing tour – it was the perfect way to get to know the food, customs and streets of Istanbul. We’re so glad to have discovered it.

But wait, there’s more!

Following our balloon ride, we were dropped off at our hotel and immediately fell asleep. We set the alarm to wake us in time to get the tail end of breakfast before our shuttle picked us up to return back to Kayseri airport. Again we were in a small can and about 45 minutes out, our driver gets a call and then suddenly pulls off the highway. Pulling off the highway for him meant meant moving two feet off the main road, despite the fact that we were at the entrance of a huge parking lot. As the other cars sped by, we could feel the van sway, we were so close.

He apologized and said his dispatch called to say there was another car behind us and to wait for it to catch so he could join our van. Nice, in the middle of nowhere. He was kind enough to offer us roasted squash seeds from his family farm and a bottle of water each for the trouble.

  

The other car arrives, the guy jumps in, apologizes,  and off we go! It was a quick one hour flight back to Istanbul and where else do you get to see overhead bins this empty once boarding is complete? On this leg of our race around the world, we bought our tickets just before we left springing for Economy class when we added Cappadocia to our itinerary at the last minute. How could you resist that little picnic basket for lunch?

We arrived at our hotel in the late afternoon. Exhausted. We stayed at the Hilton and boy was it a welcome site. But because it’s an American brand and partly due to the fact it was located toward the financial district, there was strict security everywhere. As we entered the entrance driveway, a guard approached the taxi and inspects the bottom of the car by walking around it with a mirror. He also inspected the trunk (for bodies?) After he cleared us, he retracts the steel barriers and the disappear into the pavement allowing us to pass through. It was very James Bond. Watch this short clip.

  
We loved having a large and super comfy room at our disposal. It was clean, roomy, and cooled where it should be cool with ample air conditioning. 

   
   

We had a simple dinner following a brief walk out of our hotel and were pretty tired from flying all day when I got a text from my coworker Kathryn who also happened to be in Istanbul. Peter was really beat so I went ahead and met Kathryn and her friend Patty out for drinks. I met up with them at a hotel near Taksim Square and we headed out along Istiklal Caddesi with Patty in the lead who seemed to know her way since they had been there earlier in their stay.

   

 

Plenty of air time

We left Dubrovnik early on the 22nd just about dare I say, halfway through our trip. While booking our flights, we were mostly concerned about being able to get a seat using our earned mileage and we were happy when were able to confirm our flight segments. Once on the trip, we began to see things in a completely different perspective. For the next 48 hours we were airborn more than we were on the ground. Here’s what our flight sequence was like:

• (9:00am) 2.5 hours; Dubrovnik to Brussels; 864 mile flight (West)
• 3.25 hour layover; Brussels airport
• (3:15pm) 4.25 hours; Brussels to Istanbul; 1138 mile flight (East). It’s 567 miles between Dubrovnik and Istanbul.
• 1.25 hour layover; Istanbul airport
• 1.5 hours; Istanbul to Kayseri; 364 mile flight (East)
• (11:55) 1.0 hour van ride; Kayseri to Goreme hotel
• 2.5 hours; sleep time
• (4:45am) wake up
• (5:30am) pick up
• breakfast
• (6:30am) 1.5 hour hot air balloon ride

On a map, Istanbul should only be an hour’s flight from Dubrovnik. We hadn’t realized what we were traveling when we decided to squeeze in Capadoccia before our stay in Istanbul at the last minute. But it was worth the effort and flight times!

Our disco lit van ride was amusing and odd. As the driver escorted us to the van at first, we heard a voice inside. It was another passenger who arrived earlier. “Can I get out and go to the restroom? I’ve been sitting here for two hours!” We had to wait a few minutes for a few more people, but had nothing to complain to the driver after hearing that.

Goreme is an ancient city of cave dwellers and while some hotels are now carved out of these caves most are constructed to resemble stone caves. We were picked up at 5:30 and literally drove a block to be dropped off at our rendezvous point for our hot air balloon ride. It was a hysterically short ride. We met up and had breakfast with our fellow balloonists who were a mix from Singapore, Australia, and Redwood City, California (literally neighbors.)

We arrive to our balloon that’s just being heated up.

We received 30 seconds of instructions including being told to crouch down and hang on to the ropes if we ever go down suddenly, then hopped in one by one. Then suddenly they loosened up the tethers and we were airborne, again!

As we lifted further and further away from the ground, it was all very peaceful except for the oohs, aahs from the 10 of us and an occasional squeal from one of the women onboard. Here’s a glimpse looking down – you can see our basket in the corner.

All the travel and waiting was for this – it was spectacular as we saw the other balloons in mid air, the sun rising in the distance and just nothing else, except for the occasional blast from the fuel tanks that kept us airborne.

Halim our pilot appeared to be young but no one questioned his capabilities and experience, but it was too late for that at this point. He was a funny guy and got his explanations and descriptions through to us despite his strong accent.

The balloon took us over the natural stone formations that are now a UNESCO World Heritage Site, many that contain the caves that were once inhabited. The Fairy Chimneys as they’re called, go back to The Bronze Age and were later used by early Christians to hide.

Halim would navigate the balloon up really high above all others, then a few seconds later we’d be at treetop level, literally able to pick the leaves off the branches. Amazing.

Ninety minutes later, he coordinates with the crew on the ground who’s been chasing us for the last 5 minutes as Halim scoped out the terrain for some sandy patch. He drops the tether ropes and the guys below grab on as they try to dig their heels in to the sand under them. For awhile, they were being dragged around until finally, they eventually win the battle and manage to hold us taute. Meanwhile another guy is driving the truck that has a trailer attached to it. His job was to maneuver the trailer so that our basket eventually landed onto the trailer, and not the ground. It was cool to watch the truck driver and his maneuvers and on the other side, the three guys trying to slow the balloon down.

As we climbed out of the basket, we all had to do our part and were asked to walk and actual run over the balloon to help deflate it.

In the end, we all celebrated with a pop of champagne to congratulate us on our flight (and the fact that we touched down successfully.) PN kept a little known news about an earlier balloon accident that had occurred just a few months earlier. Smart move on his part.

Game of Thrones, part 2

As promised, here’s a separate entry (which you can skip if you’re not a big GoT fan) with shots showing Dubrovnik as it’s been shot through the lens of the directors. Dubrovnik has served as the backdrop for Kings Landing for seasons 2 – 5.

Petyr Baelish walks Sansa out on the pier, and what we saw.

Here’s Khaleesi and the spice kings and our concert in the same Rector’s Palace.

    

Khaleesi is welcomed to Qarth. Shot on Lokrum island, they even got the gold peacocks depicted.

   

  

Ships set sail from the harbor.

  

Protests against the Lannisters.

Shame, shame, shame, shame, shame…

  

Lord Varys and Tyrion conspire.

A battle scene with Tyrion.

Cercei and counselors.

 

Beautiful Dubrovnik

It really is spectacular here and I couldn’t skip these parting glances of our last evening in Dubrovnik. I ran the streets trying to grab a few last shots as during sunset.