My third journey to Asia began with a twelve hour layover in the Turkish capital of Istanbul. The city straddles the bospherous strait which separates Europe from Asia. The city's public transit system is pretty extensive and easy to navigate. I only had to transfer trains once to get from the airport to the ancient district of the city the Greeks called Byzantuim and the Romans rechristened Constantinople. If you only have one afternoon in Istanbul, this is where you go.
The Bospherous Strait. To the left is Europe and right is Asia.
The park at Topkapi Palace. I had a nice power nap on a bench here.
Topkapi Palace, residence of the Ottoman sultans.
The Grand Bazaar--a mix of tacky souvineers and traditional Turkish luxury goods (carpets).
Around five the sky darkened with storm clouds and I took refuge in a small restaurant within the grand bazaar. After a light dinner I headed back to the airport. Between the rain and rush hour traffic the trains were impossibly full. I had to wait for five full trains to pass by before I was able to squeeze aboard (I had to hold my backpack over my head to fit in).
Fried eggplant and Turkish tea.
Rush hour train after I was able to make room for my backpack.
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