With my flight to Azerbaijan leaving from Istanbul, I had to spend a day there. Something I was definetly looking forward to. In 2012, I had had the chance to travel in Turkey and had a blast being in this world-renowned city,. Hence, I knew what I was going into and had a laundry list of things I wanted to do with my short time there:
- Visit something I had not had the chance to check last time.
- Eat kokoreç
- Get a gift at the bazar
- Stroll around
- Eat baklavas
My bus ride from Thessaloniki having not been the most restful one (long custom stops and coolant replenishment sessions on the side of the highway), I took a nap and proceeded with my day’s objectives with the intention of taking the metro to my departure point and walking back to my hostel. First stop was the cistern in Sultanhamet, the district where the Blue mosque and Agia Sofia are located. Once that had been checked out, I walked to the Bazaar, found a nice set of worry beads to give as a gift. Then outside, a few minutes walk and I spotted a kokoreç restaurant (minced sheep intestines with tomatoes and spices in a bread). Afterwards, around Istikal street, I encountered a baklava shop and had some with tea.
At the end if the day, content with my performance, I enjoyed some beers with the staff and the travelers back at the hostel. The day after, I was up early for my flight, made my way to the airport, and took off at the planned time for Baku, Azerbaijan, where I would begin the second part of my travels and meet my girlfriend.