Istanbul, the tourist mecca

Due to time consuming procedure to obtain visas for Uzbekistan, we decide to fly from Bishkek to Istanbul. Flying over Caspian Sea, we landed briefly in Kiev, Ukraine, and then on to Istanbul. 7-hour plane ride was nothing compared to 37-hour Chinese bus, however, we did not realize that we were to face new challenges upon arrival.

1. Lost Backpacks: Two backpacks checked in at Bishkek Airport decided to take a trip of their own. When we learned that our baggage were unable to be claimed at the conveyer belt, we visited the Lost & Found to see other bags lined up. Not a good sign. We filed a lost report and were told to be contacted as soon as they turn up. Luckily, they were found and sent to Istanbul Airport the next day, but we ended up spending a half day picking them up. We were later told that bags were left back in Kiev.

2. A popular place to be: Istanbul receives many tourists during the summer. The number of people are overwhelming, especially since we came from quiet Central Asian cities. Brand-new Mercedes Benz buses take over small streets in Sultanahmet, and stylish travelers with a suitcase and a purse wearing heels elegantly step off. The same latest pop remix is blasting from cafe to attract herd of party-goers, and it is everywhere. Visitors seem less friendly, as they are trying to cram their limited time with a full-packed plan with not a minute to spare. There were only little ways to exchange information with others.

3. Friendly Turks: When walking down a street with an Asian appearance, you hear, "Ni hao. Annyeong-haseyo. Konnichiwa", all in one phrase. Theses are the infamous Turk merchants trying to get your attention. We got caught off guard by a carpet salesman on our first day. A man with a smile approached us and before we knew, we were in his small gallery. He started rolling out two dozen carpets onto the floor and asked us to choose one. He then named a price, about USD800, and asked us what we would pay for. After telling him over and over how we have no reference to name a price, he forcefully gave me a new price, now a third of the original. That didn't do much for us as we had no intention of purchasing a rug bigger than our backpack, we told his so again as his facial expression now gloomy and he finally walked out on us in anger ... We can leave now, right?? Although their business tactic does not seem clever, their passion to force you to buy things are more than what we can handle before lunch.

4. Everything is ready for visitors: Tourism being a big part of their economy, the city is made very comfortable for tourists. Maps are handed to you upon your arrival at the airport, and all signs are written in English. Dollars and Euros are accepted as well as their own currency, Lira. Everything from the public transportation to accommodation,  to a park, things are kept very clean and neat, which made us feel like being in an amusement park. Coming from countries where looking for a postcard was a half-day voyage, this type of convenience made the visit less adventurous.

Although I have listed a number of negative experiences, the city has so much to offer, including the deep-rooted history and culture seen from magnificent structures remaining in a great condition, that not coming here would have been a big loss.

But we had to get away from all of this noise. So we booked the bus out towards east as soon as our bags were returned.