In a nutshell:
1. I think this is the best picture that I took in Istanbul. Tuesday, 17/3/2015 (11.04 am)
2. Istanbul was quite chill during my stay (about 8 degree Celsius).
3. Visited the Blue Mosque, Hagia Sophia, Topkapi Palace, Taksim Square.
4. Boarded a cruise along Bosphorus Strait.
5. Did some souvenir shopping at the Grand Bazaar and the Spice Bazaar.
6. Eat like there is no tomorrow (kebabs, street foods, local cuisines such as Turkish Pizza, local desserts and so many more! Fav food: street kebab(chicken, lamb, fish) below 10 Lira, two scoops of Turkish ice cream about 5 Lira).
7. Wore our traditional Baju Melayu and have a photoshoot session at the courtyard of the Blue Mosque.
8. Learned a few Turkish words without getting to know how to really pronounce it. (Theshukur Edurem means thank you, Giris means entrance, Cikis means exit, Nar means pomegranate. Haha and Yanikapi!)
9. Met a guy named Muhammad Rashid (I hope I spelled his name correctly). He approached us bravely just to polish his English language skills! And he just learned the language for four months. That is madz yo ! Hoho good guy, good guy.
10. Saw the Sufi Dance performance/meditation/errr I don't know.
11. AZAN! The call to prayer fills the Istanbul air five times a day from various mosques :)
12. Managed to performed the Friday Prayer in the Blue Mosque.
13. Had a dessert sesh at Hafiz Mustafa near Taksim Square.
General thoughts about Istanbul & some tips:
1. Most of the drivers there are crazy. Hahaha or at least the taxi drivers. (Speaking of taxi, beware of some taxis because some of them cheat on the meter to make it runs faster.)
2. If you travel in a group, buying one IstanbulKart (card to ride the railways in Istanbul) is enough.
3. Halal food is everywhere! Heavonnn
4. Istanbul (the European side) is a mix of modern and Ottoman-ly culture. Haha
5. The mosques look pretty much the same (Ottoman style).
6. Tourists everywhere.
7. In general, English is like their eleventh language. Haha so don't talk in a complicated sentence. Straight to the point.
8. Many beggars are out at night. Help them by some donation if you have extra cash. Some of them are with babies or family. Some of them are orphans. Some of them are refugees from Syria.
9. Most of the cats there are fat and very approachable! :D
10. The water for ablution in the mosques is super cold.
11. Try the local drink called Ayran (Turkish yogurt).
*one of my friends is not in the picture. Thanks for the picture though. Credit to HN.
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