Dreams Come True, or my last thoughts on Istanbul

The title comes from a sticker that a Turkish schoolgirl had on her bag on the light rail as I was heading to the train station the morning of the 3rd. I might have scared her when I pointed and smiled at it.

Well, let's get down to business and evaluate Istanbul!

The good:

• Beautiful architecture, with a mosque on every corner
• Call to prayer
• Water and multiple continents
• Cobblestone streets
• Always someone out selling something
• Friendly and helpful residents
• Always felt safe (after getting used to it)
• Colorful and decorative buildings
• Healthy- and clean-looking, friendly stray cats and dogs
• Wonderful fellow travelers
• Transportation system
• No rain until the last 12 hours I was there
• Turkcell Buddies! (an advertising campaign that I'm in love with)

The bad:

• Hawkers
• Confusing roads
• Dingy
• Sketchy bathrooms (with toilets that don't flush well, or with random buttons, or with spouts the spray water instead of toilet paper. I wasn't brave enough to try the latter.)

The ugly fascinating

• Taxis honk at everyone if they aren't in use to try to get passengers
• I know about 3 Turkish words/phrases:
  • Merhaba which means "Hello" (which is also Arabic for "Hello")
  • Tesekkür ederim which means "Thank you" (pronounced like you are slurring "tea, sugar, and dream" which rolling the r's)
    
  • Balik which means "fish" (I looked it up and never forgot it)
• It took me 4 more days to adjust to Istanbul time then to European time last time I went

So, in sum, I loved it, and I am glad I will probably return at the end of May for a day or two before I head back to Seattle from there.