Istambul, a city to stay and live in

Istambul, a city where East meets West and Europe merges with Asia, has captivated a place in our hearts forever. Not only because of the reigning chaos that prevails on each and every street, but also, and perhaps especially, because of the unceasing hospitality and vitality of its people, determined as they are to always put their best foot forward.

We arrived in what was once Constantinople, capital of the Byzanntine Empire one Friday night, and during our first four days, we saw no need to pull out our magic markers and write new posters. Tips from locals came with unprecedeted ease, sometimes after chatting with someone for just five minutes. Never in our wildest expectations did we expect to have our kickoff visit to local drinking holes end up on the Bosphorus, sharing beers with native Turks. Nor the next night when we followed up our initial romp with a sort of karaoke bash, singing our lungs out till five in the morning.

As if things weren’t going well enough already, we did do a special “sit”. The results were remarkable. We do not exagerrate when we say that it took a record 25 seconds for someone to come up with a program of activities that really permitted us to get to know the city and its people. First, there was Damla, an exceedingly friendly and interesting writer, who took us to dine at her favorite restaurant. Subsequently, an amiable lad named Ahmet led us to a place where smoking a water pipe took on a whole new dimension.

Without question, arriving as an ExperienceLess visitor to an unknown city has been one of the most enrichening and fun experiences any of us has ever had. Istambul wins hands down as the city that managed to make us feel most welcome. What a pity that our trip is winding down and the number of stages left dwindles with each passing day.