Merhaba from Istanbul, Turkey!
Unfortunately, the four days I spent in Istanbul were not much of a Turkish delight. After arriving at the bus station, it took around two hours to get to my accommodation, and a lot of confusion with the small buses as no one spoke English in that area. The buses required cash (Turkish lira) and similar to the tram was around $0.77/ride. My hostel, Bahaus Guest Hostel was $17/night for an all-female dorm and a healthy, free breakfast every day. There were several activities available from reception and a bar on the roof as well.
The city is huge, separated into several parts by the water, with many beautiful mosques and landmarks around the parks. I was able to visit a club the first night which we took a taxi to, and it was fun despite the small amount of people. The following morning I visited the Balat shopping area, with bright streets and a lot of small shops and cafes. I read for a while in a park across from the water and walked around an area across the river.
Later that day, I unfortunately got extremely sick and ended up going to the ER with the help of the hostel manager and workers. I was seen immediately and before insurance was only charged $100. Although I was not sure what it was (my guess is food poisoning or something similar), I took the next few days to rest and recover. I was unable to explore much more of the city, but I am extremely grateful for all the help from the hostel and would love to return to Turkey to explore more of the country.
Onto my next adventure and a very long flight process, the next stop is Thailand!
xoxo,
Ang around the World ♥