Greetings from Istanbul!

My fiance and I vacationed in Istanbul this week. Usually I'd use this opportunity to give specific travel advice but tonight's post will focus more on our trip so feel free to peruse posts about Traveling on a Budget or Best Travel Apps instead!

We arrived on Wednesday morning and crossed from Asia to Europe on the drive to our hotel, Erten Konak which is located in Old Istanbul. It's been a charming stay with accommodating staff, free wifi and breakfast buffet each day. Note: double check flights before booking a hotel - we landed at SAW but our hotel was located near ATA airport.

First impressions: Istanbul is brimming with multidiversity and English speakers. Shops are packed close together like on Beverly Drive or in DTLA but with an exotic air. It's especially romantic in the evening with colorful lights, live restaurant music and rustic streets.

We spent most of the first day settling in and walking around. We strolled down the sunny beach where we found men tanning on rocks and splashing in the water while vendors sold homemade simit, fresh orange juice and aromatic corn on the cob. It was every bit as picturesque as it sounds.

An incredibly tall stone wall stretches on for miles, separating the beach and main road from the hotels and shops. According to my fiance it was built during the Ottoman Empire to keep out any adversaries attempting to attack from the sea. In my opinion it only blocks off the view of the blue, blue water but I suppose the Ottomans had other priorities. 

Day 2 was dedicated to checking out historical structures like the Hagia Sofia and Blue Mosque. We saw the Obelisk of Theodosius which was constructed in 390 A.D. It's insane to think that these structures 1) have survived this long, 2) will continue to survive another several hundred centuries, and 3) were built without the use of any power tools.

Another surprise was simply how deep these structures were built. I'm not sure if humans have increased the size of Earth's crust over time but the base of these structures easily reaches 20 feet down. It makes you wonder what life really was like back then. 

On Friday we met up with my fiance's friends from Dubai plus my friends in new Istanbul. The Grand Bazaar is located in Old Istanbul and swarmed with tourists exploring the jam packed shops selling jewelry, spices, purses, scarves and fabrics, men's clothes, plus leather jackets and shoes. 

Salespeople are ruthless so I suggest brushing up on your Turkish prior to arrival ("yok tesekkurler" = "no thanks", "ne kadar" = "how much", "Ingilice bili musniz?" = "do you speak English?"). Note: say you live in Ankara or another nearby city for fairer treatment by salespeople. We picked up 50 grams of Ottoman Spice plus a couple free Turkish delights for $5 by speaking the local language.

 

Saturday my fiance and I went to the mall and found Krispy Kreme! He was super pumped as we haven't had KK since we left Dubai so he purchased a dozen in celebration. We ended the evening at Dubb, an Indian restaurant, as we likewise haven't had Indian food since Dubai.

Word of caution: a taxi driver tried screwing us by shutting off the meter halfway through the drive. When I asked why the meter was off and how much the trip would cost, he said he'd decide upon arrival. After taking a roundabout way of reaching the destination, he announced the cost would be 150 TL for a 30 min drive. I said no way and he hurriedly bumped it down to 120 TL. I offered 60 TL and we settled on 100 TL for what should have been an 80 TL trip. This problem isn't unique to Turkey but hopefully serves as another reminder to be diligent about dealing with taxis.

 

Finally we returned to the Hagia Sofia, Blue Mosque and Grand Bazaar for further exploration only to find the Bazaar is closed on Sundays! It prompted us to explore a new area though where we found an outdoor bazaar with vendors selling everything from electronics to African decorations. 

We split an ear of corn at the park, watching the tourists around us. We returned to Dubb for dinner where we met two French ladies sitting next to us who had backpacked through 6 countries in 2009 (Syria, Lebanon and Israel among others). What an adventure they must have shared.

 








Today we returned to Ankara richer from the experience in Istanbul. While several people tried taking advantage of us, we still had a great time. I learned the value of sneakers over flats, talking like a local and witnessing some sights for myself. Until next week, gule gule (bye bye)!

How to Travel on a Budget

Strapped for cash but still need a vacation? If your goal is to travel somewhere different and gain new experiences, good news: you can definitely travel on a budget. Traveling on a budget may be tricky but it's still possible. Here are a few tips on how to travel frugally:

Off season = more savings

Skip popular summer vacation destinations in favor of somewhere off the beaten path - you'll avoid skyrocket prices, scams and long lines at tourist attractions while profiting from a more enriched experience. Bonus: traveling off season means less coworker competition for time off, making it more likely you'll get approved.

If you prefer cold weather over hot, visit Barcelona or Paris in winter - what could be more romantic than sneaking into a warm cafe to watch rain or snow fall on rustic streets?

Consider alternative lodging
AirBnB is a game-changer. You can have exclusive access to an entire house or apartment with all the modern conveniences not typically afforded by hotels e.g. full size fridge, washer/dryer, stovetop kitchen and other home comforts. Bonus: in some cities AirBnB can be even cheaper than a hotel.

Depending on your budget, you can also rent a private or shared room in a house or apartment. Travel with a friend and split the cost to further drive down prices. Increase your odds of a good time by seeking out hosts with 50+ positive reviews and connecting with them in advance.

Note: plan out which attractions you'd like to visit then choose a place based on its proximity to those attractions - there's no point saving money on location if you'll be spending more on transportation instead. A hotel might be more expensive up-front but can save you on taxi costs whereas a remote AirBnB stay might drive up transportation costs, so do your research.

Go local
Los Angelenos! You have a wealth of travel options available at your toes! Make a day trip out of visiting MOMA (Museum of Modern Art), Huntington Library or the Griffith Laboratory. Got a weekend? Spend it in San Diego, Newport Beach or Claremont.

There is so much to do in LA, it's a waste to spend all your time on Beverly Drive, Westwood or Century City. There is a huge world around you - open your eyes to expand your possibilities.

3 Travel Apps You Need This Summer

My fiance and I will be visiting Istanbul in two weeks! While it's a short flight for us, others might be trekking transcontinentally for vacation. Here are the top 3 travel apps you need this summer:

1. TripDeck
By arranging all travel, lodging and planned activities in one place, TripDeck makes it easy to stay organized. The bonus Note section is a great place to jot down what still needs to be packed.

2. TravelSmart
Provides emergency numbers, first aid terms (with local translations!), hospital lists and a drug dictionary for any country in the world. Any country in the world - let that sink in. Hopefully you won't need this app but it is invaluable if you do.

3. XE Currency
Whether you're making one stop or several, XE currency converts any currency into one you're familiar with. You can simultaneously convert between several currencies (e.g. USD, Euro, British Pound) and receive literally up-to-the-minute conversion updates.

While more well-known apps like Viber and Wifi Finder are definitely valuable as well, these ones make vacation planning super easy. Bonus - they're all free! Happy traveling :)

ABC: The Turkish Alphabet

I'm happy to be able to write this post as it means I've successfully mastered all the sounds in the Turkish alphabet! This post may be dull for non-linguistically-inclined people, so feel free to check out 5 Reasons You'll Love Ankara or Turkish Vices instead.

The Turkish alphabet consists of 29 letters: 22 consonants & 7 vowels. It uses all the same characters as the English alphabet but excludes Q, W & X. Since the two alphabets are so similar, I've only included special characters and pronunciations: 

• Cc - "j" like "joy"
• Çç - "ch" like "change"
• Ğğ - silent letter
• Iı - pronounced as "euh" like the "e" in "open"
• İi - same as "i" in English but worth mentioning for how the uppercase character is displayed
• Öö - "oa" like "goat"
• Şş - "sh" like "sheer"
• Üü - pronounced as "ouh" like the "e" in "new" 

In Turkish there is a general rule that each vowel must be separated by a consonant (e.g. s-e-l-a-m, v-o-w-e-l) but there are some exceptions (e.g. s-a-a-t, b-o-o-k). Turkish is an agglutinative language, meaning that stem words remain the same while suffixes change to indicate possession. Here's a couple examples:

• English: "I have a cat" is structured as pronoun-verb-object
• Turkish: "I have a cat" is "Kedim var" and structured as subject-noun-verb. "Kedi" means "cat", the "-im" suffix makes it 1st person possessive, and "var" means "have"
• English: "You have a cat" is again structured as pronoun-verb-object
• Turkish: "You have a cat" is "Kedin var" with the "-in" suffix making it 2nd person possessive

If you already speak an agglutinative language (e.g. Korean, Japanese, Farsi) then learning Turkish will be easier as you're already familiar with the sentence structure. Turkish may be a challenging language but it's well worth the investment of learning!

5 Random Inconveniences of Living in Turkey

If you've been following this blog, you know that I love living in Ankara, Turkey. That said, there are a few differences between life in Turkey and life in the US. Here's 5 random inconveniences to expect in Turkey:

1. No escalators. You'll find them in malls and upscale hotels but otherwise you'll be hiking up and down stairs frequently. Elevators are rare in older buildings like apartments, shops and governmental agencies. On the plus side, you'll have killer calves!

2. Lack of English. While a given in a foreign country, getting around Ankara becomes a complicated puzzle. On the upside, you'll learn Turkish more quickly! No patience? Head to Istanbul for the convenience and comfort of more English speakers.

3. Unpredictable weather. Abrupt swings from 80° F to hailing in under 10 minutes aren't uncommon in summer. Washing your clothes becomes a gamble as you string them out to air-dry on the balcony clothesline. If you've got a 90's style standalone heater, you can try drying them inside the house though.

4. Unsafe taxis. You have a 50% shot of getting a taxi with seatbelts & another 50% chance that they're functional. Your life is in the hands of a distracted driver on their cell phone, on narrow streets with disobeyed one-way signs, and pedestrians crossing on a whim. Life is an adventure!

5. Disorganization. Whether you're a foreigner or a local, government disorganization is a real problem. Ever-changing requirements make even registering your phone inordinately grueling for no conceivable reason. International shipping is an absolute nightmare - bring everything you'd need in with you on the flight over as shipping is inexplicably, unnecessarily difficult.

Like I mentioned at the start, I do love living here and plan to stay for a while. That doesn't mean I don't get homesick or miss the conveniences of life in Los Angeles.

Turkish Vices

From NYC to Compton, each city has their preferred vices. Whether it's gambling, prostitution, or drugs, no place is free from crime or addiction. Ankara is a safe city sans political protests, but here's what I've noticed about vices in Ankara & local's preferences:

Alcohol

Alcohol is expensive but bars are commonplace. Don't purchase bottles from liquor stores as you will get ripped off as a foreigner - guaranteed. Stick to supermarkets like Ogutler, Cagdas, and Carrefour for alcohol. Restaurants also offer a variety of beers and mixed drinks so you'll feel at home. Some younger people drink publicly at parks during twilight, but of course discreetness is preferred.

Cigarettes

Cigarettes are more common in Ankara since they're less expensive than alcohol and keep you warm (important considering the cold climate). This was a surprising discovery since hardly anyone smokes in CA, comparatively speaking, and since there's a lot of hiking up hills - Turks must have lungs of steel!

Marijuana

Marijuana is available in Ankara although it is definitely illegal. I'm not sure about how common it is, where it's from and how it's obtained, or potency compared to what might be sold in CA. Anyone with medical conditions requiring marijuana as a treatment should plan carefully since medical marijuana cards mean nil in a foreign country. Remember you're not in Kansas anymore - respect your host country's laws and regulations!

Prostitution

Prostitution exists, especially for Russian women. I suggest asking locals about specific nightclubs to avoid to ensure you don't get roped in. 

Gambling

Gambling exists in the form of lottery tickets sold in popular areas and off-track betting parlors, but there are no casinos. I haven't seen any other types of gambling, like betting on a backgammon or sports game, but my experience here is limited. 

Extras

Harder drugs like cocaine may exist but keep in mind that economy determines vices. Rich people snort quality coke, poor people smoke crack - this goes for anywhere in the world. I'm unaware of the ubiquity, ease of access, frequency, price, or any problems with harder drugs in Ankara.

Keep in mind that everything I've mentioned above only applies to Ankara, and narrows down closer into our own little neighborhood of Tunali. 

5 Reasons You'll Love Ankara

Los Angeles is an amazing city I'm happy to call my hometown, but Ankara is another experience entirely. Here's 5 reasons I love Ankara already and you will too:

1. It's Alive. As the political capital, there is so much going on at any given time - protests for gay rights, freedom of speech, or about government handling of affairs. People stay out until midnight even on weeknights, often frequenting parks or cafes. There is no shortage of excitement.

2. Outdoors. In LA we struggle to schedule time to go hiking up Runyon Canyon. In Ankara you'll essentially hike daily just going about your day. The streets may be rustic, uneven, and cracked, but your legs will get a killer workout. 

3. Prices. Groceries are cheaper, making it easier to cook and sample a variety of new spices. Vegetables and milk perish more quickly meaning you'll make more frequent trips but get fresher goods. Local clothing stores offer items from ~$5-$20 with higher end shops in the ~$15-$40 range. 

4. Scenery. It rains often so there's a ton of greenery. Parks are everywhere in Ankara. Huge parks with several playgrounds, running tracks and workout equipment, fountains and ducks. Fresh air, greenery, the sound children laughing, the smell of corn on the cob cooking... It's intoxicating. 

5. Nearby Attractions. Nationwide, you can easily visit popular locations like Istanbul, Antalya, Efesis, and Izmir. Or you can continue crossing international lines and visit nearby Greece, Israel, Azerbaijan. Websites like skyscanner.com make planning cheap, nearby trips easier, too. 

It's been officially 3 months to the day that we arrived and I'm definitely in love with this city. Come visit for a change of pace, breathe new life into yourself!