nateniale's travels

The Blue Mosque in Istanbul, Turkey Although being from a predominantly Muslim country, I had never stepped inside a mosque. The Blue Mosque in Istanbul, Turkey was the first time I had ever been in one. I did not know what to expect, but seeing that there were so many tourists queuing up in the rain, I expected it to be just another tourist spot. Once I stepped in, I could see the huge space inside the mosque. Visitors are only allowed to be in one small section as the remaining area are for prayers. The second thing I noted was the amazing carpet. As we had to take off our shoes, I could feel the softness of the carpet under my feet. After walking around for a moment, we decided to sit down on the amazing carpet and absorb everything in. Be it a Buddhist temple, a Christian church or a Muslim mosque, I love the energy and the warmness that are accumulated from all the prayers. And I love how, after more than 400 years, the Blue Mosque is still being used on a daily bas...

This photo of our Istanbul holiday was recently published in a Singapore-based Travel Planner's blog . The photo was originally posted here on the blog entry of our last day in Istanbul. It was definitely a great view of the Blue Mosque from the rooftop of our hotel. 

{ November 2009 - Istanbul, Turkey } We started bright and early on our last day in Istanbul, with a great breakfast with amazing view in our hotel. After spending all the time we had in Istanbul in the old part of the city, it was time to explore the new and modern Istanbul. We took the tram from our hotel, and then changed to the funicular tram to Taksim Square . 10 November was the day when Ataturk , the father of modern Turkey, passed away. We saw a small ceremony commemorating the day. We walked along Istiklal Caddesi at Beyoglu . It was a large pedestrian only road with shops on both sides. Here, you can find all the modern clothing brand you can find anywhere in Europe or other parts of the world. It was great seeing the modern side of the country after all the days spent admiring and respecting the history. It really showed how much the country has progressed over the years. We saw Cicek Pasaji (Flower Passage) which used to be a grand shop but is now...

{ November 2009 - Istanbul, Turkey } After one week traveling all around Turkey, it was time to return to Istanbul . Taking a flight from Cappadocia to Istanbul, we started off exploring the other side of Istanbul in the afternoon. We went to the Grand Bazaar , a large covered area that started as a small bazaar, but today was one of the largest that I have ever seen. There were almost everything that you can think of, and it was just a kaleidoscope of colour inside!        Of course, there were lots of tourists all around. We also stopped at a book bazaar that mostly sold books for school children and universities students. It was relatively small compared to the Grand Bazaar. We then walked towards the Suleymaniye Camii (Mosque) . Unfortunately, it was closed for construction and restoration, and only a small section was opened for prayers and tourists. We walked along some back lanes and dark streets towards the Spice Bazaar . It was ...

{ November 2009 - Cappadocia, Turkey } We started the day cold and early for a hot-air balloon ride. We were initially reluctant to spend the exorbitant amount of money for the ride. However, we thought it could probably be a once in a lifetime experience as it would be the first time for both of us to be up on a hot-air balloon . After reading many great reviews, I was looking forward to it. And it was simply breathtaking! Although I do have to admit that it was quite scary whenever I looked down, the view and the sunrise was amazing. The surreal and moon-like landscape that looked weird the day before , was even more interesting from above. We saw the fairy chimneys and the rock-cut houses, the pigeon holes and the vast landscape of Cappadocia. At some point in time, we were more than 1000 metres above ground! After around an hour, we landed - directly onto the truck to save them from having to pull it back up I assumed - and were presented with champagne and certificates...

{ November 2009 - Cappadocia, Turkey } We reached Urgup in Cappadocia early in the morning. We waited in the cold for our transfer to the hotel but it never came. Some helpful guys at the bus counter helped us to check our bookings, but we found that there has been some mistakes in the bookings. After an hour or so, we finally ended up in a quaint little bed and breakfast managed by an extremely nice Turkish man. We believed that he converted his home into this bed and breakfast. He offered us some breakfast and allowed us to clean up before getting ready for our trip that morning. Our initial reactions upon reaching Cappadocia was the vastness and the weirdness of the landscape. While we did expect it and has done enough research and saw many photos, it did not really prepare us for the real thing. Even after a few days when we were about to leave the place, I kept thinking and saying “It’s so weird!”. The so-called fairy chimneys were the result of a volcanic eruption and thous...