updonkey logo
«Prev 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 Next»    All Photo Sets

Photo Sets » Turkey - 2007

View Slideshow
We left Switzerland on a Wednesday and arrived in Istanbul on a Tuesday. That is moving. Pretty fast.

As we arrive cross the border from Greece into Turkey, it quickly becomes obvious that Turkey is no backwards country. It is truly modern.

Especially interesting is how well-planned it seems. Not in the Soviet-inspired style that we've seen in the other countries so far, but in a "This is how it would work best for everyone" type of way.

As move from the border, it reminds me of Kansas. Yes, Kansas. Enormous fields full of crops. Enormous, as I've only ever seen in the States. But then you have huge cities in the middle of nowhere. Turkey's planners build UP. They don't let things spread. Everyone seems to live in a high-rise building.

As we approach Istanbul, the high-rises are more frequent and even larger. Mini-cities are sprouting everywhere. This city is huge. 18 million. And it works. Mass transit works. Traffic isn't as bad as you'd think. The place is clean.

Istanbul is beautiful. The markets, the Grand Bazaar are like I've never seen. When they finally invent smell-o-vision I'll tune to the "Istanbul Spice Market Channel" because that has to be the highest degree of sensory overload.

I visit the Blue Mosque. This is my first. Just so peaceful.

P1020508

P1020509

P1020510

P1020511

P1020512

P1020513

P1020514

P1020515

P1020516

P1020517

P1020518

P1020519

P1020520

P1020521

P1020522

P1020523

P1020524

P1020525

P1020526

P1020527

P1020528

P1020529

P1020530

P1020531