Not so delightful...

When I planned this itinerary a year ago, Istanbul seemed the ideal stopover between Asia and Europe, its location straddling the Bosphorous, which separates the two continents, too symbolic to ignore.  I imagined an effortless transition with an exhilarating mix of both cultures.  In reality, however, I found myself feeling rather melancholy about the impending end of my RTW journey.  

Over the past almost-year, it was usual to feel a tinge of wistful nervousness when one chapter was ending and the next was yet to unfold, but this time I was plagued with greater unease.  

Maybe it was my reluctance to leave Asia augmented by my trepidation about returning to Europe that made the four days here less heady and more stressful than anticipated.

Maybe it was my soft spot for Buddhism that ached and my admitted bias against Islam that chafed; I mean, a religion that subjugates women like that simply doesn’t get my vote. 

Maybe this city heaving with 14, 17, 20 million inhabitants (nobody knows for sure how many) was not the best first place to land after my month of peaceful, sheltered Ayurvedic experience.

Maybe it was the coffee I had so long looked forward to that left a literal bitter taste and jittery hands.  Or the heavy, greasy food that didn’t sit so well in my just-purified digestive system. 

Maybe it was the stench of stale tobacco emanating from so many of the men.

Maybe it was the fitful spring weather, the assault of damp fog and chilly wind on my body just too brutal, accustomed as it was to tropical heat and humidity over the past 6 months.

Despite the moodiness, I am still grateful to have gone and, especially, spent the time there with Raphael.  Istanbul is a beautiful metropolis full of ancient and modern architecture, customs, history, sights, and unquestionably worth a visit. 

N.B. If you haven’t been, you should consider getting there PDQ as the city sits on a major fault line and it is reputedly only a matter of time before plate tectonics wreak massive destruction.  Please don’t let my frame of mind deter you – though I will categorically advise against any and all versions of the Turkish delight you’ll find everywhere.