Party in Istanbul, 11.4.-15.4.2012

Since an accident in 2010, I didn’t fly and I was looking for at least escape for a prolonged weekend. With girls (Ada, Andreja, Katarina) we found cheap tickets to Istanbul. Andreja arranged a discount on promotion price and in the end, we paid 86 € for a return ticket from Ljubljana with Turkish airlines. This whole trip was one big party, similar to graduation trips we had 🙂

11.4.2012

Tedej picked me first with Porsche Cayeen around noon, next was Katarina and Andreja in Prule, last was Ada in Zbilje. We had one Jagermaister for the road 15 €, visiting duty-free shop – vodka and cigarettes 35 €. Beer while we waited for boarding. The flight was at 14:35, it lasted a bit over 2 hours, I had a glass of wine there. We landed at 17:45 (+1h). 1 € was 2,35 TRY (TL).

Shuttle waited for us at the airport, the driver had a sign with Andreja’s name, 20 €. In Orient Hostel located in Sultanahmet (old part of town) we unpacked, room with 4 beds for 4 nights was 180 €. We went out for a walk, it was chili. I ate a homemade sandwich. We returned back to the hostel room.

We had Bacardi, at terrasse we joined the owner and his friend. We smoked shisha, there was some singing, 150 TL, girls snapped at me?

12.4.2012

I woke up first. After the shower, I went to the shop and bought water. I went alone for breakfast at the hostel.

Girls took their time and we went out together for breakfast at 13:00. Toilet and water 🙂 We went for sightseeing. First was the Obelisk of Theodosius and Hippodrome.

Next was Blue mosque, free entrance but I gave 2 TL donation

Hagaia Sofia church/mosque/museum, entrance as 10 TL

Later we had tea in the park by Topkapi palace overviewing Bosporus.

With a taxi, we moved across Golden Horn to Taxim, 20 TL.

There we had dinner with Ana 190 TL.

From there we walked over Istiklal to Galata tower and bridge.

Something was celebrated.

With a taxi, we went back home, 15 TL. We had whiskey and vodka from duty-free, putting on our music. I met Bakr from Morocco when I went out for a cigarette.

13.4.2012

Routine from day before repeated, shower, shop, breakfast at 13:00.

We visited the Basilica cistern. Then we moved with a ferry to the Asian side 2 TL. I had a sprite at terrasse, 3,5 TL. We went shopping, I bought a CD with local music, didn’t work 10 TL. Ada bought a watch for 9 TL.

Crossed back to Sultanahmet, visited the spice market and back to the room. There we had gin before we went out to a club with the hostel owner and his friends, the main drink was Redbull vodka. No-smoking law wasn’t obeyed, people just stopped while the police were there. They checked our passports. Instead of peanuts, they have there sliced cucumber and oranges?

We danced, I got scratched! 130 TL + 50 € (sum 350 €)

14.4.2012

And again shower, shop. While it was raining we stayed in the hostel, drinking beer. We were mingling with a girl from the USA that wrote about our adventures and Bakr that had birthday.

For lunch, I had kofte (meatballs). We ran to shop across the street to buy a few souvenirs, 20 TL. With the taxi (Trkulja rakija), we moved to Erdem’s party. We showed locals how to dance the polka and other music. We wrote degrees, I was tired, but it was wild. We took a taxi back.

15.4.2012

Of course, it was a shower and a shop. After packing we took a shuttle to the airport. There I was in bad shape, the flight was delayed a bit, 12:25-13:40 (-1h). On arrival, Marija picked us up and delivered us home.