4/4/98: Took tour of Topkapi Palace. Met up with Chris and Beth again for a visit to Taksim and Beyoglu. Ate gozleme sandwiches at a local (non-touristy) restaurant, then stopped at a sweet shop for chocolate covered popovers. They returned directly home and we tried to catch a bus, but it didn’t go so well.
4/4/23: Over breakfast at the hostel that morning we had a brief chat with the owner. After telling him about why were were travelling and how we would be working for missionaries and ministries around the world, he said: “I like born-again Christians, they pray for everything!”
Topkapi Palace was opulent, of course, though as a museum there were parts that had not been kept up well. We met at the Eminönü ferry dock, and headed up the shoreline of the European side of the Bosphorus to Taksim and Beyoglu (the “g” is silent). The gozleme sandwiches were delicious, and essentially the Turkish version of the Greek gyros sandwich: flat bread stuffed with grilled lamb and vegetables. I think I actually prefer the Turkish version because the flavors were richer.
Chris and Beth showed us where to catch the bus back to Sultanahmet and then headed back across the Bosphorus themselves. We waited for over an hour, only to find out that our bus line had already stopped running. We got a little nervous because it was after dark, and we had no idea how to get where we needed to go, how far it was, and spoke no Turkish! So we prayed… And then two very friendly gentlemen who were also waiting at the bus stop for a different bus, approached us and offered to help. They spoke no English, but made it clear they were concerned for our safety. They let their own busses pass by to wait with us until a taxi would happen by. One of the fellows seemed to speak sternly to the taxi driver, I suspect saying something like “Don’t take advantage of them! Take them directly to Sultanahment!” And within 15-20 minutes were back at our hostel. It was very comforting to feel looked after by friendly strangers.
