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APRIL
2001 - PART 1
Ok,
it looks like my fate. I don't know how come but I've been going to Istanbul
quite regularly last 2 years. This time I was there on business again. I was
interpreting again. Last year the meetings failed so we all hoped this year
it would be better. We were supposed to buy postforming machines there. This
time I think we were more lucky. There were 3 of us. 2 guys who own
companies that make furniture and I was going to interpret every word anyone
says.
Anyway,
we left the Prague Ruzyne Airport at about 7 a.m. on Monday 23rd April. I
know it exactly because it was just 1 day before my birthday and I actually
didn't want to go. Not only because I wouldn't be with my mates on my
birthday but also I had a new girlfriend and you know what it's like when
you don't see each other for a couple of hours and I was leaving for few
days. We came to our hotel in a quarter called Laleli (again this Russia
quarter, unfortunately) by midday or so. We parties a night before so I was
happy they didn't want to have a meeting that day and just wanted to relax,
go to the centre and have a dinner.
Last
year we found a great restaurant with very nice people. I might have told
you the story when our waiter Kadir left the restaurant to get a whipped
cream for our dessert. Well, this restaurant is called Kirevi - www.kirevi.com
and I really recommend you to go there when you're there. The food is so
delicious and the people so nice. It may look like a paid advert but you
know I'm not doing that. It's true that you can get the food on the street
for half the price but you wouldn't feel that great on the street.
We
spent the first day just mucking about and waited for the following day and
meeting. I need to say a word about our hotel. It was a 4 star hotel. I
think 2 stars are enough. Our satellite TV consists of 5 Turkish channels
which Turkish flag and Ata Turk's face on it (for those who don't know who
Ata Turk is it was the guy who established Turkish republic at 19?? - I
don't know the exact date but it was either in 10's or early 20's and you
can find him staring from everywhere - even in the toilets).
On
Tuesday I "celebrated" my birthday on a meeting. It was very
exhausting. If you have ever undergone any business meeting you know what it
is. And if you're doing business with Arabs and you're the one who's in the
middle like a sponge that absorbs all the aggression and tries to present it
the way it should be.
Well,
I was happy when Elcyn, Ibrahim and Mustafa stopped talking the same things
over and over again and let us speak. I don't know what we did that that in
the evening but we were worn out so after a great Turkish meal we went to
sleep. It was raining the first days so we didn't feel like doing anything
anyway.
On
Wednesday we decided to go to Grand Bazaar and then to try real Turkish
bath. The place is called Cemberlitas (next to the Cemberlitas Column) and
it's in Sultanahmet. We bought also a massage and it cost USD 15. But it was
worth it. Have you ever been to any Turkish bath? I'd thought I'd been in
Budapest but it was different. There was a marble circle in the middle and
it was hot. You lie on it and when you're too hot you go, grab a bowl full
of water and pour it over yourself. It was fine but I'd rather dive into a
swimming pool after that. The massage was brutal. I felt all my bones. Milos
said he had nearly broken his neck.
It
was just something past 2 p.m. when we got out of there so I suggest we
could go to Taksim to do some shopping. Taksim is a modern part of the city
with many shops, clubs, etc. I bought some presents for family and friends
and so did Pavel and Milos. If you wonder about the format of some pictures
it was taken by Pavel's digital camera. I'd like to thank him for letting me
put those pics on my site.
When
we were in the modern part we climbed the Galata tower. I'm kidding there
are 2 lifts and you're not allowed to get there on the stairs. It's just the
best way to see whole Istanbul. It's so big you wouldn't believe it has over
15 million inhabitants.
I
don't remember what happened exactly after that but I guess we went to Higha
Sofia. It's a museum. It used to be a catholic church but when Islam was
introduced to Turkey they rebuilt it for a mosque.
You
can see how strenuous this day was. We got to Kirevi's in the evening. We
found out that there was gonna be live music. By 8 p.m. Aydin started
playing Cat Stevens' songs and I asked him if he had another guitar. He
brought it and we decided to play together. Alright, I played in a band and
we released a CD so I don't think I'm a very bad guitar player. We played
until eleven and we all started feeling really sleepy so it was high time we
went to bed. Aydin asked us if we were coming the following day and if I'd
play with him again. I was excited because he was a good guitar player and a
good singer as well.
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panoramatic view
from Galata tower on Bosphorus |
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