Merhaba ! !

Quite a long time i dıd not write anything. But already so much happened. Let s take it back from where it started....Sofia....
(Sofıa - İstanbul = 550km, quite possible in one day if i m lucky...) İ left it the previous tuesday early the morning. As usual the starting point is a petrol station where after a few minute ı meet a guy going directly to İstanbul. but...of course he does not take me....So i finally manage to find 1 car, a 2nd one, a 3rd, a 4th and finally around 2PM i m crossing the border by walk as my previous dropper could not drop me farer....Anyway, it s really good....it s quite symbolic to cross the 1st border between Europe and Asia by walk. İ liked it.
3 hours waiting and i found a truck going to İstanbul which i reach around 9PM. Finally here i am.
İstanbul is quite a symbolic place for me. The border between Europe and Asia. 1/3 of my all travel and a wonderful city the people tell me...5 weeks traveling through Europe. Around 4000km done already.










Turkey :



Already quite different...İ actually have to say (even if my turkish frıends won t maybe not appreciate...) that for me, i defenetely felt İ had crossed the border with Europe. The way people behave, the crouded places, the weather,the tea instead of the beer (not all the time of course...), the Narghıle, the food quite different...but defenetely really good !!

İstanbul :
İt was for me quite a nice place. An hıstorycal place with wonderful mosks. 11 - 15 -19 inhabitants (İ dont know exactly.. i heard a lot of different versions...anyway for sure it is really huge !) The call for prayer (the "reading") 5 times a day makes also the city charmful. The European side, the Asian side separated by the Bosphore and only 2 bridges. The traffic jams....and every simple bus ride which takes hours... Taksim, the center of the city.


I of course met nice people there. Zuhal, and her cousin Emre, Pinar and Özge...

The 1st day, i was on the turkish television. My host actually braught me to a television show where the famous sınger "Djandan" was performing....Turkish music ! İn the day i had been of course visiting all the famous places : Sultanamed "the blue mosk", Ayasofia, the Grand Bazar,...



Next day, we all together had a wonderful party on friday in a club where they re playing really the best music...turkish, arabic, latino, some gypsi music from Europe as well...a great moment !
Saterday, we went to the prıncess İsland. Wonderful resting place a little bit away from the city...nice views,...already a glimpse of paradise...so close to the city!

Now, i m in İzmir, the biggest city to the Egee coast. The travel from İstanbul to here was a mix of ferry, coach bus (but without paying...quite unique!), bus, and car. That way allowed me to admire the beauty of Turkey: small hills, bıg mountains, lakes...
I cant wait to be in Antalya to swim in the medıterranean sea ! !