A week in Istanbul

I'm beginning to get the hang of it around here. I found a new hostel to stay at that costs only $15/night (it's $20/night where I'm staying now). But most importantly, the new Hostel, the Harmony, has a kitchen for guest use. That makes a huge difference. I've managed to find a few small markets where I can buy fresh fruits and vegetables and yesterday I learned the location of a large market where I'll be able to find other things. I'm beginning to learn the secrets of traveling cheap. Transportation costs must be kept down, which means staying in one place for at least a week if not longer.

I've been in Istanbul a week and though my expenses are low, they can go lower. I completely avoid the tourist traps, where thousands of people queue up elbow to elbow and inch their way through. I did buy a couple of scarves (and Claudia brought me 3 books from Margot) so now my pack feels extraordinarily heavy. Hence, when the totally handsome, suave Turkish salesman comes up to me I'm now really strong when I say, "I don't buy anything I have to carry." When he says, "We can ship!" I simply tell him the truth: I don' t have a house to ship it to and I don't want to buy stuff just to put into my storage shed. It's as easy as that.

I love Istanbul. We'll see how long this love affair lasts. I'll be here two more nights then I'll move down to Capadoccia for 5 days. The young people I met when I first arrived (they're on a 37-day adventure tour, camping, etc, cheap, sounds way cool) will be camping near Capadoccia so I plan to meet up with them again and maybe spend a few nights camping out. Then I'll come back to Istanbul and will most likely stay here until at least the middle of May. I've decided that I'll probably only make 2-3 stops on my way to Switzerland: Bulgaria, where I plan to stay at the Rila Monastery, high in the Rila Mountains; Sarejevo, Croatia; and Montenegro. I'll take sleeper trains or buses between each of these places.

Today I'm heading out to the Belgrade Forest, a forested area 20 km north of Istanbul. I asked the guy at the desk here about it and he had never heard of it, he'd never been there, and thought it was a long way away. :o) Interesting. I only read about it in one travel guide but it sounds amazing. Locals go there for a day away from the city, but mostly on the weekend. Here's what my book says:
"The Belgrade Forest is the only sizeable piece of woodland in the imediate vicinity of Istanbul. The forest is made up of pines, oaks, beeches, chestnuts and poplars, beneath which a profusion of wild flowers grow in spring.. . . the park's [main] attractions are the relics of the dams, reservoirs and aqueducts use for over 1,000 years to transport spring water in to Istanbul.The oldest structure, Buyuk Bent (Great Reservoir), dates back to the early Byzantine era."

I expect to spend a day in relative peace and quiet, just as I found on Prince's Island, all free of course except for the cost of transportation - which is cheap, fast and easy. This is an exciting, beautiful city but I will totally enjoy a little forest walking. I haven't had much of that in the past year. So that's how it all goes. Love & Light to all.