Istanbul, not Constantinople

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Istanbul. Minarets poking up everywhere, imams in their mosques belting out the call to prayer 5 times daily. This morning was literally a rude awakening: 4.40am call to prayer. On a more civilized note, we were out walking when the 5pm call hit. From all directions came competing calls with echoes of neighbouring mosques beckoning to the faithful. Like something out of Dante's inferno where souls lament in surround sound.

We took ourselves out for a little boat cruise of the Bosphorous over a beautiful sunset. The smell of the sea and fish is everywhere.

Istanbul can be described as a market culture. Markets are everywhere. Not only do they carry all consumables from spices to hardware, they do it in a pretty organized fashion. Oya and I wandered through various neighbourhoods, one dedicated to belt buckles, another dedicated to toys, yet another exclusively for lingerie. So efficient! If you know what you're looking for, just head straight for the appropriate 'hood.