Istanbul | A Pair of Panties and Boxers

Posts Tagged ‘Istanbul’

Photo Friday: Kadesh Peace Treaty

Friday, February 26th, 2010

Kadesh Peace Treaty

The Kadesh Peace Treaty, in Istanbul’s Archeological Museum, is the oldest known peace treaty in the world. It’s dated 1258 BC and signed between Ramesses II of Egypt and Hattusili III of the Hittite Empire. Partial translation of the treaty reads:

“Treaty of Rea-Mashesha-Mai Arnana the great king, the king of the land the of Egypt, the valiant, with Hattusilis, the great king of the Hatti land for establishing good peace and good brotherhood worthy of great kingship forever. These are the words of Rea-Mashesha-Mai Arnana: Now I have established good brotherhood (and) good peace between us forever. In order to establish good peace (and) good brotherhood in the relationship of the land of Egypt with the Hatti land forever.

(I speak) thus: Behold, as for the relationship between the land of Egypt and the Hatti land, since eternity the god does not permit the making of hostility between then because of a treaty (valid) forever.

If an enemy from abroad comes against the land of Egypt and Rea-Mashesha-Mai Arnana, the king of the land of Egypt, your brother sends to Hattusilis, the great king of the Hatti land, his brother saying: “come here to help me against him” to Hattusilis, the king of the Hatti land shall send his foot soldiers (and) his charioteers and, shall slay my enemies.”

Tags: Archeological Museum, Egypt, Istanbul, Peace treaty, Turkey
Posted in Photo Friday, Turkey | View Comments

Photo Friday: Capadocia Shops

Friday, February 19th, 2010

Capadocia Shops

Capadocia is a region in central Turkey but these shops were located in Istanbul, under the shadows of The Blue Mosque.

Tags: Istanbul, Turkey
Posted in Photo Friday, Turkey | View Comments

Photo Friday: Inside The Hagia Sophia

Friday, January 15th, 2010

Mosaic of Archangel Gabriel

Tags: Hagia Sophia, Istanbul, Turkey
Posted in Photo Friday, Turkey | View Comments

My Top 10 Posts of 2009

Wednesday, December 30th, 2009

My New Year’s Resolution: To be happy & healthy in mind, body & spirit. And travel a crap load more.

I started A Pair of Panties & Boxers as a reminder to myself to never conform to society’s norm in the daily grind of a 9-5. I didn’t want my job to be the reason I stopped seeing beyond four walls and I didn’t want the burden of saving for grad school keep me from seeing the world. I figured the best way to travel as much as I can is to start a travel blog because in order to write about my travels, I’d actually have to go and travel. When I start running out of things to write, that means I need to get on a plane, train, bus, boat or any type of transportation fast – not that I don’t get that urge to just jet every single day. But sometimes, we do what we have to do and not what we want to do.

It hasn’t been a year since I started blogging but I thought I’d still wrap up 2009 featuring my top 10 most popular blog posts of the year. I hope all my readers enjoyed growing this blog with me these past 6 months. Thanks for sticking around.

So without further adieu, here are the top 10 posts for 2009.

1. Photo Friday: Kaifeng, China

Kaifeng, China

The beauty of traveling through China is that sometimes, I feel like I’m in two places at once – the past and the present.

See #8 for related post.

2. Facing Mud Made “Squatties” In Yunnan

The one thing I absolutely loathe about China is the lack of Western toilets. Those hole-in-the-ground-you-have-to-pee-by-squatting apparatuses make me cringe every time. I’m a girl — how am I supposed to pee that way?!

So when my roommates and I decided to trek westward for fall break, towards rural Yunnan and Sichuan, I had to put on a brave face and come to terms with the fact that I’d be using nothing but “squatties.”

Five hours into the bumpy bus ride and two bottles of water later, I was bursting with thoughts of shiny automatic-flush toilets and marble sinks.

Alas, what greeted me at the makeshift rest stop was an outhouse made out of mud and three little children asking for a 50 cents fee for using their “bathroom.”

The Blue Mosque sits directly across from the Hagia Sophia on the Hippodrome, also known as the Sultanahmet Square. It’s hard to say which is more impressive. They both rival in beauty. With six towering minarets, The Blue Mosque dominates the Istanbul skyline.

5. Poverty In Pudong

I paid ¥20 for a cab ride down to People’s Park (人民公园), ¥10 to see the Gaudi exhibit at the MOCA, ¥40 for lunch at Pizza Hut, ¥50 for a shuttle ride to the Oriental Pearl Tower, another ¥50 for dinner and ¥1o for extraneous expenses. I dropped ¥170 like it was nothing because in my mind that was only $10.

My friend (at the time) JC and I walked along the Huangpu River that night. We saw a boy in ripped rags and torn slippers. He looked about 10 years old. He approached us raising a flower in his hand and said…

“一块，一块。要不要花？”(One dollar, one dollar. Do you want flowers?)

He haggled a little. We politely declined. I turned around and watched him zig-zag his way down the path. He made sure not to miss a single couple. JC and I sat down on the stone-rimmed flowerbed and watched the boy pace back and forth under the moon light.

6. My 3 Best Kept Travel Secrets

Travel Secret #1: Art of Cheap Accommodations
Travel Secret #2: Kaifeng, China
Travel Secret #3: Climb The Great Wall When It Snows

What are some of your best kept travel secrets?

Share!

JC and I walked non-stop these past two days. It was either restless leg syndrome or it was the excitement of being in Madrid. I thought we would take it a little slower on the third day but nope – not when traveling with JC.He only knows one speed – and it’s just go, go, go, go, go!

We began the day with a trip to Estadio Santiago Bernabeu, home of Real Madrid.

8. Kaifeng, China: Chinese Jews

This was Kaifeng’s welcome to us. Fog? Pollution? Combination? I don’t know but it was one hell of a welcome. I held out my hand and saw nothing. I looked down and I had no feet. We blindly walked forward – away from the train station and closer to the sound of the road. We had a hard time crossing the street. We couldn’t see the cars and bicycles and they couldn’t see us. We played it by ear. Literally. And hailing a cab? I want to say, “Fuggedaboutit,” but we managed to do so. Till this day, it still puzzles me.

9. Merhaba Istanbul!

I’m a nerd. I like math and I like to plan. Excel is my best friend. I can’t live without my planner. When it comes to traveling, I get excited at the thought of creating a new spreadsheet. Budgeting is my favorite part. How low can I go?

I conquered 7,200 steps to the top of Taishan and trekked 4 hours around the West Lake in Hangzhou. Climbing The Great Wall? Sure! No problem. Except I forgot to factor in the high altitude and nearly freezing temperature. Read more…

Tags: Beijing, China, Hagia Sophia, Hangzhou, Istanbul, Kaifeng, Madrid, Oriental Pearl Tower, Plaza de Oriente, Poverty, Spain, The Blue Mosque, The Great Wall of China, Turkey, Yunnan
Posted in China, Spain, Turkey | View Comments

The Grand Bazaar, The Spice Market & A Chinese Restaurant

Tuesday, November 17th, 2009

This post is part 17 of 17 of my trip to Istanbul. The series intends to give more than just a I-saw-this-and-did-that review. It aims to share the voice inside my head as I explore a world I’ve only read in books.

Spice Bazaar - Photo from Elizabeth Anne Designs

The Grand Bazaar is a maze that expands over 58 streets. The shops inside are filled with jewelry, pottery, spices, carpets and restaurants. The Spice Bazaar is the second oldest bazaar and shopping complex after the Grand Bazaar. You would think that shopping in these two bazaars would consume most of the day but it didn’t for JC and I.

We saved our visit to the Grand Bazaar and the Spice Market for our very last day in Istanbul. We’re not big on shopping but we made an attempt to buy souvenirs. It was a failed attempt. The hawking turned me off and made not want to buy anything. Like any popular tourist attraction, it was overcrowded and swarmed with shoppers. Plus, it was raining that day so many people decided to visit the markets to escape the rain.

Changcheng Restaurant

After a hectic stroll through the bazaars, our last day in Istanbul ended with dinner at Changcheng, a Chinese restaurant! “Chang cheng” literally translates to “long wall.” That’s what we call The Great Wall of China in Chinese. The restuarant was so close to where we were staying, the Hali Hotel. We had no idea it was right around the corner until the day we took a cab to the Chora Church.

We were one of the first customers to arrive for the night. Our Turkish waiter spoke a few Chinese phrases and we complimented his pronunciation. After we placed our order, there was a flock of Asian tour group that came and quickly filled up three large tables. We said hello as they walked by and their tour guide actually came over to introduce himself to us. We chatted for a little bit and learned that many of the tourist in his group were professors from Taiwan and Singapore.

Changcheng Restaurant Menu

Our hostess was from mainland China. She told us that she has been living in Istanbul for about 4 years and that she speaks a little Turkish. We asked her if it was a hard language to learn and she it was easier than she expected. It’s interesting to know where the Chinese diaspora extends to. It was like a little piece of home in Istanbul. It sure felt nice to have some hot fish soup.

If you’re ever in Istanbul and craving some Chinese food, check out Changcheng Restaurant.

Changcheng Restaurant
Binbirdirek Mahallesi Peykhane Sokak No:46/1
Sultanahmet, Istanbul
Tel:(0212) 458-6760
Fax: (0212) 458-6759
www.changchengrestaurant.com
info@changchengrestaurant.com

Tags: Grand Bazaar, Istanbul, Istanbul Series, Spice Market, Travel, Turkey
Posted in Turkey | View Comments

My 3 Best Kept Travel Secrets

Saturday, November 14th, 2009

This is the Tripbase Blog Tag. “The aim of this game is to unite travel bloggers in a joint endeavor – to create an amazing list of top travel recommendations across the globe to share with the entire online travel community.” – Katie from Tripbase.com

Without further adieu, here are my top 3 best kept travel secrets. I guess these won’t be secrets anymore.

Terrace View At The Hali Hotel, Istanbul

Travel Secret #1: Art of Cheap Accommodations

Everyone has their own travel style. It’s all about perspective. For me, lodging is minimal. I don’t need a Tempurpedic mattress and a flat screen TV. All I really need is a bed with no bed bugs and a bathroom that flushes. Lodging serves as a storage room where I can fall face flat on the pillow after a 15 hour foot exploration Sometimes I book rooms before I arrive. Sometimes I arrive homeless, which isn’t as scary as it sounds. It’s actually much cheaper.

Arrive in person
Tell the hotel/hostel half the number of days you’re actually staying. For example, if you’re traveling for 10 days, tell them 5.
When a daily quote is given, ask then for lower rates for an extended stay. (That’s where the extra 5 days come in handy.)
After they give you a quote for the extended stay, offer to pay in cash if they could lower the rates even more.
Then show them your student ID and ask if they have student discounts. (This works better in youth hostels than in hotels.)

My 8-day trip to Istanbul was only $1270 – $640 for round-trip tickets and $630 for everything else. I spent less than $80 a day, including accommodation, food, entrance fees, transportation and souvenirs. I’d say it’s a pretty good deal for independent traveling.

Kaifeng, China: The beauty of traveling through China is that sometimes, I feel like I'm in two places at once - the past and the present.

Travel Secret #2: Kaifeng, China

In response to my impression at the Topkapi Palace in Istanbul, Erica from Traveling Blissful commented, “I think many tourist sites are too hyped up and leave travelers feeling disappointed, wondering ‘What’s so great about this?’” Popular tourist attractions come with high expectations. The more I travel, the more I realize how exquisite the smaller, less discovered places are.

Kaifeng, China is a place was a place where I had no expectations. It was also a place that blew me away. It was here where I discovered Chinese Jews, people of Jewish descent living in China, and their fascinating history and community. It was also here, the view above, where I realized this: the beauty of traveling through China is that sometimes, I feel like I’m in two places at once – the past and the present.

A Snow Day On The Great Wall of China - Photo by Jabari Bell

Travel Secret #3: Climb The Great Wall When It Snows

Everyone knows that The Great Wall is impressive in length and in beauty. You’ll sweat buckets if you’re climbing it during the summer and you’ll be throwing elbows if you’re visiting during spring and fall. It’s harder to appreciate the context of it’s surrounding when The Great Wall is inundated with tourists and cameras. I’d recommend visiting in the winter, preferably when it snows. Why? Because…

You’ll see The Great Wall frosted in snow.
You’ll have The Great Wall all to yourself.
You’ll see the rolling mountains and the vastness of the land that it sits on.
You can build a snowman on The Great Wall of China!
And because the snow makes it’s ridiculously fun to glide down the descending slopes.

Now, how many of you can say you’ve a snow day on The Great Wall of China?

===

Now, I’d like to nominate these 5 amazing bloggers to share their top 3 travel secrets on their blog. Tag! You’re it!

Emma, Aye & Jack at GotPassport
Keith at VelvetEscape
Carrie at MySeveralWorld
Jennifer & David at ApproachGuides
Talen at Thailand, Land of Smiles

Tags: Beijing, China, Istanbul, Kaifeng, The Great Wall of China, Travel, Travel Tips, Turkey
Posted in China, Travel Tips, Turkey | View Comments

Photo Friday: View From The Galata Tower

Friday, November 13th, 2009

View From The Galata Tower

Related Posts: The Galata Tower & Fish Sandwich

Tags: Istanbul, The Galata Tower, Turkey
Posted in Photo Friday, Turkey | View Comments

The Harem At The Topkapi Palace

Thursday, November 12th, 2009

This post is part 16 of 17 of my trip to Istanbul. The series intends to give more than just a I-saw-this-and-did-that review. It aims to share the voice inside my head as I explore a world I’ve only read in books.

Apartment of The Sultan's Mother

The line for the harem can get ridiculously long so if there was ever a short line, take advantage of it. To our luck, there were only about five or six people ahead of us when JC and I awaited to purchase our tickets. The entrance to the Harem is not included in the admission ticket you first purchased to get into the Topkapi Palace. (Way to make money right?)

The Harem is the home of the sultan’s mother, all of his concubines, his children and their eunuch servants. One of the first rooms is the Hall of Ablution Fountain. Its interior is beautifully decorated in Iznik tiles. The room leads to the courtyard of the eunuchs. The main entrance of the harem separates the concubines and their families from the courtyard of the eunuchs. The main entrance is followed by the sultan’s mother and then the courtyard for the sultan’s consorts and his concubines.

The room of the sultan’s mother is one of the largest and most important part in the harem. The only rooms that were open to the public was the dining room and her bedroom. The interior was also beautifully decorated with Iznik tiles. Her room is connected to the sultan’s mother’s bathroom and the quarters of the sultan. Her bathroom consists of multiple rooms with domes and glass tiles for natural sunlight. The floor is covered in white and gray marble and the marble tub includes an extravagant fountain with gilded iron grills. These iron grills seem to be the characteristic features of the Topkapi Palace.

Following the sultan’s mother’s bathroom is the Imperial Hall. It is the largest dome in the palace. The room contains the sultan’s throne. There’s a secret door behind the mirror that serves as a safe passage in case of danger. Of the doors leads to the sultan’s mother’s apartment and the other leads to the sultan’s hammam.

Our self guided tour took as outside to the Twin Kiosk. The interior is beautifully decorated in stained-glass windows. From the inside, it has an amazing view of the Galata Tower. This is where the crown prince resided until they became adults.

Outside of the Twin Kiosk is the The Courtyard of the Favorites. This is where the sultan’s favorite consorts lived. They were able to enjoy the beautiful scenery from their windows.

Tags: Harem, Istanbul, Istanbul Series, Topkapi Palace, Turkey
Posted in Turkey | View Comments

Unmet Expectations At The Topkapi Palace

Tuesday, November 10th, 2009

This post is part 15 of 17 of my trip to Istanbul. The series intends to give more than just a I-saw-this-and-did-that review. It aims to share the voice inside my head as I explore a world I’ve only read in books.

Gate of Salutation

The more I travel, the more I realize that the less explored sites often take my breath away more so than popular touristy sites that everyone says it’s a “must-do.” Maybe it’s because I have higher expectation for sites that everyone talks about and less expectations for sites that aren’t mentioned in every single guide book and travel blog.

When I come across something totally unexpected, it leaves an impression and makes me wonder why it doesn’t receive the same amount of publicity as other popular sites. Maybe the impressiveness of the sites becomes diminished once it’s a major tourist attraction. To me it’s no longer as authentic as something that’s hidden in a back alley. It becomes another form of western commercialism charging additional fees for this and that and higher fees for more experiences.

However, not all popular tourist destinations fail to live up to it’s hype. For example, everything I’ve ever read about the Forbidden City was nothing but praises of beauty and extravagance. Even with high expectations, it still blew me away. I had the same kind of expectation for the Topkapi Palace but it wasn’t what I had hoped for. Maybe my expectations were too high.

It’s a UNESCO World Heritage Site and the former primary residence for the Ottoman Sultans before they moved to the more westernized Dolmabahce Palace on the Bosporus River. The Topkapi Palace became museum for it’s fine example of Ottoman architecture and it’s collection of porcelains, weapons, armors, calligraphic manuscripts and it’s most prized treasure and jewelry.

JC and I bought our entrance tickets and proceeded through the Imperial Gate. It was covered in marble and written with gilded inscriptions over a high arch. The gate led to the first courtyard followed by the Gate of Salutation, which was also richly inscribed with calligraphy.

Imperial Council

The first building that instantly caught my eye was the Imperial Council. You can’t miss it with it’s naturally illuminating gilded exterior. The porch and floor was made entirely of marble. The white and green wooden ceiling was decorated in gold. The exterior walls and entrance was plastered in gilded gold. No other building in the Topkapi Palace that I had seen matched up to the lavishness of this one.

JC and I wandered in and out of the courtyards just to get a feel of the palace. It was grand in size but it didn’t match up to my expectations. Like any other major tourist attractions, swarms of tour groups and visitors filled up the palace as the day progressed. Lines were getting excessively long and visitors were getting impatient.

The Imperial Treasury was one of the main sites of the palace. The line to enter snaked around and around and it moved at a snail’s pace. When we finally got in the air was humid and musky. Swarms of people crowded around the glass windows to get a glimpse of the glistening jewels. I’m not a big fan of things that sparkle but curiousity made me wonder what everyone was drooling over.

View From Topkapi Palace

The one thing that did make me go ga-ga was the view from the balcony. Of course, the photo doesn’t do it justice but I had an amazing front row seat since every one was too busy being enchanged my jewels. I got to enjoyed another one of Mother Nature’s masterpiece.

Tags: Forbidden City, Harem, Istanbul, Istanbul Series, Ottoman Empire, Topkapi Palace, Turkey, UNESCO World Heritage Site
Posted in Turkey | View Comments

Video Special: Street Music In Istanbul

Friday, November 6th, 2009

Tags: Istanbul, Music, Turkey
Posted in Turkey | View Comments

GlobalButterfly: Awesome info! Oh, if I could only turn back the clocks a decade…the things I would do...
The Jetpacker: It's always when you first leave on a trip, but a bitch to return. It's like the airports want...
ericajoh: Not yet! But I'll definitely get in touch when I do have some good stories on volunteering.
Adam: hahah! I love your storytelling style. You had me hooked from the very beginning
Cornelius Aesop: I know that feeling too well, the distance between your gate and customs always seems to be greater...