Researching Turkey, the country not the bird

zukracer

zukracer

I'm somewhere but dont know where
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Well if the rumor mill works out I'm supposed to be heading to Turkey, Istanbul more specifically in Dec. for work. I have been researching online but thought I would see if anyone here had specific knowledge or had been recently. I'm curious about cell service, things to make sure I see/do and of course the things I do NOT want to see/do/have done :laugh:

In theory I'm going through London on the way so that could be a bonus :). Any info you all might have is greatly appreciated.:thumbsup:
 
I ended up going to Izmit, Turkey back in 2000 and had a couple of opportunities to come back to Istanbul for day trips. Trying to stuff a couple weeks worth of sight seeing into a couple days makes for a whirlwind tour. In Istanbul you'll want to see the palace Topkapi Sarayi. You can have a meal there as well. The Basilica Cistern is a must do as well. The Blue Mosque is the mosque to see in Istanbul, but we never made it to it. We went to some others and they are quite impressive structures. So much history is there. The Grand Bazaar is equivalent to an open air shopping area where they have a variety of most local items.

Take cash when touring around the city, the rest rooms took money back in 2000 and they were very few and far between! Guys and gals used the same facilities in lots of places, which took a minute to get used to! Cell phones were on the fringes that far back so I couldn't speak about them with any knowledge.

The people there were extremely welcoming and had a work ethic that I fear the US has lost. They took pride in their work and it showed. They were paid peanuts by comparison to an equivalent US based job. I was at a tire cord manufacturing facility. They made the polymer material for the tire cords.

Looking over my pics, all I can say is 12 years was a long time ago. You should have a great time.

The local landscape
Picture31.jpg


Out my hotel window in Izmit
Picture12.jpg


Me and the Mrs at one of the mosques
Picture24.jpg


The same at the Cistern
Picture13.jpg


My buddy Leo who ended up with an nice chess set and some pipes at the Bazaar

Picture29.jpg
 
Is your current job sending you to Turkey or will you be heading to Turkey to assume new employment?
 
heard LOTS of good things about tourist travel to Turkey: people, food, history, etc.
 
We used to have a member from Turkey who had some amazing motorcycles, and and an amazing camera. I think he was a member of "Turkish Riders" or something with a similar name. UPDATE: go to Advanced Search, and search the user "Guclu." Not sure if he's still around, but he mentions his group, so maybe you can contact him there.
 
Tufbusa said:
Is your current job sending you to Turkey or will you be heading to Turkey to assume new employment?
Click to expand...

Current job is sending me. We have a few opportunities there so two of us are heading over to explore things. If all goes well I might find myself there more often. :thumbsup:
 
05 Busa LE said:
We used to have a member from Turkey who had some amazing motorcycles, and and an amazing camera. I think he was a member of "Turkish Riders" or something with a similar name. UPDATE: go to Advanced Search, and search the user "Guclu." Not sure if he's still around, but he mentions his group, so maybe you can contact him there.
Click to expand...

good point above. I think this member (kameraman) is also from TURKEY: https://www.hayabusa.org/forum/general-bike-related-topics/165908-drag-istanbulpark-photos.html
 
Twobrothersbusa said:
I ended up going to Izmit, Turkey back in 2000 and had a couple of opportunities to come back to Istanbul for day trips. Trying to stuff a couple weeks worth of sight seeing into a couple days makes for a whirlwind tour. In Istanbul you'll want to see the palace Topkapi Sarayi. You can have a meal there as well. The Basilica Cistern is a must do as well. The Blue Mosque is the mosque to see in Istanbul, but we never made it to it. We went to some others and they are quite impressive structures. So much history is there. The Grand Bazaar is equivalent to an open air shopping area where they have a variety of most local items.

Take cash when touring around the city, the rest rooms took money back in 2000 and they were very few and far between! Guys and gals used the same facilities in lots of places, which took a minute to get used to! Cell phones were on the fringes that far back so I couldn't speak about them with any knowledge.

The people there were extremely welcoming and had a work ethic that I fear the US has lost. They took pride in their work and it showed. They were paid peanuts by comparison to an equivalent US based job. I was at a tire cord manufacturing facility. They made the polymer material for the tire cords.

Looking over my pics, all I can say is 12 years was a long time ago. You should have a great time.

The local landscape
Picture31.jpg


Out my hotel window in Izmit
Picture12.jpg


Me and the Mrs at one of the mosques
Picture24.jpg


The same at the Cistern
Picture13.jpg


My buddy Leo who ended up with an nice chess set and some pipes at the Bazaar

Picture29.jpg
Click to expand...

Awesome pics :thumbsup: thanks for the info, I'm hoping we have a few days to sneak in some tours or something. I was toying with taking an extra bag to haul home purchases but not sure what to expect to find. I know if we stop in London on the way, I will wind up having to buy some stuff there. Since the currently proposed dates bring me home Dec22 I'm hoping I can score some cool presents.
 
The one thing I have found so far is that if I was to use a cell phone there I have to register the phone with the government. They say its to cut down on terrorist stuff but seems you can only register one every year or two.
 
Kameraman is in Istanbul. I've spoken to him a couple times.
Take bags for goodies. Get ready to eat :)

Places to see:
Hagia Sophia - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
http://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Topkapı_Palace
Grand Bazaar, Istanbul - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

One of the best things to do is take the cruise around the straight.
Bosphorus - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Really one of the nicest ways to see the sights. Take afternoon so you can see the place lit up.

Enjoy. I've got pics but none digital.
 
Is there anything specifically they are known for that people buy and bring/smuggle back :whistle: I will likely wind up packing a soft side duffle bag that will get used to carry on goodies. I read that booze is a bit pricey there, not a huge drinker so probably less of an issue but I'm curious about bringing it in/through. I will almost certainly have a bottle or 3 of whisky from the UK with me and do not want to get screwed over by the Turkish immigration folks.
 
I just saw the movie Taken 2, its set in turkey. I suspect you'll be kidnapped by a Romanain mobster help bent on revenge for his dead son, Enjoy. :thumbsup:
 
Yeah my smuggling isn't drug related, more like exceeding value or quantity of an item :laugh: I mean I guess I could smuggle twinkles and ho hos into these places :whistle:
 
Rooster Rider007 said:
I just saw the movie Taken 2, its set in turkey. I suspect you'll be kidnapped by a Romanain mobster help bent on revenge for his dead son, Enjoy. :thumbsup:
Click to expand...

Lol. I suspect that could be the case, though the CEO of the local company we are scheduled to be with during our time is hopefully a better target :laugh:
 
My besty at the hotel...I so wanted him to be able to come to the US. I gave him my CD player with earphones with my assortment of CDs...Keep in mind it was 2000 not 2012. He LOVED them. What a great guy, I still miss him today.

Picture6.jpg
 
Twobrothersbusa said:
My besty at the hotel...I so wanted him to be able to come to the US. I gave him my CD player with earphones with my assortment of CDs...Keep in mind it was 2000 not 2012. He LOVED them. What a great guy, I still miss him today.
Click to expand...

Do you still keep in touch with him? If we wind up going, I'm hoping for a Marriott property unless we cannot find one near where we are going. What hotel did you stay at, do you recall?

Looks like I can get some Turkey money from Bank of America for about .05 over current market value. Seems like they charge 10% for all currencies but I can load the wallet prior to departure :thumbsup:
 
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