"For memory"

[emperorsr]

Dear N Architect

Your TR pulled me out of Lurkerdom.

I was puzzled by some of the responses by some of the SQTalkers. I did not get a chance to read the posts that were deleted. I suppose that would have explain lots. But hey, if it got too spicy, then yeah it is prob better on a blog haha.

However, I did read your summarized experiences in BUD. And I applaud you for the courage to write about it.

A year ago, I was in IST. And let's just say that what happens in BUD happens in IST. Let's just also say that the scams are very well rehearsed and practiced and yes the police are involved too. And so even if you think yourself to be a savvy world traveler, it can happen to you. Even if you are a Friend of Dorothy (go figure). Somehow for better or worse, they don't discriminate who they target.

An expat friend in IST told me I was lucky to be alive.

Yes you did not lose a kidney. And it is something to be thankful and to learn from. Til today, that experience in IST is prob the worst in all my years of traveling. I felt violated and in a rare moment, powerless, on many levels, and it still strikes fear when memory recalls the events.

If there is a vague upside: it could have been worse. Also, for me it is a story to pass to others. It is not yet another story from me about how fabulous my flights were or how the exec lounge girls were sooo nice. Life sometimes throws you curve balls, and it would be these that help you define who you are.

If this TR is different, I guess it is something to learn vicariously from. So thank you for writing, and posting such great pictures. It takes strength to expose oneself in an open forum at the risk of being judged (not that that happened here). I for one, and I am sure there are many others, appreciate your candor.

Be well.

[KeithMEL]

Love the lighting effects in post 57!

[9V-SIA]

Love the TR. Great pictures.

Thanks for sharing

Plan to visit Istanbul soon

[N_Architect]

Love the TR. Great pictures.

Thanks for sharing

Plan to visit Istanbul soon

Thanks, IST is a very beautiful city, you'll love it...

[leo]

the IC in budapest seem rather mediocre (standard rooms i mean) for the kind of rates they are charging... I stayed at the Le Meridien and it was super with floor to ceiling windows, lovely furnishing and a super-sized bathroom and tub and shower.

[phaleesy]

[/IMG]

Nearly two years and the renovation is still going on.

Hmmm.... just had a look again... the renovation is at the opposite quadrant now.

[phaleesy]

Very nice pics. Were they all long exposures? Did you have a tripod with you? Are tripods allowed here? My tripod was taken from me in Hagia.

Where in the cistern were the pictures taken? Was it terribly crowded?


I am assuming you were standing on the edge somewhere or some platform, hence there were no pesky heads in front of you?

[phaleesy]

Blue Mosque

Are tripods allowed in the Blue Mosque?

I think it's open nearly 24 hours a day, so I might have a wander round in the early morning or late at night.

I've seen some pictures of the exterior of the Blue Mosque where it actually has a bluish tinge. I don't know the kind of lighting conditions (dusk?) the photos were taken or whether they've photoshopped it.

I have posted a question regarding the Blue Mosque in SQFG's IST TR. I would like to have your advice about this. Thanks!

[phaleesy]

Coming back to the photo details, as per phaleesy's request:

That picture is an 8 seconds exposure, f/4.3, ISO 200, manual exposure, no exposure compensation, camera Ricoh GX100. This is the original, in 640 resolution size:

I'd really like a full frontal view of the bridge too! Whereabouts on the bosphorus was the restaurant?

Did you manage to see the view from the top of the Galata Tower? Just wondering what I could see from up there and what assortment of lenses I should bring. Can't bring my 300mm lens, since it's too bulky and heavy for travel, hence reserved for animal shots only. My 70-200mm would only give me 400mm with the x2 converter. I wish I had a porter to carry my camera equipment around!

[phaleesy]

I thought we could hijack this thread and continue our discussion here.

May I hazard a guess at http://www.talkphotography.co.uk?

we're hijacking the thread now, aren't we? that's not nice

no, Sir nickbot, you're far away from what has had me addicted in the last six months; first forum and gear addiction was dpreview (back in '04), then SQTalk came in '07, and now we have (have had I should say) this , this and also this .

My guess was similar to nickbot. So we were both wrong!

But, I know someone who was too afraid to open the links you provided at work, in case they were links to some naughty websites.

But how could one be addicted to shaving products and fountain pen forums for six whole months? My addiction to the Nikon D3 lasted a maximum period of six months, perhaps slightly less.

Don't know how you find the photography forum, nickbot. But I'm addicted to the Canon forum at the moment. Great stuff on there. You should check it out too, N_Architect.

[Kyo]

Did you manage to see the view from the top of the Galata Tower? Just wondering what I could see from up there and what assortment of lenses I should bring.

I managed to go up (quite accidentally, it wasn't one of the points on my checklist) on my last visit and it's well worth going in the late afternoon before dusk and watching the colours change. Very easy to get to, just keep walking down Taksim and you'll hit it eventually. You can really see just about everything from up there, very impressive that it was built aaaages ago. Bosphorus views for sure.

I have some photos but I need to find them...

[N_Architect]

Ok, 999th post....

First of all, on the renovation of Aghia Sophia. I guess it is still on, and has attracted plenty of media attention in Turkey from time to time. It has been on for quite some time. Three days ago the renovation at the Acropolis in Athens, Greece (i.e. in the Parthenon) was finally, after twenty some years if I am not mistake, completed. Therefore there lies a very good opportunity to visit that amazing monument.

My pictures in the Basilica Cistern were taken with my small Ricoh GX100. This was the only camera I had with me while I was in Budapest. As you will see if you go there (or as you will know if you have already been there) there are short concrete 'walls' (sorry but do not know the word in English) right all around the water area, so that people can lean on them and observe the waters. I placed the camera over there, the width is more than enough for the camera to sit well, put the dial in 'timer' mode shot, adjusted aperture and speed and bingo.

So, yes, correct, edge of some platform, no pesky heads in front of me.









Now, moving on: Blue Mosque. I do not know if it is open 24 hrs a day, I do not know if tripods are allowed in, and I did not enter the Mosque when I visited. Generally speaking I do not like taking my shoes off when entering places, I find it a great inconvenience, but especially in Turkey I do not like to visit such places. Call me prejudiced for my own reasons, but this is what I believe so I therefore practice accordingly.









Moving on, the restaurant near Bosphorous bridge. We went there on a boat tour, came back to the hotel with buses that were waiting for us outside that restaurant. Will ask the name of the restaurant and let you know. I did not go at the top of Galata tower, so no opinion there.





Finally, on the forums comments: I guess I have given the impression that I am a guy who visits such naughty forums, right? This is not actually the case, but I don't blame you since perhaps I have given this impression so far with what I've written and PMed as well.

Shaving and grooming in general are nice to spend an appropriate amount of time playing with. Variety is the spice of life and having/using a number of different shaving creams, soaps, brushes, razors, after shave lotions & balms and also EdTs is a nice way to start your day after a nice shower and shave (and I don't shave every day, but still using toners and moisturizers is good).

Some people will wear, use and eat anything. They will also fly anything. Do you? I don't. To me it makes a difference if I fly SQ or EK. I was saying this to a friend who is technical director in a Greek shipping company and he told me "you're a lunatic - I fly back and forth to Asia in J with any good airline." He used to drive a Boxster and last year he got upgraded to a 911 Carrera 2. Why doesn't he get a Hyundai, I wonder, in the same way he flies EK? He doesn't. So people have preferences, some of them have few while others are very picky in almost everything.

There are people who just go to their local supermarket and get canned foam made by Gillette to get a shave. Then after shaving they wipe their face clean or use some supermarket product again as 'after shave'. If you dare to look at the ingredients list all these things have, more or less the only thing you'll find in them are parabens and all sorts of other unhealthy stuff. While I cannot say that all the stuff I currently use is paraben-free, I do use reasonably priced but excellent quality products that are almost as common to find (if you do know where to find them) and much more enjoyable to use (in their scent, efficacy, lathering, heat & water retention and moistuizing abilities, depending on the type of product we're talking about.)

Same applies for perfumes. Many of these mainstream perfumes we all use (most of the supposedly good stuff sold in Duty Free Shops) are not that good with respect to the ingredients they contain and also not that special with respect to the actual scent they give out. On the other hand there are perfumes that are true classics and are highly undervalued and also go unnoticed. But you need to search and find them. If you just go to the shops and all you see is Calvin Klein, Chanel, Gucci and the rest of the gang, you're gonna have to choose something out of those. In how many shops can I find Acqua di Parma? Creed? In not that many, I believe.

A forum I forgot to mention is basenotes.net - very good on perfumes.

Phew, that was a bit of writing for a Thu am at work.

[phaleesy]

I managed to go up (quite accidentally, it wasn't one of the points on my checklist) on my last visit and it's well worth going in the late afternoon before dusk and watching the colours change. Very easy to get to, just keep walking down Taksim and you'll hit it eventually. You can really see just about everything from up there, very impressive that it was built aaaages ago. Bosphorus views for sure.

I have some photos but I need to find them...

Was it a long walk from Taksim? I've not been to Taksim and I don't think I'd bother with it this time either.

Is there a lift to go up to the viewing platform? Is there space to put a tripod? A 300mm and a x2 converter would be an overkill? I don't fancy climbing up to the top with all that equipment.

I thought there's a restaurant on the top. So where exactly is the viewing area? Wondering what the opening hours are. Sunset this weekend is about 2028-2030. Not ideal really since that's dinner time!

So now I have to wake up very early for dawn (0530), and stay up late for sunset and dinner. Me thinks I need a nice long nap in the afternoon. Don't like the Park Hyatt's location because it's in the middle of nowhere. I can't pop out of the hotel to various tourist attractions, then pop back in for a rest, then out again that easily.

[Kyo]

Was it a long walk from Taksim? I've not been to Taksim and I don't think I'd bother with it this time either.

Is there a lift to go up to the viewing platform? Is there space to put a tripod? A 300mm and a x2 converter would be an overkill? I don't fancy climbing up to the top with all that equipment.

I thought there's a restaurant on the top. So where exactly is the viewing area? Wondering what the opening hours are. Sunset this weekend is about 2028-2030. Not ideal really since that's dinner time!

So now I have to wake up very early for dawn (0530), and stay up late for sunset and dinner. Me thinks I need a nice long nap in the afternoon. Don't like the Park Hyatt's location because it's in the middle of nowhere. I can't pop out of the hotel to various tourist attractions, then pop back in for a rest, then out again that easily.

To not go to Taksim Place (in my opinion) is to not go to Istanbul. It's at its liveliest at the late afternoon and I LOVE going there. It really makes me feel like I'm immersed in the life of the city. Nothing beats the feeling of avoiding the clanging trams going down the main street (which leads straight to the Galata, after a 15 mins walk straight down at a slow pace) either. The restaurants abound on the side alleys; there's a fantastic tripe-soup place that Kemal introduced me to that you'd probably never enter of your own accord! Lovely seafood and fish cooked to order in the evening... little shops selling Turkish delight, ice-cream sellers throwing ice-cream into the air... there is NOTHING like it. I fell in love with Istanbul the moment I saw it. No trip to Istanbul is complete for me if I don't visit Taksim Place (well, I've only been there twice but still!)

Galata: Lift - yes, there is. You needn't worry. Tripod - difficult. Better to use monopod. The ledge is about 3/4s of my arm's length (i.e. not alot), and it is very narrow... enough for two (normal-sized people) to suck their stomachs in as they pass each other. Clunky photographic equipment... you could probably get away with it. It depends how dedicated you are. The view is so, so, so worth it - you're probably gonna miss it if you just focus on photographs. But it's spectacular. The air whooshing around you. The sound of the bustle below. The vessels sailing through the waterways around the city. Seeing the sides of two continents merge. Hearing the evening prayers across the city, seeing the Bosphorus. I'm gushing now...

There's a reason I recommend this city to everyone along with Barcelona... they are definitely my two most favourite places in Europe (yes, Turkey for me qualifies as 'Europe' also... hehe). IST is also a very convenient spot for transits on a reasonable airline who doesn't block *A awards...

The restaurant is surrounded by the ledge I refer to above. I didn't eat there as it looked rather pretentious, and I like trying the more 'rough and tumble', local, rustic food...

[phaleesy]

Three days ago the renovation at the Acropolis in Athens, Greece (i.e. in the Parthenon) was finally, after twenty some years if I am not mistake, completed.

As you will see if you go there (or as you will know if you have already been there) there are short concrete 'walls' (sorry but do not know the word in English) right all around the water area, so that people can lean on them and observe the waters. I placed the camera over there, the width is more than enough for the camera to sit well,

Moving on, the restaurant near Bosphorous bridge. We went there on a boat tour, came back to the hotel with buses that were waiting for us outside that restaurant. Will ask the name of the restaurant and let you know.

Finally, on the forums comments: I guess I have given the impression that I am a guy who visits such naughty forums, right? This is not actually the case, but I don't blame you since perhaps I have given this impression so far with what I've written and PMed as well.

Shaving and grooming in general are nice to spend an appropriate amount of time playing with.
Same applies for perfumes. Many of these mainstream perfumes we all use (most of the supposedly good stuff sold in Duty Free Shops) are not that good with respect to the ingredients they contain and also not that special with respect to the actual scent they give out.

A forum I forgot to mention is basenotes.net - very good on perfumes.

Phew, that was a bit of writing for a Thu am at work.

I was at the Acropolis in the 1990s and there was indeed renovation work. I did not like Athens because of the dishonest taxi drivers. Are they still the same now?

I have not been to the Cistern. There was a very long queue. How wide are these concrete walls? Can I put a 5D with a wide angle on the wall and hope that they don't drop into the waters?

Please do let me know the name/address of the restaurant. I do not intend to eat there but I would like to know the location/port that you took the picture from, so I could have a wander round the waterfront and get the same view of the bridge. It's no good taking pictures of the bridge in the boat because of movement.

I'm not the one who thinks the links go to naughty forums! I thought I'd be clicking to links for photography, gadgets and equipment.

I'm too busy with my other interests to pay much attention to grooming. We're very lazy people. My mom shaves her Yorkshire terrier till he's practically hairless so that we don't have to worry about grooming him. Our previous dogs have very little fur too.

Don't pay much attention to perfume either. I like Coco only. Basenotes - I thought it's some choir or musical forum!