Istanbul

I enjoyed a döner kebab upon arrival and met my Couchsurf host. We went out for a typical Turkish night of eating, drinking, and talking that lasted 5 hours. My host and two friends came back that night to music in the living room (where my couch to sleep was) until 3am. What a fun, interesting (& sleepless) night!

I hurried around the city and walked 15 miles the next day to see the main sites, eat some food, and meet with a local. This was the second time I’ve ever been inside a mosque (first time was in Izmir). I really enjoyed walking around Istanbul and would like to return. I recommend that if someone visits there, he or she goes for at least 3 days. There is a lot to see and absorb and doing that in a short time can be hard.

Duration

2 days

Accommodation

Couchsurfing (2 nights)

Favorite Food

Lamb, lentils, salad, and pita bread

Favorite Site

Blue mosque

Cool Person I Met

Niko. Niko was my Couchsurfing host and is studying music at the Istanbul University. He has a passion for musical healing by teaching refugees how to play instruments. He even invented an all-in-one musical instrument, designed for someone with little musical experience to play. He’s a very “chill” guy.

Highlight

Eating mezze (finger food) and drinking Raki (Turkish liquor) with new friends for almost 5 hours

Big Takeaway

Traveling isn’t always easy. It is a wonderful break from the daily grind and is refreshing to experience a new environment, but planning becomes a necessary evil. I left Istanbul not fully satisfied because the two days I spent were full of travel stressors and not enough time to get a proper taste of the city. Since I don’t know if I’ll ever come back to the city, I spent hours researching sights, culture, food, etc. and spent time coordinating to meet with locals. Travel days are also exhausting, especially when I leave for some new city every three days. Traveling can be considered work, even though you’re not getting paid!  It’s absolutely worth it and I would’ve have it any other way.

Furthermore, I see a difference between tourists and travelers. A tourist is someone who may spend their one week of vacation a year in a city to see the sights and relax. Maybe this person brings their family, stays in a comfortable hotel, and purchases expensive excursions. The traveler wants to live like a local on a budget. They may Couchsurf or stay in a hostel, eat local foods, spend time with local people, see some sights, and walk all over the city. I think the traveler is an adventurer and the tourist is a spectator. I am a traveler through Europe and Asia!

Your Turn

Share a difficult traveling experience and what you’ve learned.

How would you define a tourist and a traveler?