I decided to watch Skyfall again (what can I say, I love James Bond movies) and discovered that the opening sequence takes place in Istanbul! Imagine my excitement when I saw the familiar streets James Bond and his nemesis raced through. They even took a quick ride through the Grand Bazaar. The Grand Bazaar is only a 10 minute walk from my hotel, and I was thrilled to recognize it in the movie.

Speaking of the Grand Bazaar, I decided to revisit the very, very old and unusual mall. It is indeed a 10 minute walk from my hotel, and when I recalled that a taksi driver charged me $10 to take me there, my blood almost boils … but that’s the past, and won’t happen in the now. I walked, and the walk was ALL uphill. But I did take notice that there is a major transportation hub, with taxis, buses, and the city tram all crowded together. I have been told that I can get almost anywhere in the city on the tram.

After my uphill walk, I had to stop and get some freshly squeezed pomegranate juice ($2.00). One nuts vendor offered me some hazelnuts to throw into my juice, a common way that Turkish people drink the juice.

I made it to the Bazaar and back to my hotel unscathed. I am getting more and more comfortable here. Ahhhhh.

The Hill!

The Relief