Saturday off

With today off I figured I'd get in a little sightseeing. I hadn't been to Taksim square yet, so I figured I'd check it out.

After consulting the unfriendly and unhelpful front desk guy at the hotel, I jumped on a bus that seemed to be heading toward Taksim. I used my patented foreign bus travel system. I'll even be gracious enough to share it with you. Step 1: Be the last to board the bus, and watch how people pay. Step 2: Get off whenever there is a mass exodus of people from the bus. Step 3: After getting off the bus search for a high vantage point to figure out where you are. If no such vantage point is available, follow the biggest crowd.

I'm proud to say that my system worked flawlessly...this time. After getting to Taksim I walked over to Istiklal Avenue, which is a classic European walking street. Some cool shops, none of which I entered. This is one of the downsides to being 6'11", clothes shopping is really difficult. Especially in Europe. But still it was cool to check out the walking street. Translated into Enlglish the name of the street is Independence Avenue.

The highlight of my day though had to be lunch. I found a Pizza Hut, and it was great. Well, actually the pizza was mediocre. Not as good as Pizza Hut in the States. But on the plus side it wasn't McDonalds and it wasn't Turkish.

Oh one more cool thing, the avenue has a really old tram service...it started in 1875. Wikipedia say it also has the world's second oldest subway station, but this seems doubtful. It would seem that the 2nd oldest would be near the oldest, but I can't find out where the oldest subway station is. Regardless, it is an old tram.

All in all, Taksim was alright. I mean, really it's just a big square. Istiklal Avenue was interesting, but not the best walking street I've seen. Definitely pales in comparison to Strøget in Copenhagen. Now that's a walking street done right! Whatever that means.