Old Men

Its fascinating to imagine what men such as these have seen in their lives. They have been fortunate enough to endure to old age and their weathered faces reflect those years. How many other men their age are now gone, returned to the earth? How many others are still alive but wish they were not? Does regret gnaw at their souls, or are they satisfied with the path they chose?

Findikli

This is the view looking down from the balcony at "the birds nest." The lights on the ground floor of the building shown are of an extremely nice dining establishment. One night last December, I had fallen a sleep on my couch and was suddenly awoken by screaming and the sound of broken bottles. In a daze, I jumped up and opened the window, gazing downward I saw a brawl between eighteen men, I counted each and every one of them. Most of the men were on the winning side, a couple unfortunate souls got beat down pretty bad but were eventually pulled back into the restaurant with everyone else. About half an hour later, I heard more screaming and it was some of the men previously involved in the brawl leaving the restaurant.

Tavla, Cai and Heavy Metal

Tavla is the Turkish word for backgammon, which is the game of choice for almost every Turk. Cai is tea, below is "cai normal," the tea drunk by most Turks on a daily basis. Other teas exist, and some are sweet and soothing and worth the extra lira or two. Luckily for me, I know a cai expert from Vienna who is always making a perfect cai.

The cai garden where I was playing tavla with friends is a popular hang out spot for University students and other youth. Hard rock and heavy metal music is king at this cai garden, a fun time can be had by all.

Great Table

My good friend Tim found this great old safe in Cukurcuma, the antique area of Beyoglu. He incorporated it as an end table into his flat know as "the rat hole" quite nicely.

Clyde

For about two weeks I had a pet cat named Clyde. He would usually come to the balcony and meow for milk and tuna when it was raining out. Some good friends of mine had a cat living outside their place named Bonny, so my roommate proposed we name him Clyde. He was the epitome of ferel, any time I tried to pet him he would either jump back and run or jump at me with his claws and teeth aimed straight at my hand.

How Clyde was able to reach my fifth floor penthouse balcony, also known as "the birds nest," remains an enigma. I guess that cats will risk life and limb for a nice meal of milk and tuna and the chance to claw a hand to smithereens. Clyde stopped coming around after a couple weeks, I think he found an easier meal a couple of floors down.

Crossing to and from

The Bosporus is lined with boats, ships and other types of vessels. Crossing between Europe and Asia is extremely simple and efficient. The smaller boats are the most fun because you are right on the water, which is a great vantage point to enjoy the view both of the Bosporus and the land.

Balik

This is the first fish restaurant I dined at in Istanbul. Tables are spread all about, in between crumbling buildings and on top of the dirt ground. Hungry alley cats scavenge for scraps that may be dropped by those taking pity on their plight. Its also not uncommon for them to stretch up on the side of your chair and give you a little nudge if you are ignoring them. Hence, everyone ends up feeding them.

My good friend Alexandra led a group of us here after my first adventure through the Grand Bazaar. Although the fish lack seasoning which affects flavor, the final product was tender and delicious. After we paid the bill, we went for a stroll in the tool bazaar and after about fifteen minutes our waiter appeared and charged me with not paying for my meal. Luckily, two Turkish friends set him straight and set him on his way. We were then able to continue admiring shop after shop filled with nothing but tools and other construction materials, no need for home depot in Istanbul.

cola turka

The rumors are true, cola turka is for the time being the official sponsor of Down in the Bul. Crack one open and mix it in with your favorite raki, although that may be frowned upon by every self respecting Turk this side of Kars...