Greetings from Istanbul, Turkey!

Whenever someone asks what my favorite country is, the best I can do is narrow it down to three. Sometimes my answers change, but Turkey always makes the cut.

So I’m thrilled to begin sharing my Turkey journey this week, starting with the capital city Istanbul.

Even from the air, Istanbul looks magical. It’s right on the sea of Marmara, which is adjacent to the Aegean, which is adjacent to the Mediterranean. Plus the impressive Bosphorus River divides the city, making for pretty water views all around.

We’re staying at the Conrad Hotel up the river for a few nights until my uncle and sister return to the States, at which point I’ll relocate to a popular hostel near the Blue Mosque. But for now my sister and I get to share this room… quite the upgrade from my usual hostel dorm bed:

After settling in at the hotel, we grab a late lunch at an upscale restaurant overlooking the water. The sunset views are spectacular looking back towards the main part of Istanbul — see all those mosques dotting the skyline?

There are birds everywhere…

Fueled by our late lunch, we walk well into the evening.

My first impressions are that Istanbul is unlike anything I’ve seen before — it’s a unique blend of Europe and the Middle East, with the Call to Prayer echoing down charming cobblestone streets. I’m smitten already.

My sister is a fan of secret stair walks in Los Angeles. While these rainbow steps don’t exactly fly under the radar, she gets a kick out of them.

We stumble on this photo gallery featuring images of Azerbaijan.

BOOM, Azerbaijan just went on my must-visit list. These photos are magnificent.

This exhibit has been through Paris, London, Berlin, Brussels, and more. I’m so glad we happened upon it in Istanbul.

I realize it’s a little weird that I’m sharing photos of photos, but they’re so impressive I can’t help it. Perhaps it’ll convince you to join me in Azerbaijan one day?

Okay, back to our adventures in Istanbul.

The next day we visit two important mosques — Suleymaniye and the Blue Mosque — which I’ll write more about tomorrow. But we also stop at the Basilica Cistern, conveniently located in the heart of Istanbul.

We descend underground and explore for about 20 minutes. It doesn’t take long, but it’s pretty to photograph. I’m a sucker for low light and exposed brick.

The Basilica Cistern is the largest of several hundreds of ancient cisterns that lie underneath Istanbul.

Fish!

This is one of the Medusa head statues…

… and this is the other:

We also visit Topkapi Palace and Hagia Sophia but — you guessed it — I’ll share those exquisite photos in a separate post.

On our last afternoon together, my sister and I head to Taksim Square. This is where riots occurred a few months earlier, with hundreds of thousands of people filling this square. Today it’s quiet.

Here’s Bethany, my Istanbul partner in crime:

We grab an afternoon snack at a nearby bakery… they seem to be on every corner here, which is convenient but also terrible for my waistline. We sample Turkish delight, baklava, and a few other goodies.

Before I forget, this place has the BEST baklava in Istanbul. It’s near the Grand Bazaar and I can’t get enough of it.

Here’s some walnut baklava and chocolate pistachio baklava I enjoy during my final days in Istanbul. I’m drooling just looking at these photos.

We don’t sample this tea, but vendors are selling it all over — it’s got milk, honey, orchid bud, vanilla, cream, cinnamon, and spices.

Did you know that Turkey is part of both Europe and Asia? Istanbul itself is located on both continents. We’re staying on the Europe side, but Asia is right across the river. My sister wants to set foot in Asia for the first time so we hop on a ferry and voilà — new continent.

A few more shots from our strolls in Istanbul…

I visit the Istanbul Modern art museum on my final day here.

Did I mention that Starbucks has locations in Turkey? This is a big deal because other coffee places don’t often carry soy, and I have a milk allergy. Plus it’s nearly Christmas time and I’m thrilled to drink from my first red cup of the season, which my friends in the States have been Instagramming for weeks.

I spend a few nights at the Bahaus Hostel and I’m so impressed with their helpful reception desk and free activities and meals on certain nights.

PLUS they have the greatest invention ever: this contraption on the wall holds essential items, which is super handy if you have the top bunk. Bonus points for hanging it next to the outlet so guests can leave their charging iPhones there overnight. Seriously, I’ve tried rigging bags of my own in other hostels just to keep my valuables and lip balm next to me at night. This one is perfect!