Well I have had the opportunity to visit quite a bit of Istanbul. I went way up north and the area is all brand new, architectural diversity abounds. Neighborhoods are clean, modern, and look like a nice place to live. This City changes personalities every couple of miles.
The only complaint I have against the Istanbul is the shear number of people (14.7 million), and worse, the number of cars on the roads. The City is the fifth largest city in the world with regards to people living within the city borders, and to be honest, the infrastructure is ill equipped to deal with it all. The roads are constantly gridlocked, and pedestrians are spilling off of the sidewalks. Lane sharing is legal in Turkey, or at least not enforced if illegal, so motorcycles have a distinct advantage with regards to beating traffic. Even with the advantage, getting from point A to B can be a hassle. I went on a five mile trip yesterday and it took almost 2 hours to get to where I was going, I am afraid to estimate how long it would take if I were in a car. In response to the congestion, the government is building a state of the art Metro system, so at least the problem is being addressed.
I was heading through old Istanbul earlier in the day and was pulled over by the Police. It was just a spot check and I got sucked up with 5 other motorcycles. As I pulled over, I started to attempt to talk to the police officer to see what he wanted and about two seconds later I feel a pat on my back, I look over and it was another police officer, apparently he saw my Florida plate, and with a big smile he wished me well, and let me go. What makes this even more amazing is that that Turkey-USA relations are strained at the moment, but he could not of been kinder, as everyone has been.
Stage Distance: 0 mi (0 km)
Total Distance Traveled by Motorcycle: 22.526 mi (36,333 km)
Countries/Territories Visited: USA, Mexico, Belize, Guatemala, Honduras, Nicaragua, Costa Rica, Panama, Colombia, Ecuador, Peru, Bolivia, Argentina, Uruguay, Canada, Portugal, Spain, Morocco, Gibraltar, France, Monaco, Italy, Vatican City, San Marino, Slovenia, Austria, Slovakia, Hungary, Czech Republic, Poland, Ukraine, Transnistria, Moldova, Romania, Bulgaria, Serbia, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Croatia, Montenegro, Albania, Kosovo, Macedonia, Greece, Turkey
The only complaint I have against the Istanbul is the shear number of people (14.7 million), and worse, the number of cars on the roads. The City is the fifth largest city in the world with regards to people living within the city borders, and to be honest, the infrastructure is ill equipped to deal with it all. The roads are constantly gridlocked, and pedestrians are spilling off of the sidewalks. Lane sharing is legal in Turkey, or at least not enforced if illegal, so motorcycles have a distinct advantage with regards to beating traffic. Even with the advantage, getting from point A to B can be a hassle. I went on a five mile trip yesterday and it took almost 2 hours to get to where I was going, I am afraid to estimate how long it would take if I were in a car. In response to the congestion, the government is building a state of the art Metro system, so at least the problem is being addressed.
I was heading through old Istanbul earlier in the day and was pulled over by the Police. It was just a spot check and I got sucked up with 5 other motorcycles. As I pulled over, I started to attempt to talk to the police officer to see what he wanted and about two seconds later I feel a pat on my back, I look over and it was another police officer, apparently he saw my Florida plate, and with a big smile he wished me well, and let me go. What makes this even more amazing is that that Turkey-USA relations are strained at the moment, but he could not of been kinder, as everyone has been.
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| Sophia Hagia - Church on the Inside, Mosque on the Outside |
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| Taxsim Square - The Heart of Istanbul |
Total Distance Traveled by Motorcycle: 22.526 mi (36,333 km)
Countries/Territories Visited: USA, Mexico, Belize, Guatemala, Honduras, Nicaragua, Costa Rica, Panama, Colombia, Ecuador, Peru, Bolivia, Argentina, Uruguay, Canada, Portugal, Spain, Morocco, Gibraltar, France, Monaco, Italy, Vatican City, San Marino, Slovenia, Austria, Slovakia, Hungary, Czech Republic, Poland, Ukraine, Transnistria, Moldova, Romania, Bulgaria, Serbia, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Croatia, Montenegro, Albania, Kosovo, Macedonia, Greece, Turkey
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