My travel agent is doing his best to convince to me to stay and play in Istanbul on my way into Dushanbe, but I’m on a mission. I have to get in and out of Tajikistan in a reasonable amount of time. Yet, this Nat Geo guide to spending 48 hrs in the city is making it much more tempting than I thought. My layover will permit me to feast on Turkish fare onto of a roof or soak in a Turkish bath, but the Grand Bazaar I will have to miss. Fooey! Next time around I suppose.
Those of you with a lot more hours to kill than myself should look into Nat Geo’s selection of Istanbul blogs, podcasts, newspapers, magazines, maps, movies, and books that will all help you in creating the most whirling fun-filled Turkish time. Afterwards we can compare notes – your 48 hrs to my 10 or so.