When I first arrived in Istanbul, I passed by the Sea of ​​Marmara and was once again deeply impressed by the azure blue waters. Why is the sea near the Mediterranean so blue? Sailboats and various ships sailing on the sea, combined with the pure sea water, form a beautiful scenery.

The place where Nalan Shiqi and Yunluo had dinner was on the upper floor of a department store. This type of department store is very common in China. Goods are sold downstairs, and the top floor is surrounded by restaurants.

Because there are not many Chinese people in Istanbul, there are not as many Chinese restaurants as in Europe, and the taste is relatively worse. The owners of the Chinese restaurant chains here are surprisingly... As expected, they can be found all over the world and are hard to get rid of.

Seeing such cars, houses and various street scenes, if it weren't for the appearance of the passers-by, I would really feel that I had arrived in a northern city in China. Yun Luo kept sighing along the way.

Couldn't this guy... In short, apart from the faces of obviously different races that kept appearing in front of him, reminding Yun Luo that this was really Turkey, he really didn't feel any exotic atmosphere from other aspects.

When Nalan Shiqi and Yunluo came from Egypt, where there were basically no department stores, to Turkey, where the level of commercialization had significantly increased, everyone's desire to shop suddenly increased. On the way back to the hotel, regardless of the limited working hours of the tour guide and driver serving Nalan Shiqi and Yunluo in Istanbul.

They kept asking the tour guide to stop the car to let Nalan Shiqi and Yunluo go shopping. Finally, they couldn't stand Nalan Shiqi and Yunluo's nagging anymore and had to stop at a roadside shopping mall, giving Nalan Shiqi and Yunluo a little more shopping time. So Nalan Shiqi and Yunluo's first stop in Istanbul was to visit the large home improvement market and large supermarket - Carrefour.

As the sun sets, modern buildings reflect the fading sunlight, forming a beautiful picture similar to a 3D architectural design. The things sold in supermarkets best represent the general needs of a city.

Yunluo was surprised to see a huge bag of Lipton black tea, with many unheard of flavors!!! Yunluo, a black tea lover, really wanted to take a few bags home. But I didn’t bring my credit card with me at that time!!! Although it was a pity, I had to give up...

Due to a little delay on the road, we encountered a big traffic jam on the way back. Many people in China complained about the serious traffic jams, but when we arrived in Istanbul, we knew what it meant to be really jammed. What is more interesting is that when traffic jams become a habit, people's mentality will change a lot, and the people in the car seem to be very optimistic.

Many small vendors were weaving in and out of the stagnant traffic. The most amazing thing was that in addition to selling drinks, food and tissues, many people were also selling flowers. How could anyone still be in the mood to buy flowers in such a severe traffic jam?

This is impossible to see in China. Chinese people are always in a hurry to do things. They are always on the road. When they encounter obstacles, they panic. However, Turkish people seem to know how to enjoy life and go with the flow. Yunluo really appreciates this calm and optimistic attitude. Life is just like this. Why be so impetuous? No matter how bad the situation is, there are always some advantages. What's more, it's just a small traffic jam.

The lobby of the Sheraton Hotel where Nalan Shiqi and Yunluo stayed. They live-streamed their trips to Egypt and Turkey in the lobby of the hotel. There are also special seats for Internet surfers next to the bar.

Everything is good, but the hotel is located in the suburbs, with only a few small company office buildings next to it. There is not only no shopping mall, but also no 24-hour convenience store. I suddenly miss the 7-11 in Japan...

The small beverage bar in the hotel room. There are style cups, portable paper cups, and various teas and coffees. In Cairo and Istanbul, I drank tea of ​​different flavors at night. No matter how special the flavor is, it tastes especially good as long as enough sugar is added. It's full of happiness. The bed in the hotel is also very comfortable and I can sleep well. The Turks really know how to enjoy themselves.

The trip to Istanbul officially started the next day. At the strong request of Nalan Shiqi and Yunluo, the tour leader and tour guide took Nalan Shiqi and Yunluo to set off one hour in advance. However, the one hour they had worked hard to gain did not allow Nalan Shiqi and Yunluo to visit more attractions, as all the visiting times had been arranged by the travel agency.

Nalan Shiqi and Yunluo could only use the extra free time to wander around the dock square in the morning, take pictures of the Dome of the Rock, the local breakfast food and the Turks waiting for work at the bus stop, making Nalan Shiqi and Yunluo's itinerary more like a free travel. The slow pace of the trip made Nalan Shiqi and Yunluo feel no sense of urgency of a group tour.

Perhaps this is also the unique style of Turkish travel agencies in arrangements. Traveling should be neither hurried nor slow so that you can fully enjoy the process.

Traffic jams are serious in Istanbul, so most people will take public transportation if they are in a hurry. Because it is an ancient city, it is said that there are ancient monuments everywhere underground, so it is not suitable for building a subway.

The unobstructed, fast and convenient light rail has become the first choice for public transportation. This is similar to the BRT in Xiamen, which is located in the middle of the road, but does not affect the appearance at all. It just troubles private cars, who have to go a long way to cross the street.

The cats in Turkey are obviously more delicate in appearance. The rural cats here are more beautiful than purebred cats when transported to China. Every posture of them is so cute, which makes Yunluo more determined to raise a cat to accompany him for the rest of his life.

In the morning, at the bus stop at the pier, I really like the design of their waiting space. It is windproof on both sides, covered with advertisements and just the right shade. But it’s a bit troublesome that I don’t know how to read the bus stop sign.

It was difficult to find a map with marked routes, but the map only showed the entire traffic route of Istanbul, which was really difficult for Yunluo, a Chinese traveler who didn't know Turkish and was used to clearly marked stations...

Istanbul Ferry Terminal Square. 98% of the people in Istanbul believe in Islam, and various mosques can be seen everywhere. However, the Muslims here are not as pious as the Arabs in Egypt. It is said that not only do they not strictly pray five times a day, but there are also no restrictions on the dress of girls.

Some people actually drink alcohol. Maybe Islam is not as strict as Yunluo imagined. Belief or not does not depend on whether or not you strictly abide by the established rules and regulations. The most important thing is to have God in your heart and to always remember God's teachings and maintain good words and deeds. This is a good thing for both others and yourself.

There are many breakfast stalls in the square. The main food of Westerners is bread and cakes, and this place is no exception. After breakfast, you may have to take a boat or a car to the other side to go to work. Here I finally felt the exotic customs of Turkey more deeply. The cars of the stalls are made to look like mosques and palaces, which are very distinctive.

This is the bridge connecting Asia and Europe. The waters in the middle are the Sea of ​​Marmara. This is the dividing point between Asia and Europe, and the throat of the throat. There are many such bridges across the two banks in Istanbul, allowing cars and pedestrians to travel between Asia and Europe.

The first real attraction for Nalan Shiqi and Yunluo in Istanbul was taking a cruise on the Sea of ​​Marmara to enjoy the scenery on both sides. Although the two sides belong to Asia and Europe, it is still the same city after all, and there are not many differences in the architecture. In fact, in the end, Nalan Shiqi and Yunluo didn't care whether it was in Asia or Europe.

Instead, they focused their attention on the beautiful sea view and some ancient buildings. It was a pity that Nalan Shiqi and Yunluo's tour guide Nancy didn't speak Chinese very well. Moreover, she was from Ankara and was not familiar with Istanbul. She could hardly answer Nalan Shiqi and Yunluo's questions, let alone explain.

There is no mistake in the poem, post, content, and read the book on 6, 9, and bar!

In addition, there was no Chinese language in the broadcasts on the ship, so many famous buildings could only flash by, and there was no way to understand the stories behind them. Yunluo decisively realized that he must not relax his pre-trip preparations just because he was traveling with a tour group, otherwise he would feel quite dry when visiting the historical and cultural ancient city, just like the feeling of looking at delicious food but not being able to taste it.

The friendly uncle selling drinks on the cruise ship stopped to take pictures when he saw Yunluo holding up the camera. The black tea here is 1 lira and the orange juice is 3 lira, and the taste is very good. The black tea will taste a bit strange without sugar, but like in Egypt, the Turks are not stingy with sugar. After adding it, the taste immediately becomes better, and a feeling of happiness arises spontaneously.

During the cruise on the Bosphorus, Yunlu saw many wonderful sights. He almost never let go of his camera and kept pressing the shutter whenever he saw new scenery.

In fact, I don’t know the origins of many buildings at the moment. The descriptions of them were written after I read books or looked up relevant information on the Internet. If I have the opportunity to come again next time, I will definitely learn from the Turks on the boat and stop taking pictures all the time. I will be more relaxed and calm, and enjoy the time of traveling through the beautiful scenery on the cruise ship...

The Turkish Straits (also known as the Black Sea Straits) are the only channel connecting the Black Sea and the Mediterranean Sea. They include the Bosphorus (also known as the Istanbul Strait) and the Dardanelles (also known as the Çanakkale Strait). They have been a battleground for military strategists throughout history and their strategic position is very important.

During the Cold War, the United States and the Soviet Union both established the Black Sea Strait as one of the most important maritime choke points in the world. After the Cold War, NATO still regards the Black Sea Strait as one of the strategic points of the Eurasian continent. The Black Sea Strait runs from northeast to southwest. The northeast end is the Bosphorus Strait, the southwest end is the Dardanelles Strait, and between the two straits is the Sea of ​​Marmara, Turkey's inland sea.

The Bosphorus Strait is 31.5 kilometers long, 3,200 meters wide at its widest point, 550 meters narrowest at its narrowest point, 62 meters deep on average, and 118 meters deep at its deepest point. In the center of the strait there is a rapid current flowing from the Black Sea to the Sea of ​​Marmara, and beneath the surface there is a countercurrent that brings salty seawater from the Sea of ​​Marmara to the Black Sea.

As fish seasonally travel back and forth through the strait to the Black Sea, the fishing industry in the strait is quite prosperous. The two banks are lush with trees, and villages and villas are scattered all over the place. (To be continued...)