Istanbul’s Spice Bazaar If you ever find yourself with the immediate need to buy a restaurant kitchen’s worth of spices, Istanbul is one of the highest recommendations I can give. If you just need to indulge your inner child with sweets galore and whole mountains of Turkish Delight, even […]
Turkey
Uskudar Travel Guide: Daytrippin’ from Europe to Asia
Exploring Uskudar Uskudar, on the Asian side of the Bosphorus, was described to me as a more conservative part of Istanbul. A place to keep mindful of being more respectful and even dress appropriately. That was not the feel I got from the neighborhood, though. The several times I walked […]
Ottoman City Walls of Istanbul
Istanbul’s City Walls I’m a sucker for ruins, climbing things, and particularly climbing on ruins. It only follows, then, that Istanbul’s City Walls were high on my list of priorities as soon as I caught sight of them. For the budget-conscious backpacker taking public transit into town from the airport, […]
Istanbul Grand Bazaar – isn’t it grand?
Istanbul: Grand Bazaar I’m a sucker for markets, of every shape size color sound and smell. With a market in Istanbul styling itself the Grand Bazaar, then, how could I not go? In terms of a market, the places honestly wasn’t that great. I swear I only saw 10 different […]
Chora Church in Istanbul – Not a Chora to Visit!
Chora Church in Istanbul: Magic and Mosaics Ok, so it might not be magic. Though it doesn’t seem to get nearly the acclaim of the Sultanahmet hotspots like the Hagia Sophia or Blue Mosque, the Byzantine-era Chora Church and surrounding area make for an excellent day in Istanbul. The church nearly […]
Istanbul’s Sunday Pigeon Market
Istanbul Sunday Pigeon Market One of the things I really like about lingering in places longer than absolutely necessary to see all the big tourist sites is that I can generally be open to a lot more aimless wandering. Instead of rushing from church to market to church, I also […]
Hey there! I'm Stephen, this is my travel blog, and that's me in the poofy hat.
I'm a photographer / writer traveling since 2008, and I've been doing my best to visit amazing places.
My current focus is Central Asia, because for a hiking and camping enthusiast it's as good as it gets.