After a long commute we arrived in Istanbul some time after midnight and were treated to an unexpected tour of Sultanahmet as the shuttle driver weaved in and out of the narrow streets as he struggled to locate the hotels of the other passengers.

After a much needed sleep we made our way to the roof top terrace where we ate a traditional Turkish breakfast of olives, tomatoes, cucumber, boiled egg, freshly baked bread and jam. In contrast to the food that we have been eating over the past three months this simple meal with tasty fresh ingredients was like being reacquainted with old friends! Still half asleep we wandered out the door and up the street. 30 seconds later we turned the corner and were met with a stunning view of the Blue Mosque - Welcome to Turkey!

Our travels through India primed us to appreciate every aspect of this beautiful city. The weather was perfect, the streets were clean and we hardly noticed the crowds of tourists or the touts selling tours. We were back in the zone and hit the ground running - wandering the streets, seeing the sights, chilling in parks, eating kebabs (lots of kebabs!) and experiencing all that Istanbul has to offer - not stopping until we stepped on the bus to Cappadocia four days later. The photo's don't do justice to all of the amazing sights, but will give some idea of what we got up to in Istanbul.

The highlights were the stunning views of the Blue Mosque every day, the amazing Ayasofya Church/Mosque and the eerie underground Basilica Cistern. We ate on the cheap, and the food was delicious! A Chicken Doner Sandwich and a freshly squeezed grapefruit juice for just $3 - can't complain about that!

There has been recent news of protests and police conflict in Taksim Square in Istanbul due to government plans to sell public land to build a new shopping mall. Although we were aware of the issue and walked around the area while we were in Istanbul, the protests didn't escalate until after we had left. We will be passing back through in a few weeks so will keep an eye on the news.