Waking Up
Since I was up earlier following the boston manhunt I let myself sleep late. Around noon I woke up and asked reception where I could get a good haircut. After checking with a few guys who worked at the hotel, I was directed to a barber down the street. I had read a bit online about what to look for when shopping around for a good Turkish barber. The shop should never be empty, expect friends of the barber to stop by just to chat, a scalp and neck massage are usually part of the deal, and something involving a flame.
Barber Shop
Throughout my life I've appreciated consistency with barbers or hair stylists. I was a bit uncomfortable getting a haircut in a foreign country, but I had no choice. The hair on the back of my neck was bugging me and my hair was getting long. Something had to be done.
The barber shop I was directed to had a client already in the seat. There was a single barber working the shop. The shop was a single room with three barber chairs and several chairs for those waiting - no bathroom. The man in the seat spoke English well and we chatted a bit, the barber spoke next to no English. The man in the seat helped communicate what I wanted done. Since this was an adventure I opted to have a facial shave as well as a haircut. I had brought some pictures of what my hair looks like after it is cut just in case. The pictures appeared to help and the barber immediately appeared to understood what I wanted done. I'd later find out the barber is from the country of Georgia. He's been in Turkey for over 20 years. Based on his appearance I was wondering if I was making a wise choice - but what did I have to loose. I had wondered if I should find someone around my age who was a bit more trendy.
I was a bit nervous entering the chair, but figured it was all part of the adventure. He started with an electric shaver. I started to get nervous, an electric shaver is the sign of an awful $7 haircut. After a while he put the shaver away and turned to clippers, that put my mind at ease a bit. He pulled out a huge mirror and asked if grunts if everything was okay - I was happy. Using a stick with an open flame at the end he singed the small hairs on my ears. I felt a pinch of pain, but only for a second. Clever idea. After he finished with the hair he used all sorts of brushes and creams on my face. He used a new straight edge razor and went to work. His attention to detail was remarkable - he really did know what he was doing. It was the best shave I've ever had. As he worked away several other men came into the shop. He chatted with them, but his pace never changed. A man, who I'd realize later is another barber, walked by and my barber waived him in. Shortly thereafter the shop had two chairs running. I'd say the whole experience took about 2 hours, I was probably in the chair for maybe 1 1/2 hours. The total cost was 30 Turkish Lira, or right under $17 USD. I gave him a 50, took the change (about $11 USD) and gave it right back to him. He was pleased, so was I.
Since I was up earlier following the boston manhunt I let myself sleep late. Around noon I woke up and asked reception where I could get a good haircut. After checking with a few guys who worked at the hotel, I was directed to a barber down the street. I had read a bit online about what to look for when shopping around for a good Turkish barber. The shop should never be empty, expect friends of the barber to stop by just to chat, a scalp and neck massage are usually part of the deal, and something involving a flame.
Barber Shop
Throughout my life I've appreciated consistency with barbers or hair stylists. I was a bit uncomfortable getting a haircut in a foreign country, but I had no choice. The hair on the back of my neck was bugging me and my hair was getting long. Something had to be done.
The barber shop I was directed to had a client already in the seat. There was a single barber working the shop. The shop was a single room with three barber chairs and several chairs for those waiting - no bathroom. The man in the seat spoke English well and we chatted a bit, the barber spoke next to no English. The man in the seat helped communicate what I wanted done. Since this was an adventure I opted to have a facial shave as well as a haircut. I had brought some pictures of what my hair looks like after it is cut just in case. The pictures appeared to help and the barber immediately appeared to understood what I wanted done. I'd later find out the barber is from the country of Georgia. He's been in Turkey for over 20 years. Based on his appearance I was wondering if I was making a wise choice - but what did I have to loose. I had wondered if I should find someone around my age who was a bit more trendy.
I was a bit nervous entering the chair, but figured it was all part of the adventure. He started with an electric shaver. I started to get nervous, an electric shaver is the sign of an awful $7 haircut. After a while he put the shaver away and turned to clippers, that put my mind at ease a bit. He pulled out a huge mirror and asked if grunts if everything was okay - I was happy. Using a stick with an open flame at the end he singed the small hairs on my ears. I felt a pinch of pain, but only for a second. Clever idea. After he finished with the hair he used all sorts of brushes and creams on my face. He used a new straight edge razor and went to work. His attention to detail was remarkable - he really did know what he was doing. It was the best shave I've ever had. As he worked away several other men came into the shop. He chatted with them, but his pace never changed. A man, who I'd realize later is another barber, walked by and my barber waived him in. Shortly thereafter the shop had two chairs running. I'd say the whole experience took about 2 hours, I was probably in the chair for maybe 1 1/2 hours. The total cost was 30 Turkish Lira, or right under $17 USD. I gave him a 50, took the change (about $11 USD) and gave it right back to him. He was pleased, so was I.
Barber Shop
Inside Barber Shop
Before and after, with barber
Grand Bazaar
I had no set plans for the day, but I didn't want to waste it. I head to the Grand Bazaar and walked around the shops. The Bazaar was enormous. As Mike described, most of it was indoors and there were tons of people everywhere. The majority of vendors sell silver, gold, carpets, clothing, and leather. Some retail outlets are in the Bazaar but it mostly appears to be independent shops. Touring the Bazaar was rather uneventful except a rough conversation I had with one of the merchants. The Bazaar is a major tourist trap and cameras are everywhere. I snapped a picture with my SLR and he got a bit aggressive with me. Since my SLR is rather large he probably thought I was a professional photographer. He asked why I was taking a picture of the shop across the way. He told me the shop he thought I photographed, as well as his own, sold counterfeit goods. He asked why I photographed a particular shop in the distance. I actually hadn't intended to photographed the shop he was referring to, there was a light shop with lots of color I was targeting. Still, I wasn't about to take his crap. I suggested to him that he had no definitive way of knowing what I was photographing and that I could photograph anything I wanted in the Bazaar. He went on about how my photographs would cause him trouble and that he could make trouble for me. His attitude irritated me so I had no problem putting him into place. I told him his threats were completely inappropriate and that he wasn't the only one who could create trouble. I stopped talking to him abruptly, returned a fiery look, and walked away. His attitude changed abruptly and he apologized to some extent, but I walked away. I think I scared the crap out of him.
Dinner
After walking around the town a bit I head back to the restaurant I was at the day before, The Khorasani. This time around I wanted to try the chicken kebob. The bar was open so I took a seat there. The chicken kebob was the best ever - moist, tender, fantastic.
Taksim Square
It was getting late, but I still wasn't ready to call it a night. Public transportation shuts down at midnight, so I hopped the last train to Taksim Square. I took the train further into the Asian side thinking the walk might be easier. The hills I had to walk up were huge and steep - probably a 45 degree incline. Getting to the square was quite the workout. It took about 15 minutes to find the general area, but once I did I was reminded of how enormous the shopping area was. Street after street was active and alive, and it was well after midnight. I didn't intend to stay long - maybe have one drink.
After getting a drink I noticed a popcorn vendor. I don't know what kind of drink it was, but it was served in a mason jar and had a variety of liquors including 7up, Jack Daniels, and a few other spirits. I followed the lead of the person who ordered before me since it looked good. He pushed around a cart and popped fresh popcorn! For 5 TL (under $3 USD) I picked up a bag and enjoyed my beverage. After a short while a local girl came up to me and asked if they could have some popcorn. There was more than enough to share. We chatted a bit and she introduced me to her friends - they were a pretty cool group. I followed them to the next bar and chatted with them a bit. Wanting to get some sleep and knowing I'd be up for a fight if I announced my departure, I broke away from the group when no one was looking. I grabbed a cab and head back for home. I had seen a huge line for cabs (maybe 75 people single file) on the other side of town a couple of hours earlier, so I was very happy to find one quickly. The driver didn't speak English, but we eventually found my hotel and were able to communicate using grunts and Google maps. It was late afternoon back home so I was chatting via text with a friend back home - when I got back we continued the conversation for an hour or so and I fell alseep.
Fresh popcorn vendor
Crazy outdoor party, both in and outside the bars
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