The Cube

Getting to Istanbul Airport 

I took the Havaist bus number 12 (HVIST-12) from Aksaray Metro, TL67. I have balance in my Istanbulkart enough for the travel but they don't accept payment via Istanbulkart, only cash or credit card. Commute time approximately 90 minutes.

Despite Beyazit Square station is a little closer to Sultanahmet square, but Havaist bus goes to Beyazit Square station only between 21:30 and 10:00 am since Ordu Street is closed for the vehicles during the day. 

I didn't get any plan to get any sim card or other means for internet connection in Dubai as I would only be there for a few days. However good news was there is free sim card given away at Dubai Airport. 

At passport control, the immigration officer handed back my passport along with a free Du Dubai sim card. The sim card came activated with a free 1GB that is valid for 24 hours. All one needs to do is insert the ready-to-use sim. I only activated this on my last full day in Dubai as I would be going around and might need it for navigation. 

One of the main criteria when I booked the accommodation was the distance from metro station. The one I ended up booking was in Deira, near Al-Rigga metro station. Bonus was it was really near the airport. I bought a Silver nol card, 25 AED which includes a 19 AED value. On my commute to and fro the airport, I had with me a big backpack and there were kind humans offering me their seat both times. 

The flight landed in Dubai International Airport closed to 10pm. By the time I reached Al Rigga metro, it was passed 11pm. I looked up on google maps on how to walk to the accommodation that I booked using the free wi-fi at the station. On leaving the metro station, I heard the staff made announcement on last train for the night. 

Backtracked to the day before when I was in Istanbul. I would usually let the hotel know my estimated arrival time especially if it would be outside of usual business hour. Given that my flight was due to land in Dubai at 9:50pm, I sent a message to the accommodation via the booking app. I got a default response that mention to contact the accommodation directly. I sent a whatsapp message to the accommodation. I noticed that the country code for the listed phone number wasn't in Dubai. No reply. Then I saw a poor review for the accommodation that mentioned there were no room available. Not very promising but the accommodation had billed me. I figured as plan B, I would look up some backup accommodations around the area in case there wasn't a room available for me too. 

On arrival at the location given, all I could see was a supermarket. I walked up and down the street a couple of times and I wasn't able to find the building. I walked to the nearest hotel to me at that time, Ibis Dubai Al Rigga. While the front desk didn't come across as most friendly, she very kindly offered me the hotel free wi-fi after telling me she doesn't know the place I was looking for. By this time there were a few people at the front desk with their queries. I thanked her and the doorman who also tried to help me to check the address given and walked to my plan B. 

The dodgy accommodation that I initially booked is no longer listed. I also reported it to booking.com. Excelsior Downtown Hotel was the plan B hotel.  

Turkish breakfast 

The one above was the best breakfast spread I had in Türkiye - in Lunaria Guest House in Ayvalik. Otherwise the rest of the breakfast would still include egg, jam, olives, bread (of course), cheese, fruits, coffee or tea. So not at all shabby. 

It is the most renown dish of the Cappadocia region. The traditional pottery kebab is made using an Avanos pot. Avanos is the "pottery village" of Cappadocia. The one I ordered was chicken and cooked with tomatoes, capsicum and onions, with the addition of a mixture of herbs, the contents of the pottery kebab is placed into small, single-serve pots. I had this in Göreme Han Restaurant, it was the first restaurant I came across that serves testi kebabi on my walk back to town. Very tasty and free tea provided. 

I initially wanted to find another shop but as my luck has it, I seem to have issues locating restaurants that I wanted to go. I was approached by the owner of White House as I walked passed, the shop was empty so I initially a little apprehensive but it was already after usual lunch hour. The price looked decent so I went in. The adana kebab was very good. I had adana kebab when I returned to Melbourne, the one I had was nowhere near this. Coffee was provided free of charge. 

Papalina (European sprat) is a specialty in Ayvalik so that was my first meal in Ayvalik. This was delicious. I had this at Muhteremin Yeri. I'm not sure if it was true but google said it is marked as permanently closed. 

Papalina+salad+orange juice, TL145

Ayvalik Toast

It has fillings of sausage, salami, picked cucumbers, etc. I was asked if I want to omit anything but I asked for all. I can't remember the name of the shop where I got this, but it was somewhere near the #Ayvalik sign.

TL35

Fish sandwich - cheap and happy but I got this near the Spice Bazaar before I saw the ones at the Galata Bridge. It was more expensive at TL80. 
Ciya Sofrasi

I feel this is like a lokanta as well but serves rarer regional dishes that are harder to find. The dishes were tasty but I find it a bit too pricey. I think it could be that they were charged by portion and that it can't be "mixed". 

Clockwise from top left (based on the copy of receipt): Firik Pilavı (this is rice mixture with some grain), Asude (based on google, I don't think this translate to any type of food but it was okra dish), Ekşili Kebap Yemeği (sourish dish with kebab), Güveç Yemeği (cubed meat casserole with vegetables). Total of TL300 and I was reminded that they didn't add any service charge. I added a 10% tip.

TL400 including tips (I can't remember if I added 10% or 15% tips)

Doesn't need introduction I think - this layered pastry dessert is made of filo pastry, filled with chopped nuts, and sweetened with syrup or honey. It was one of the most popular sweet pastries of Ottoman cuisine. I went to a baklava sweet shop and got some as a gift, the rest were eaten as part of free dessert. 

There were 2, I ate one before I remembered a photo

This caramelised milk pudding was randomly selected from one of my supermarket run, it was not bad actually and wasn't too sweet either, TL 8.
Peynir Helvasi

TL15

Midye dolma

This is stuffed mussel with aromatic rice, herb and spices, served with a squeeze of lemon or lime. If you see this, please get some. It was delicious. It is priced per each mussel and depends on the size of the mussel. The ratio of rice to mussel would depends on the size of the mussel. I think I had 4 of the TL2.5 ones. 

I didn't go up the Galata Tower but did stop and have a tea break, at one of the small dessert shop nearby. I unfortunately totally cannot remember the name of the shop. Below are one baklava and some borek with cheese, washed down with tea.

Total TL44

This is what I planned in the 4 full days I had in Istanbul, as they were grouped by area, I felt that I did a lot on day 1. It could possibly be split into 2 days to have a more relax day. I managed to follow most of what was planned except day 3 as it was raining pretty much the whole day. I stayed in Fatih area and I don't know how it ended up that I walked to most of the places even though I have an Istanbulkart except the ferry crossing to Kadikoy. 

Here's an overview of the days. 

Day 1: Sultanahmet & Around - Blue Mosque, Aya Sofya, Basilica Cistern, Hippodrome (Sultanahmet Square), Topkapi Palace, Arasta Bazaar

Day 2: Eminonu & Modern Center of Istanbul - Sulemaniye Mosque, Grand Bazaar, Spice Bazaar, Galata Bridge, Istiklal Street, Taksim Square