Istanbul: an expat's perspective

Find out about our expert led Istanbul tour. See our full schedule of escorted Turkey tours.

Read on if you’d like a Canadian expat’s view on living in Istanbul. One of our guests on our Sailing the Lycian Shore tour in May 2008, Greg Sturgess, has ended up living in Istanbul with his wife Monica. Greg has put pen to paper to capture what he thinks makes Istanbul so special.
Istanbul travel article: Visit this page if you would like to read Peter’s take on this great city.

It reminds me of Canada in the 50’s. Remember when you could smoke in the office, in a restaurant and even in the hospital! When you could litter the street with a dropped gum wrapper or tissue and not be fined $50. When it wasn’t scornful to throw a pop bottle in the trash, not the blue bin. When you could ride a motorbike with the wind in your hair, no helmet of any kind.

When shooting pigeons from your apartment roof didn’t trigger a full out SWAT response to a “Man with a gun “. When you could sell your wares on any street corner without a peddlars license, and you could cross the street mid-block against the light and never worry about jaywalking. When trams shared the streets with automobiles and rarely got stuck in traffic jams.

When a man would stand and offer his bus seat to a lady, yes I see it and do it everyday in Istanbul. And people were not afraid to make eye contact and talk to the stranger at the tram stop. When you knew the shopkeeper at the corner by name, and you could pay him later if you were caught a little short.  And you shopped every day for fresh meat and veggies sold by weight not in prepacked little pouches.

When your local taxi was always willing to stop for a hail or a whistle, and never a seat belt to be seen. And you could walk down any dark street at any time and feel very safe.

Sure the things I’ve mentioned may make life a little more hazardous but I saw more vehicle accidents in two weeks back home, than I have in 6 months here! So come to Turkey if you want to step back in time and relive those wild lawless years of your youth.

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