Please exile me to the most beautiful time

Chapter 13 Turkey: The Heart of a Blacksmith and the Beauty of a Virgin (1)
Istanbul

Two years ago, I happened to stay in Jordan, just separated from Turkey by Syria.Backpackers often go north from Jordan into Syria and Lebanon, and then go to Turkey on the way, I also have this idea.Just then, a serious civil war broke out in Syria.During the months in Jordan, neighboring Syria was the headline of the TV news every day, so the overland route to Turkey was interrupted.Afterwards, I returned to North Africa via Israel and headed all the way south. When I decided to spend the upcoming Chinese New Year in another country, I decided on Turkey as my destination without any effort.

On the eve of the Spring Festival in 2014, Turkey became the focus of international news due to the outbreak of demonstrations.While printing my boarding pass, the airport ground staff asked, "Are you a reporter?" I shook my head.The other party looked puzzled: "Isn't it the reporter who still goes there?" This time it was my turn to be surprised. Do you dare to feel that Istanbul is in dire straits now?After experiencing the strike parade in Nepal and the dispatch of tanks in Israel, I know that these horrific events are not that horrible. The black dots on the white paper are magnified 1000 times by the news, which makes people feel "this is a black picture". paper" illusion.Of course, as a staunch non-adventurist, I inquired about the situation in Turkey in advance, and only after knowing the specific situation there did I go with confidence.I can also report many benefits of going to Turkey at this time, such as the sharp depreciation of the Turkish lira, the lack of tourists, and the collective reduction of tourism prices... In short, I arrived here without hesitation.

Istanbul, Turkey's largest city, is also a cultural, economic and financial center.People will not forget its old name: Constantinople.Once the world's largest city, the capital of the Ottoman Turkish Empire.As the only passage from Europe to Asia, and the only passage from the Black Sea to the Aegean Sea, it is destined to become an important city in history and a must-have for military strategists.Sitting in the tram in the old city of Sultan Ahmed, the ancient buildings made of thick stone bricks still tell the magnificent history.Walking alone in the city, Hagia Sophia, Topkapi Palace, Cistern... This familiar atmosphere has a similar taste.

Compared with Egypt and Jordan, it seems to be different, maybe it is the European style.I joked to my girlfriends that I was traveling in Europe, which was true.Although most of Turkey's territory is in Asia, it is more inclined to Europe politically, culturally and nationally.Turkey's sports teams participate in the European league and do not appear in the Asian Games.In recent years, it has been gearing up to join the European Union.Istanbul is just on the dividing line between the two continents of Asia and Europe. A city is divided between the two continents of Europe and Asia by the Bosporus Strait. It is also the only metropolis in the world that spans two continents.

It is winter, and hotels in Istanbul are also much cheaper.Settle your luggage and turn left when you go out. There is an oil painting depicting the Constantinople period hanging in the small pizzeria on the corner of the street. A mighty general leads a powerful army like a bamboo.Today's Istanbul is no longer the capital of a country, although its reputation is far greater than the real capital Ankara.The boss's son looked about in his teens. The boy with deep contours stared at the stranger in front of him with big eyes. "China? The capital of China...is Tokyo!" I waved my hand, explaining the difference between Beijing and Tokyo.The boss who had just baked the pizza knocked his son on the head: "Did you hear that, Tokyo is the capital of Japan, and I told you not to study hard." The son pouted and patted the knocked head innocently.

Following the direction pointed by the owner of the pizzeria, I groped to the pier. The Galata Bridge connecting the old city and the European district was crowded with fishermen. insect.I imitated the appearance of the locals, sitting on the small bench of the grilled fish stall and slowly eating a fresh grilled fish.The cruise ship businessman on the side persisted in soliciting customers, "10 lire, only 10 lire, 90 minutes to cross the Bosporus Strait, let's start the boat right away!" Food, suddenly gave birth to a sense of tragedy.On the vast sea, how long will it take them to fly to get here, and they can't rest in the middle, and they have to prevent accidentally falling into the sea.Just like me, how many roads and cars do I have to take to get here, and how many people know the dangers on the way?
We are all miserable beings, and it is not easy for anyone to live!

When I was feeling something, a lonely island in the sea brought me back to reality.The island looks like a sleeping girl, and there is a square lighthouse on the island, named Maiden Tower.Such a name must come from a beautiful story.In Greek legend, the handsome young Leander fell in love with the girl Helo on the other side of the strait. Leander would swim across the strait every night to date his sweetheart Helo. Helo always lit a torch for Leander. The ear guides the direction. On a stormy night, the torch was extinguished, and Leander, who had lost his direction, unfortunately drowned and died. In the early morning of the next day, Herlo saw Leander's body on the shore. The sea kills itself.Since then, a lighthouse has been built on the island, and the flickering lights illuminate the dark sea to help lovers find each other.In reality, the maiden's tower is only used by the Athenian army to monitor the movement of the Persian fleet. Nevertheless, people still regard this small island as a symbol of romance.

The sky is dyed pink under the reflection of the sunset, and the soft sunset falls on the Golden Horn Bay, until the last ray of light disappears, the lighthouse lights up, and the lovers will never be separated again.

Why do women have long legs

One day, I suddenly discovered that the calves of the women in Istanbul are all very slender. After inquiring, I found out that it was the result of frequent walking.So, I also imitated the appearance of a lady, shuttling back and forth in the streets and alleys, thinking, if I can really develop slender legs and completely compare with the friends in China, it will be worth it even if I am exhausted!Coincidentally, when I climbed to the 58th step, I had an intuitive feeling that the undulations of Istanbul’s terrain are no less than that of Chongqing. Every few steps, there will be a 45-degree steep slope or a steep slope. A hundred steps.Think about it, living in such a city, walking up and downhill every day, how many calories would be consumed, it is not difficult to understand that most women have a pair of slender legs.So I came to a conclusion: as long as there are enough steps in that place and the streets are inclined enough, there must be a lot of beautiful legs.

Living in such a city, if you can still become fat, then you are definitely a lazy person who cannot be supported.Only lazy people are not beautiful.

On my way to Taksim Square, as long as I took a casual look, I was walking with beautiful legs.At this moment, I hope to stay here for at least a year before going home.

Taksim Square is always full of people, tourists are mixed among them, every few steps there are three or five people performing in groups, playing and singing is very lively, two teenagers on the left side of the street are playing with the rhythm of drums, three on the right A hippie uncle is holding a guitar and playing bossa nova, so happy.Beverage shops all sold pomegranate juice by coincidence, and the bosses enthusiastically recommended pomegranate juice to passers-by, as if to say, you can’t tell anyone that you don’t drink pomegranate juice when you come to Turkey.Of course they are trying to sell pomegranate juice. A glass of pomegranate juice that costs only 1 lire in an ordinary residential area costs 5 liras here, which is still a small cup.I was attracted by the food in the square, it was so lively, it whetted my appetite, and it was a challenging task to figure out what to eat. An opportunity to choose a staple food. Thinking about it this way, it feels like picking a golden egg.

When traveling in Turkey, eating is a big deal.Delicious and juicy rotary grilled meat, extremely chewy assorted skewers, served with a few slices of fragrant toast or a serving of rice, needless to say, I drool when I look at it.For breakfast, order a fried egg, fresh garden salad, a few black olives, and a cup of Turkish black tea, which is simply a king-level enjoyment.Turkish sweets and fried chestnuts are well-known overseas, and it feels like you are in the world when you sit down in a popular shop.

The most Turkish snack is a snack called mussel dolma. Young people set up stalls on the street, stuffing the seasoned rice into the mussels, prying open the shells for you and squeezing fresh lemons when eating. The juice removes the fishy smell, and the rice is eaten in one bite. It is sour, salty and has the umami taste of mussels. It is so refreshing.In the non-tourist area, you can buy 1 mussel dolmas for 4 lira, which is equivalent to RMB 7 cents each, which is almost like no money.I want to enjoy the free food!
(End of this chapter)