Back in Istanbul

We were back in Istanbul on 14th Aug afternoon. Didn't do much, simply rest. We visited Olivium shopping mall, Taksim Square and the upmarket Kenyan shopping mall the next day.

Olivium Shopping Mall
This was the very same mall that we visited on our first day in Istanbul but I wasn't quite in the mood to shop back then. This time, we came specifically for a bags shop that carries designer brands at outlet prices. We had a good time shopping and I bought 4 bags ranging from 19YTL-29YTL (S$22-S$33) each. Karen and I also combined our purchase and got 3 T-shirts from United Colors of Benetton for only 20YTL (S$23). Very good buy indeed :)

Lunch was at Iskender, in my opinion, the best Turkish meal thus far. It was a simple foodcourt style of eating place with cheap and good kebab in sliced form. Prices for a set meal are 5.90YTL, 6.90YTL and 7.90YTL.

Taksim Square
We saw a different side of Istanbul on the way to Taksim Square when we passed by some old but charming backstreets. There were also some beggars, which are not present at the main touristy areas. We parked our car at an underground carpark, which looked spooky, and were almost breathless after we walked up the stairs. Interestingly, there was a lift but no one wants to take it because it was unreliable. Who knows you might not be able to get out of it, our Turkish friend said. Well, it's better to trust the locals.

Taksim Square is a pubbing street and I was told that there are about 1000 pubs/bars in this area. We walked for quite a while but only managed to cover 15% of the place. We saw this little cafe in one of the side streets and thought the mini tables and chairs were cute. How the big-sized Turks managed to sit on them without breaking it remains a puzzle.

Nearby, a bookstore caught our attention because there was a big fat cat snoozing on the books, totally oblivious to the passing crowd. And the shop owner was busying playing chess with his friend on one of those mini tables and chairs. What a relaxing afternoon...

Very often, we would find some surprises round the corner of the streets. This time, we discovered a narrow alley called Cezayin Sokagi. Also known as French street, this charming alley is lined with cafes and bistros of different styles and beauty. If only we could spend a lazy afternoon here in one of the cafes...

Kenyan Shopping Mall
After experiencing the terrible evening traffic jams, we finally reached Kenyan, an S-shaped open-air upmarket shopping mall. We went into this shop that sells a lot of designer stuff, of course the prices were out of our budget. These robots caught our attention as they were 'guarding' the entrance to this shop. I also like this knife set that costs a whopping 260YTL (S$299).