Where The Streets Have No Name (At Least Ones I Can Pronounce)

When we weren't wandering through the vibrant markets of Istanbul, we were strolling along the cobblestone streets of the city. We found ourselves being entertained by all the street life and different kinds of shops. We stayed downtown for the first few days with John and Linda before 'moving on up' to the Taksim area. The pedestrian zone of Istiklal Street was always busy with people selling food, clothing, and just about everything else. We also had to constantly be on our toes because cars, trucks, motorcycles, or bicycles could come out of anywhere and most side streets were basically one ways. The lineups for lottery tickets were incredible and so were the weights that the many porters were carrying up and down the streets. Restaurants often displayed their food in their windows so everybody could see what they might be having. If there was one water faucet stall on a street, there would be dozens. And that's the way it went with everything. No matter how crazy it got, there was always a rolling tea salesman (snow or shine) coming down the street selling a hot beverage.